Back south before another adventure

Dawn on my last morning at Garden Lodge on the Chobe River (http://www.thegardenlodge.com/)

Leaving The Garden House and its wonderful staff was a huge wrench. I had been welcomed like a member of Gabi's family, and the only saving grace in leaving, was that the three of us were travelling together. This in itself was a testament to friendship. They do not have a car or vehicle with 4 seats in the cab. No, it had been a lot of work for Phil to adapt one of their vehicles to take all the luggage - and we had lots! - and then make room for a mattress in the back. Gabi took up her position laying on the mattress, whilst Phil drove and I sat like the Queen Mother in splendid comfort in the cab! I felt pretty awful about Gabi going all those miles in the back, but she would not hear of my changing places with her. Phil did, however, change with her, and again, Gabi and I chattered like two monkeys for mile upon mile.

This was my last (perhaps) sight of the entrance to Garden Lodge with its Setswana sign.

Talking to Phil is always a delight, too. He is such an intelligent, knowledgeable man, and our conversations were so interesting that the miles simply flew by. His stories of his time in the Rhodesian Police, and the problems that country under its present Government has to bear were many. I had not realised just how tribal some of the atrocities committed are. The Matabele are a very peaceable tribe who had been in positions of authority for many years, but the Shona, the tribe of the present Leader, have killed thousands of the Matabele in what is purely and simply a score settling exercise. It is to my eternal shame that I knew so little of the stories of our past colony. More of this situation would be corrected when I got further into my holiday.

We stopped at the usual vet fences, with their disinfectant troughs, and this photo I took at one of them. The vehicle on the left, with the canvas covered back, is the one we were travelling in. I don't think another sheet of tissue paper could have been forced into it we were carrying so much. There was the launcher for the Clay pigeons, there were boxes of clays and ammunition, a lot of luggage being delivered to Phil's son who had recently returned to South Africa from England where he had been educated. A very large mobile Freezer, which was wonderful, keeping our food and drinks icy cold - something of a real luxury on such a hot journey. Not to mention our own luggage - well, mine any way, because I had all my luggage with me this time, as opposed to the overnight case I had used on our 4 day trip to Maun - plus various parcels etc.

We pulled off the road for a coffee and a sandwich, and looking around, as I tend to do, I noticed this caterpillar. Neither Gabi nor Phil had ever seen one like it, so if anyone can tell me what it turns into, please do. It was about 4 inches long, and the hairs looked like spikes.

I had been very wary about getting out of the vehicle into the long grass, because I imagined snakes would be lurking everywhere. Fortunately I never saw a live one, although we did see one or two dead ones on the road.
You may recall me talking about the road becoming an airstrip in at least 3 sections of the route from Kasane down to Francistown. This is one of them. As you can see from the volume of traffic, it is not exactly going to cause huge disruption if one did have to land. Apparently, when I asked our pilot friends, they are only used in emergency and were really put there for military use during the Zimbabwean (Rhodesian) UDI time. Happily, nothing required our bit of road when we were travelling along it. Mind you, it would be one thing to buzz a vehicle to get out of the way, but imagine if an elephant were crossing! Ooops! A bit more of an obstacle than most pilots would imagine having to contend with.

The marks on the sky are actually on the windscreen, before you try enlarging the photo to find out the species of red bird!

We were travelling happily along when suddenly Phil said, -' Look - Ostrich!' Well by the time I got the camera switched on, this was all I managed to get!

It does, however, show the amount of greenery that had carpeted the land - now lush and even more green than when I had driven up it some 2½ weeks before.

We were heading for Francistown, and these next two photos I took to show the contrast. The first one I had taken on my way south with Vic and Terry in October, and the other on this journey south
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and now

Again, apologies for the marks on the windscreen, but I am sure you get the effect. Hard to believe it is even the same country, isn't it?

This is a very quick snap I took of the swallows that had left our shores last Autumn, and will return this coming summer. They were swooping and diving all around us, but since they fly so very quickly, it was almost impossible to get a photo of them, which is why I just got these few resting on the power lines. It is strange how the sight of swallows gladden the heart, isn't it? Rather like the daffodils in spring.

We stayed overnight again at Gelli and Butch's house, and all the animals were there to make sure they were noticed. They are not allowed into the kitchen, but this was a very tempting moment for them.

Gabi called me out to one of the sheds where spare Freezers are kept. She wanted me to see THIS! It is a King Cricket and I was horrified by its size. Needless to say, I did not hang around long enough to look too closely - a click of the shutter and I was off!

The following morning, we went to Serowe to get the vehicle serviced. The family who own the garage were extraordinarily kind to us. They loaned Phil and Gabi a double cab vehicle, and off we went to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. I had not known we were going there, and to my horror my batteries were almost flat for my cameras. Whilst I do have car battery chargers, they were left in the vehicle being serviced, so I just had to be content with a couple of photos. The first thing we saw was this beautiful wild Nerine lily. Of course, at this point I didn't realise just how flat my camera battery was, so I clicked away!

and then we got to the edge of the Pan (the name, as you have no doubt realised, for a lake or body of water).

There were Wildebeest, Impala, Zebra all drinking and it was magic. Trouble was, we were a long way away, and trying to zoom in used up the last of my power in the battery. You will have to be patient with me and forgive the tiny figures of animals.

All the visit went from one wonder to another - we rounded a bend, and suddenly there was a huge Rhino about 30 metres from the car. What heartbreak! No camera in action!! Of course, it meant that I just wanted to re-visit the Sanctuary, but heaven knew when, indeed, if ever, I could do that!

Back to Serowe, we had been invited for lunch at the friends house. What an experience of pure hospitality and friendship that was. One of the most memorable times of my stay, we went to the most wonderful house imaginable - and no camera!!! What a shame!

The family is one of the oldest in Botswana, and their story is the stuff of legend. The great-grandfather had gone out at a trader at the end of the 19th Century, and was doing very nicely at it. The thing he lacked was a wife, and there were few white women of eligible age who were single. During his travels he had met up with an Irish family who had taken in an orphan girl of about 14 years. He was 30+ at the time. Doing what he knew best, which was trading cattle, and there had been a disease which had wiped out a lot of the stock, he did what came as second nature to him. He offered some stock in exchange for the girl. Frowned on, no doubt, by later generations, all was agreed. They were married and lived a very long and loving life, producing a large family, one of whom I was delighted to meet. She is the mother of the present garage owner. She and her husband had started the business back in about 1942, and had also had various other sidelines, like a cafe etc. Their son now runs the business, and in turn his children are also taking over. They have been politicians but their main concern is the welfare of their people, and the Rhino Sanctuary. They are, as I said, one of the most well known, and highly respected families in the country, and for me it was an enormous honour to have been invited to their home.

Phil and Gavin talked at length about the pre-colonial history of Rhodesia, and the lack of any written history, but of course, back then it was only an oral tradition, and therefore extremely difficult to research. I was to find later someone whom Phil would be able to consult on his quest. Talk about doors opening and meeting extraordinary people most unexpectedly. I can never believe how it seems to happen to me. Perhaps it is something to do with the fact that I love people and am curious about them and their stories. (Or is it just plain old Yorkshire nosiness?)

Once the car was ready, it was time to head down the road to Gaborone, and to inflict ourselves on Vic, yet again. He is an excellent host - and he and Phil go back a long way, so it is always good to see them, as Vic would say 'talking shit!' (meaning, rubbish of course!). .
They have it down to a fine art, and have always got a one liner to come back at anyone with.
Vic's garden had grown a lot on the time I had been enjoying myself at Garden Lodge, and this photo I took from under the thatch covering the Jacuzzi - and no, I wasn't IN the jacuzzi at the time!

Now I had a couple of days to spend with Vic - laughing non-stop as usual. Gabi and Phil took me to a garden Centre, the likes of which I had never seen before, with the tropical plants in profusion. Next time I will show you a few of the photographs I took there. However, I now had received an email from a friend in the north of Scotland. She told me she had read of an orphanange and wondered if I would pop in and take a look at it. Pop in? It was 300 miles north of Gaborone, but since I was going to drive back up to Francistown to re-visit the many friends I had made there, I would try to find it. It was to be a very memorable trip in many ways.