Just a small detour..

A little word about Maun before we get on our way - having had a substantial meal in yet another cafe where virtually everyone knew everyone else - Gabi and Phil included. Maun itself is one of those places in the back of beyond, with a rather unkempt air about it. Not the prettiest of places, but then few places in Botswana can be classed as 'pretty' or even 'picturesque'. They are mostly a collection of houses and shacks, huts and rondavels (round, mud hut homes) with the occasional magnificent house amongst them. Here you don't find enclaves of rich designer style homes, separate from the rest. They are all together. At one corner you may have a collection of rondavels with their stockade around them to keep out the animals (no, not necessarily lions and elephants, but donkeys and goats!) and a block built, corrugated iron roofed latrine and next to it you might have a 5 bedroomed, three bathroomed luxurious house with a swimming pool and every convenience money can buy. Every other shop seems to sell airtime for the mobile phones. I find it quite amusing to see someone walking along with a load of goods on their head, and a mobile phone to their ear. This sign also amused me in the middle of nowhere!

Leaving Maun, we retraced our route back to Nata. Deciding that a cool drink (and not one from the cool box we had in the back!) was a welcome reason for a break, we stopped off at Gweta. There is a Lodge here that Phil & Gabi knew, so I got yet another chance to see somewhere I had not seen before.

This is the interior of the dining area, and the young man is called Scott Montgomery. He runs a safari Lodge 40 Km into the Pans. He was waiting for someone else to turn up who would be going his way. This is not unusual - he was not waiting for anyone specific, but just anyone going to the Pans. The reason for this is that the rains had made the Pans very treacherous for driving, and sensible people do not travel alone (or at least a single vehicle). they try to make sure that there are at least two vehicles, so that one can assist in pulling the other out of any difficulties they might get into with the mud. The mud can be up to the axles of the 4x4's, and with no mobile phone signals, you could be stuck for days waiting for someone to happen along who might be able to help get you out. This is normal practice in the bush - and can entail a wait of a few days at a Lodge. When he had left his camp, it had taken him some 14 hours to do the 40Km, so bad were conditions. My admiration for these people is boundless, because to run these camps through all weathers, and in such extremes of weather conditions, takes a very special type of person. Only the most foolish people go off into the bush alone and in a single vehicle.

After our brief stop we set off again, at this stage still intending to go back to Kasane. Talk turned to equipment Gabi wanted to buy for the Lodge, and after a phone call to a friend in Francistown, it was decided that we would do a slight detour (only 300 km or thereabouts), and go to the shops to inspect the goods on offer that might be suitable for Gabi's purpose. Another phone call to tell (no, not ask!) a friend that we would be arriving in a few hours, and was there a bed available (or to be more accurate a couple of rooms!) for the night. The friend was wonderful and so, at Nata, we turned southwards instead of north. The Nata River, which I had seen as an expanse of sand, was the fullest that Phil had ever seen it. We did another little detour to get some photos of it as who knows when it might be so high again?

Gabi and Phil on the old low bridge over the Nata River.

Arriving at Francistown, we drove into the bush again, this time to stay with Angelica, another of Gabi's German friends, and her husband and little girl. Theirs is an old colonial style house, with its classic green corrugated iron roof. There is a covered veranda down the whole length of the back of the property, but the thing I did find a little disturbing was the burglar gates inside the house. I suppose one gets used to such things, but at first glance they are a little intimidating.

The swimming pool was very inviting, but each time the rain came, the colour changed from a clear turquoise blue to this murky green, and Gelli had to treat it yet again to get it to look the right colour again.

Hannah, their little girl is a little star, and typical of most 6 year olds, was full of mischief. She was thrilled to bits to push Uncle Phil into the water and then scamper away as fast as her legs would carry her! Hers is a rather lonely life, being an only child and living out in the bush, but she is so lucky to have parents who spend a lot of their time playing with her so is not at all the spoiled brat she could have been.

One of their cats had also just had kittens, so naturally I could not resist taking a photo of them.

I was very fortunate that night, because it was the night that the Ladies Book Club meets, and the meeting was at my friends house where I had stayed a few weeks before on my way north. I was able to attend, and what a night we had! Not having to drive, I was able to enjoy the odd glass of wine, and the conversation was very interesting. These book clubs (and there are many in Botswana) came about because books are terribly expensive in Botswana. Each club is restricted to 12 members, and each member buys 12 books one month in the year. This means that by the end of a year they have all read 144 books for the cost of 12. This club has been going a good few years, and had dozens of books on offer of every type. Many of the members also chose books for their husbands to read - after all there are no public libraries as we know them, so Book Clubs are a brilliant way of counteracting this lack. It is also the excuse for a party night for the girls (yes, I know that comes as a bit of a shock to you, but the truth will out!) and it was this book clubs invitation to me back in October to visit the School and talk to the children that opened up a whole new set of friendships for me.

Back at Gelli's house, the garden is a dream. Here is a photo of the Hibiscus in bloom.

Leaving behind Francistown, we headed back up to Kasane but decided to detour again to take in a Campsite called Elephant Sands.

This was only 2Km off the main road, but the carvings on the gum poles supporting the roof of the main buildings just have to be seen to be believed. They were done by a Zimbabwean artist, and are a pure delight.

I was very surprised to see the TV in the place, but of course, the evenings are very long, with night falling by 7pm at the latest, and no visitors around, so it must be a welcome distraction.



The thatching is also a work of art of this building

even the ants are artistic - but the Termite mounds can be very tall and solid as rock.

and the Finger Grass, Digitaria Eriantha is already heavy with seed, only 4 months after there was not a sign of life. The wonders that water brings are stunning in their speed of arrival.

and of course the noisy Franklin bird that kept us amused as he strutted around calling to anyone who would listen. He is a smaller bird than his voice would have you believe, but I have also taken this photo to illustrate just what being in the bush can be like - just acacia trees and long grass, with basically sand underfoot.

Soon it was time to head back up to Kasane and more game drives and river cruises, more cooking and much more fun.....