On 9 August, on Day 4 of this venture, we crossed into Botswana. But before I mention that, I need to remind everyone (including ourselves) not to always believe Google Maps.
On the afternoon of the third day, we aimed for Kayne . Close to the border we planned to cross the next day. We go into town, fuel up, and then head a little out of town to our chosen accommodation—Monakaladi Gardens ( https://monakaladi.co.za/) . It looked lovely in the pictures (and it was okay). It was a thatched-roof complex, self-catering, and we had everything we needed for a braai.
Last fuel stop in South Africa
But back to Google Maps. This place was literally about 100 meters from the highway… BUT… Google Maps took us the scenic route!!!
We drove for 2 or 3 kilometres through the back streets of a settlement and finally reached the back gate of this nice, secure compound with a lodge and clean rooms.
So the moral of the story is to use the satellite function on Google Maps and pick the best route. Instead of driving on dirt tracks through an unfamiliar neighbourhood, one turn off the highway would have reduced anxiety and caused a lot less damage to the car.
Getting ready to cook our last South African Braai
Now for the border crossing story:
We drove up to the border crossing… We chose this one (check name) because people said it would be quieter. It was, but driving up to it involved at least 2 to 3 kilometres of trucks waiting to cross. Fortunately, cars can bypass the trucks and head to the front of the queue. We asked a truck driver, and he said it takes them 2 days to get across!
Checking out the cars at the first border crossing
So we went to passport control and got our stamps to leave South Africa. Then it was about the cars, and we went to customs. “Not sure about these Carnets. I’ll call my colleague.” About 15 or 20 minutes later, the second customs officer arrived. “Oh… not sure… Oh, yeah, that’s right, we have a carnet book…” Once that was found, everything was good—follow the example of the last one done, and we were on our way.
Then we headed to the next gate, thinking it was already Botswana. However, after being sent back to another office, we realized everything was okay and moved forward through no-man’s-land.
The folks on the Botswana side were helpful, issuing our visa and sorting out the carnet. We paid a tax of about AUD 40.00 to use our cars on Botswana’s roads.
While chatting with the guys doing the final clearance of the cars, we learned that Botswana had just won its first-ever Gold Medal at the Olympics. It was a great celebration, and the government declared a half-day public holiday!
So we ventured forth. We reached a town called Kang and found some lovely folks at Kang Lodge, with a great meal and a clean room and shower before heading into Day 5… destination somewhere closer to Maun and the Okavango Delta.
The Computer Saga
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Its now about 3 weeks ago that we crossed from South Africa into Botswana … and in the rush to get ready to travel to the border I left my computer behind at the lodge where we stayed. It was two days later, the morning we left Ghanzi, in Botswana that I discovered it missing.
At first, I couldn’t even remember where I had last used it. After some thought, I finally figured it out and called Monakaladi Gardens ( https://monakaladi.co.za/). I made a call and …. Yes, they had it! Fantastic!
Now, how to recover it? Someone suggested contacting Tix, a friend of a friend who had been in contact as we entered Botswana. She had given us fantastic advice about places to stay and visit in Botswana. I made the call, and Tix and her husband, Paul, came to the rescue.
They managed to find someone traveling to Gaborone (the capital of Botswana) from Mahikeng, where I had forgotten it. I have no idea how they pulled it off. This unknown person delivered the computer bag to Paul… who went out of his way to arranged for the rucksack, which contained the computer and iPad (and, as it turned out, one of Barry’s T-shirts), to be sent via overnight courier from Gaborone to Maun.
We recovered it and got back on the road.
This little saga meant an extra day or two in Maun, but we used the time wisely. We did maintenance on the cars (particularly Melissa) and experienced a bit more of the Okavango. For instance, Craig and I decided to splurge on a helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta. It was well worth the investment. We saw a herd of at least 50 elephants, great clusters of hippos resting in the remaining wetlands, as well as giraffes, antelope, zebras, and wildebeests. It’s been dry for a while, so the animals are clearly grateful for the available water. This is especially notable considering that large adult elephants drink 160 to 200 liters of water per day and need to drink daily.
Recovering the computer will make posting blogs and applying for e-visas along the way much more efficient.
A very, very big thank you to Tix and Paul, who also guided us to great camping locations, and to Shane Seaman, the maker par excellence – of 4×4 campers suitable for the African adventures . I mentioned him in a Facebook post but will write a little about Shane in the blog about about Maun …and his amazing skills and knowledge.
It’s a joy to meet so many incredible people along the way (even though we didn’t get to meet Tix and Paul in person) – I will always be in their debt.
Oh, and the moral of the story: when traveling, always double-check your room or campsite before you leave. Bloody obvious really. !!!!!!
