AFRICA TOUR part 4

Liever de Nederlandse versie?

Zie: http://gerardenpetraopreis.blogspot.com/2017/08/

Friday 3rd of November 2017

Kang Ultra Stop, Botswana

We get up early, before the sun rises. After all, you don’t have to be afraid of wild animals in this enclosed area. The only animal we’ve seen here is the cuddly pussycat from last night. It’s still bulging out from the steak we fed it last night. I’m going into overhaul. Brushing teeth extensively and flossing in front of the mirror, washing hair. What a luxury that private bathroom with hot shower. Gerard is now recharging all equipment and batteries and immediately makes backups of the cameras. Everything is ready at 7.45 a.m. and we go to the restaurant. I quickly upload the last days, check the bank and credit card, send an e-mail and a few WhatsApp’s. I assume that my dear colleagues will warn each other when there are new messages. I am ready one hour and 3 cups of tea later. We refuel the car and the leaking jerry can. Again we buy 2 bundles of wood 20 pula each, so 1.70 euros and go to pin again. Visa is widely accepted but we rather not take any risks.

We start driving at 9.15 a.m. fully loaded. The asphalt is great but there are a lot of animals on the road. The Dutch A2 is closed down for 1 cow, here whole herds of cows and goats, donkeys and horses walk on the highway. The road is actually the least used by cars. Maybe 6 an hour. We also see many carts pulled by donkeys.

In Letlhakeng we refuel again. From now on we will drive without air conditioning to save diesel. At a large Choppies we get lunch, 2 sausage rolls and a fresh muffin. For this I have to pay 20.15 pula. I give the cashier 100 pula but she doesn’t have enough change in the cash register. She’s already at the 3rd checkout when I found a 50 pula note in my wallet. But now she doesn’t know what to give back. The computer cash register shows 79.15. She cannot calculate that amount minus 50. On to Khutse. Immediately outside Letlhakeng the asphalt ends and gives way to sand and gravel. Large yellow flowers bloom along the road and also many white ones. It looks very green while it is still a dry mess here. We drive through a tiny village. Round mud cottages with thatched roofs stand next to seriously large stone houses. A paved road runs through the village.

It is a nice and warm 39.7 degrees in the car. We drive with the windows open. I have to put a towel over my arm because the sun is too strong and gives me a sunburn. The covers over the rear windows are top. Tinted windows would have been useful, but this car doesn’t have them. The previous ones did. Never thought of asking for it. After hours of driving we arrive at the gate and write our name in the big book. Then we drive into the park. A sandy 2-track with green trees on both sides. We drive past vast pans with only a sea of yellow grass. This is nice terrain for the cheetah. We see broken branches and elephant dung on the road. Not much later we see elephants in the bushes. There are about 7 of them. They are wet from bathing, so the waterhole cannot be far. Indeed, there is a well-stocked pool 500m away. There are no animals, but we didn’t expect that either. It’s too hot. Under the tree are a few hartebeest. We drive to Maharushele pan and look at the campsite that we skipped. Hmmm. Don’t believe we need to be sad about that because there is no waterhole. Khutse camp we passed before looked more interesting with the nearby water hole on the open plain and the elephants. There are a few pieces of abandoned wood that we take with us, because after Kang we have nowhere to buy firewood. We drive on to Molose. The water hole is really fantastic. Large, natural looking and surrounded by trees and shrubs. Several paths lead to the water. It looks like it is raining, but probably a lot of fish are close together because of the low water level. We only see birds. Campsite Molose 01 has a tree, a fire pit, a wooden structure with a dry toilet and a bucket shower. No water, no waste bin. It is now 4.30 p.m. We set up the table and chairs. Gerard prepares the fire so we can light it right away on return and drive to the waterhole for sunset. Unfortunately no animals come to drink. Our camping spot is really close by. We quickly set up the tent and light the fire. The moon is almost full and is very bright. Owls are flying around. We also get a visit from a jackal and it is lucky because the steak turned out to be full of tendons. Instead of taking the meat only it runs off the entire metal plate while all meat falls of. It swiftly returns. We’ll go and look for the plate tomorrow. At night the jackal returns and also eats the apple peels and drags the water bowl around. Unfortunately, the bush camera did not record any of this.

Saturday 4th of November 2017

Molose Campsite, Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana

Calm night. No animal noises, no wind. Wake up before the sun comes up. It’s 13 degrees. Coffee, fold up the tent and go to the waterhole. There are as many as 200 pigeons and many more are arriving. There’s almost no place left for them to land. All trees and shrubs are full. In the distance we see 3 gemsbok and a springbok. The deer act so relaxed that no predators will be around. We drive back to the campsite. We find our metal plate in the bushes. A lonely new shoe with a sock in it lies nearby. It is 7 a.m. and I am going to work out. After all, it is Saturday. I run around the campsite for 15 minutes. 10 circles to the left and 10 circles to the right. Then do leg exercises and finish with abdominal muscles. After 45 minutes I’m done. Gerard is re-packing the car. The sand tracks go on the roof rack. The wood that was on top goes in the back. The plastic bags broke and we started to lose wood 1 km before the campsite. At 8.30 a.m. a land cruiser with German registration enters the camp. He fixed the car interior himself and shipped it to Namibia for 3000 euros. He said that he used to drive up and down on motorbike but also a few times with a car. But now he finds shipping easier. And you are not allowed to enter wildlife parks on motorcycle. He has also recently been to Hwange in Zimbabwe (the park where the dentist shot the lion with a bow and arrow) and we exchange information about border crossings and road conditions. At 10 a.m. Gerard is satisfied with the new car layout and we drive to Moreswe pan. We find another filled water hole. The pan is huge. In the distance we see 5 oryx. Again we have the campsite closest to the waterhole. We drive to the campsite and sit in the shade. It is very hot, fortunately there is wind. Gerard is going to pick out pictures and I’m going to write. I read an article about the route we are going to drive ‘at Xaxa waterhole they heard a leopard and in the morning they woke up from drinking lions’. We arrange a few things in the car for the big crossing tomorrow into the Central Kalahari and agree who does what in case of emergency. Telephone numbers, satellite phone, fire extinguisher and water at hand. Seed net on the car. Sun covers on the windows behind not over the door but on the inside of the window. Fill extra drinking water bottles and refrigerate. Around 5 p.m. we drive to the waterhole. The 2 gemsbok and 2 ostriches are scared and run away. We drive a short loop around the pan. See even more frightened bokkies and gemsbok. We drive to the campsite and put up the tent. We go to bed early because we want an early start tomorrow.

Sunday 5th of November 2017

Moreswe, Kutse Game Reserve, Botswana

The alarm goes off at 4.30 a.m. Coffee, load car. At 5.36 we first take a look at the waterhole. 2 hartebeest and a giraffe family that just drank. Dad, Mom and 2 Kids. We see the sun rise while the moon is also still large in the sky. We start driving. ETA 12.30, we don’t believe it. 285 km ahead. 16 degrees. We pass the Topic of the Capricorn but there is no sign. We drive an average of 40 km, maximum speed in the park, but on sections with deep sand it immediately goes much slower. Drive without using 4×4 as long as possible to save diesel. A hare is running across the road. 6.30 a.m. A brief stop at the waterhole of Molose, but we only see a lot of birds. Lots of elephants footprints on the road. A jackal runs in front of the car before he figures out he’s better off in the bushes. Some parts of the track are so full off paw prints that there is no longer a flat piece of sand to be seen. Deer? Lion? Jackal? 7.00 a.m. We arrive at the intersection exit Khutse/entrance Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The track becomes very narrow with bushes on both sides. Branches scratch the car and the window can’t be open completely. Arm out or even near the window is not an option. A parachute bird falls from the sky and a beautiful blue bird flies off. Many birds often fly in front of the car to catch the startled insects. We see a fresh narrow tire track on the road and joke that it is a sedan. 7.53 tire check. Despite the sand we still drive normal/no 4×4. We’re nowhere near an average of 40 km, much slower. In the middle of the track are yellow, red and purple flowers. Then suddenly there is a small village with huts and a small pickup truck. A few San come running and I immediately give them a roll of cookies that I have ready. I think we will make a stop, but Gerard doesn’t feel like it. We drive on. The track is now gone and we drive on lose sand. 8.40 a.m. and ETA 1.32 p.m. We fly a bit with the drone. 9.13 a.m. sand and hills. The 4×4 must be on. Deep elephant trail. 32.6 degrees. We have not seen any animals for a while, but now and then we still see tracks on the road. Only the elephant tracks are a constant factor. 9.53 a.m. low gear, deep sand. Suddenly I see an empty bag of chips, and then another one. Then there is garbage everywhere. WTF? We drive past a San village. Gerard is pissed that they make such a mess and accelerates. We only stop to take pictures of the goats, donkeys and horses and the water tank that is barricaded against the elephants. 10 a.m. ETA 1.12 p.m. 35.4 degrees. 

Melons grow everywhere, an important water supply for humans and animals. Saw this in a documentary about the Central Kalahari. Occasionally a grasshopper hitches a ride on or in the car. We don’t see any birds anymore either. A bit further we see 2 oryxes and a pair of guinea fowls. We drive through a dry river at Babe Campsite. At 10.47 we come to a crossing. All signs are on the ground. Elephants? Another 121 km, ETA 2.20 p.m. 36.1 degrees. Further from the river the ground becomes softer again and we go from 2×4 back to 4×4. Since the turn, the sun has been behind the car. That results in less heat. 11.16 a.m. a gemsbok runs across the road less than 3m before the car. Full on the brakes for an emergency stop. Next break is for yogurt and banana. We actually wanted to stop in the shade of a tree but there is none. 39.4 degrees. Little wind. Height 983m. Tire pressure 1.6 front, 2.0 rear, high gear, high rpm. 11.33 a.m. 3 oryxes fly over the road. 40.7 degrees, ETA 14.34 p.m. Average now 30 km per hour, not bad. We pass fields with silver bushes and white flowers often on a hard pan. The landscape is very varied. Open plains and then dense bush. 50km before the exit it seems as if there has been a fire. 12.58 p.m, 43.1 degrees. In the sky 1 tiny cloud but it dissolves. The landscape becomes very green again. A dik-dik shoots away. 14.33 p.m. 45.1 degrees, we are at the exit. Another 13 km of hills and sometimes deep sand. We see a bird of prey, a strange secretary bird and four deer with large ears. Then we come to the famous Xaka waterhole and it is EMPTY! Not a drop of water, just clay with lots of animal paw prints. The campsite is not marked, so we sit under a large tree in the shade. 2 coloured birds catch insects in front of us. Otherwise there is little life. When the sun is almost set, we move to a spot next to the empty pool. We dig a fire pit. Not that this dry mess is going on fire. To be on the safe side, I prepare the fire extinguisher and bottles of water. We also use the sat phone to call Holland and ask about the current situation with the bush fires in the Central Kalahari. Just before we left Holland there were huge fires and people had to be evacuated out of the Central Kalahari. With this in mind and all the other things that can possibly go wrong we even joint the Patronage System of the Okavango Air Rescue so we could call in a helicopter and doctor in case of emergency. About the bush fires we rather be safe than sorry and ask our friend Felix Jr. to check the situation on internet. He tells us all the fires are out so we can continue safely. I want to put down some water but my washing-up bowl with 5 litres of water is nothing compared to the large gaping holes and only attracts a black & white crow. We eat scrambled eggs with cheese, crushed bell pepper and bruised tomato. Yes, the contents of the refrigerator had a thorough shakedown today. We watch the sun go down. The starry sky is fantastic. It is very quiet. After a few hours we see the full moon rise and it is time to go to bed.

Monday 6th of November 2017

Xaka waterhole, Central Kalahari Game Reserve

It has been quiet all night. Noting visited the pitch dry waterhole. The vegetables are still there and the water level in the bowl has not dropped either. The bushcam doesn’t work. The batteries are dead. We find a coupler piece of water pipe. It’s been heavily chewed on. Probably bitten off to get the last drops of water out. Too bad they don’t take better care of this place. But hey, that’s Botswana.

We take it slow and then drive the 13km back to the main road. It doesn’t start very well. The tire pressure gauge is broken. We see an oryx, 3 large secretary birds and 3 ostriches. It is 7.49 a.m. and 31.6 degrees. On the main road, Gerard checks the tire pressure manually. The right front tire is below 1 and needs some air. We continue our way 57km to Xade gate and have to stop after 500m for 10 guinea fowls in the middle of the road.

We see an elephant trail on the road and fresh elephant droppings with lots of butterflies. After 20km a dik-dik run across the road and a bird of prey flies up. We drive through a dry river where shrubs with white and yellow flowers grow. Then there is a tree trunk on the road and that gives a huge blow to the car. Fortunately, we do not see any damage. Elephants always leave a trail of destruction of trees and bushes and you cannot dodge on the narrow path and you cannot brake because of the loose sand. But the real deep sand is yet to come. And it is deep !!! We almost completely stop and the wheels spin. In low gear, 4500 rpm in the rpm limit, we crawl through the loose sand at a speed of 1 km per hour. Hurray we are moving forward. There doesn’t seem to be an end to it, but then the surface gets a little better. Another 20km further we pass a burnt-out car. I can see it in the corner of my eye because stopping is not an option. At a crossing of 2 tracks, Gerard lets out even more air from the tires for more grip. The entire road is 1 sand track, but sometimes a track runs parallel. 

We now clearly see 2 elephant tracks. 1 walked on the left and 1 on the right. Another small deer crosses and we drive through a very green area with many butterflies. We see an ostrich and arrive at Xade Gate. We report and write our names again in the big book. Then we will fill the empty water bottles, wash the dishes, shower with cold water and do some laundry by hand. We film a beautiful lilac-breasted roller until, of course, the bird disappears into its tree hole.

We still have 78km to Piper pan. The average speed is low. At 1.43 p.m. we drive past the next burnt-out car. Now we can stop for photos. 46.7 degrees in the car, a new record. The landscape is very varied. Open with long yellow grass, then silver shrubs with a few white flowers, next dense green bush. We also drive through an area that must have burned down recently. You can see the bare bushes on the white sandy bottom with a lot of young green sprouts. We see 2 large deer and yes, they also have to cross the road again. 9 out of 10 animals always cross the road when you arrive and always as close to the bumper as possible. Nr 10 will continue to run in front of the car. With the exception of a hard pan, the road is very bad. This is what I found on Wikipedia: ‘Washboarding or corrugation is the formation of periodic, transverse ripples in the surface of gravel and dirt roads. Washboarding occurs in dry, granular road material with repeated traffic, traveling at speeds above 8.0 kilometres per hour (5 mph). Washboarding creates an uncomfortable ride for the occupants of traversing vehicles and hazardous driving conditions for vehicles that travel too fast to maintain traction and control.

After a solid 3 hours of corrugation Gerard is totally done with it.

We drive past the sign for Piper 02 and see a wildebeest and kudus in the bushes. We first check whether there is water in the hole. Yes, it is a beautiful pool, but except for vultures that immediately fly away and a jackal, it is quiet. We actually have a camping spot at Pokoje another 58km further. But there is no water there and we don’t feel like driving any further. We drive to camping spot 02, but an American couple is just unpacking. We ask where spot 01 is because it is not on the navigation. The Americans give directions after they tell us they were there last year and had lions around the campsite all night. Piper 01 is right on the pan and very large. There is no one and we sit in the shade. 3.30 p.m. a quick late lunch and let the laundry dry. A small coloured bird almost sits on my head. We quickly put down a bowl of water and it immediately starts drinking. Soon more coloured birds arrive and the squirrels also come to drink. At 5 p.m. 2 land cruisers arrive. It turns out to be 2 Dutch couples who don’t mind at all if we also stay camping. They have just had a terrible journey. Yesterday they drove from Khutse to Bibe and today on to here. One of the land cruisers got stuck in the deep sand and they had to use the winch and a bush to get out. Next they also hit the rippled road. They are exhausted, which sounds very familiar to us. So we’ve been driving ahead of them. Our fuel gauge has dropped considerably but the land cruisers only have a quarter tank and 2 of the 4 jerry cans left! They have to adjust their plans and refuel in Rakops outside the park before driving back through Xade gate to Kang. They’re not even up to the 2km drive to the waterhole. We go. 2 jackals are under a tree but walk away. When the sun has set we drive back and see the 2 jackals on the road looking at something. It is less than 10 meters in front and stretched out. A cat. Startled it walks off but quickly returns when we turn off the engine. An African wild cat. We hear a lion roar and go see if we can find him. That’s pretty hopeless at dusk. We also have to set up the tent so we go to the camping spot. We skip food. No time. The six of us sit by the fire. All guinea fowls arrive in a long line and one by one they fly up the tree. We go to bed at 8 p.m. Left and right we hear lions roaring. Finally.

Tuesday 7th of November 2017 TOPPER

Piper Pan 01, Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The alarm clock is set extra early, 4.30 a.m. We get up very quiet not to wake our Dutch neighbours and drive to the waterhole at 5.25 a.m. as soon as it gets light. There are 3 gemsbok. We decide to ride the loop and see the gemsbok run to their friends. There is a large herd of wildebeests. Then we come to a fork. Should we go straight ahead and cover a new part of the Piper Pan or should we go back to the waterhole? We drive on but stop to look at the waterhole from the other side of the pan. A lioness is walking towards the water, and another one. Full throttle we drive back to the waterhole, with squeaking tires over the fork, and there the 2 lionesses are drinking with 2 little cubs. The cubs are squeaking, so cute! What pictures. After a while they walk to a tree and lie down in the shade. We drive to the campsite to tell the Dutch about the lions and they will check and move on. After coffee we go back to watch the lions. They only move to lie even further in the shade, although the ladies do watch as the large herd of wildebeest walks past towards the waterhole. We also drive to the waterhole. The wildebeest are very shy. They also fear us. Only when the leader has looked at us from the other side and considers everything is safe the whole group starts drinking. These are also beautiful images. When the group is ready we go back to the campsite. It is 9 a.m. and already very hot. We put down the umbrella for us and fresh water for the birds and the squirrels. Gerard is going to make backups and I’m going to write because on the tablet this goes painfully slow. And there is so much to put down, I ‘m already days behind. I have just finished half a day when 2 cars enter the site and politely ask if they can stretch their legs before they drive on. No problem. One of the men asks if we might be Gerard and Petra? Well what a coincidence. It is Brian Cooper who posted a question about the road condition between Khutse and Piper on the 4×4 Community Forum and with whom I had been emailing because we were going to drive the same stretch. And now he accidentally stops by. They spent the night at the Xade Gate and saw 8 enormous lions and 14 elephants at the waterhole this morning. So now we know where all the elephants were heading. We chat for an hour and then they drive on, with Brian driving over the small water bowl for the birds with his Mitsubishi. Quickly I put down a new bowl and continue writing. At noon the wind starts blowing a bit. The sky is covered with white clouds.

At 2 p.m. a land cruiser from Bushlore arrives at the campsite with 3 Americans. Dad has been traveling through Botswana and Namibia for 6 weeks with his 2 sons. No problem if we want to stay camping. Our travels overlap and it is very pleasant. They came from Matswere Gate and tell that there is no water in the north. The animals have left because of the forest fires. There is some water in Letiahau. There they saw lions this morning, a male and 3 cubs. The cubs didn’t look good. 1 was already dead. We have a reservation for Letiahau today, but after this news we decide to stay one more night at Piper Pan. We chat until 4.45 p.m. Some raindrops have fallen and it is not so terribly hot anymore. After one of the sons sees a bird feeding a small scorpion to its young, I quickly change my Teva’s for my mountain shoes. It is time to drive to the waterhole. The ladies are already there with the 2 little ones. It is cloudy and thick drops are falling. The little ones take shelter with mom and she immediately gives them a thorough lick. Yesterday we were alone at the pool. Now it’s just 3 cars and No. 3 is going for a ride. That is the enormous luxury of Piper Pan. It is located in the middle of the park and to enjoy sunrise or sunset you have to be on 1 of the 2 camping spots. Soon it is dry again and the wind dies down. We smell the stinking water, we are that close. There is 1 Bambi waiting to have a drink. In the end it walks away. When the lions lie at the pool, only birds and jackals come to drink. After an hour the wind starts blowing again. In the distance it is raining cats and dogs and it is coming our way. The sunset cannot be seen. The little cubs are playing for a while, bouncing around and climbing on top of mom’s head. Then everything lies down again. Although the lions are only 50m away, we just get out and around the car. Empty camera batteries must be replaced. Macaroni must be taken out of the freezer. New beer. The Americans are going back. We follow at 6.45 p.m. We get stuck in traffic. All chickens are on their way to their trees at the piper campsite. Gerard catches up with them. I count 40. Gerard parks the car so that we have a little shelter from the wind. The fowls are puzzled now that they cannot walk their usual route to the tree. But with this strong wind the flight plan must be adjusted anyway. It is better to approach the tree flying in from the right side, downwind. 1 by 1 they go into the tree. We get some huge gusts with dust. We use the car to shelter us from the wind and dust when we sit down. Even the table is used to block the wind. Gerard is again very happy with his piece of corrugated iron that he uses as a windshield for the gas burner. One of the Americans even asks how he got it. We quickly eat the last macaroni and then join the Americans. They have 2 roof tents that serve as an awning. The wind is getting stronger and we get a lot of sand in our faces. Gerard has secured our tent with a rope to the wheel based on previous experience. The Americans are both holding a ladder so that the tents do not close. A few large drops fall but not many. There’s a thunderstorm. Wind estimated 7 Beaufort, birds no longer fly. The wind increases and when the gusts of wind hit 90 km per hour the birds get blown out of the tree. The ones that are blown out disappear into the darkness. It is pitch dark because there is no moon. Campfire is not an option with this wind. Suddenly 10 birds fly out of the tree. One American is so shocked that he hits his head on the stairs. We can’t figure out what frightened the guinea fowl so much. When the wind decreases at 9 p.m. we all go to bed. I’m just in the tent when Gerard shouts “lion in the camp”, close, it turns out to be a leopard, which we think is much more dangerous. It goes after the guinea fowl. The tent makes a lot of noise and for the first time it is also warm so sleeping is not really good. Then we hear growls and the last remaining guinea fowls in the tree make a lot of noise again. The leopard is back and we have a perfect view from our tent. It even lays on a termite mound for a while. It is possible to take photos because 1 camera always goes into the tent. In the distance we here roaring lions.

Wednesday 8th of November 2017

Piper Pan 01, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

We wait until it gets really light because the leopard may still be around and we don’t want to encounter it in the (semi) dark. It is cloudy but the sunrise is nonetheless very beautiful. After coffee we fold up the tent and drive to the waterhole. On the way we see our first bat eared fox. Weird little creature. Later we see 5. No lions. It is busy on the pan. Deer, 2 oryx chasing each other, an enthusiastic herd of wildebeests coming back to drink. The same ritual. All waiting. The leader walks behind us to see if things are save and when he walks back the first one goes to drink. We see the African wild cat crossing the road and disappearing into the bushes. The jackals are dozing on the pan. It is not warm because of the clouds. The Americans are coming. Even more Bambis. Then we see 2 brown hyenas running away on the other side of the pan. They are probably shocked by our smell because we are all standing next to the car. Anti-social actually. Also only possible in Botswana. We drive to the other pan again, but it is completely empty except for 1 bokkie. We see a Bateleur, a beautiful colourful bird of prey. When we drive past the waterhole again we encounter the English couple from spot 02. They bought their Mitsubishi in Uganda and have been traveling for 13 months. They go for 2+ years. So they have seen the lioness on the other pan. 50m from the bokkie. We say goodbye to the Americans who drive to Xade gate and go look for the lioness. She is indeed lying there under a bush. When she goes flat we drive back to the campsite for coffee and cleaning dishes. The clouds have disappeared and it is now getting warm quickly. A dik-dik comes along and also the coloured birds and squirrels come to drink again. I no longer put down a large water bowl because it attracted a lot of bees. Maybe only at night for the leopard.

I’m going to write again and the chef-cook is going to make a meal in the very heavy cast-iron pan. We had an argument about taking the pan along because the thing takes up a lot of space. So it really has to be used. First piece of meat, herbs and garlic. Then the carrot, onion, potato, tomato and bell pepper that we bought in Kang and that survived miraculously better outside the fridge than in it. The total is topped off with a cabernet sauvignon. It is noon, windless and very hot.

We let the pan simmer on charcoal for 2 hours. We rinse ourselves under the bucket shower using a total of 5 litres of water for the two of us. We let the food cool down a bit (not going fast with current temperatures) and put it in 2 containers. One container goes in the box of the new tire inflator which contains insulating polystyrene foam. We expect our dinner to be still warm tonight. The empty box was another item that annoyed Gerard for a while and that I thought might be useful. At 4 p.m. we go to see the lioness again. She is still there and roars regularly. There is no answer. Around us we see rain showers, but we only get a few drops. A double rainbow appears. We drive to the waterhole. There is a South African couple. They don’t want us on their campsite. We chat a bit about the 5 Desert Lions of the northern Namib desert, the Vanishing Kings, murdered by humans (before the movie made it into the theatre). They say that in the last 2 years dozens of lions have been shot in Northern Namibia near Etosha and the Skeleton Coast and that the government is not doing anything about this. They seem to know Dr Philip “Flip” Stander. I used to check his organisations website with the whereabouts of the lions daily until the lions got killed and the website got hacked.

Note 3^rd of May 2021: the site seams to be online again: https://www.desertlion.info/

The couple comes from Durban and also tells us that hundreds of rhinos were poached for the horns in Hluhluwe Game Reserve last year. They themselves saw dead, headless beasts. Nope, nature is not doing well. Even in wildlife parks, the animals are not safe. We pick up our chairs and umbrella and then drive back to the lioness. She is now very alert and starts roaring after she first relieves herself and sprays. She walks on the road and we calmly follow her. At the fork we think she is walking towards the waterhole but she keeps walking left on the road on the other side of the pan. We drive to the waterhole and chat until sunset with the English woman of 02 who has been on the road for 13 months. They have been to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania and have driven themselves. They had to pay 700 USD for 2 days of self-drive, but a tour cost 2000 USD, she said. When both cars of 01 and 02 have left and it is already quite dark, we go too. We drive towards the pan where the lioness was lying. Nobody will come here for the time being. There are no lions close by and neither do we worry about a possible leopard since one visited already at the campsite at night. One advantage, there are no elephants here. We park next to the intersection where we have the best overview. Plenty of deer around, so everything is safe. Quickly we pitch the rooftop tent and put everything in it. We eat the stew in the car, from 1 container with 2 forks. Tastes delicious and is still warm enough. Wait, scan the environment and then quickly go into the rooftop tent.

Thursday 9th of November 2017. TOPPER

Piper Pan, Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Highlights:

11 lions (3 females, 6 cubs, 2 males)

3 cheetahs

16 giraffes

1 leopard tortoise

Young bokkies

Slept peacefully on our wild camping spot. The alarm sounds at 5 a.m. We wait 5 minutes until it is lighter, scan the area and then Gerard is the first to leave the tent. I straighten everything out, close the flaps, tighten the elastics and give Gerard the pillows, pocket- and head lights, telephone, cameras, water bottle and container. We will immediately close the tent, but when I get to the back of the car, it is Gerard who shouts, HON, IN THE CAR NOW!!!! And I obey immediately without questions and without looking. The cubs walk through the bushes next to the car. Following mommy! So she had already passed us at a distance of no more than 5 meters. We wait a while and then Auntie also shows. Auntie is not out of sight yet when we fold the tent and drive after the family to make sure they go to the waterhole. And they do. They leave the road and take a shortcut across the pan. We have to drive back to the intersection where we camped and now take the other track to the waterhole. We choose the best position because the South African couple is not there yet and we do not expect the English couple because they will drive all the way to the dry Xaka waterhole today. We see the lion family coming from afar. The little ones are jumping. Mama is the first to drink, then the cubs and finally aunt, who keeps a close eye at us. She doesn’t lie down until I get into the car. I shoot so many photos that my camera stops working. When they have had enough to drink, which takes a few minutes, they walk to their favourite tree 300m away and lie down in the shade. We move away from the waterhole and make coffee. We want to drive to Letiahau waterhole and see if we can spend the night there.

We pass the 3rd Piper Pan. We have not even been out here and I only see it on the map now. Guess we were too busy. There are wildebeests and it has clearly rained here. Gerard drops anchors and calls lion! We see 2 animal asses walking away from us. When they rotate their heads towards us, they turn out to be cheetahs. We have never found cheetahs by ourselves before! 7 a.m. and already a fantastic day. We continue on a corrugated road. Nature is beautiful here and we see small deer and oryxes. Because it has rained and we are the 1st car, we can clearly see tracks on the road. We see prints that resemble hyena and leopard. But we don’t find them. Then we come across burnt plains and there is no animal to be seen anymore. Oh wait, there is a beautiful leopard tortoise. A sign that it has rained, otherwise you will not see them. We drive for another 15 kilometre and now everything is very green again. About 5 km before the intersection, I see giraffes. I count 16. We drive on and only at the exit to Phokoje, another campsite that we have skip for Piper, do we see a tire track. We pass Letiahau Campsite and have a look. There are 2 sites where you can camp independently of each other. There are no toilets and no showers. The bucket is on the ground. The wooden structures probably burned down. There is no animal to be seen and the plains are black. Every now and then you see new grass. 6 kilometre further is the water hole.

When we stop, a frightened cub shoots out of the bushes. Next to the pool is the small corpse of his brother or sister. It has already been eaten bald and smells. We drive around and through the bushes. No mom or dad to be seen. A few kilometre further we stop on the open plain. We still have to put the other bowl of food in the fridge, but first I take out a piece of meat. I wanted to donate this to the hyenas. But a lonely cub is also good, although it is very wrong to feed animals. However, I am not going to drive around with this meat for 4 days either. It has to go. We drive back to the pool and now we see 2 cubs in front, under the bushes. The smaller, thinner cub looks bad. We give the piece of meat a whip. The bigger cub startles and walks away. The little one wobbles after his sibling a moment later. They crawl out of sight under bushes. We’re having breakfast in the shade when one of the Dutch couples we met at Piper 01 arrives. They have refuelled in Rakops and are now on their way to Piper 02. They tell us there are 2 male lions at the waterhole at Sunday Pan and that there is water in the pool. So we decide to drive to Sunday Pan. According to our itinerary, as of today, we happen to have a reserved camping spot for 2 nights of, mind you, 50 usd p.p.p.n.

We see ears underneath a tree and hope it’s Mom or Dad, but no, it’s a bat eared fox. Then we drive at least 20 km through a burnt landscape without animals until I suddenly see something moving under a tree, along the road. Wow, 2 cubs with their mother. Then we see real dik diks (small deer), oryx and secretary birds. The area here is called Deception Valley and is the most popular part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. We drive around the Deception Pan but only see 1 oryx lying under a bush. It is very hot again. We come across a safari car from Tau Lodge. The guide starts a chat and asks what we have seen. Oh, cheetahs, that’s great. Vamos. The drinking water has run out and we need to get a new bottle from the fridge. So we stop on an open area. I see something running away and it’s a cheetah again. Then we finally see bokkies and they have young. The first babies we see. Then it is again nothing for miles. 11 kilometre of cutline no life, another 14 kilometre to Sunday Camp nothing. Suddenly there are 3 ostriches under a tree and we are at the waterhole. There are indeed 2 lazy lions sprawled out in the shade. As the lions are not going anywhere soon we’re going to find our camping spot, but that is not easy. What the navigation calls 02 is according to the sign 03. Next to it is 04

 with a nice view over the valley. But we have site 02, also called site 01 and it is 2 km in the other direction. The site is large with 5 trees and plenty of shade. The birds and squirrels are anxiously waiting for their bowl of water. We are going to shower again with 5 litres of water. Just a quick lunch and then it’s already 4.30 p.m. Let’s go to the lions. One is just looking for another spot to relax. He has dark manes and when he shakes his head, lots of hair flies around. The other is lighter. They are both skinny. We hear a car and the South Africans from yesterday arrive. Also booked on Sunday Camp. An unknown 3rd car arrives so we conclude all camping spots are occupied. We have not seen any other cars. The lions pose a few times for photos. The wind starts to blow and a few raindrops fall. The sun sets and the lions take a walk. They walk towards our campsite so we slowly follow them. The gentlemen, however, give up after 120 meters and drop down with their heads in the wind. They’ll have to walk a long way tonight to find food. We go to the campsite and decide it is a good evening for adventure food. Boil water, pour into the bag, wait 8 minutes and you’re done. We eat it by a small fire and go to bed at 8 p.m.

Friday 10th of November 2017

Sunday Pan, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

It is completely cloudy and we do not see the sun rise. At 5.43 a.m. we are at the waterhole but the lions are not there. They’re probably hunting. We drive 7km to Leopard Pan. The pan is beautiful, a round sea of ​​yellow grass but no animals. Ok 1 oryx and some secretary birds. We take a look at tomorrows camping spot Leopard Pan 01. It is empty. We decide to drive to Rakops to refuel with diesel. We pass through a very varied landscape. Some parts are long dry yellow grass, some are burnt bare spaces and at some parts the new green grass is already high. Sometimes one side of the road is burnt and the other side is ok. We see one flower in the young grass. Except for 5 hares, some guinea fowls, secretary birds, screaming birds and a little weasel, we don’t see any life. We are drawing new tracks for 16km. Then we take the exit to Matswere Gate and finally see some bokkies with youngsters and 2 jackals. The road is hard clay with sometimes deep holes formed in the rainy season. We now have 4215km on the clock and 786km since the last refuelling in Letlhakeng. Nobody has preceded us on this route yet. We see beautiful lion or leopard paw prints. But don’t meet them on the road. At 9 a.m. we see a car with Swiss drivers entering the park. We chat. Our bookings are carefully checked at the gate but we do not have to fill in the book because we will be back. The road outside the park is as undulating as in it, but now with more sand and animals, cows, donkeys, goats. After 50km we arrive at the asphalt road and the town of Rakops. It’s 11 a.m. We stop a police car and even before we pop the question are directed towards the fuel station. We fill up with 130 litres for 85 euros. We do groceries in the local supermarket that has only very limited supply. We score 4 bananas, 4 tomatoes, a small package of butter, 2 rolls and a brown bread. For 4 euros. One does not need a fully stocked supermarket to be happy! At 11.30 a.m. we start driving the 104 km back. We can now pass at the gate no checks required. I thought to fill up with water and maybe take a shower at the ablution at the gate but there is no water. It is still cloudy but as we get further into the park it opens up. We drive past the waterhole again. The South Africans are there and say nothing visited except for a few birds. We drive to the campsite and meet some Swiss who have been on the road for 1+ years. Several creatures are waiting for us at the campsite. Fresh water and bread. The birds and squirrel are happy. We call Holland. At 5 p.m. we drive back to the waterhole and we see the 1st bokkie on the burned field. Nice. Life returns. That makes one happy. But nothing at the pool, so we chat with the South Africans. When we drive back to our spot at 6 p.m. we see that there are 2 bokkies. That doubles the amount of happiness. In the distance the sky is black so we quickly pitch the tent. I fill water bottles for tomorrow and Gerard makes an early fire. I cut onion and tomato and prepare everything for baking and then the storm, which we thought would pass, turns out to have changed directions. We’re hit full force. It starts with strong gusts of wind. The fire is now blown towards the car, tent and chairs and must be extinguished as quickly as possible. The food has to be taken off the table before it blows off. The gusts of wind are around 90 km per hour. Everything must be in the car and the tent must be secured. Outside we’re totally sandblasted so we need to get into the car. There is a thunderstorm all around us and it starts to pour. Yippie good for the bugs. The wind is pulling on the tent and the whole car is shaking. We watch it for an hour and then eat a sandwich with smoked chicken, tomato and onion. The ingredients for the fried egg that won’t be cooked tonight.

Saturday 11th of November 2017

Sunday Pan, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

Even without an alarm we wake up at 5 a.m. Last night we rushed into the tent through the rain and left everything in the car. And that was a good thing because the pillows and my pyjamas, that were already in the tent, were wet. It leaked down the side of the tent. The edges of the mattress were also wet, but when we turned around it was possible. I used my extra blanket as a pillow. The storm and rain went on for a long time. But this morning everything is quiet again. Except nature. It exults! The birds are chirping happily. We take it slow because the tent and the bedding have to dry. I think I hear a soft growl but I’m not sure until Gerard says “quiet”. He hears it too. Leopard? Welcome to the bush. It is now light and we can see our large camping spot from the tent. It looks safe. We collect the blown-away things, pump air into the tires, do dishes under the tap of the car, shower with the help of Dettol moist cloths and finally start driving at 7.30 am. There are now many bokkies on their way to the waterhole. It is 16 degrees and it is raining. The road is slippery due to the heavy rainfall. We even start to slide. There is a spoonbill at the waterhole. We drive to Leopard Pan with the windshield wipers and the heater on, yes in Africa! There are 3 ostriches on the pan. There are also 2 jackals and 1 wildebeest. Birds of prey fly through the sky. Everything seems to be alive again because of the rain. We are going to Passarge Valley waterhole driving towards bluer skies, a trip of 87km. We drive past kilometres of black fields again. Then we pass a huge field with all kinds of bulbs. Lots of ants. Except the occasional usual suspects (dik dik, oryx, screaming bird, secretary bird and guinea fowls aka chickees) we see little until we come to an enormous plain where fresh grass grows nicely. Here are many bokkies and 8 giraffes. We move on and try to avoid all puddles on the road as much as possible. They are an important water source for the animals but can also be too deep, which can cause you to get stuck. Sometimes we drive all the way around the wet track, but sometimes we cannot do this because of trees and bushes and then we try to drive high past it. Sometimes you slide into the deep track and 4×4 low gear in 2 is needed to get through. Blubber is on the mirror and even flies into the car. There is a turtle on the road that we can just avoid. Insects also appear in large numbers. Ants everywhere. Large red dragonflies fly in front of the car. Clouds of mosquitoes hang from certain trees. We close our windows as a precaution when we drive by. We think the free-riding grasshoppers are enough. Before we get to the intersection we see fields with melons. Just after the crossing we see a very large lake with a jackal, many vultures and a bateleur. But the Passage Waterhole is 3 km further. This one is also very large, but except for a German who makes a journey of 35 days on his own, there is no life. It is 1 p.m. We decide to continue to Motopi Waterhole 40km to the north. We encountered 1 car on the entire 87km stretch and that couple said they had seen lions at Motopi. We slide through a few large puddles and then the surface becomes sand. Here too yellow, green and black take turns. It is now also getting warmer, the sun is coming out. Except for a few dik diks and a few vultures, there is little life on the way. Motopi Waterhole is also deserted, but it is 2.20 pm. In the distance 1 wildebeest. We decide to drive to the nearest campsite because the tent itself and the mattress still have to dry. The campsite is 2.4 km away and is located on a small hill. The view is fantastic. There is nobody. We unfold the tent and open the flaps on all sides so that the wind can blow through them. I’m going to write and the cook is going to make a scrambled egg with tomato, onion, bacon, cheese and toast while it’s still dry. Things dry nicely in the sun and wind. At 4.45 pm we collapse the dry tent and drive to the water hole. On the way we see 3 ostriches. I think I can ask other people if they have seen lions. But we are the only ones at the pool. We see deer, 2 bat eared foxes, secretary birds, a squirrel, a weasel, 2 jackals and a bateleur who of course flies away when we want to take a picture. Then an oryx arrives followed by a wildebeest. They clearly belong together. They walk around together, disappear behind the bushes, reappear and walk away together. We take a short drive and see an enormous pool behind the bushes, not more than 200m from the other. We cannot get here by car. Well, with so much choice of drinking water, our chances of finding a lion, cheetah or leopard drop significantly. But actually we just saw all the other animals here. Except for giraffe. Just as I pronounce it, we see the long neck sticking out above the trees. Very funny. The sunset is beautiful. We drive back up our long driveway and come across a group of guinea fowls standing in line for a tree. From the hill we see the red coloured sky. We pitch the tent. Then Gerard makes a small fire anyway. It is windless and the sky is clear. Only the sounds of nature. We hear several jackals. The cry of the Kalahari. So we sit together under the starry sky. In the distance we hear the roar of a lion. Not quite a lion-less day after all.

Sunday 12th of November 2017 TOP

Motopi, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

All night long we hear a lion roar. He seems to be getting closer. When the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. we hurry out of the tent to search. We also hear 1 further away. We drive to the waterhole but no lion. Neither at the other pool or on the road either. We see an oryx, a jackal and a white heron. A concert of jackals can be heard in the bushes. We drive up and down a few times and then decide to drive to the Passarge Pool. On the way we see pink flowers, which I have not yet seen in the entire Kalahari. I take a photo risking my dear life. I have to knock off a colony of ants from my legs. Those creatures are so fast! At Passarge Waterhole there are no animals at all, not even at the large natural pool. But there is so much more life in the area, 2 ostriches, 2 hartebeest, deer (large and small), 4 oryx. We drive up a hill and see green valleys on all sides. It’s beautiful. First we pass through the huge Tau Valley where we see 4 oryx together with 4 hartebeest and a lot of bokkies, 2 groups of about 50 adults and young. We see another turtle and then 15 oryxes. We pass a part where there is a sporadic tree in the young grass. They only have crowns because all low branches have burnt. From the Tau Pan we drive over the dune to the San Pan. There are many swallows flying, chasing insects. The number of animals drops to some ostriches, oryx, bokkies and secretary birds. We drive to the only campsite in this pan to have breakfast. It’s 11 a.m. Haven’t seen a car yet. We drive to the Pokoje Pan. Here there is still good water on the road in 2 places and we see many bokkies and oryxes. We have a look at Pokoje campsite, one we skipped, but we have not missed much. The 1st car passes. 1 km from the campsite a beautiful natural pool has been created. It is very busy and a long line of bokkies arrives. In the distance we also see the long neck of a giraffe. On the way to Letiahau we see a second giraffe. We want to look at the Letiahau Waterhole to see if the lions are there because we are curious what happened to the cubs. On the way we see a lot of bokkies. Life is back here too. At the pool no lions but 5 oryxes and a wildebeest. We park 500 m from the waterhole in an open spot to have lunch, a grilled sandwich with tomato and cheese that we cook in a frying pan. Oryx and wildebeest stroll by. Only possible in Botswana. 2.30 p.m. We decide to drive back.

And then after 3 km, there is the lion family is under a tree. 2 females, a young male, a cub and a little scrawny thing! Pff, the family is together again. They have come back to pick up the cubs. We enjoy the amazing site for hours. When the wind starts to blow and a drop of rain falls, the family starts moving. They are drinking from the puddles on the road. Then they walk on, but the little muggle is thirsty and very stubbornly goes back to the road to lick the last drops of water from the mud. Ma keeps calling him back, but the little one is pretty persistent and in the end she goes to get him. It is growling and squeaking back and forth. The whole family reunites under a new tree on the road. They look up when another car arrives, the 2nd one we see today. It’s the lone German. We stay until 6 p.m. Then we drive to Letiahau Campsite. There are no other people. Except for some birds it is very quiet. The sunset is beautiful and so is the starry sky.

Monday 13th of November 2017 TOP

Letiahau Campsite, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

After a quiet night we get up at 5 a.m. A small cloud hangs in front of the sun, but the rest of the sky is a clear blue. At 5.43 a.m. we drive towards the waterhole. The German is already there. He spent the night at a private campsite, yeah right. We were on the nearest from the lions, 9km. The next was 18km, Lekhubu. He had mentioned before that he can sleep in his car, and right he is. He stayed with the lions until they disappeared over the hills. They are not at the pool. We see a jackal. By the way, we see a lot of jackals this morning, also 2 families with resp. 3 and 2 pups. We are very happy that we see a lot of bokkies and oryx. The pan seems to come back to life after the dead, burnt place we arrived to earlier. We drive towards the exit. We see a bat eared fox. Then we see a group of 100+ springbok walking and think this is a great movie moment. However, 2 cars arrive and across the field we see the German driving by. Rush hour?! A little later the German comes over to ask what he has missed, so many cars together. We drive on and pass a safari vehicle that tells us that there are lions at the turn to Deception Pan. We go searching. The directions were not very clear (they never are) so we also drive a short distance. Lots of springbok and a large group of oryx with 5 youngsters. So many animals together. We suddenly see 3 cars standing next to a lioness. A bit ahead, on top of the dune, there is a gigantic male with a female in heat. He has to get on it 3 times in half an hour. The other female very carefully crawls closer. Picture the scene, our car, the German and 2 more cars. When the latter 2 want to drive away, one of these cars refuses to start. Under the eye of the lions, less than 30m away, jumper cables are taken out of the car and connected. This is only possible in Botswana. Small detail, I also just climbed down from the car roof when the other female arrived. 9 a.m. all 3 lions disappear behind the dune and we drive on again. Back home, my colleagues are now starting a new work week. Let me tell you this is a lot more fun, 3 lions on Monday morning. Before the turnoff to Matswere Gate lots of bokkies. Then the long stretch to the exit, wavy road, deep tracks, lots of green, a few dik dik but otherwise no life for 1 hour. We are at the gate at 10:40 a.m. with 2 more cars but the official just helps us in between! So nice because it is also an hour’s drive to Rakops on a sandy road. In Rakops we refuel 62 litres. We have driven 538 km since the last refuelling. Litre price 7.71 pula. I want to buy bread, eggs and tomato, but somebody got ahead of me and cleaned out the store. Well, we still have plenty of other edible stuff. I do think it is a shame that I cannot take a picture of the ladies in traditional costume again. It is not far to Tiaans Camp but because of all the cattle on the asphalt the trip takes some time. We arrive at 1 p.m. First I’m going to clean the freezer and refrigerator because they smell awful. Then we go to the nice little swimming pool. Gerard enjoys a shower, does some (of his) laundry (sleeping cocoon), recharges and does back-ups because finally we have electricity. It is mounted on the same wooden post as the water tap. I keep writing at the pool and have a chat with the French neighbours. They have now been in Botswana for 4 days and have driven from Gaborone through Khutse and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to Tiaans Camp. They did not see any animals but did get stuck in the deep sand. The guy had to dig with his bare hands because they didn’t have a shovel. His arms got totally sun burnt and are bright red. They probably didn’t have a beach umbrella in one of the 2 cars either. This little story shows that any idiot can come out here. In the absence of a laundry service, I only do a small wash by hand, shower and upload some pages on the travelblog http://gerardenpetraopreis.blogspot.com/2017/08/. I’m too late to indicate that we want to eat in the restaurant.

We enjoy the sight of an elephant bathing in the river between the water lilies. Internet is only available here between 5 and 8 p.m. and the connection is not fast. Photos can’t be uploaded. We go to bed early and are bothered by the noisy French until late at night.