AFRICA TOUR part 8

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

Saturday November 25th of 2017

Muchenje Campsite, Botswana

His 50^th  BIRTHDAY. Hooray.

Tonight the wind started to blow and a few drops fell. It provided a little cooling. The alarm clock sounds at 4.45 a.m. It’s clouded. We quickly check mail (wild dogs in Hwange) and WhatsApp and then leave for Ngoma Gate, Chobe National Park. It is only a 7km drive. We’re at the gate at 6:30 a.m. and we are the first to check in. Again 290 pula for 2 persons and car. Since yesterday we see baobabs again. Certain trees are also in full bloom with pink flowers. We drive a short distance along the Chobe River, but because there are no animals yet, we take the parallel road that runs higher over the bright green hill. We see 1 young elephant, bokkies, fish eagles, coloured birds and a group of 10 zebras next to the water. Then we are already at Ihaha. It is 8.15 a.m. I want to book a campsite but there is no one at all. After fifteen minutes the wildlife officer arrives and refers us to the other gate at Kasane. Because we have no other plans, we drive slowly in that direction. We start along the river but there are hardly any animals except bokkies with young. We ask every safari car we see (and there are three) if they know where the lions are. But we are just too late. They have gone deeper into the bushes because the temperature is rising. We started at 24 degrees Celsius and cloud cover. Now the sun is coming out and it’s already well over 30.

We stop for coffee at a picnic spot. A cheeky monkey wants to take my cooler bag out of the car while I’m sitting next to it. The little bugger hisses at me too! A safari car has found a lioness. She’s in the sun, which is strange. She looks beautiful. All muscles. But then she gets up and stumbles into the shadow. She has a big swelling on her front leg and it doesn’t look good. A little further we pass an elephant cadaver. The first we see and smell. It stinks quite a bit. Ultimately we see 2 cadavers but smell them more. One thing is for sure, they did not die of thirst. There is enough water in the Chobe River. We watch a number of elephants run down the mountain to the river. Much less elephants than last year, but more boats. There are also far fewer safari cars and tourists. The park appears to be quite empty. But then there is still 1 safari car that says, have I not seen you guys before in Makgadikgadi?

We drive to the only man-made waterhole, 7km from the river. There are at least 30 elephants here. They all want the fresh water that is pumped up. The rest of the big pool is mud. Next to the gate to book Ihaha Campsite. To Gerard’s great joy, we’re assigned Campsite 01, which we had last year and is known as the most beautiful (and the most dangerous in connection with robberies). So much luck again. It only sets us back 40 USD p.p.p.n. and we don’t need an extra permit for tomorrow. In case of camping, you have until 11 a.m. the next day in the park.

We are going to drive the river route, one way traffic from the Sedudu Gate due to crowds. We never drove this route before (because we gladly avoid crowds). But we are the only car! We see very happy elephants taking a mud bath and behind them is a group of about 250 African water buffalos. Good, there’re also still around. Last year at Ihaha 01 we woke up being completely surrounded by 500+. Furthermore, a lot of springbucks with young. Beautiful coloured bee-eaters and lots of turtles from very small to very large. And they are faster than Gerard! The turtles have already walked away before he has his camera ready. Will be an age thing. We see a large lizard, some hippos, huge baboons, a monkey with blue balls (they look like Easter eggs) and a group of 15 giraffes. Today we also encountered 2 young irritated elephants who wanted to attack us. According to Gerard they just came over to congratulate him on his birthday. At 6.30 p.m. we are at the campsite. We drove 130km at an average speed of 15km per hour. Believe this park is 45km long. Spaces 02, 03 and 04 are occupied. That we didn’t expect. Apparently the baboons from site 02 have found another tree to live in. On the other side of the river, in Namibia, a fire is started. All day long already a huge area had been on fire. In the park you could smell the smoke. Last year the Namibians were also burning down the place.

Just before we go to bed, we hear an hyena laughing nearby, but we don’t see him.

Sunday 26th of November 2017

Ihaha Campsite, Chobe National Park, Botswana

Meanwhile we’re completely covered in itchy bumps and the mosquitoes and flies are already waiting for us when we come out of the tent for an after party. Full throttle we drive at 6 a.m. to look for the lions. It is cloudy and 24 degrees. The circumstances are good. Bokkies, bokkies and more bokkies but no lions. The safari cars can’t find them either. The sky keeps getting darker to almost black. Then all hell breaks loose. The thunderstorm is actually not too bad, but there is an enormous amount of rain. The paths turn into rivers, the water holes fill up in no time. Awesome. We drive slowly towards the exit. The road is increasingly difficult to recognize. It has become one big pool. The disadvantage is that you cannot see whether there is a hole somewhere. We stop to take a picture of the water around us and then the car doesn’t start anymore. Handy Harry checks the large car manual and tries everything. Nope. So here we are, in the middle of a wildlife park and nobody around. After 45 minutes we call Jacques but at the same moment a safari car passes by. He has no time because he needs to go to the airport but he puts word out on the radio. 10 minutes later the next one comes and it helps. Coincidentally it’s  the safari car/driver that saw us in Makgadikgadi! We just need to push the car a bit and the starter motor comes loose and jumps on. Hop hop into the car and head towards the exit. Later we hear from the safari car driver, who stays near us, that we have passed a lioness next to the road. Totally missed it. Guess we had other things on our mind! No, we had no luck in Chobe with sightings this time. Yesterday we missed 13 lions the driver tells us. At 10.30 a.m. we leave the park that is almost submerged. The engine starts again without any problems. We drive to Kasane to get money and do some shopping, but the liquor store is closed and will not open again until Monday at 10 a.m. He drank his last beer on his birthday yesterday, so new stock is urgently needed.

We drive to Senyati Safari Camp. 190 pula p.p.p.n. but then every site has a thatched cottage. Under the canopy is a dry seating area, a sink, power point, toilet and shower and everyone has a wood-fired donkey for hot water. On the property is a waterhole with a deck with bar next to it. There is also an underground hide. The waterhole looks like a 50m pool. We were told about this place last year while staying at Ihaha 01. At that point we already had a reservation in Kasane. Hence we’re staying here now.

First the car has to be re-packed again because the new groceries must have a place. We went to the Pepstore together and bought a new bottom sheet (not an useless decorative cover) this time. Only costs 65pula. The sun starts to shine around three o’clock. That’s great because they also have a pool for human guests. But first we go back to Kasane city to eat at the same restaurant as last year. Indian. Sounds as if we don’t like variety, but there is not really much choice in the 2 streets of Kasane. We only now find out that the restaurant in Maun near the airport is the same as this restaurant in Kasane. Gosh, a chain. Pizza Plus Coffee and Curry. When we want to go back, the car does not start again. 2 guys help us push. They were begging so we put them to work for their money. (In another life that’s actually what I do for a living, help people find jobs). Anyway they don’t need to work hard because we need 5 people to get the car running. First thing tomorrow: get the starter fixed! Tires need to be checked after, Jacques said, 8000km, so we have a little while longer. We are home before dark, but not in the mood for a pool visit. Instead we opt for a hot shower. The baboons walk across the campsite, looking for something to steal. They are huge! And another hornbill has again found our windshield, quickly we put the wipers up. We go to the deck and against my expectation there are 4 elephants. I thought they now had plenty of water everywhere but fresh water clearly seems to have their preference. There are also 2 deer and we see a vulture and a fish eagle. The bunker hide is funny. The hide is deeply buried and you get really close to the animals. About 2m distance at ground level.

This gives a totally different perspective. It takes us 3 hours to upload a few photos. In the meantime it is actually quite busy at the pool. Elephants come by to drink the fresh water, 1, 1 more and then 5 again. At the large lamp, up to 1000 enormous moths fly. They measure at least 7cm in size. It is a huge cloud of 3m by 3m. That is where the baboons go for. They eat them! I’m just counting the baboons, 14 as number 15 jumps off the roof, 4 meters down. Very nice spectacle but at 9 p.m. the bar closes and the internet is switched off. Damage for 3 beer and 1 litre of water 85 pula. Not even close what you’d pay in Holland and then Botswana is still relatively expensive. You get elephants, deer, a family of baboons and a deafening noise of frogs and crickets as a bonus. Fantastic.

Monday 27th of November 2017

Senyati Campsite, Kasane, Botswana

No alarm clock, we sleep in, but we’re awake at 6.15 a.m. anyway. It starts to splash again. The baboons run on a foray across the campsite. They also like yellow flowers and they empty the entire bush. Until now I thought baboons stayed safely up in their tree from sunset to sunrise. Well, here they run 24 hour shifts. They don’t like our new toy and they walk around us with an arc. There is also nothing edible to get from us, not even in the trash can. We see a black sky approaching and quickly close the tent and walk to the deck. We’re not in a hurry because the car won’t start anyway. It is quiet on the huge field around the water pool except for 15 caribous. It starts to thunder and to rain. The rainy season has really kicked in. We actually expected it much earlier.

Handy Harry decides to go for a tried and true method. He gives 2 blows to the starter motor with a hammer and it starts immediately. However, we don’t want to take any chances standing next to an aggressive elephant and oops, wait, car doesn’t work. Or get out next to a couple of lions, duh, come and help push! Can you picture it already? We go to the Toyota dealer but they do not have the type and have to order it. The starter motor will be there tomorrow afternoon. We stop by Mario’s Garage to see if he can help us. Well Wilgenhoek 2.0. Here Elma has long braids and a different skin colour, Bas too. Anyway, long story short: there appears to be no suitable starter motor in the whole of Botswana. At least not if we want to continue within 4 days. Shipping from South Africa also takes that long, on the condition that customs cooperate. In the end, we get a starter motor from a fairly new 2017 Hilux from Britz. Which they install immediately after the lunch break, at 2.15 p.m. We enjoy ourselves a bit with the internet and chatting with Mario and his wife Monique. At 3 p.m. the engine is running again. It is a huge bill of 528 euros. This even surpasses  Dutch prices. But the alternative is waiting in Kasane for 4 days, no thanx. In the end Jacques takes care of the bill as part of the rental agreement. One last errand to run and refuel. We want to fill a gas bottle at the neighbours, but Van Reenen is temporary not there. TIA or this is Africa. Back to Senyati. There is another front coming so again no swimming pool. We eat the left over Indian food. Hot shower. Go to the Hide. No baboons, but we hear they robbed the neighbours this afternoon. One and later a second elephant. Number 1 is really happy to see number 2. Tail just wags. At first they drink but later they start playing with the water. Blowing bubbles and closing off the little freshwater holes with their trunks. It is windy and fresh, almost cold. Must be about 23 degrees Celsius. Everything below 26 degrees is already on the chilly side for us.