Blogs from Gaborone, South-East, Botswana, Africa

M – After we left Vic Falls we took a couple of days to drive down through Botswana back to the border with South Africa. As I mentioned in an earlier block on the Okavango Panhandle, having already had a great Mokoro trip into the Delta from its North West corner we planned to avoid the touristy Maun and were able to make good time going south by avoiding the 300km detour westward that most tourists who visit the Delta from Maun have to make. The road from Kasane to the South through Francistown is a little pot holed but compared to some of the gravel roads in Namibia it was bliss! What did cause a little stress though were the Food Checkpoints! Just like the Red Line in Namibia, Botswana has Police/Agricultural checkpoints to prevent ... read more

Just 2 days after the wonderful wedding, 17 of us set off in 4 cars on a 5 hour drive to Botswana and Mashatu Game Reserve where we were to spend almost 5 days of the most unforgettable experiences we have had in our lives. It was so difficult restricting the number of photographs as we went on 8 game drives and saw all the game Mashatu had to offer. A typical day began with a wake up call from the ranger outside our tent at 5.30am, followed by a light breakfast then into one of 3 open Toyota Landcruisers with a guide/driver and a spotter high in the back. Each drive was about 3 1/2 hours with a short break for tea in the morning and sundowners in the evening. After the morning drive we ... read more

Ramotswa Return gives CWB a first in Bots, We returned to the Magopane School in Ramotswa, a school we visited last year. It was a relief to see teachers actually waiting for us as last year the coaching candidates turned up at 10.30am rather than the 9am start time. Will’s confidence in the day was justifiably cut short as a large coach load of children arrived just after we had begun our introduction. Luckily Will’s plan B was a lot better than Allan’s plan B of the previous day. We broke into two groups, those who would assist Mike “Cant catch a cold” Griggs (the nick name will become apparent later) and those who would coach the children. The session begun well and all seemed to be enjoying themselves but the traditional late comers arrived just ... read more

WEDNESDAY IS WELLNESS DAY Africa is a continent of contrast, not dissimilar to ‘The nine’ who on their third full day sampled the highs and lows of this bewitching country of Botswana. The nine are definitely not ‘The A team’, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ or ‘The Dirty Dozen’, possibly somewhere in-between, a mixture of Beauty and the Beast’., ‘Country File’, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ ‘Last of the Summer Wine’, ‘Desperate Housewife’s’ & Grumpy Old Men’ Wednesday was no exception to a day of contrast , with the Mr. Fraser Tlhoiwe Director for the ‘Ministry of Education & Skills Development ‘ attending with sixteen of his staff in the morning and hundreds of children anticipated in the afternoon at the Botswana national cricket ground with grass and artificial track, compared to the usual dust bowls ................ luxury!!! Real ... read more

Immigration & Kenya Airways CC’S overnight score remained, 5 - 0. That’s just not cricket. The defiant overnight partnership comprising of the talented siblings, Adrian and Kit ... Bags, were back at the crease, each resolutely assuming a character not dissimilar to the gritty tenacity of Meerkat’s table manner: a determined, quasi-permanent presence, that virtually no, one or no thing, not even the single-shot grape withering glare of Veronique, could dismiss. So we sent in our best. Adrian S and our leader, the boss, big Will, the Big Willy....erm ... to try to retrieve our dignity and tame the rebellious Bags’ brothers. While CWB’s Strike Bowlers flanked to the Airport, the remainder of the team focused in on the principal task at hand: the ensuing day in the outfield. This consisted of a trip to Ledumang, ... read more