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Published: November 15th 2006
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Truck and Crew
Typical Breakfast by the Zambezi River Just for the purpose of people that think going to Skegness for a Summer holiday is going 'travelling' we'll start by explaining exactly wot an 'Overland Truck Trip' is all about.
Basically you pay a one off fee at the beginning and most of your costs are included for the entire duration of the trip. This includes travel, accomodation (tents), food, activites and cups of rank tea.
Refer to the photo for what the Truck looks like, it has many fold out functions such as kitchen facilities but sadly no toilets. When you are in the middle of nowhere for hours on end this of course becomes interesting. Squat and Squirt i think the saying goes!!!!
We met the Truck in Joburg at a place called 'Africa Centre Lodge' where we spent the previous night. This place was a bit upmarket from what we were used to, but a few of the group also stayed the night before so it gave us a chance to sink a few lagers and suss out wether we wanted to be sitting near them on the Truck the next morning. They all turned out to be cool although the language barrier
Maun Airport
U've guessed it, '2 Studs and a Plane' was in full flow at some points.
The same night we met 'Kelvin' who was our driver and guide for the next 7 days and also 'Jaco' who was our cook and also a guide.
We must add a little claim to fame at this point, Kelvin who was born in Zimbabwe is 'Makosis' cousin who appeared on Big Bro a couple of years ago and for all those that are wondering, she DID sh%g Anthony in the Jacuzzi.
First day we arose at 6am to board the Truck for the first time. As all 23 of us were standing outside the Truck loading our luggage we had a quick scour around to see who were likely candidates to be our buddys for the remaining 7 days. We were quickly to realise that we were the only English onboard and the rest consisted of Irish, Germans, Canadians, Yanks, Aussies, Africans, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian and Japanese. Bloody Hell, it was like the Chelsea squad travelling to an away game.
First impressions were that this was guna be a very long 7 days, but how wrong were we, by the 7th day there was A LOT OF
We have Lift-Off
Just starting to fly over the Delta LOVE ON THAT BUS as you will realise as the blog progresses.
The first day was the longest drive of the week, it took us from Joburg to Palapye in Botswana which took 12 hours in total.
In 40 degree heat we soon had to get used to the sweaty situation as it wasn't guna get to winter over the course of a week.
This gave us a good chance to natter with our fellow trippers and run a few batterys down on our MP3 players.
We arrived early evening at our camp where we had a quick demo of how to put up the tents, it's suprising how much you forget from the scouting days, and a bite to eat.
It was actually knackering to sit on a seat for 12 hours so the whole camp were in bed after a few beers.
An early start the next morning.
We had been briefed the first night that on this truck trip they make the most of every hour of sunlight, this involves getting up at 5am most days and not getting to bed till the wee hours. After the Kruger
experience we were used to this!!!
The Truck was a perfect place to catch up on sum much needed kip tho.
The second day we arrived at Maun in Botswana which is on the very edge of the Okavango Delta. Here we said goodbye to the Truck for a couple of nights and boarded a small Plane that was guna fly us at low level over the Delta...................................WOW, what a wkd experience.
The group split up as the Planes were only 6 seaters and the flight lasted for around 40 minutes where we watched the sunset from the air and caught up on a bit of wildlife spotting. No 'Impalas' thank god!!!!
We landed in 'Saronga' which was guna be our base for the next two nights.
The camps acting manager was on a secondment fresh from uni for a couple of years. Realising he sounded English we asked where abouts in the UK he came from......Girton in Cambridge. Frigging hell, in the remotest part of Botswana and you meet someone who lives 15 minutes away!!!
The first evening was spent chilling around the camp fire getting ready for an early start in the morning.
Sunset over the Delta
Ahhhh.................Beautiful Up at dawn and a short Jeep ride to the Delta where we met the 'Polers' who were guna be controlling the 'Mokoro's'.
Mokoro's were originally dug-out tree trunks to form a Canoe type structure. However, with the growing tourism trade for Mokoro trips the locals figured that if they continue chopping down 'sausage trees' to make Mokoros they were guna damage the area beyond repair as the Canoes only lasted between 3-4 years. The Mokoro's are now made of Fibre glass but are essentially the same thing.
We set off in our Mokoro's on the Delta which consisted of 2 passengers and 1 poler. (picture the punts in Cambridge and you get an idea what it's like).
Altogether we spent 6 hours on the Delta which included stopping on an Island for lunch and a nature walk which in searing hot temperatures, and only seeing Elephants within the first 5 minutes of the trek, was a 2 hour walk we could of all done without as the water we budgeted for the day turned to hot tea without the tea bag!!!
The Mokoro experience was chilled out as it could get and a few Hippo sightings not far
Transport from Plane to Camp
Not exactly your Interlink express is it. We are actually holding on for dear life at the mo!! from the Mokoro was enough to add a bit of 'fear-factor' into the day. Lets face it, a day out in Africa would not be complete without shitting urself.
The Mokoro experience finshed just after 3pm and Jaco explained that we had free time to do whatever we wanted back at Camp, hmmmm what else do you do when the only thing at Camp to do is take advantage at the Bar.
It's amazing how a bit of alcohol diverses conversations and this was the night that the group really got to know what we were all about!!
The evening included drinking numerous shots of Black Sambuca at the Bar, falling over Mokoro's (no names mentioned..........................................................Kim), getting lost between the Tents, Bar, Toilets and Dining area,(there were no lights on camp as the place didn't have electricity) and if that wasn't enough we even got proposed to by locals who were probably more interested in a British passport than actually finding the men of their dreams, especially after the Sambuca had kicked in and we were dancing around the bar like proper Brits on da Piss.
After most people had gone to bed and it was just us, Kim
"Dinners ready"
A few of the Crew getting ready for Grub after the Plane ride. (Aussie alcoholic) and Dever (Yank alcoholic) Daz decided it was time for bed and left the Bar to find our Tent. This is where the fun started.
After tripping over every tent and chair in sight (except for our tent) Daz gave up and decided to sit around the campfire (which had by this time burnt out) and shout at the top of his voice "WHERE'S MY F%&KING TENT", this of course woke up everyone and had them all in fits of laughter to which Daz replied "I HOPE U ALL THINK IT'S FUNNY THAT I CAN'T FIND MY F$*CKING TENT", luckily for Daz and his dignity Dever decided to stumble passed at this point and him and with the help of Harry manged to carry him to his tent.
Then it was my turn to stumble home, about half hour later. Thinking i had my bearings i headed for a tent with the aid of a cigarrette lighter to show me the way and just as i was reaching for the Zip i heard in a Canadian accent "ERR NO, NO ,NO, UR TENT IS NEXT DOOR"......."SHIT, SORRY".
We think we made our mark on the group that
night and heading for brekkie in the morning we were full of apologies but everyone thought it was hilarious and this gave us celebrity status for the rest of the trip.
Darrens line of "WHERE'S MY F%$KING TENT" even made it as the slogan on the t-shirts we all had printed out on the last day!!!!
This day consisted of a Speedboat trip accross the delta to meet up with our Truck again. I'm sure this Speedboat was a highlight for most on the trip but there was a select few with very sore heads. A few Crocs and to many Birds was about all we can remember from that. Please check out the photo of Daz on the Boat not looking to good.
Next stop....................NAMIBIA
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Chris Giffen
non-member comment
Daz and his Drink
Sounds like you boys are still having the time of your lives travelling together. You must of nearly run out of money by now???/ Any arguments between the two of you yet. All it ever seems on these blogs is that Daz gets too drunk and cant take his alcohol (brings back memories of St LUcia). Looking forward to hopefully seeing you guys in sydney in just over a months time.