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September 6th

Breakfast is delayed and interrupted by packing and goodbyes. We say goodbye to Cecelia, Rachael, Nichole, Simon and Greg as well as Emily and Paul. There’s tears.

New truck and a few new travel companions. A drive to the border and people get to know each other. Leaving Zambia is easier than getting in. Bianca and I trade a broken torch we found in our new tent for a wooden giraffe. Bianca names it after herself and gives it to me to remind me of her eye makeup and fluffy ears. The crossing into Botswana is easy.

A short drive and a stop in a Kasane that I’ve already been to twice before. We have an hour to shop, but after 10 minutes to get beer and water we’ve had enough and are ready to leave. Lunch at the campsite; salad and pasta. Half the group (all the newbies) head out for the river cruise my group did last week. The rest of us stay behind and Bianca and I lay out by the pool. Food, alcohol, bed.



September 7th

Early start, it’s cold. We don’t have to drop our tents and there’s tea waiting before we catch the Game Drive car into Chobe National Park. I’m excited as Bianca has promised me leopards. Straight after entering hte park we find hyena and from there it’s buffalo (up close and personal), cookoo (weird antelope animal), wild dogs, lions, hippo.. and Leopards. Bianca keeps her promise. She hasn’t let me down yet.

Back at camp someone has taken our tents down and Justin has breakfast ready for us. It’s a tough life on the road. A stop in town for shopping, mostly we wait for Justin to get supplies for the truck. Phil and Theres remember they’ve left their laundry at the camp site, no-one is surprised.

A 280 km drive whereI get to engage in my favourite activity, talking to Bianca. She still thinks I’m a flirt. She’s still right.

Elephant Sands is a campsite around an artificial waterhole. It’s a salt water site (showers, toilets and taps) so they have to bring the fresh water for the elephants in from a town 40 km away. There’s a lot of elephants. A lot of elephants that get really close. I’m told, repeatedly, how cute they are. I think they

Baby leopard

could be cuter if they had bunny ears. What isn’t cuter with bunny ears?

Bianca wants to watch the elephants from the comfort of her sleeping bag so we grab the closest camping spot to the waterhole. Despite the noise and fear (mostly from Bianca) it’s a good idea. I just can’t tell her that or I’ll never hear the end of it. I catch a bird. And there’s as we lay by the pool there’s an argument between the German and English girls about the best time to get naked before getting into the shower.

Dinner is a buffet provided by the campsite. Lots of African food: stews, pap, vegetables. Still tired it’s an early night. A really early night. Bianca and I watch the elephants through the windows of our tent whilst falling asleep.

There’s a rule about not leaving the tents alone after the main lights are turned off. So if Bianca wants to go to the toilet and not be eaten by elephants she has to wake me. Thankfully she doesn’t.



September 8th

It’s cold and dark. And cold. The guides have started a fire, but it’s still cold. A 200 km drive to Francistown; mostly sleeping and reading. Highlights include... ice cream (thank you Bianca). The board says that the highlight for today is Victoria Falls (the one we left two days ago?), but Justin (guide) hasn’t mentioned it in any of his briefs.

Favourite quote for describing Africa, Bianca: with a jumper it’s not so bad.

We’re going to a place where there’s nothing to do. Highlights listed on the brief include hot showers and soft grass – there’s no electricity when we get there so no hot (or cold) showers. Bianca, Hanna and I take a dip in the pool to freshen up, it’s cold. It is possible to see hippos from the bar. Dinner is meatballs and afterwards Bianca and I take the last of our Four cousins (Marillo) and escape the group. I’ll miss her when we go our separate ways in Jo-burg. (Bianca: me too).

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