Makgadikgadi Park - Day 22

---

Guy Fawkes Day! The track back to Nata was twisty and wound through dry, dry bush scrub past one or two large pans before we arrived back at Nata to get our entry passes for the Park. A local Safari Tour operator we found told us that we had been given more duff gen and that we could in fact get our passes at the Park Gate and that they were not issued in Nata. He also told us that Obama had won the US Presidential election. (We are a bit short on World news on this trip!)

Nata is a one-horse place with three petrol stations, one shop, a butchery and - yes! - an internet cafe!! So we refueled, had a cold coke to help us plan our next move, and then Ian and I rushed off to the internet cafe to send off some photos to put onto the website.

This took an inordinately long time as there were no pc-literate 9 year olds available to help us. We hope they got through. So off we set again, this time going past Gweta on the direction of Ian’s gps, to find the park entrance. It was just an insignificant, little used track in the event. But we took it and made for the Njuca Hills camp site publicised on our newly purchased Shell map of Botswana and its parks. This map, incidentally, is an absolute must. Not only does it show all the places we wanted but it also gives the gps co-ordinates which are essential.

We never found the gate - but we found the campsite and set ourselves up. The site had an excellent long drop facility and an excellent shower cubicle - but no water. In this part of the world we have to carry our own water for everything, but we knew this and were prepared. So after a lovely shower we had supper under the moon before preparing for bed. We then became aware of quite a large grass fire to our west (up wind). It was difficult to judge how far off it was, let alone how fast it was advancing towards us. We discussed moving camp (9.30 pm!) to a position not threatened by the fire against the possibility of being vulnerable where we were later in the night. Then the wind suddenly reversed and we were no longer under threat so decided to stay. But it was a nasty situation to face at that time of night. Some bonfire night!!

---

Photos

Tick Tree Camp
Tick Tree Camp

Pan
Pan

Bushfire Camp
Bashfire Camp