Makgadikgadi Pans to Francistown (Botswana)
A lovely, relaxed start this morning with a noon start for our 170 km on the main transport route of the copper and sulphur trucks for another one-night stopover.
Loved our stay at Nata Lodge. Even had a little shop that sold all sorts of stuff. The other couples were on "grandies" alert and had a big "gutsvup" - in a completely different purchasing vein - we settled on a butter dish!
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS:
The drive to Francistown passed in a heartbeat, punctuated by requests for temperature changes as the midday sun scorched the interior of the #BlueBox. My little possie in the rear left hand seat was in full sun and I was a definite candidate for some cool air.
Learnt something of the fenced Dukwi (?) refugee camp currently home to 3 500 residents. It is directly under the control of the President of Botswana and includes many Angolans and Sudanese. This camp has a bloody and sad history and played a role in the Anti-Apartheid Movement. It is a high security area even today and you need to give an explanation and seek permission to either gain entry or to leave. Another story I am interested in reading about.
This area is a nexus for the movement of people and is known for the variety of languages spoken here. Bushman, heraro, refugees with their languages and the miners - even phinagalor (????) - an almost made up mish mash of language - perhaps the equivalent of pigeon English.
The salt pans and grey dusty sand disappeared behind us and was replaced by an increasing proliferation of red sand as the oxidisation in the soil increased. Still very dry featuring spindly trees, blackened by fire and short straw like grasses.
Came across one village Mosetse (2 500 population) that was very "western." It sits on the Mosetse River which we crossed as another wide waterless channel which is dry for the majority of the year, but apparently it runs underground. Still feels like we are in the middle of nowhere but noted houses that we would recognise in our neighbourhood. Very colourful. even sported air conditioning and satellite dishes. These are the houses of the copper miners - built and provided by the "investors."
Had a bit of a smile because even though it was Sunday, we came across crews completing roadworks. Haven't seen much roadworks really in our entire journey, but this had signs and equipment!
The infrastructure doesn't seem to include rubbish management and rubbish is still seen everywhere and it is predominately plastic. Thinking everything possible is going used and reused, but bottles, containers and bags are just scattered to float about in the dust and dirt.
Our destination was the Woodlands Stopover which was accessed by a dirt track that took us by a crocodile farm which caused a little consternation for the group in terms of the possibility of unwanted visitors. This was soon forgotten as we passed by the markers for the Old Hunters Road and entered the camp. Our first green grass in as long as we could remember. This truly was a little oasis. Green grass and carefully tended gardens filled with thriving plants and shrubs, BBQs and picnic spaces, duplex partnered blocks complete with river (dry sandy bed) views. Once again, immaculate accommodation, expansive rooms, kitchenette, tiled bathroom with steaming hot water, a balcony and so many chair choices.
Dropped our gear, met our neighbours, walked the garden and congregated on the joint balcony of the Kiwi connection and cheered on @Louis as he created something from nothing as his final dinner prep. Once again he excelled. The best steak - cooked from medium rare to well done in a mouthwatering selection of flavours (literally melted in your mouth), served with garlic bread and baked veggies. Rounded out with a dessert combination that involved marshmallows and chocolate. Finger licking good and appreciated by all. And @Gill was right - took hours of prep and we literally inhaled it in what seemed like 10 minutes.
Conversation was easy and fun and was punctuated by the hilarity of our "neighbour's" comment. They shared our duplex, we were in 5 and they were in 6. He was a blunt and direct South African, self-proclaimed "hunter" and she was a quiet and diminutive, smiling a head shaking or nodding wife. And, he loved a chat, with beer in hand he was braai ready. At one stage, he had caught @Gill in conversation and his opening gambit was "Are you all from the same nursing home?" He had watched with amusement, as we had all tumbled from the #BlueBox, all bowed over so we don't hit our head alighting (even the short ones) with varying degrees of stiffness (even the young ones.) Talk about "direct, tell-it-like-it-is" South Africans - and can I say they were not exactly spring chickens themselves.
That set us up for about a 90 minute pre dinner conversation, with lots of laughs and possible "in denial" moments about aged care and nursing home options that face all of us in the near future.
Abandoned the dishes with the Kiwi connection's assurance there wasn't room in the kitchen. This was our third night in a row of one night stands as we make our final push across Botswana.
Domesticated animals
Cows
Goats
Donkeys
Accommodation:Woodlands Stopover and Lodge
You found another oasis to enjoy....looks so beautiful!. xxx
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