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Botswana Botswana Explorer’s route 2018: What could possibly go wrong?


Peter Connan

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3 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Knob-billed and White-faced Sucks

 

They don't suck because they are Ducks :D!

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@Peter Connan As we reach the part of the report where it becomes apparent what could go wrong I'm wondering whether it remains appropriate to 'like' the tale of misfortune? :o

 

(Beautiful photos from yourself and @xelas by the way).

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@pomkiwi do keep pressing that Like button :wub:. As in the gym also on the off-road adventure there is no gain without pain :D!

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Peter Connan
8 hours ago, xelas said:

 

They don't suck because they are Ducks :D!

Oops...

 

@pomkiwi, at one point shortly after the recent site updtae, the message said that somebody had "reacted" to your post.

 

"React" by all means!

 

:D

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Day 7 (4th April):

 

 

Another day that has started before sunrise, which gave me an opportunity for one more landscape photo. Then Peter an I went out birding on foot. Not far as there was an elephant roaming around the neighbours campsite.

I have seen elephants up close, in Etosha and in Kruger, and even inside the Hilux one gets goose bumps when such a giant looks into your direction. Approaching it on foot, for me was the first time ever, my adrenaline was as high as my blood pressure is (sometimes). We have moved carefully, entered the camp, and were able to get some great photos of this gentle giant :).

 

Pre-dawn time

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Staff has watched the ellie with concentration

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Up close and personal ... and on foot

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This one has remained calm and thus no emergency retreat was needed. There was some Ground Hornbill photographing later on, and while Peter and the rest of the drivers were discussing the latest development with one of the vehicles, I have had another great Pied Kingfisher photo session:

 

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Before we left Khwai campsite #4, I've taken this photo; now I know it was an ominous sign :wacko:.

 

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Before exiting the concession there were a couple more photo opportunities. Waterbucks and elephant are probably the trademark mammals of this area (and hippos).

 

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The we have reached the "main" road and soon enough we turned off again, into dense mopane thicket. It was that thick we were forced to ford each and every mud puddle, and there were hundreds of them :angry:. Our progress was really slow, with frequent stop&go, and radio calls "Emergency! I am stuck." were increasing in number as the afternoon started to enter into its second half. This track/spillway/cutline could easily be renamed to "cut-throat line", that a brutal it was! Even myself, as only a passenger and oblivious to the worried glances of Peter towards the dashboard, have felt the tension was rising in the air. This was a lesson in how important is to be in a company of several other vehicles, but at least 3 of them is a bare minimum! Under the pressure, the group have performed Miraculously (uppercase M on purpose), helping each other to get out of the troubles, and water and mud was never an obstacle that could stopped them. 

 

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The light started to fade off but we were maybe only 1/3 into the drive. JJ called the meeting again and without any vote against we decided to camp just there, in the middle of the wilderness. No cooking of course, and I assume there were not many that have any appetite at all. Before I felt asleep there was loud thunder in the distance, and later it also started to rain heavily. All kind of stupid images have kept me "entertained" through the night, from elephants crashing through our camp to sudden flood turning our plain into a flood plain.

 

None of this happened, yet, that rain had the usual effect of dripping water on human bladder :blink:. Opening the tent flaps only revealed pitch dark outside. No way I am going to risk my life :wacko:; after an hour (or maybe it was only 10 minutes :unsure:) the nature prevailed. Since I am writing this now, it ended happily, with all my limbs still attached to my body :lol:. Another lesson learned: always have an empty plastic bottle ready in your tent!

 

This photo was taken next morning, yet I will use it now to show you in what bush we have made our provisional camp.

 

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Elsa Hoffmann

cant you guys write faster? I am having to wait forever for the next episode 

 

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Looks like fun. I got back on the 26th April from ten days doing a spoor count on those cutlines between CKGR and KTP and though the rain had finished. 

 

Looks like fun @Peter Connan A few weeks earlier, I drove past a massive convoy on the Orapa road. I had to check the dates to see if it wasn't your convoy. 

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Peter Connan

Good to have you aboard @Bugs!

 

@Elsa Hoffmann, we have to drag it out a bit, as we are close to running out of story!

 

Great kingfisher series @xelas

Edited by Peter Connan
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Elsa Hoffmann
17 minutes ago, Peter Connan said:

Good to have you aboard @Bugs!

 

@Elsa Hoffmann, we have to drag it out a bit, as we are close to running out of story!

 

Great kingfisher series @xelas

 Ya well at my age I might be dead before you finish it

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29 minutes ago, Elsa Hoffmann said:

 Ya well at my age I might be dead before you finish it

 

Not likely, one member of the writing team is much older, and has no intention to go away before finishing this one, and bout 20 other trip reports :D!

 

On top, you are getting two trip reports per day ... that must count for something, yes?!

Edited by xelas
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Elsa Hoffmann

Alex - you are far too wise. I hope you used your wisdom on the trip to help Peter when he got stuck :) Oh wait - maybe that didnt happen. Damn - write that report that I can find out! 

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One thing I've already learned from this trip report.  Never ever go to Botswana during the wet season.  That does not look like much fun to me.

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Peter Connan

@Elsa Hoffmann, I am prepared to bet this TR will be finished before you go to test your new roof-top tent!

 

@DanielBme, that would be unfair toward Botswana. Remember that we effectively were looking for trouble, tackling routes that are known to be both seldom used and difficult.

 

There are places that are much easier to get too, much less risky and many which are richer in game than any of the areas we went to with the possible exception of the Khwai concession area.

 

Also keep in mind that this was a truly abnormal year in terms of the quantity of rain that fell, and how late in the season it fell. My two previous tripds to Botswana were at a similar time of year, and included virtually no vehicle trouble at all...

 

Despite the troubles we had, seeing the delta in flood is something every nature lover should do at least once in their lives.

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Peter Connan

Day 8:

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We still have a long way to go, so we get moving early and without a formal breakfast. An attempt to “coke” Dirk and Rolf’s clutches makes no significant difference, so we now have three cars on tow-ropes.

 

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Safari Coke

 

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Parrots against the sun

 

Eventually at around 14h00, we exit the concessions and stop for lunch. From here, the roads get progressively better.

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You know the going's been tough when "the better road" looks like this.

 

Dirk gets a scare when his towed car leaves the road, but apart from a slightly bent steering rod when he stopped against a log, no harm is done.  At least we are out of the Mopani nad have something to look at again, but this is cattle country.

 

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Well in the Spillway

 

The condition of the Baobabs we see attest to the fact that there haven’t  been significant elephant populations here for many years!

Eventually we get to a graded road. About 23km short of Seronga, our destination for the day, I start smelling oil. I open the bonnet and find oil everywhere, and at last, 170km from where the trouble started, I call it a day. While we wait for a tow, I snap a couple of birds.

 

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Barn Swallow

 

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Crowned Lapwing

 

I am now also on the end of a tow-rope.

We reach the beautiful community-operated campsite at Seronga just before dark with no further trouble though.

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Peter Connan

My apologies, I have been forgetting to post the maps.

 

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Day 2

 

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Day 3

 

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Day 4

 

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Day 6

 

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Day 7

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Elsa Hoffmann
1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

@Elsa Hoffmann, I am prepared to bet this TR will be finished before you go to test your new roof-top tent!

 

that's just rude :P:P

but probably true. 

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@Peter Connan and @xelas, I started on your TR early this morning and absolutely enjoying every minute of it! This is exactly the kind of trip in rarely travelled areas we longed to undertake.

 

But all the vehicle problems you experienced is of course no joke or fun and I feel very sorry that you had to deal with that because it must have dampened one's enthusiasm greatly.

 

The night at the pan looks like pure magic! And of cause both your photos are tops. 

 

Looking forward to the rest.

 

Edited by Ritsgaai
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10 hours ago, DanielBme said:

One thing I've already learned from this trip report.  Never ever go to Botswana during the wet season.  That does not look like much fun to me.

 

Daniel, one possible title for this trip report was: Botswana: wrong month of a wrong year. There are two other TR from about the same time that shows that part of Botswana in completely different light.

Well, myself I will be going there, one day, but only as a passenger in a mobile safari tour.

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Elsa Hoffmann
1 hour ago, xelas said:

 

Daniel, one possible title for this trip report was: Botswana: wrong month of a wrong year. There are two other TR from about the same time that shows that part of Botswana in completely different light.

Well, myself I will be going there, one day, but only as a passenger in a mobile safari tour.

 

Alex - Peter and myself are busy planning your next tour to Botswana. Will let you have the dates :P

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8 minutes ago, Elsa Hoffmann said:

 

Alex - Peter and myself are busy planning your next tour to Botswana. Will let you have the dates :P

 

Elsa, I have duly noted your commitment given in writing, and I will make sure that we (me and Zvezda) will attend that tour whichever the dates might be B)! I have heard about your new RTT, and soon enough even mr. Murphy will say farewell to Peter :). BTW have you bought already that 4x4 you were talking about last January?

 

Only thing is, we will need a notice about 9 - 12 months in advance of this tour. I have my travel calendar cleared from May 2019 onward, waiting for your final dates :wub:.

 

 

P.S.: Ask Peter about his email of 26th January 2018 ... and the consequences :blink:!!

Edited by xelas
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@xelas Lovely photos again. Having approached an elephant on foot in the Timbavati in February (albeit in a group and with a guide carrying a rifle) I can identify completely with your feelings compared with viewing from a vehicle.

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I definitely plan a return to Botswana.  I was hoping sooner rather than later but it looks like it's about 3yrs away at this point  I'd like to redo much of my previous self drive.  We did more of the routine itin, 16 days from JNB to Khama Rhino, Kubu, Nxai Pan, Moremi, Khwai, Savuti, Ihaha, Vic Falls, Kasane, Tuli, JNB.  I have a lot of fantastic memories from that trip.  

 

Xelas, not sure why you would do it as a mobile trip and not a self drive.  I'm surprised to hear that.  It's a much easier drive in the drier months.

Edited by DanielBme
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Day 8 (5th April):

 

 

After the gruelling drive yesterday, and uncomfortable night in the wild, the morning mood was far from what was only one day ago! Knowing that we have about 2/3 of the cut-throat track to conquer, and not knowing what the night rain has done to already muddy trail, we forced ourselves into the vehicles and toward the La-La-Land.

 

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More troubles in "paradise", more muddy puddles to navigate, more Coke being splashed onto the clutches, more lakes to circumnavigate. Axes and choppers and I wished someone would have a chainsaw in the boot. Oh boy ...

 

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Only here and there the view opens, but there were no mammals to be seen. At least not alive ones ...

 

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Finally we have reached the Selinda fence gate! What a relief for everyone. Almost immediately smiles have returned to our faces. Some refuelling, some birding, and even the sun has managed to shine through the clouds!

 

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It was easy driving to Seronga, with locals using much more adaptable vehicles for this territory ... when Peter decided that Patty has suffered enough, and that it is time for her to get towed for the rest of our trip.

 

We have joined the the rest of the convoy of wounded soldiers and reached the community camp near Seronga at dusk. Which gave me almost no light but I was adamant that some birding has to be done after such a long day without it.

 

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Hartlaub's Babbler at 12800 ISO

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Phew. Was this the end of our adventure ... or just the beginning?!

 

Edited by xelas
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I have just caught up with progress, two authors works very well, different writing styles and both very engaging. Excellent photos from both.

It sounds like a tough adventure, as a city living softy with no mechanical knowledge, I will enjoy the trip from the comfort of an armchair,

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I'm hoping that the photo of the bones is not the remains of those individuals from  your group that weren't able to get towed....don't worry just stay here, we'll be back for you...eventually... :)

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