Bush Camp – Toad's Wild Ride

Solo Self-Drive Safari: Day Eight

I was somewhat surprised to see, just looking over my camp in the bright morning light.

Owl

Today, I actually had a guide, a very nice guy who asked me to call him Toke (toke-e) because there was no way I was going to get the “clicks” right with his born name. Such a great guy, he was even more determined than I was to find a lion! We drove out into the bush, I did the driving still, and he directed me, watching the sky and looking for tracks, suddenly he said, stop…got out, and told me to come see…and I’m thinking are you crazy, I’ll get eaten, I get out, and he shows me recent lion tracks on the road.

Tracks we're so very close! — Tracks we’re so very close!

So we continued, until we came across, what had been the very recent breakfast of a group of lions, a mostly devoured zebra. I was just glad it wasn’t a giraffe, even though I know that’s the circle of life out here, a giraffe would have bothered me. But, alas no lions, but he said we should go, as the hyenas and dogs and vultures would be here soon to clean up. It had been such a fresh kill, that the vultures weren’t yet circling overhead.

Lilac-Breasted Roller, the national bird of Botswana.

I dropped my guide off, giving him another $20 for a tip, and headed back to where I spent my first night on my adventure the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. With, my day trekking, I arrive once again after dark. But, this time as I pulled up to the gate, I noticed another vehicle there. A couple of guys were standing around outside the vehicle, and I asked what’s happening, and they said they were worried the place was closed, I asked them to honk their horn, and the gate opened up, and we went in. As we registered, we decided to just share one space.

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The four young German men were all studying at an international law school in Cape Town, South Africa and taking a break between semesters to do a self-drive safari. I wasn’t entirely sure how comfortable they were in that 4-Door Toyota HiLux pickup, it looked pretty cozy in there to me, but they seemed like very easy-going guys overall and great friends. We gathered wood, and built a fire which I did my way, with twigs, and newspaper, rather than the fire starters they had brought. They had come very well prepared, but I’m not sure how much they had camped before, their dinner plan was spaghetti, which I have to admit sounded great (and it was), but not something I’d typically do camping with limited fuel for the stove, I mostly kept my propane use to the making of hot water for the coffee in the morning as I didn’t want to blacken the coffee kettle the outfitter had provided. For things like potatoes, meat, veggies, I’ll usually just grill them on the coals of the fire, wrap potatoes in aluminum foil, and just toss them in there for 40 minutes, pull them out, and they will keep cooking for another 20 minutes to perfection!

We chatted well into the night, and polished off the rest of the wine I had with me, and a bottle they had as well (oh no, I still have one more night! I think I can manage). The next morning, I was again very much the benefactor of their creature comfort camping practices; French press coffee! Yum, guys, thanks! After breakfast, two of the guys come out all dressed in running gear, and think um, I hope they aren’t thinking of going for a run? I tell them I don’t think it’s a good idea, or even allowed, but they insist on they exercise, about 20 minutes later the camp staff is delivering them back to camp. Folks do not run in the bush, something might find that you are quite fun to chase, and then you’re the breakfast.

Camp at Khama Rhino Sanctuary with Christian, Konstantin, Till and Tim

These guys were a lot of fun to hang out with, and it was in this moment that while I very much enjoyed my solo adventure, I realized if I ever did this again it would be with someone. It was cathartic, something I don’t even realize to what extent until I return home, and find myself feeling trapped or encumbered by all the things that make up “roots”.

A mini trek with the guys, as we leave the Rhino Sanctuary, we don't see much. — A mini trek with the guys, as we leave the Rhino Sanctuary, we don’t see much.

Solo Self-Drive Safari: Day Three

Click! The lights come on with the rising sun. Must be a crossed wire or switch that tells the lights they can work with a solar sensor, problem is the switch is in reverse, so the lights only come on when the sun is up. My new cooker top worked great though, hot coffee is served, as I watch the birds.

New cooker top, and hot coffee! Happy morning to me!

My German friends were up very early, and already on the road. I crawl under the Land Cruiser to inspect the source of the oil leak, and find it’s the drain plug in the oil pan, and it’s not something the rental place didn’t know about, because someone has attempted to seal with silicone smeared around the plug. Fail. That’s not how you fix it folks.

Source of oil leak: And oil drain plug, sealed with silicone. This is not a Toyota approved method of repairing a leaking oil plug.

The engine seems to be holding most the oil in, and it’s only a few tablespoons that drip out over night, I’ll just keep an eye on it, but it bothers me to drip oil in the reserves I’ll be headed to. Tuuthebe camp wasn’t exactly thrilled about the spot on the concrete parking pad either, not that I can blame them.

The concrete pad at the Tuuthebe campsite.

Today’s drive is to go to Kumaga Camp in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

Tuuthebe Lodge & Camping, Botswana to Unnamed Road, Xhumaga, Botswana – Google Maps

In the months preceding my visit the government of Botswana was in the middle of transitioning the camps to privatization. SKL Camps are now running some of the sites in the National Parks of Makgadikgadi & Naxi Pans (Kumaga), Moremi Game Reserve (Khwai Campground) and Chobe (Savute and Linyanti Campgrounds).

None of the navigation systems I had were of much help in finding the ferry landing used to cross the river to get to Kumaga (sometimes Khumaga) camp. I was using Google maps offline, as well as Garmin and the Tracks4Africa android app. I’ve attempted to add the destination to Google Maps, but I’m not sure when or if they will ever get around to it. For reference I’ve attached a map with a “star” of where the ferry landing it, once you’ve reached the village of Xhumaga. And there’s a photo below of the ferry landing as well.

The small star indicates where the ferry crossing is to get to the Khumaga Camp.

If you have found your way, the ferry landing will look like this.

Once across the river, you’ll drive up the hill to the entrance station for the National Park, where you’ll fill out a few forms, and pay park fees per person and per vehicle. These fees combined with the SKL camp fees, will end up costing around $70 per night/per person to use a camp site. At the end of my trip I met four young men who were students from Germany studying at Cape Town University, they were just beginning their trip, and had no idea, it was per person, for the four of them each night would be costing $280 a night! You would think they would at least provide firewood for this price, which would be smart for them to do anyways, so people aren’t gathering wood in the preserve (which you are not supposed to do, but it seems most everyone does).

After the official government registrations, you then head a little further up the road, where you will register with the SKL office for the camping site. For safety reasons they tell you not to share sites with someone else, which was another rule I didn’t exactly follow. As this was the first day, and I got here around 11 in the morning, and decided to go exploring, when I was shocked had how poorly the Land Cruiser was handling the sandy tracks within the park, and these weren’t even the worst of the sandy tracks I was told to expect later on in the other parks.

I plodded my way down to the river area, where there’s a small hippo pool, and sure enough there were hippos, quite a few of them! I was amazed! I stopped on a small area, but stayed in my vehicle as I had been instructed to do. After about 20 minutes, a couple in a Toyota HiLux pickup outfitted with a very cool bush camping package, pulled up alongside me, and asked if I was ok. I was so appreciative that people check up on other people out here. When I said, I was just watching the Hippos, they just said oh, ok, and proceeded to get out of their truck. They told me they get out if they are in open space, and can see a good distance around them, no thick brush, etc. COOL! I was more than willing to join them out in the sun feeling the breeze.

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Now you see some of them, but never assume you see them all.

Extra "fluffy" or expecting? — Extra “fluffy” or expecting?

We all gathered a bit of firewood, and they headed their way, and I went further down river, where I thought I saw an elephant. Expressing the thrill of seeing elephants for the first time in your life in the wild isn’t possible in words. I’ve seen them in zoos, and at the circus (now I wish they weren’t in those places at all). I’ve seen them in Thailand, and India, where they are used to give tourists rides…again, now it pains me to think of them kept this way. Though admittedly, I’ve ridden camels in the deserts of the Middle East for week-long Bedouin camps, and road in a dog sled in Sweden, and maybe that’s no different, but for some reason, it seems different to me. These majestic animals, are so powerful, and yet seem so gentle; though they are not, as is evidenced by the destruction of fallen trees they leave in their wake (which also makes it quite easy to find firewood).

It turns out I did see an elephant, in fact two of them.

Wildebeest, not pretty, but pretty cool for sure!

Anyone want to tell him he's missing a horn? — Anyone want to tell him he’s missing a horn?

Noticing the sun beginning to set, I decide to head back to the camp, remembering I need to get a fire going before dark, and I have steak for dinner to cook up.

My first bush camp site, did seem a bit isolated. So I jumped at the opportunity to join a nice couple from Belgium at their site. — My first bush camp site did seem a bit isolated. So I jumped at the opportunity to join a nice couple from Belgium at their site.

Arriving in camp, I see the couple I’d chatted with at the hippo pool, and they invited me to join them in their camp, since this was my first night camping in the bush, I jumped at the invitation. We pooled our food and drink, I had vodka, which Bridgette was craving, and Peter, thought the steak sounded pretty good too. They were from Belgium, and we had a great evening, as we were watching the fire, an elephant came up from the river, and walked right by us! I wasn’t sure what to do, but they just sat still, and watched the elephant walk by. I could sure see why they say not to use the toilets after dark though; you wouldn’t want to be waking from your camp and back, who knows what’s going to show up! Still, we did see three people wander over to the ablution, we just marveled at their carelessness, we were the closest camp to the ablution and there was no way any of us were going, that’s what the empty beer cans were for in my camper, before you say “ugh disgusting” remember this blog is as much about a “how to” as it is a travel blog.

Solo Self-Drive Safari Day One

The Rubber Meets the Asphalt—FINALLY!

While I’ve been in South Africa for a night already, and already had my experience with the lunatic with the machete, I was counting this as day one.

My first night was to be spent at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary located near Serowe, Botswana, a drive of 593 km (368 miles) and it was now far later, than I really wanted to be hitting the road, I was just hoping upon hope that the border formalities crossing into Botswana wouldn’t take too long.

Britz to Khama Rhino Rest Camp, Serowe, Botswana – Google Maps

Cruising north, I progress though Pretoria without much drama, even with the evening traffic, I’m feeling good about making time, on highway N1 it’s a multi-lane expressway, where I can pretty much go as fast as the Land Cruiser will comfortably go without pushing it so hard it consumes vast quantities of fuel. Which given this is a normally aspirated three liter, six-cylinder diesel engine with a 5-speed manual transmission that has the aerodynamics of a brick wall isn’t much over the speed limit of 120 kph (75 mph).

After 340 km (211 miles) I lost my fast road, and began on the R33 a two lane road with occasional passing lanes, not making the same speeds, but on the plus side, also not consuming fuel at such an alarming rate either. After about 75 km on this road, I come upon a line of stationary vehicles, at first I think it’s just a bottle neck as we approach a town, but then after we don’t move for 5 minutes, and I see people getting out of the vehicles I know it’s not that simple. It turns out there was a very bad accident up ahead, and a helicopter came in, landed on the road, and evacuated the injured. I remember trying to think be glad it’s not me, and I’ve only suffered an hour delay, those poor people are suffering far more.

Traffic at a total stand still, on the highway.

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Helicopter evacuates the injured, after landing on the highway.

The sun was setting as I approached the Botswana border, it was around 6 pm, and I’m now accepting I’ll be driving in the dark for about 200 km (124 miles), something I was hoping to avoid. And the border crossing is NOT quick or simple. Very confusing in fact, as there are no “start here” signs and series of buildings in no particular order of where to begin. The longest line appears to be passport control and immigration, so I start there, and it’s about an hour to get through. Finally with my Botswana stamp in my passport, I go to the exit, only to be turned back around and told I need to register the vehicle for entry. This is a multi-step process, where you also must buy liability insurance, fortunately they take credit cards. As I leave, South Africa the road suddenly disappears. A major construction project has me rerouted on a dirt road with potholes large enough to swallow a small animal, and dust so thick it’s hard to see where you are going, I turned off the headlights, and at least that helped.

Reunited with the paved road again, after 40 km (25 miles) of slow dusty driving, I begin to notice another hazard, cows and donkeys on the road! It’s slow going, and a more stressful drive as a result, but finally, I see up ahead the lights of the town of Serowe and know my destination isn’t far now (if they are still open).

I pull up to the gate, which is closed, but, it opens up and a nice older man comes out bundled up like an Eskimo. It is chilly, but I’d not call it cold, I sign in and am told which camp site I’ve been assigned to, and head in, wondering if I’ll see a Rhino right way (boy was I naïve).

I get into camp and am somewhat nervous stepping out of my vehicle, I have no idea what is around me or what animals might be lurking or slithering. I pop up the roof top, which contains my bed, and I snack on some trail mix, which I chase with a couple of cans of beer, all by light of my flash light as I can’t figure out why the camper lights won’t turn on, then I crawl into bed for my first night’s sleep in the bush “lite” of Botswana.