Katimo Mulilo to Kasane 125km

Every time we do a border crossing it feels like we are taking part in 'The Amazing Race' and dash out of the car to get through to the next border. The 2^nd one always goes better as there is generally less people.

Just before the border to Botswana there was a foot and mouth check. We had to walk over something and hand over all fresh goods. Whether it is fact or fiction that all elephants like oranges, I had packed ours into the trailer so that elephants in the reserve we would pass through would not sniff it out! (Yes, I am paranoid – I blame the malaria meds!) When they asked for fresh goods, I gladly handed these over !!

The drive through Chobe Nature reserve, we saw plenty of animals : herds of elephant and zebra. Insha'Allah we'll spend the day there tomorrow.

Kasane looks like a big town so we hope to get supplies there later.

I was cranky – perhaps the toothache I woke up with that morning, perhaps the drugs, perhaps the stress and fears! I was not impressed with this camp. Nothing was marked and it seemed as if one could just park and camp! The ablutions had no doors at all which posed a problem for me with kids with little concept of privacy! Marwaan drove around and around trying to decide on a site and missed out on a potential shady spot! Eventually we opted to share with others. I told myself that we'd spend our time off-camp so it didn't matter.

We took a drive to Kasane. It would seem that the idea of 'animals roaming free in Africa' comes from this area !! We saw warthog, banded mongoose and baboon. As we drove back towards the camp alongside the main road was a watering hole with a herd of elephant! In town there was an Indian restaurant but it sold liquor so we didn't check it out. 

Most of our supply stops were for milk, eggs and bread. A popular store in Botswana is Choppies and it was pretty decent.

When we returned to the camp, we saw elephant in the bush. This camp site has a watering hole and we soon found out that elephant come for a drink. It took me a wheel to fully realise how OPEN the area was. The elephants at the watering hole did not live onsite – they have free access !! If elephants have free access – so do all the OTHER animals !!

At the watering hole there is a bar with a low hanging thatch roof. It provides a great viewing site of the animals. Underneath the raised bar is an even better spot ! Here you are 10m away from elephants and can take EXCELLENT pics. But I soon realised that I was very vulnerable with nothing between me and them !

Our 8pm fire meeting had a serious tone – the tour guide reminded parents that we were in the wild and that kids should be kept close and not left to run wild and free. AND as he was talking , as if on cue, we could hear the animals. An elephant, a lion, a hyena, a jakkal. Aasiyah and I were so scared!! Marwaan thought I was bizarre when I refused to go to the loo and rather use the potty! Even more so when I “locked” myself and the kids in the tent and almost freaked when he stepped out! I sms'd my family and eventually called them – giggling more out of fear than anything else ! Was I being paranoid ? Could I use Tabbard on an animal ? I couldn't sleep – every noise and snore woke me. I blame that animal CD !! I recited Surahs for protection and hoped I had enough breath to blow a big bubble over the entire tent!!