We entered Botswana through Skilpads Gate. This is on the N4 west of Zeerust. We thought we got there early but obviously not earlier enough as it took us 4 hours to get through customs. There were no problems but the whole procedure is slow on the Botswana side, one gets a true sense of African time.
Queue at the Botswana border post (Skilpads Gate)
Finally through the border post we drove to Lobatse for petrol and then we headed off to Sekoma. Not far from Sekoma we took a cut road through to Mabuasehube one of the gates into the kgalagadi transfrontier Park.
The start of the cut road through to Mabuasehube
After debating whether the lions would eat me through a nylon tent or if I would be better off in a canvass tent I decided on the former. However night one I woke just after midnight to find that my blowup mattress had gone completely flat. The next morning after a long hard night I found the problem, a huge gaping hole on the seam of my mattress. What was I going to do for the next 7 nights? The duck tape didn’t work and we were a few hundred kilometers from the nearest civilization… I realized that I would have to embrace mother earth for the next 7 nights.
In Botswana (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park) One gets to camp in the open, yes that’s right, you are exposed to the elements and animals. We were told that at night if the lions or hyenas come around we would be safe in our tents as long as we kept them zipped up and kept away from the sides of the tent, very reassuring for me a city slicker.
One of the trees we camped under in Botswana
When the other four guys found out that I was walking around with pepper spray in my pocket they ragged me and made me put it away, probably not a bad idea as it would be more manly to fight a lion off with my bare hands that spray him in the eye and annoy him.
One of the male lions I photographed
I survived Botswana and then we drove through the desert to get to South Africa.
The trip through the desert 46 degrees at 9am.
Below are some of the photos I took on the way to the SA border.
Tuft of grass
....more photos out of Botswana toward SA border
Almost in SA again
Okay so you guessed it right, the 5 of us spoke about women most of the time although lions did crop up every and again. One thing we all agreed on…woman are wonderful in fact absolutely fantastic especially after day sevens in the bush!
Back to the wildlife we saw.
We had just had a wind storm and guess who loved the seed pods
a male lion yawning
I asked him to smile and this was the best I got
a beautiful lizard
Below is yours truely doing the all famous Captain Morgan Extreme pose! (I thought I would pop this image in here….almost like an add break) I hope you see this Captain Morgan marketers!!!!
Me doing the Captain Morgan extreme pose
Wildebeest fighting
Springbok trying to show who is boss
Secretary bird showing off again....as they often do!
Yes, we even saw Leopard
For those of you that don’t know me I must let you know that I absolutely love photographing panoramics and landscapes. Below are a few of my landscapes.
Calm before the storm
Late afternoon
House of light
Lightening Bolt
Ostrich land
Sand Dune
So we finally arrive at Nossob in South African and are very pleased to fill up with petrol and get a few cold drinks.
Petrol Station at Nossob
We spent two nights at nossob and then made our way home through Upington, Kuuruman etc. Asked if I would do the trip again….1000 yeses!!!
Below are two of my favorite photos.
Male Lion
Sunset
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