Today saw the start of my self-drive Botswana road trip. I left Gabs around 9am and headed toward Mahalapye along the main highway going North. The guidebook says there is an archeological site along the road north of Rasesa so I stopped in for a look. The half-a-kilometre road to the site was all sand. I’m thinking it’s Kalahari type sand. The Yaris handled it quite well, though there was in instance or two that I thought I might be walking back to the main highway looking for a snig out of the soft stuff. The archeological site is a set of footprints in the rock, some human some animal. The legend around this goes something like this. Matsieng (Botswana’s Adam) emerged from a water hole at this site (water hole still very much alive and well) With him came all the animals of the animal kingdom, as can bee seen by lion tracks among others in the rock. The ages of the rock the footprints are caste in is around 450 million years old. There is also some thought that the San people carved the human footprints into the rock around the water hole to make it look like the normal mud type holes where animals come to drink. The choice is up to the viewer as to which they want to believe. Maria, the guide, was full of interesting information and was worth the 20 minute side trip.

My destination for today was the Khama Rhino Sanctuary just north of Serowe. I took a circuitous route to Serowe passing through some very nice hill country. It’s marked on the map as a worthwhile tourist drive. I dawdled a bit on the way to Serowe which caused me to rush toward the end of the day. This rushing caused me to miss the turn off to Peja twice and added an extra hour to my trip. Roads are not well signed in Botswana (if at all) and then sometimes only signed in one direction. You need to continually check your rear vision mirror at every intersection to ensure you’ve not missed your turn. Which I did... twice! Anyhow, I made it.

I was under the impression I could drive the Yaris around the Rhino Sanctuary but alas this is not the case. One look at the sandy two wheel tracks told me it would not be a good idea. I am booked into a chalet 2.5 kms from the Restaurant and main gate into the bush - for two nights. There are two other chalet’s further in and I’m glad I’m not in one of those. The thorny acacias were getting extremely close to the paintwork on the Yaris and only get worse the further in you go. However, this was all worthwhile when I saw Rhino footprints in the sand surrounding the chalet. No fences inside the park, you share the space with the animals. I stopped at the restaurant briefly on the way in and there was a Rhino casually munching about 50 metres from the building. These are all wild animals which makes it all the more exciting. Alas, no lions in this park. You can also camp here, but the thought of a rhino walking through your tent in the middle of the night should be enough to put anyone off.

Have also seen Waterbuck wandering around the place.

The sandy tracks to and from my chalet are being handled quite well by the Yaris. I’m glad I haven’t yet had to pull off to the side to let another vehicle pass, hopefully they’ll have pity on me and give me right of way. I’m becoming more appreciative of the Yaris the more I drive it. As an appliance to get from A to B it is very good. I wouldn’t want to own one though.

The sky is absolutely full of stars as I type this up on the back patio of the chalet in complete darkness. The milky way is a blaze across the heavens and black has never looked so ...black!

Note so self: duck back to Serowe tomorrow to find an adapter so I can charge the macbook!

Tags: travel