This time the Africa trip started off in Botswana. I visited the Kalahari with a friend, went to Nxai Pan, visited friends in Khwai and went with another friend to Zutshwa (a rather unknown area South of the Kalagadi). First I’ll tell you about our rather wet visit to the mighty Kalahari.
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So after the rain in October (you can read about that here), Mana Pools looked quite different as you can see in most of the pictures. More mud, more green, less animals although I had some nice sightings still. And as always I also go for the little things.
In the ablution for instance I found this little green snake. I was doing my laundry and the snake passed me by over the wall in front of me. Since my car was quite close, I ran back to get my camera.
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It wasn’t the first time we went to Scotland, but this time we actually had a special ‘goal’ or reason to go. Last year Jens participated in a competition about a teeny, tiny island full of birds. And… (drumroll!) he won the second prize! I think he should have gotten the first prize, since the winning picture was pretty average and even I could have taken it (probably not, but you get my point)! Anyway, yay!
The second prize was a VIP day on the island. Nothing really special (and for sure not VIP) but hey, it was a prize so we would go and ‘collect’ it! Continue reading →
After the unfortunate car crash in Botswana (you can read about that here), we tried to make all the necessary arrangements for the car in Windhoek. Luckily we have good friends over there to help us out a bit with the right workshops and people. It made our stay also so much nicer. Afterwards we flew off to our last stop this trip. We had another ten days South Africa planned, starting with Cape Town and ending in East London with friends.
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After freezing cold Matopos (read here), we drove back to Botswana. Our first stop on the way to the Kgalagadi was Francistown. The cold got even a bit worse, since we got rain on top of it. Started to feel a lot like Europe. And when it rains and you’re camping in your car in Africa, you’re pretty limited. So both of us were squeezed in there, with our computers downloading pictures. No time waisting here!
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After our Mana visit we decided to spent a few days in Matopos National Park before heading back to Botswana. There’s a cave with beautiful rock paintings. Not easy to find though and for sure not after rainy season. The week before another couple tried and they came back without reaching the cave. They had lost track and it was just too difficult to get there, according to them. We like a proper challenge and so we went for it. We cut ourselves a way trough the jungle. Literally. Our guide in front, Jens right behind him, both waving their machete as if they’ve never done anything else, smashing everything in their way. I simply walked behind them, using mine more to keep flies at a distance…
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Since Mana Pools is by far Jens his favorite park and since he stayed there almost three months last year (read here part one, two and three), we decided to have a look right after rainy season. What a difference! Actually in the end it turned out to be still quite in the rainy season, since we even got rain while we were there as well. It made the roads (and everything) really muddy, but the sunsets and the views beautiful dramatic.
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Khwai is always been a special area for us. Not only since we met there (romance alarm!!) or because of friends who live and work over there, but mostly because of the area itself with all its animals and the possibility to do a night drive and to drive offroad. It’s the beginning (or the end, just depends how you look at it) of the Okavango Delta and if you really want to see a leopard, this is the place to be!
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