Self-Drive – Toad's Wild Ride

Solo Self-Drive Safari: Wrap Up

Every trip I take I am reminded of why I love to travel. It’s the opportunity to see things from another perspective. The people you meet, the observations they share, and how it all comes together to form an experience that enriches my understanding of life.

My final day consisted of driving back to Johannesburg, once I refilled the air in the tires for pavement and highway speeds again. If you remove some air for the sand tracks of the bush, you have a little better traction and also the tires endure rocks and branches better.

Bush camping equipped vehicles usually come with these pumps. Make sure you get one, and that it works before heading out.

I called Britz, to make sure someone from management would be there upon my return, as we were clearly going to be having a discussion about the things that went wrong, and how their inspection processes could have missed them.

I won’t go through the entire list of things that failed or were broken here, because I want to maintain a positive tone to this blog. But, the most critical were the improper oil leak fix, and the broken springs, either of which could have been catastrophic in the wrong circumstances.

Donnay Landman, National Operations Manager of Tourism Holdings Rental SA (Pty) Ltd. which is a dealer for Britz, Maui, and KEA brands. Ms. Landman, was very apologetic, and genuine in her concern about my experience, I could tell, she was sincerely upset and empathetic.

After some long discussion, I was issued a partial refund, along with the promise of a free rental the next time I come to South Africa, and when I had the billing details for my mobile phone charges a refund of those as well. I did get the refund, but the reimbursement for my cell phone charges for calling Britz from Botswana never did materialize. If I do take another self-drive safari, I’ll be sure to update this page with the result of promise that as well.

Another part of the amends offered by Ms. Landman was a car and driver so I could see Pretoria, which I wanted to do on my way, back but needed to get the vehicle returned and meet with her first. It was nice to not have to drive myself around for tour of Pretoria. And I took the driver to a late lunch, but he was so shy he refused to order anything, so I ordered extra and then said, look I’m full, do you want the rest? Which, he was then happy to take.

Pretoria the capital of South Africa is on one hand beautiful with parks, and greenery, and on another hand run down, and showing neglect. The following pictures, show some of what I found there. The statue of Nelson Mandela is inspiring, and I tried to capture and respect that, but the sun was in the background, and made it impossible to do justice to the likeness of the father of modern South Africa.

House of Parliament, Pretoria, South Africa

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Statue of Nelson Mandela, the first president of post-apartheid South Africa.

Doctor signage doesn't inspire confidence. — Doctor signage doesn’t inspire confidence.

Popular park in Pretoria. — Burgers Park is the oldest park in Pretoria, and perhaps South Africa. It was founded in the 1870’s and is named for Thomas François Burgers. Today, it’s a popular place to picnic and enjoy a daytime nap.

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 Seven

I handle my morning routine, and head out of camp in my trusty Land Cruiser for an early start to make my last exploration through the Moremi Reserve. Rather taking my time to work my way in a loop by three bridges and then back out the South Gate again. After I leave the park, I get a glimpse of a beautiful Black Sable, technically it is an antelope. It was just beautiful! And I had no idea what it was, until I got home and looked it up, it turns out to be a very rare animal and rapidly declining in population.

The Black Sable, a majestic creature, almost mythical in a way.

Black Sable 1 Black Sable 3

I think today, was unusual animal day, as at the Okavango Delta, I find a Nile Water Monitor. At first, I had no idea what it was, other than a very freaking big lizard. Google came to the rescue once again, and identified the reptile.

Nile Water Monitor, apparently some people have these as pets. It really doesn't look all that cuddly to me. — Nile Water Monitor, apparently some people have these as pets. It really doesn’t look all that cuddly to me.

Throughout Africa you’ll find community camps, where local community organizations set up a coop of sorts, where they run a camp, and share the proceeds with the local community. The Kaziikini Community Camp was set up very nicely, not fancy, but very well put together, and efficiently run by a very nice woman in traditional dress, there was a small area with handicrafts for sale, and I bought a couple of grass baskets, and a painted fabric wall hanging, with the most vibrant reds, gold and oranges. She also set me up with a local guide for 3 hours the next day; I think the cost was around $40 to ride with me in their reserve to see if we could find a lion!

This camp had some very rustic showers, and toilets, all outdoor and open to the sky, there was kind of privacy, and I loved the ambiance, so long as something didn’t “join” me.
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Outdoor toilets 1 Outdoor toilets 2 Outdoor toilets 4

I was becoming old hand at this bush camping thing, and met a guy nearby who apparently had a bit more money to spend than I did on his safari, finally though another lone safari person, but this guy well, not so much, he had a driver, a guide and another guy to set up and take care of camp…he didn’t even have to boil water. He’d done this about several times though, and yeah, if for sure removes a lot of the guesswork.

Kaziikini Camp site, and subsequent sunset through the trees.

P1000861

This camp wasn’t was out in the bush, but the same rules about wildlife still applied, the stars this night were stunning though, so I spent some time trying to shoot the night sky.

The stars were amazing, I think I captured the Southern Cross.

Solo Self-Drive Safari: Day Six

In the dark, once again, loud lion growls a couple of hours before dawn, I’m getting pretty used to it by now, kind of like the third small trembler you experience in California, you just roll over and go back to sleep. The baboons were the first thing on the move in the morning and they were making their presence known by throwing things on your vehicle. I get up, and they scurry, I think they were testing to see if anyone was home. As I made breakfast, I noticed two smaller monkeys in a tree right above my camp table, they were literally keeping an eye on everything I brought out, so I quickly decided to leave nothing out that was small enough for them to steal. Sure enough the second I went back to the truck to put something away, they ran down to the table to see what they could get. Sneaky litter buggers.

These innocent looking guys will steal anything they can carry!

I enjoyed them thoroughly, can’t say I spend much time camping typically where I’m hiding things from baboons and monkeys. Since I was moving to another campsite tonight, and this camp suffered from curious baboons, I packed everything up, and headed out into the bush, my destination was the hippo pool in Moremi, and then on to the North Gate and the Western edge of the Okavango Delta and on to a place called Xakanaxa, sounded exotic me so why not? I saw many elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, impalas, and gazelles, especially all around the water, it would be hard to leave and head back to camp. I ran into other people in groups and as couples, but in my entire time, I never ran into another solo tourist, I think it’s true I must be mad to be out here on my own.

Grey Go-Away Bird. Yes, that is what it is called.

Croc 1

Is it still a selfie when you set the timer and place the camera on a post?

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My new campsite is on the farthest end of the camp area, somewhat all alone by itself (inside joke with a friend of mine). It did make me more nervous with nothing blocking access to my camp site, just wide open grassy prairie, all the other campsites I’d been in had wonder trees and brush around so I could hear something approaching. Let’s just say my concerns turned out not to be without merit.

Camp site out in the open, feeling a bit exposed.

Just after dark, I’d had my steak, and cleaned up, was enjoying a glass of wine, watching the fire. As had become my routine, I’d do a sweep of the perimeter every 10 or so minutes, with my very bright LED flashlight. I had also positioned my truck behind me, so it was kind of blocking access to the open prairie. In this moment, I think I had become a little hypnotized by the fire, suddenly I felt a bump on my elbow and amazingly managed to not jump out of my chair, I turn on the flash light, and look to my right, and find a spotted hyena standing right next to me! Since it was dark, I couldn’t get a picture, but he looked exactly like this one:

Full credit to wiki for this picture. No way I could take a picture of the one who came sniffing around me at night.

Somehow I didn’t totally freak out, and jump and scream like a little girl, and he just snorted and walked away. About five minutes later, I heard a scream from a woman, and surmised the hyena was now over there visiting their camp. Then I thought oops maybe I should have said something about there being a hyena in camp. Alarm people, when they may not even see it or, just count on them to know there might always be something coming around? The campers closest to me, had invited me over for a beer this evening, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk over to their camp alone in the dark, especially after the hyena. They must have sensed this and came over to get me, and walk me over to their camp showing me amazing hospitality, and even gifting me a bottle of Sloe Gin. The family was from South Africa, with an older mom and dad, and their adult son and daughter with their spouses. They treated me to a taste of Pap which is a corn-based porridge with whole kernels of corn in it, and topped with ground meat in a tomato sauce base with some savory spices. As we eat, two elephants make their way through camp, one not even 10 feet (3 meters) away from us. Everyone just gets quite and watches the giant mammal closely. He eventually, turns and heads back toward my camp. These four nights in the national parks of Botswana have been surreal.

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.