Solo Travel – Toad's Wild Ride

India, a Self-Drive Adventure-Jaipur

This isn’t that long of a trip in terms of distance, only 255 km (158 miles), but even Google which is always a bit optimistic on drive times, indicates it’s more than four hours. In my case it was five and a half. About every 30 minutes or so, there’s a toll booth to pay, it’s a bit crazy to be honest, the road is mostly not existent most of the time, in fact after the toll booths you are rerouted back to a dirt road the runs parallel to where the “highway” will run if it is ever finished. The way it works now, is they route traffic onto a paved road just before a toll booth, then back off the road and onto the old road right after the toll. More annoying is the frequency of the tolls, since they are around eight cents each time! But, hey I guess it’s putting people to work to collect tolls, so it’s not all bad.

The condition of these roads though is shockingly horrible in places, and I found myself being awed by the durability of the Hyundai, and with the tires especially. As recently as ten years ago, something like this trip I am certain would have resulted in at least one flat tire and it was something I fretted about the entire trip, but in the end I never experienced a flat tire.

After five plus hours of driving though you will feel like you have driven 14 hours in any western country with efficient motorways. After getting turned around in Jaipur a couple of times, finding the road to the Le Meridien Jaipur came more naturally, I was beginning to understand the logic here, already, I’ve gone the wrong way a couple of times myself, because it’s easier than going the long way around.

The Le Meridien Jaipur, isn’t really in Jaipur at all, in fact I’m not sure it should even have Jaipur in the name. But, this is something of a pattern for Le Meridien Hotels, in Paris the call use “Etoile” in the name of the Le Meridien, even though it’s not near the Etoile at all and is in fact more than a kilometer or three metro stops away.

I focus on this dear reader, for good reason: I screwed up, and hope someone benefits from my mistake. I should never have booked this hotel, as my primary intent was to stay in Jaipur for the Holi Festivities, and the Le Meridien’s location was far enough away to make it inconvenient. I’d either have to drive my car there hoping to find parking, or I’d have to hire a hotel car take me. I opted for the latter, but that wasn’t so easy either as the hotel resisted taking me, saying once again “it would not be safe”. When I asked if they were refusing a car and driver because concerned about my safety, they said yes. So, I asked what would be safer for their driver to take me, or for me to drive myself, because I was going to Holi, of that there was no question…they conceded it’d be safer to have their driver take me. The moral of the story, if you’re going to Jaipur for the Holi Festival, book one of the hotels right in town.

Your's truly in Holi Color, the white T-Shirt is still a souvenir, and the Lufthansa first class pajama bottoms were very convenient. — Your’s truly in Holi Color, the white T-Shirt is still a souvenir, and the Lufthansa first class pajama bottoms were very convenient.

Since Jaipur was likely only to be toured now for the brief Holi visit (the hotel had limited me to 2 hours) there isn’t much in the report about the buildings or sites within the town, and rather the focus is on the Amer (Amber) Fort, and the Jaigarh Fort as well as scenes from the village of Amer.

The Amer Palace and Fort is by far the most impressive of all the Forts I visited on this trip to India. A good many tourists will ride an elephant up the narrow road and through the Sun Gate to enter the Fort complex. I did not. It was warm, and I felt bad for the elephants, and also getting into and out of the parking area was worse than trying to leave the Hollywood Bowl after the Fourth of July concert (trust me that’s bad).

Rather I parked on a street in the village of Amer, and walked up the hill to the Fort entrance, and was glad I’d gone that route, when I saw the slow moving conga line of cars trying to leave later on. Amer Fort was begun in 967 by the Meenas, and was taken over by Kachwaha Raijput’s in a cowardly act of shameful conspiracy that left the Meenas massacred “filling the reservoirs in which the Meenas bathed with their dead bodies.” The shame was that this was done when the Meenas were performing rituals of Pitra Trapan on the Diwali, the most important festival in Hinduism, which the Meenas traditionally honored by shedding their weapons.

The Ganesh Pol Entrance is grand and ornate, above which are three screened windows that upon closer examination appear to be carved from thin slabs of marble.

Lattice screen window above Ganesh Gate-Amer Fort

Detail of the Lattice Window screen detail shows they are carved from a thin slab of marble.

Ganesh Pol entrance of the Amer Palace. I gave up trying to get a good picture without crowds of people posing for their own pictures. Photo credit: By Firoze Edassery (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Amer Palace and Jaigarh Fort are basically part of the same complex. Jaigarh Fort, is on the hill top above Amer Palace, and there is an underground connector between the two, that could be used by the royal family to escape should they come under attack. Of interest is that Jaigarh Fort was also home to a cannon foundry. The foundry had a massive wind tunnel that pushed air from the high mountains into its allowing temperatures to reach 2400 °F (1315 °C). The foundry routinely made 16 ft (5 meter) cannons, but 1720 it made the Jaivana Cannon, at the time the world’s largest cannon on wheels. At 20.9 feet (6.15 meters) it fired a 110 lb (50 kg) ball a distance of 22 miles (35 km) using 220 lbs (100 kg) of gun powder! It was only fired that one time, and was never used in battle.

Arrival of tourists by elephant Amer Fort

Courtyard with Palace of Man Singh1, and seen on the hilltop is the Jaigarh Fort.

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Mirrored Ceiling in the Mirror Palace Amer Fort

Overlooking Amer Fort from Jaigarh Fort.

Rooftop perspective showing layout of Amer Fort Complex

As I walked back to my car in the Village of Amer, I came across one of the stepped wells that I’d seen so often in films set in India. I was always fascinated by the symmetrical architecture of them, and they’d be used for every from gathering water, to getting relief from the heat.

And I also came across two young boys bathing at a street well pipe. I was trying very hard to be discreet in taking a picture, but when I got back to the hotel that evening and looked closely at the photo, I notice the one boy was looking at me and smiling.

Other sites in the village included a Hindu temple, and ruins of building that clearly must have been most relevant at one time, as well as animals in the street. I don’t think these are things I’d see if I was using a typical tourist service, which I could always find, as they were clearly marked white vehicles that said “TOURIST” over the back window.

Galta Ji Monkey Temple with Jaipur City Gate in background. Sadly, the complex was closed beyond this point in honor of the Holi Festival.

My evenings I’d spend at the outdoor café of the Le Meridien for a cold beer, and some very amazing food. I’d have naan bread a few dozen times in my life, but until now I had no idea how it is supposed to taste, the slathering fresh butter, I’m sure had no small part of that. But, the bread is soft, chewy, with crispy bits where there’s a bubble in the dough as it bakes, it is not the dry, stuff we get that honestly tastes more like cardboard than bread. Sadly, now naan bread falls into one of those foods, that I most likely will usually be disappointed with, when I have it somewhere else…it has become the food equivalent in India that Crème Brulee is for me in France, disappointing most of the time when compared to what you get there. But, isn’t this exactly why we travel? To discover and experience a place, it’s feeling, air, culture, food, and people! India I found to be intense and extreme in every sense imaginable.

At the end of my journey, I had arrived at the Four Points by Sheraton Delhi Airport Hotel, and once again sat in the car, waiting for the valet to notice me, and approach, which never happens. It seems they are simply too shocked to see a single white guy driving a car himself in India, they don’t know what you are doing there. I took my bags out of the trunk, and checked in, handing them the key at the desk with instructions of who would be coming to pick up the car from Hyundai Motor, and they still seemed very perplexed.

The hotel was basic and nice enough, I’d not be there long, my flight was a midnight, but I hoped to catch a short nap and a meal before taking the complementary hotel shuttle to the airport, and for this purpose it was perfectly suited, and prepared me for the long journey ahead flying from Delhi, to Frankfurt in first class on Lufthansa, and then on to San Francisco and finally to Los Angeles, on what United calls business class, which I know will be a huge fall from the Lufthansa experience.

After dropping the car off, I had this feeling of “whew, am I glad that’s over!” India is a cacophony of noise and frenetic energy, with brief moments of harmony. In those moments and for the next couple of weeks, I was relieved to leave India behind. It’s not a common feeling with a place, but it happens, I had the same feeling with Egypt. But, with India, two-weeks later, I was looking at pictures with friends, and had this overwhelming desire to go back, which I know I will someday return to India. That is where the experience with India is so different from Egypt, which is a place I have no desire at all to return.

India-Getting There

India. Just the name conjures many images that are often in conflict with one another. Bright/Despair, Colorful/Somber, Rich/Poor, Cheerful/Bitter, Delicious Food/Hunger, Calmly Peaceful/Chaotic Noise–it is a land of contradiction.

From the west coast of the USA, it’s a long trip no matter how you do it, so I decided I’d go when I was already in Europe for other business. I flew from Munich to New Delhi on Lufthansa, using United miles on an award ticket in first class (before United began charging a King’s ransom for these awards). The Lufthansa service in first class it as you’d expect it, superb! But, even more impressive is the first class lounge at the airport. Full service dining, passport control service inside the lounge, escort to your plane when it’s time to board, not just showers to refresh, but even soaking tubs…the place exudes luxury. If you ever have the opportunity, cash in those miles and do it!

Upon arrival in Delhi, the service continued, but was somewhat hampered by the logistics or lack thereof surrounding the immigration process. Once through you are on your own, and I would have thought there would be ground transportation provided, as even Virgin Atlantic does this, with just business class service. Oh…the tortures of luxury travel.

I used a pre-booked car service for transport from the airport to the hotel, as at the time I didn’t want to mess with the unknowns of taxis. After hearing the horror story of couple of Ukrainian travelers I met later in my trip, I was very glad I spent the extra $30. Viator.com is an excellent choice. The driver was great; he even stopped at a Citibank office so I could withdraw cash on the way to the Le Meridien Hotel.

Upon check-in at the hotel front desk, I was informed that as a SPG Platinum member my room had been upgraded to a suite…which is always a nice thing to hear, though even better when you are with someone special and not traveling solo. The suite was beautiful, with soaking tub, huge separate rain shower, large bedroom, and good sized living room.

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Business-Suite---Living-room — Suite living room, comfortable and relaxing.

There was also, a great lounge that I was given access to, complete with evening hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and I got some tastes my first true Indian food…and King Fisher beer (which I quite liked). I found this lounge to be the perfect respite each evening, to bring my computer and send emails, go though the pictures I took that day, and catch up with people on Skype, all, while having some nice snacks and that very tasty beer.

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 Nine

After spending the morning and early afternoon with the guys exploring the Rhino sanctuary hoping to find those illusive Rhinos, I bid farewell to my new friends and headed on south, my goal to get on the South African side of the border and find a place for the night before heading on to Johannesburg.

The border entry procedures coming back into South Africa were even more lengthy and confusing than those going into Botswana. Not a surprising, given how South Africa has become the melting pot of the African continent. While the official percentage of foreigners in South Africa is less than 3% it’s believed the unofficial number is closer to 15%. For this reason, and due to several riots where foreigners from other African nations are attacked, and even where they have attacked each other, South Africa is in the midst of changing its immigration policies. With the addition of a “health inspection” which consisted of finding the building where it’s done, surprisingly not easy to do, but if you don’t have a stamp from the health inspector on your entry form, you won’t even be seen by immigration. The inspection itself is conducted in a crowded temporary building, with several women standing on one side of a counter, while crowds of people push their way to their side of the counter. Once you make your way to the counter, these completely unmasked women aim a therm reader at your forehead, and if you don’t have a fever, they stamp your papers. I’m not a doctor, I don’t even pretend to be one on TV, but let’s just say someone in that crowd does have something, is this such a great system to coop them all up? At the time, the big worry was Ebola migrating from West Africa to the South.

Through the border, and with about 2 hours of daylight left, I notice a camp on my Garmin navigation system. There’s a phone number so I give a call, and indeed they have space available, they give some complicated instructions for gates, and etc. and after driving on roads that zig-zag around private property, I find a gate, and call in to get onto the property. Turns out, there’s only one space, its one camp, originally built as a hunting lodge by the current owners grandfather. Talk about alone! Now I’m camping at a bush camp with not another soul in sight.

Private bush camp in South Africa. With an emphasis on the word private.

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Bush camp shower! large pot you pump water into, and light a fire under. As the water heats it rises up the hose and into the container over your head. Pretty clever!

Final sunset on my bush adventure. Where I was this evening seemed so appropriate to end my trip reflecting on the past of South Africa, and its hopeful future.

The camp is situated overlooking a deep ravine, and with woods all around. To, say I had the feeling of being vulnerable would be an understatement. First order of business is the fire, which was great, because part of the fee, is free firewood! After dinner, and getting a bit more comfortable with the solitude, of this camp despite constantly hearing movement in those woods, I hear a couple ATV’s coming down the ranch road. It’s the owner, and a few of his sons. They stay, and sit by the fire for a while, and I get the whole run down on the history of the camp, which is a fascinating history of South Africa as well! This Afrikaner family has had this property for several generations, and was among the first group of Dutch settlers that make up the cultural group of South Africans. While many Afrikaner’s have emigrated from South Africa due to violence against them, this family has no intentions to go anywhere, and nothing about the way the spoke indicated they were living in fear either, even though since 1994 some 3,000 white farmers have been killed in South Africa something the group Genocide Watch has theorized could be the early warning signs of genocide of Afrikaners.

With the bloody history, of apartheid, it’s difficult to empathize, but as I listen and learn, I’m reminded once again of my mother’s words: two wrongs do not make a right. Not only did this trip push me into new challenges, it also provided me with a deep insight to people, cultures, and the overall understanding that as humans, we all share and contribute to the beauty & fear, love & hatred, peace & conflict, richness & plight that makes up humanity itself.

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 Three

Click! The lights come on with the rising sun. Must be a crossed wire or switch that tells the lights they can work with a solar sensor, problem is the switch is in reverse, so the lights only come on when the sun is up. My new cooker top worked great though, hot coffee is served, as I watch the birds.

New cooker top, and hot coffee! Happy morning to me!

My German friends were up very early, and already on the road. I crawl under the Land Cruiser to inspect the source of the oil leak, and find it’s the drain plug in the oil pan, and it’s not something the rental place didn’t know about, because someone has attempted to seal with silicone smeared around the plug. Fail. That’s not how you fix it folks.

Source of oil leak: And oil drain plug, sealed with silicone. This is not a Toyota approved method of repairing a leaking oil plug.

The engine seems to be holding most the oil in, and it’s only a few tablespoons that drip out over night, I’ll just keep an eye on it, but it bothers me to drip oil in the reserves I’ll be headed to. Tuuthebe camp wasn’t exactly thrilled about the spot on the concrete parking pad either, not that I can blame them.

The concrete pad at the Tuuthebe campsite.

Today’s drive is to go to Kumaga Camp in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

Tuuthebe Lodge & Camping, Botswana to Unnamed Road, Xhumaga, Botswana – Google Maps

In the months preceding my visit the government of Botswana was in the middle of transitioning the camps to privatization. SKL Camps are now running some of the sites in the National Parks of Makgadikgadi & Naxi Pans (Kumaga), Moremi Game Reserve (Khwai Campground) and Chobe (Savute and Linyanti Campgrounds).

None of the navigation systems I had were of much help in finding the ferry landing used to cross the river to get to Kumaga (sometimes Khumaga) camp. I was using Google maps offline, as well as Garmin and the Tracks4Africa android app. I’ve attempted to add the destination to Google Maps, but I’m not sure when or if they will ever get around to it. For reference I’ve attached a map with a “star” of where the ferry landing it, once you’ve reached the village of Xhumaga. And there’s a photo below of the ferry landing as well.

The small star indicates where the ferry crossing is to get to the Khumaga Camp.

If you have found your way, the ferry landing will look like this.

Once across the river, you’ll drive up the hill to the entrance station for the National Park, where you’ll fill out a few forms, and pay park fees per person and per vehicle. These fees combined with the SKL camp fees, will end up costing around $70 per night/per person to use a camp site. At the end of my trip I met four young men who were students from Germany studying at Cape Town University, they were just beginning their trip, and had no idea, it was per person, for the four of them each night would be costing $280 a night! You would think they would at least provide firewood for this price, which would be smart for them to do anyways, so people aren’t gathering wood in the preserve (which you are not supposed to do, but it seems most everyone does).

After the official government registrations, you then head a little further up the road, where you will register with the SKL office for the camping site. For safety reasons they tell you not to share sites with someone else, which was another rule I didn’t exactly follow. As this was the first day, and I got here around 11 in the morning, and decided to go exploring, when I was shocked had how poorly the Land Cruiser was handling the sandy tracks within the park, and these weren’t even the worst of the sandy tracks I was told to expect later on in the other parks.

I plodded my way down to the river area, where there’s a small hippo pool, and sure enough there were hippos, quite a few of them! I was amazed! I stopped on a small area, but stayed in my vehicle as I had been instructed to do. After about 20 minutes, a couple in a Toyota HiLux pickup outfitted with a very cool bush camping package, pulled up alongside me, and asked if I was ok. I was so appreciative that people check up on other people out here. When I said, I was just watching the Hippos, they just said oh, ok, and proceeded to get out of their truck. They told me they get out if they are in open space, and can see a good distance around them, no thick brush, etc. COOL! I was more than willing to join them out in the sun feeling the breeze.

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Now you see some of them, but never assume you see them all.

Extra "fluffy" or expecting? — Extra “fluffy” or expecting?

We all gathered a bit of firewood, and they headed their way, and I went further down river, where I thought I saw an elephant. Expressing the thrill of seeing elephants for the first time in your life in the wild isn’t possible in words. I’ve seen them in zoos, and at the circus (now I wish they weren’t in those places at all). I’ve seen them in Thailand, and India, where they are used to give tourists rides…again, now it pains me to think of them kept this way. Though admittedly, I’ve ridden camels in the deserts of the Middle East for week-long Bedouin camps, and road in a dog sled in Sweden, and maybe that’s no different, but for some reason, it seems different to me. These majestic animals, are so powerful, and yet seem so gentle; though they are not, as is evidenced by the destruction of fallen trees they leave in their wake (which also makes it quite easy to find firewood).

It turns out I did see an elephant, in fact two of them.

Wildebeest, not pretty, but pretty cool for sure!

Anyone want to tell him he's missing a horn? — Anyone want to tell him he’s missing a horn?

Noticing the sun beginning to set, I decide to head back to the camp, remembering I need to get a fire going before dark, and I have steak for dinner to cook up.

My first bush camp site, did seem a bit isolated. So I jumped at the opportunity to join a nice couple from Belgium at their site. — My first bush camp site did seem a bit isolated. So I jumped at the opportunity to join a nice couple from Belgium at their site.

Arriving in camp, I see the couple I’d chatted with at the hippo pool, and they invited me to join them in their camp, since this was my first night camping in the bush, I jumped at the invitation. We pooled our food and drink, I had vodka, which Bridgette was craving, and Peter, thought the steak sounded pretty good too. They were from Belgium, and we had a great evening, as we were watching the fire, an elephant came up from the river, and walked right by us! I wasn’t sure what to do, but they just sat still, and watched the elephant walk by. I could sure see why they say not to use the toilets after dark though; you wouldn’t want to be waking from your camp and back, who knows what’s going to show up! Still, we did see three people wander over to the ablution, we just marveled at their carelessness, we were the closest camp to the ablution and there was no way any of us were going, that’s what the empty beer cans were for in my camper, before you say “ugh disgusting” remember this blog is as much about a “how to” as it is a travel blog.

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.

Solo Self-Drive Safari Intro

When I told my family and friends I was going to South Africa and Botswana, renting a four-wheel drive vehicle and heading on a self-drive safari alone they looked at me with wide-eyed expressions that clearly, this time they thought I might have passed adventurous and headed on to crazy.

I’ve driven in a lot of countries, and taken a good many solo trips all over the world, but safari alone does seem a bit daring and admittedly a little daft as well. I don’t recommend the solo aspect of this kind of adventure, for a couple of reasons; if you are to break down or get stuck, you’ll be alone in getting going again, not such a big deal, unless you are out there with animals that would like to eat you. Also, when you are alone it’s very hard to drive and also do an effective job of animal sighting.

On the positive side, I met some great people. Doing this alone, I had no trouble in each camp connecting with other people (except for the couple of nights, when I was in a camp alone), who were gracious, and bewildered I was out there alone. Responses ranged from Walter and his wife from Germany, who seemed envious and invited me over for beer or wine after I’d had my dinner, to another couple from Germany, who seemed to think I was stupid and couldn’t be bothered to say much more than, “nice fire” which they shouted from their camp site some 200-feet away.

Getting there

First of all, you’ll mostly find European visitors on safari in Southern Africa. From Europe it’s a relatively easy 10-12 hour flight, without much of a time change. Though you are swapping seasons, summer to winter, fall to spring…etc.

From the United States, especially the west coast, this isn’t an easy journey. Using Delta SkyMiles, I flew from Los Angeles to London on Delta with their new “Delta One” business class service and product. On this flight, I wasn’t too impressed with either the service or the product. While the seats do lay flat to make a bed, they have some uncomfortable bulges that don’t make it a terribly comfortable bed. Also, in the seated position, there’s very little storage for personal items, and the space feels confined. I found the leather seat covers don’t breathe which for sleeping only works if you keep the cabin pretty cool. The flight attendants were aloof, and actually a bit snobbish, finding “service” a bit below their perceived station in life.

The Delta flight arrived an hour late into Heathrow, shrinking my layover to four hours from five. Four hours though is still plenty of time to totally enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s amazing Club House lounge at Heathrow. I got a haircut, had a nice cooked-to-order meal that would have done many restaurants proud, a couple great English beers, a shower, and mini massage…this place is heaven inside an airport!

The Virgin Atlantic Club House in terminal 3. It was stunning when new, and has held up well as one of my lounge "benchmarks". — The Virgin Atlantic Club House in terminal 3. It was stunning when new, and has held up well as one of my lounge “benchmarks”.

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Virgin Atlantic's Club House lounge at terminal 3 in Heathrow, isn't even new, but it's held up well, and remains one of my lounge "benchmarks." — Virgin Atlantic’s Club House lounge at terminal 3 in Heathrow, isn’t even new, but it’s held up well, and remains one of my lounge “benchmarks.”

I flew from London to Johannesburg on Virgin Atlantic, in their Upper Class cabin, which was very nice! Their clever seat flips and tumbles so you sleep on surface other than the one you sit on, it’s comfortable and cozy. Virgin also provides pajamas so you’re not in your clothes as you sleep, a very nice touch usually reserved for First Class, but Virgin’s Upper Class is a business class hybrid that does combine a lot of First Class amenities, if not the exclusivity. The meals and wine choices are top-notch, and the flight attendants on this flight were friendly, and seemed to want to make your experience and flight wonderful.

Arrival at Johannesburg, pro-travelers know you never want to hear your name announced in the baggage area; I heard my name being called, which can mean only one thing: somehow four hours wasn’t long enough to get bags transferred from my Delta flight to the Virgin flight in London, ugh. This is why I loathe checking luggage. But with this kind of trip, I didn’t see much option; I wanted to bring things like pocket knives and liquids greater than three ounces that aren’t allowed in carryon luggage. In the end my bag didn’t make it for another day, because it seems, that Delta somehow sent my bag to Atlanta instead of with me to London, D’OH!

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Local (mis)Adventure

For convenience I’d booked a room at the Aviator OR Tambo Hotel because there was a free airport shuttle, and it was also near the location of the rental company I was using for the safari vehicle. It’s a nice enough hotel with a good restaurant and friendly service, and works great for the location. Protips: The WiFi service is a bit spotty, and try to get a room that’s not located on the street side if you can.

Google maps indicated that the location of the rental place was only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from the hotel, so I figured it’d be an easy walk to go over and get the preliminaries handled, so once my luggage showed up the next day, I could get on the road to Botswana quicker. Big mistake! Johannesburg is not a strolling down the street kind of city. Walking down one street I saw a lot of people gathered around cars in various states of disrepair parked along the side of the street so I decided to cross the street and walk down the other side, where there were no parked cars and an open park area rather than tenement buildings. It was about then, I noticed people spreading, and moving up the street, while looking behind them on occasion. I look down the street in the direction the people are running from, and see a very fit, muscular, man with an open green shirt his brown skin shiny with a film of sweat despite the cool day making threatening gestures, with exaggeratedly angry facial expressions, and hollering something in a language I don’t understand. But, the scariest part was the machete swinging from his right hand!!! Had I not been so jet lagged, I probably would have peed my pants. Without making any quick moves, I widened my arch and crossed through the park, only to find the park was fenced on the other side, as there was a gated community on the other side.

Fortunately, I found an opening in the fence with a gate, and a seated security guard, who let me pass into the community, when I told him I was just cutting through. Needless to say, I accepted the ride back to the hotel that was offered by the rental agency.

The Vehicle

I reserved a pop-top Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4. I chose this because it seemed the easiest to handle alone, in terms of being self contained and easy to set up for sleep each night, while having something capable to explore with by day. I used Drive South Africa to make the booking as it seemed the easiest, and finding direct hire contacts is not easy. I wouldn’t do it again though, they are a broker basically, and refer your booking to an actual rental agency, meaning if you have problems, you have two companies pointing fingers at each other.

During my visit to handle the paperwork, I was strongly encouraged to purchase the ultimate insurance protection. I was warned that if anything should happen with the vehicle I could be liable for thousands of dollars as these vehicles have expensive parts and repairs. I explained I would call my credit card company to confirm if I was covered, and let them know when I pick up the vehicle. In the end I declined all the “extra” coverage, though from listening in on many other presentations, noticed many people do buy this.

The cozy living room inspired Britz office where you conduct the paperwork part of your rental.

I was hoping to go over the familiarization run down of the vehicle and equipment that day, but apparently the vehicle I was to take hadn’t been prepared yet. Allow two hours to do this! Have the company show you the operation of everything, if for no other reason to confirm that everything they send you out with is in working order. You don’t want to get out there, and discover the air compressor they have sent you out with doesn’t work, or the interior lights of your camper…etc.

By the time Virgin Atlantic finally provided my luggage the next day, and I got to the rental agency to pick up the vehicle, it was well after noon, which was when I was hoping to hit the road…as always, best laid plans don’t always work out in the real world, and there is something called “Africa Time” where, things seem to happen according to another clock.

The familiarization run down was rushed through, and when the representative was having trouble getting the vehicle into 4×4 mode, I did become a little concerned. I loaded up my bags, and headed to the grocery store to load up on food, water, toilet paper, and other more vital necessities such as wine. On my way there I noticed there was no power to the cigarette lighter. While I don’t smoke, I did have a GPS I very much intended to keep charged up. I also noticed the fiberglass, roof on the Land Cruiser was making horrible popping, creaking and snapping noises. So, I headed back to the rental agency, where the fuses were checked, and replaced, and I was told the noises were “normal”. While I was relieved to have the lighter fixed, I was disappointed; I’d have to deal with the noise.