Botswana travels

First... I must confess... I do not really like Botswana. It is more of a ''passing through" on the way to nice places. However, listening to some people, I think it is a case of not having been to the right places yet.

It is also a bit of a white lie. One of my most profound memories is a Botswana one, stemming from way back in 1996. We stayed over at the Cresta Mowana, which even today is still the flagship Cresta hotel in Botswana. Early morning, way before breakfast, I was walking along the Chobe river. I heard that amazing distinctive call and stopped dead in my tracks. There it was! A fish eagle swooping down, stretching out its' talons, grabbing a fish out of the Chobe's rapid water. Then there was another! I could not believe my luck. The pair swooped and flew around for quite some time. It was my first (and thus far only) sighting! It was awesome!

There are more pleasant memories. Come to think of it, most of the good memories are on the northern side of Botswana. The road between Nata and Kasane, depending on your timing, is rife with wildlife. I have seen elephant herds, some lone jumbos, wildebeest, buffalo and the odd buck. Giraffes are also spotted. All in all, a good road and worthwhile sightings. Some potholes between Francistown and Elephant sands (beyond Nata), but not too bad.

Another one was the trip through Maun on our way to Namibia. The area is well-known as the gateway to the Okavango Delta, by itself, quite a nice area. There is a lovely lodge on the banks of the river by the name of Island Safari lodge. Good food and clean rooms.

On the other hand, try not to travel during the "Foot and mouth" season with too many shoes from South to North or vice versa. At the veterinary stops you need to walk through totally disgusting treated water to supposedly get rid of any possible contamination. Even shoes you are not wearing at the time, or have worn during your short transit visit, must be dragged through the water. For a lady that likes to match her shoes to her outfit, totally devastating! Of course with a loving husband on the side laughing his ass off ...

Overall, not too bad. Very expensive though. All food are totally overpriced in restaurants and hotels, as I am forever converting into Rand. Even in Pula though, they are expensive! Sixteen Pula for a Coke with dinner! Ouch