Back to South Africa

Okay, time is running out. We have to make a run for it and get to Kruger Park before they give up our reservation. It’s way more officious than travelling through Botswana but we’re hoping for cooler weather as the afternoon temperatures of low 40s is starting to wear us down.

It’s 2 days to travel south from Chobe to the Botswana/South Africa border. Great road, not much traffic and fewer animals (cows and donkeys) on the sides of the road. But then we spent 2 days driving to the border through a landscape of dried thorn  bush (acacia), sand, and the alongside occassional fields with a crop or crops that we can’t identify.

First overnight stop was Francistown. A slightly rough but quiet campground behind some confrencing facilities. Hot showers with pounding water pressure washes away the salts and dust of the day and we’re ready for dinner around the brai.

Next day the dreaded border – this time it’s closed. System failure. Trucks are lined up for miles and everyone is irritable and anxious. We want to get through and on to our campground, which isn’t too far away, but for a while, unobtainable.

Finally, after only a short while, all that despair was for nothing, and systems are up and working. Traffic moves and cars go to the head of the line – yahoo. We’ve re-entered South Africa, and our old visas are working but not our SIM cards that we had bought and used in South Africa. I should say mine didn’t work, but Connie’s did – aargh.

Another night at Moriti on the banks of the Limpopo River. Sounds exotic, but it’s so hot and still that it doesn’t cool down until about 2300hrs. I had lit the brai to cook some chicken, which made it feel even warmer as the smoke swirled around the campsite and didn’t clear off immediately.

Up early and on to Hoedspruit, our last stop before 4 days in Kruger and a chance to provision. A prosperous town due to the large number of private game reserves that dot the landscape around Kruger National Park. It kind of feels like driving through The Hunger Games, but instead of people caught in the game, it’s exotic animals!

Onward to our new 4-day home – Satara Lodge, an hours drive from Kruger’s eastern entrance Orpen Gate. Unload the truck from 3 weeks of camping, finally open our suitcases and see what clean clothes we can revive and shake out the kilos of dust from inside the truck.