Daniel Young Travels

Finally, in the airport at Maun, Botswana and on the flight from Maun to Johannesberg, on our way to to Cape Town, I was able to start reporting on our trip which I am now posting from Cape Town, South Africa. The first 8 days were not conducive to writing or communicating. For our four night stay at the very beginning in Notten's camp located in the Sabi Sands section of South Africa, jet lag and the safari drive schedule forced us to use all our free time for sleeping.

The routine was waking up at five a.m., coffee and a cupcake. then, in the early morning first light, into a Toyota Land Cruiser at about 6 AM for four or five hours of "game drive." Back at 11 for Brunch and a break until "high tea" at 4PM before going out again at 4:30 for another four hours, Then 15 or 30 minutes to refresh and time for dinner at a communal table with the other 8 to 10 guests. To bed at 10:30 or 11 PM for only 6 or 7 hours of sleep. Imagine what this schedule does to a jet-lagged person accustomed to 9 or 10 hours of sleep and a few naps during the day! Nottens had no electric lights in the rooms or public areas but they did have two ceiling fans and a floor fan in the room. Also, one electric plug for charging camera batteries. Kerosene lamps and candles supplied light.

Little Kwara in Botswana had one charging setup in the common area. The lights in the room were directly wired without plugs in the wall. The supposedly purified water had the color of urine. No internet and not even a telephone. In an emergency they use high frequency radio to communicate with the outside world.

Sleeping during the driving is impossible because moving on the dirt roads is close to riding the mechanical bulls found in some bars. There is pure bouncing up on down on your ass, plus a spine-twisting movement from side to side or backward and forward as well as indescribable movements in multiple directions. In Little Kwara Camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana (where we spent three nights) had the added feature of driving through marshes where the water came over the wheels, halfway up the side of the Land Cruiser. Getting stuck in mud was a real possibility. Here are some photos paying tribute to the vehicle and to the drivers/trackers who guided us. In some photos you may notice a carburetor intake pipe rising next to the driver. That allows air to go into the engine even when it is in deep water. Occasionally the drivers go right over bushes and small trees.I begin with a tribute to the vehicle.