The Drive to Botswana

Sunday morning we had nice breakfast sitting outside overlooking the reserve before we said our goodbyes and grabbed a taxi to the airport. Just before we left I had about 50 people sing Happy Birthday to me (almost got away with it) which was a really nice surprise. The quick flight back to Johannesburg was a chance to catch a bit of a power nap and get some rest before a week of early morning starts.

DJ and Kelly who are long time friends of family live just outside Johannesburg and kindly picked us up from the airport and told us about what they had planned out. We went into their house where we had to make it past their 2 security fences and 3 guard dogs before getting inside. We had an amazing dinner cooked on the brie by DJ their kids Matt and Jess who many of you in Canada will remember from meeting last Christmas. and then watched a movie before making our way to bed as it was going to be a early start in the morning with a 8 hour drive to the lodge in Botswana.

Surprisingly I was up, wide awake, and ready to pack the car at some awful hour in the morning that I didn't know existed. The five of us (DJ, Kelly, my parents, and me hit the road in the SUV and started heading north. I did cave and have a nap about 30min into the drive though. The road was long and straight but the scenery was unbelievable. You just get lost in thought as you look at all the rocky outcrops, flat barren land, or tress in the game reserves. Before I knew it it was time to stop for breakfast. It was a rest stop on the side of the highway and I couldn't help but stare at the state of a bus that had pulled in. Apparently it was from Zimbabwe bringing people down into South Africa. A definite eye opener.


We arrived at the border crossing after a brief stop for some billtong (dried meat like beef jerky) where we all had to get out of the car and get our exit stamp for leaving South Africa. It was laid back and after a quick chat with the crossing guards we were back in the car and driving towards the Botswana side of the Limpopo river. The river at the crossing was completely dry which alowed for us to just drive through where the river should have been. Not something you get to do every day. If the river had been running then we would have had to turn around and find another place to cross. The guards at the Botswana gate where great.

They just seemed happy to have something to do and someone to talk to. After a 10min talk and stamping of passports we proceeded into Botswana in the now 40C hot sun. We turned onto a dirt road which we proceeded to drive down for about 3 hours of bumps which I could not get enough of.

The excitement of being in this country and looking out the window for wild animals was outstanding. There was no way I was going to miss any of it. At two more points we had to cross the Limpopo river again and at one of them we got out and went for a bit of a walk. Me, Kelly, and my mum were about 60ft from the car when I found a footprint of some kind. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be that of either a lion or leopard. Lets just say we made it back to the car if pretty good speed all the time keeping our eyes on the rocky outcrop about 40ft away. Its strange but I doubt you would see anything on it even it was there.

With that it was on towards our riverside lodge on the edge of the Limpopo where there was a bit of water and a sign saying beware of crocodiles.