Hitchhiking in Botswana: Kavimba

Thursday, 20^th of September, 2018.               

The road after the border is horrible! A lady stops her car and offers to drop me off in the right road to Mababe, the first village I plan to camp. I see some elephants in the bush while she is driving, but I did not ask her to stop.            

A Land Rover stops. It is an open truck, looking like a Safari car. The driver is a senior man, with a long beard; and the guy in the passenger seat looks more like a local guide. Jan Kruger is from South Africa and he is building a campsite nearby, in a place called Kavimba. Peter is from Botswana and is helping him.  They offer me a lift until Kavimba, which is on the way to Mababe. I jump in the back of the truck! 

On our way, I feel, for the first time, as I am in a safari car. There is no comfortable seats and protection against the sun but the wind blowing in my face is great! It is an awesome trip!

Jan is trying to help me to see elephants and any other animals we could. We finally find a small group of elephants but unfortunately they are hiding behind the bushes. Then we go to a river where a lot of Zebras are happily eating , and a group of hippos were taking some rest. I do not know if is our presence or a small crocodile (which unfortunately we could not see very well) that makes the hippos got a little anxious and run to the water, making nervous sounds.

I ask Jan if I can spend the night at his place, just putting my tent somewhere, and he says it was fine. He is this lovely man, very kind and concerned about me all the time. His place has just started and he is staying in a nice tent and he offers me to stay in a twin of that which is empty.

At the beginning, he advises me to go back and take the road through Nata. But I tell him that I chose this other route because, apparently, there would be a lot more animals crossing by here. Later, we talk with a friend of him, who passed by, and he said I would be OK and probably get a lift from some safari company or some tourists.              

I learn a lot from my conversations with Jan and I even see how to pump water.       

At night, we have some bush food (can food): spaghetti with tomato sauce, sweet corn and bread with tea. I slept very well, hearing the lions roaring. Yes, that is another amazing thing! You can hear them so clearly, as they are just beside the camp; and and so repeteadly, 

In the morning I cooked porridge for us. The plan was Jan drop me at the next village (he was very concerned about me hitchhiking on the bushes because of the animals), Kachikau, and if I could not get a lift until midday, I should find a way to call him, I would spend another night at the camp, and next day he would drive me back to the Nata’s road. I said it was a good plan. He dropped me at a bus stop and I am very thankful for his help and kindness.

While I was waiting, something upset me. This lady passed around me and asked where I was going. When I told her Mababe, she said it was the wrong way. I confirmed that was the right way, it would just has a turn a little ahead, but everybody going there would have to pass first from where we were. She agreed a little grumpy and then left saying I would spend the whole day there suffering. What? What a horrible thing to say. I just yelled a ‘thank you’ while she was leaving. Now, I want and need to leave more than never and I was hoping she was still at the bus stop when somebody picked me up.