Expotition

December 28 early in the morning our New Years Eve expotition starts: we have to reach Maun the last day of 2006 before midnight, because Klaas organizes a ‘we have food & firecrackers, bring your own booze & chair’-Do in his Cuisine Rouge.
First stop: Serowe & Khama Rhino Sanctuary. Soon after Gabs we discover Arab Contractors is still working on the new road to the north; around the tropic of Capricorn the A1 just sucks. After the usual fatcakes at Kate’s Kitchen in Mahalapye we’re strong enough to reach Serowe and drive around the village to see people. Figures: we’ll camp with Hamish, so it starts to rain big time.
A bit later than predicted because of ‘Spoorloos’ we reach the Rhino’s. It looks as lovely as always – and very, very green, due to the good, early rains this year. At the reserved campsite we find two Maboeroe and writing in the sand: ‘Bram site 5’. 5 is as far away as possible from the Maboeroe-herd that overflowed the park, and has a typical Bowie-camp on it. While we set up camp Jeff & Motushi & co arrive, so it’s time for the first game-drive.
After two days of camping, loitering around the fire and game-spotting we move up north via Laru la Tau. Even without the Bowie-crowd it keeps raining, so it’s green, green, green. On our way to Maun we encounter a flock of vultures. Whatever they ate is totally finished except for a pool of blood. Walking around Maud discovers the only leftover: a cow’s tail.
December 31st we do reach Maun – as ever a weird, intriguing border-town close to the Okavango-delta, inhabited by white safari-organizers, crazy pilots and other people living from the many tourists; refugees from neighbouring countries; and some locals. Wherever the tourist-money goes, it’s not to the community; the yards look very poor.
We manage to survive New Years Eve at la Cuisine Rouge, and party on till January 2nd. Than the we put the Dutch guests on a plane into the delta, and have the old Hilux thoroughly serviced in Pietjes garage.
Time to go back home and try to earn some thebe’s. On our way back we camp in Nata Bird Sanctuary. That’s so lovely we just have to spend an extra night. Driving back to Morwa we discover half of Botswana has to get home after the Xmas-break.