First up, Happy Birthday Wendy. Breakfast in bed and gift wrapped Channel #5 from Mike? 🙂
We would have been away from the camp by 9.30am this morning, only I managed to pump water into our water tank space, instead of in the tank, so that took some cleaning out and drying.
Jen mentioned our change of plans regarding dropping down into Botswana. This meant we drive almost to the end of the Caprivi Strip before entering Botswana at the Ngoma Gate.
History of the Caprivi Strip.
The Caprivi Strip is an interesting piece of history. When Namibia was German West Africa, Germany wanted to have access to the Zambizi River to link their Eastern Colonies which are now Tanzania, Ruanda, Burundi and part of Mozambique to their Western colony of now, Namibia.
German Chancellor, Caprivi*, in 1890, negotiated with the British for this corridor, only to find that the Victoria Falls interrupted and diverted the river, but the deal was made and the strip remains. It borders 5 countries, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique.
The road along The Strip is now sealed and very good. After leaving the Popa Falls township we are immediately into Nature reserves. Unfortunately they have been designated Mixed Use and steadily, human habitation is encroaching on the available space. We have too many people!!
After entering a non inhabited section, we soon came across a group of about 12 Elephants of all sizes grazing the new grass close to the road.
Our lunch stop, under a huge tree, was quickly interrupted by a young guy who appeared from out of the tall grass. Standing watching us eating our lunch from about 5m away. Not saying a word. After self consciously finishing lunch I gave him some outer lettuce leaves that Jen deemed unworthy, and he wolfed them down. Then he was treated to half an apple. He was 13 years old, wearing an old red singlet and tattered trousers. He said he went to school but did not seem terribly bright. However taking pity on him, we found a T Shirt his size and gave it to him. That didn’t satisfy him as he then wanted my prescription sun glasses. It was time to say goodbye, but not before he put his new black T Shirt on and then disappeared back into the long grass.
At the township of Kongola we refueled and took the southern route close to the Botswana border, as there are no camp sites on the main eastern route.
There are Lions in the area and stock are corralled during the night.
Tonight we are camped in a Community operated camp site. We are the only ones here and half the community have been shoveling up dung, cleaning the facilities and generally tidying up.
The sun is going down at 5.45pm and there are Guinea fowl, Peahens and a Peacock wandering looking for grubs in the grass and dirt.
I’m sure we will have a peaceful night.
- Interesting name for a German. Possibly from Austro-Hungarian times?
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