Botswana July 17, 2018

Up early and a quick shower.

Outside to meet the dawn, breakfast and get packed to get on the road.

Lots of bird life as the sun comes up.

Nyala at Weltervreden grazing in an enclosure came to greet us before we left. Early morning

Trucks lined up at the South African Border Post on their way into Botswana en-route north. It can take up to two day to get through the border, then they still have to get through the Botswana Border Post into Botswana. A lot of truck traffic now going through Botswana headed north to Zambia and the Congo as the wait to get through Beit Bridge into Zimbabwe averages 7 days. After that they still have deal with police road blocks and bribes and corruption on their way north through Zimbabwe and then have to go through the same thing at the Chirundu border post into Zambia. Drivers camp out next to their trucks lighting cooking fires and sleeping in or under their trucks.

Finally through the South African Border post after some hours and crossing over the Limpopo River into Botswana.

The Botswana Border Post was also backed up. Fortunately we do not have to stand in line behind the trucks. Gerald was able to negotiate with a “Helper” to get the car papers done. Cost about $50.00 but saved a lot of time

Border crossing can be a real pain. Immigration and Customs are not in the same building, neither is the building that handles the temporary import of your motor vehicle. None of the buildings are marked and some look somewhat nondescript. Fortunately Gerald had been through this border many times and knew his way around. Without that knowledge it would have taken much longer.

Stopped at a small grocery store Gerald knew about. We bought filet steak here which they shrink wrapped for us. The locals don’t buy filet as its flavor is to mild so the supermarket was glad to get rid of it at a ridiculously low price.

The only vehicles in the parking lot were Toyotas. I sa a Dodge Kaliber on the road and one in the parking lot, otherwise Botswana is Toyota Country.

On our way to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. Been a long tiresome day dealing with the border and looking forward to something to eat and drink.

Impala everywhere. They are pretty common everywhere in Africa but here are like fleas on a dogs back.

Met up with a bunch of fun folk folk from Tzaneen ZA on their way to the Central Kalahari. Shared some drinks and stories.