Botswana > The village of Estha 13

Theo apparently didn’t sleep very well during the night. The mosquito net was static, and the feathers in his bed were loose.

Botswana - Overnight in a traditional Bushman hut

We get up early to pack our things and have breakfast. One advantage of staying in the hut is that we don’t have to break down the tent. We walk with the Bushmen to their village, where they give a demonstration around the campfire. The explanation doesn’t differ much from what they showed yesterday. Using gestures, I indicate that I’d like to try stomping on the melon seeds. Soon I’m sitting with the pot of seeds, stomping away. It’s harder than it looks, especially since the seeds fly out of the pot as I stomp. For reasons unclear to me, I’m not allowed to walk further into the village. Back at our own camp, we quickly set off in the bus. We have a long day ahead. In the town of Ghanzi, we stop for supplies. We pool our money as a group to exchange it all at once into Botswana Pula at the bank, which saves on transaction fees. In the supermarket, we buy a new stock of water and some sweets with this money. At a roadside stall, I buy a new cap since I forgot mine. Paying causes a few problems. I can pay in Pula or South African Rand, but my Namibian Dollars create an issue. In the end, I have no choice but to first exchange the amount at a nearby currency office and then pay in Pula. This undoubtedly makes the cap more expensive due to an unfavorable exchange rate, but luckily it wasn’t too pricey. Afterward, we head toward the village of Eshta 13, where we are to be picked up at 4:00 PM. We have to drive quickly to make it on time. We pause along the way for a quick lunch by the roadside.

Botswana - We attracted a lot of attention in the village

Thomas made sandwiches in his South African style: two slices of bread spread with mayonnaise, topped with tomato and chips. The result is surprisingly tasty. Around 3:30 PM, we’re near Eshta 13, but we can’t find the correct turnoff. Suddenly, we see a sign pointing to Eshta, but it points backward—we’ve already passed it. We quickly drive back 12 kilometers. On the return, there is a sign, but it’s only readable for traffic coming from the north, not from the south. In the village, we attract a lot of attention. Many children crowd around our bus. It doesn’t feel very safe to leave the bus here for two days, but we have few other options. On the other hand, tourists come here daily for the boat trip into the Okavango Delta. The tents, cooking equipment, and day luggage are loaded into the 4x4 Jeep. The luggage goes in the trailer, and we sit on the tailgate. The jeep and trailer bounce a lot on the sandy road. Just before the base camp, we pass a car stuck in the sand. The driver helps to pull it free. Meanwhile, we walk the last kilometer to the base camp, eating the yogurt that spilled open due to the bumps along the way. At the base camp, we set up our tents and enjoy a beer on the raised terrace, which offers a beautiful view over the marshlands and the setting sun. Around eight o’clock, dinner is ready (mixed vegetables). After dinner, Cheryl explains the program for the bush camp, and we relax around the campfire. At night, in my sleeping bag, I enjoy all the forest sounds around us. I hear many birds and the distant grunts of hippos. Beautiful!