Christmas Travels

On the 23rd we set off for the magical Selinda Reserve - a deceptively short distance away in kilometres, but in reality a 7 hour drive through unspoilt wilderness. Christmas 2010 would be the first Christmas in about 10 years that we've been away from home...we had been invited to visit our friends who live in (what I think is) one of the most beautiful places in the world.

My first strange photo landmark is the newly rebuilt Kanini Kanini High Life Bar and General Dealer. Longtime readers of my blog will maybe recall my sadness when I found the place had been totally demolished to make way for the new road - in this old post here.  Here is its previous signage, in all its former glory, in an even older blogpost!

I was happy to find that the New Kanini Kanini has arisen from the ashes!

 The brand new tarred road now blazes a trail of progress through the villages of the Chobe enclave.. after a couple of years of unpleasant construction work. Here are the lovely twin baobabs which used to form a natural archway on the old dirt track above what's now the new road. See the way it used to be, in my old blogpost

Eventually, this new road comes to an abrupt end and the "real Botswana" (subjective opinion) begins. This is remote terrain, with no phone signal, and the kalahari sands lie thick and deep here. 

We set off with our satellite phone for emergencies, and two GPSes loaded with (we thought) useful topographical maps. In my navigational role, I was surprised to discover at this point, that neither GPS featured a single track, nor a landmark, other than the national boundary between Botswana and Namibia!

Luckily we had a co-ordinate for our destination, plus inside information that one of the safari lodge's supply trucks had passed that way the same morning, so as our little virtual vehicle bravely tracked its way along the virgin blankness of its screen, we were reassured by the tyre tracks in the sand ahead, and I entered waypoints as we went along.

Our chosen lunch break place - truly heavenly. We parked the trusty landrover (on loan from our friend Peter) under a tree next to a little waterhole. Here there is absolutely no noise other than birdcalls, insect sounds and the wind blowing through the leaves of the mopane trees.

Eventually we reached the Savute River, which has suddenly begun to flow again after decades of existence as nothing but a dry channel. One of the recent miracles of Northern Botswana, but that's another story!.

Now there is even a wooden bridge crossing the "new" river.

We clattered our way across, disturbing a few hippos along the way...

We managed to locate our destination without a hitch, and unloaded our wine, christmas crackers and other goodies, very hot, very dusty, slightly mud spattered but otherwise none the worse for wear! Our friends live and work at the management camp that runs luxury lodges, and we had a fabulous relaxing off-duty time with them at their bush home. Real Christmas fare, and good company!

Lazy afternoons were spent out on the magnificent unspolit Zibadianja lagoon, roughing it on an elegant barge, complete with worn Persian rug and comfortable lounge furniture...

The sunsets are legendary at this time of year...

Sadly, on boxing day, we had to leave... Typically, on our return trip, newly re-loaded maps and new info on the GPS helped us to get somewhat lost.  We had honestly done much better navigating by the seat of our pants on the way in!

Light rains had sprinkled the sandy track here ahead of us, crossed only by the pads of elephant feet!

 As we drove along, look who we, quite literally, spotted...

...what a magnificent cat who allowed us to photograph and observe him at leisure, before strolling off to continue his busy leopard day.

Here we turned through a twist in the track, to find a quiet elephant hastily removing itself from the path of our peculiar metal animal!

Stopping along the way home in a safe place, communing with nature, sipping a glass of wine to take some of the heat and dust off. ..this is my kind of journey!

Back home to endure 3 strange days of work in between all the holidays! Luckily the rain kept away all along, until we arrived home - now it is perfect weather for relaxing at home and seeing in the New Year, while holding off absolutely all thoughts of Resolutions!

I will be back once the madness of the new business year kicks in... for now, here's wishing all reading this, a wonderful and positive 2011!