by Kate Barba

After the serenity of The Okavango Delta, the last two days of our journey towards Johannesburg, South Africa seemed to rush away.  Both were long bus days of napping, reading, and audio books: I finished my Africa-themed book “The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith and Pete read “The Eye of the Elephant” by Delia and Mark Owens.  The journey was broken up with impressively robust meals on the side of the highway and a few stops for roadside “bushy bushy” (ladies on one side, lads on the other).  Gratitude to both our driver Goodman and chef Gowa!  Luckily, these extended journeys had mini-adventures at the end of the day.

On the first day we arrived just in time for a game drive through Khama Rhino Sanctuary.  This reserve is home to the now familiar impala, zebra, and giraffe, but also the rare white and black rhinos.  We met a rhino mama so old her horn has grown long and straight! Poaching for their horns has endangered all rhinos and driven some subspecies to extinction.  International education and breeding programs at places like the Sanctuary are helping to protect the survival of both species, even as their wild populations continue to be threatened.

Driving (and riding!) in the Bush is challenging!  The rough highways and rural tracks are bad enough, but the sandy roads were too much for some vehicles.  Many of our group hopped out to rescue another car spinning their wheels in the rutted sand (check out Facebook for the video).  This also happened in Elephant Sands, so if you plan to cross the a desert, get a vehicle with (high) clearance and know how to deflate your tires for more traction off pavement.  It’s doable, but not for the timid!

The next day, after a snag at the border into South Africa (goodbye chef), our final stop on the tour was in Blouberg, a medium-sized mountain town in northern South Africa.  Our campsite was hidden back in the woods and was well run, though the facilities were basic (another day without showers, sigh).  We stretched our legs with a short climb up a trail to a swimming hole.  Our group agreed that this cold hidden pool was the best swimming spot of the trip!  For dinner a local woman welcomed us to her home and we all enjoyed her delicious food and hospitality.

By now our group has a rhythm as we all pitch in to set up camp and take it down in the morning.  Camp chairs and tables are set up quickly, tents go up with minimal fuss, dishes get washed with efficiency.  I am grateful that my kids are now practiced in the art of washing dishes by hand!  We have also learned to only latch a few of the stubborn hooks per tent pole to reduce aggravation in the morning.  When we all work together it’s quick and easy.

I won’t miss the tents but I will miss the camaraderie.  Our group of teenagers and their families have found the easy familiarity of strangers thrown together with a common goal.  (Two English families, one Scottish family and one American family climb into a tour bus….) Over the past ten days we’ve shared parts of our personal history and the enjoyed the small differences in our cultures.  The adults commiserated about raising teens and pre-teens, while the kids rolled their eyes and bonded over their embarrassing parents.  We wish them all well and hope to someday meet up with them in our hometown….or maybe theirs!

Many thanks go to Intrepid Travel and our guides for organizing this incredible tour, guiding us safely through the Kalahari wilderness, and providing many experiences we would not have found otherwise.  We plan to continue to use Intrepid small group and private tours in countries where logistics and language are much easier with help.  We also appreciate the advice and opportunities only a local guide can give. Try it!

Thanks for reading to the end!  Next up: the perfect day in Eswatini (Swaziland)!  Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us.