3 rd June

To date the trip has been awesome for me. The problem that I had on the first day with the alternator and regulator on The Beast was a curved ball from the left side for me. Tense moments, varied thoughts, lots of whisky and good company. Then off to the Botswana border post called Zanzibar. Time flew and we decided to stay this side (SA) for another night. We found a stunning place outside Swartwater called Zazoe which was run and owned by a Dutch couple.
For dinner Jess made us toasted sandwiches on the braai. Jenny had leftover Kentucky and coleslaw.
Early the next morning we headed off to fill up with petrol and then travelled along a 25 km stretch of dirt road to the Zanzibar border post but only to be told that the river was too high so we would have to go to the Martin's Drift border post! About turn again!
The roadside has the most amazing Baobab trees.
On day three we crossed over into Botswana at long last!!
We headed off to Nata some 472 km away.
The thing that strikes you when you travel through towns and the countryside is how clean everything is. Litter is scarce, the locals seem to have a pride in everything around them which is more than can be said about South Africa.
Jenny and Gavin have given a few of the soccer balls away to the locals who really seem to appreciate the gesture.
We passed through Nata and stopped at a place called Elephant Sands Lodge. We decided not to camp and stayed in chalets. Frankly we should of slept in our tent as the room had no windows and it was freezing cold. You got to wake up with a cold nose and neck the whole night! The highlight was watching a herd of elephants drinking and bathing at the waterhole in front of the pub.
We headed off to Kasangulu and Kasane the next morning. Bought meat and vegetables for the next 5 days (and beer).
Drove through the top of the Chobe Reserve to Katima Malino where we crossed into Namibia and then into Zambia. At the Namibian border they wanted to take our meat away from us but we were eventually able to keep it all.
I have to say that so far our border crossings have been nothing but a pleasure. Everyone has been so pleasant.
Tonight we have stopped over at Shakeltons - a stunning fishing place on a oxbow of the Zambezi river.
Jess, Gavin and I pumped up two soccer balls and took them to the local community school where 22 odd girls were playing soccer on a dirt field. They were blown away when we gave them the balls. Awesome to see that small gifts are still appreciated.
Tomorrow we set off on a 300 km dirt track road towards Kafue. No clue what to expect.
I am looking forward to the solitude and stillness of where we are off to!