🙂 Remote, Wild, Off the Beaten Track!
🙁 HOT!!
Monday 19 December 2022, Polentswa to Mantoni Campsite 42C!
We left the SA side and Polentswa… After the vile woman at the Nossob shop incident we filled the vehicles with water and headed on the No Entry One Way road into Mabua – Woo! Hoo! We were SO excited for this adventure.
After a couple of hours of adventurous 4×4 driving (no one got stuck) we arrived at Manotoni 1 which is simply a tree and a latrine! We set up camp – BIG mistake – we had not packed the glass containers properly and the gherkins had broken and custard from previous night leaked everywhere! Lesson learned.
We cooked up a decent brunch and voted to celebrate Christmas there and then! Charlotte was Father Christmas! We had such fun opening our gifts! Dinner was a delicious chicken curry.
The next morning after our Cape Velvet coffee we hit the road and soon came across the burnt out vehicle which we had seen on al the You Tube videos … quite a sobering thought!
We spotted the sign to Mpaya. When we arrived a friendly couple were just packing up – they told us that they had a leopard and brown hyena in camp – yippee! Stunning spot with panoramic views over the pan AND a shower and tap with RUNNING WATER! Marvellous.
There were butterflies everywhere – so pretty!
We headed off and did a big loop all around Bosologo – decided to give Khiding a miss as we’d do it the next day …. BIG mistake … we bumped into a couple on the way back and apparently there were lions on a kill next to the road there – ho hum…luck of the draw! We got back and James cooked us another feast. We played Linkee which Charlotte and I smashed!! 🙂 It was so hot that we all just chilled in the shade of the A Frame. Even the resident mongoose was suffering!
We had another drive before settling down for the evening but it was very quiet.
We got the fire going and enjoyed a lovely evening. While we were chatting the brown hyena lurked in the shadows and we kept getting glimpses of him….but he was very shy and ran away every time we shined the torch in his direction…
Before we went to bed (at about 21h00!!), Paul set the camera trap near the shower block…. Here is what we found the next morning! Our resident brown hyena and leopard!
So exciting to think that they were right there….
We were up at 05h45 … I headed to the loo and saw the leopard dart across my path and into the bushes behind me!! Yikes. We downed our Cape Velvet coffees and set off in search of lions which ha had heard roaring the previous night…. 🙂 We headed to the waterhole but quiet other than a bateleur… butterflies and doves…
we drove around the pan and back to the water hole and found a honeymoon couple!!
We tracked them for ages – just our 3 vehicles… then we lost them (Ironically they went straight through our camp – in fact our cam caught the male but he was so close that you can only see his mane!).
Here you can see the lion’s mane and foreleg against the cam next to the shower!
Although we missed them at our camp, we did come unexpectedly across this lovely lioness on the road in front of us on our way back from Khiding – she was one of the lionesses on the kill that we had been told about the previous day – a lovely sighting.
We were very happy campers and headed back to prepare a meal. We chilled and played games and did a quick sundowner drive to the waterhole but all was quiet… we chatted around the camp fire watching the brown hyena cautiously watching us!
The sunset was equally beautiful…
We woke to the most spectacular sunrise – quite divine. We took loads of photos…
Just divine.
Then we headed on a drive as we had heard a lion roaring nearby – we quickly picked up his tracks and then lost them again … then we heard him roaring and hey presto, there he was right next to the road giving us his undivided attention and morning roar – magnificent!
At camp we cooked a brunch and with heavy hearts we left Mpaya – the road was really sandy and highly exciting!
We passed many pans where flocks of ostriches were gathered after the minerals. The track is a one way track and clearly had not been driven for some time – we really felt as though we had the entire Kalahari to ourselves! We parked up – it was extremely hot but we had a shower from the vehicle and played some games – great fun!
Whistling rats found in the Kalahari have a habit of whistling and stamping their feet when nervous – hence their name… their babies cling to their teats while they scurry around on their business foraging!
We prepared food whilst watching the stunning sunset….
Unfortunately the termites then decided to come out as we were eating our dinner – they were everywhere!!
We also caught a glimpse of an African wildcat – highly exciting!
After dinner Miriam provided entertainment as she presented the Week’s Awards as nominated by all in camp very lovely and brought tears to our eyes … a wonderfully fitting final evening….
The next morning we woke up at 05h30 feeling a little tender! We took the obligatory sunrise photos…
The skies were beautiful as we headed back to Nossob….
We had two more fleeting sightings but no time to wait for them to get active! Leopard near Nossob and two cheetahs under a tree resting … a good farewell!
We filled up at Nossob and headed to Twee Rivieren for for a quick lunch before exiting the park…we smiled at the cow and goat and sheep being transported in the back of a bakkie… the adventure was no over yet … we felt the car shudder and yes – a flat tyre and we were running late for our flight from Upington!!
Fortunately the flight was delayed so all was well…. Goodbye spectacular Kalahari … until next time ….
Go to: Botswana
