Before rays from the new sun managed to penetrate the darkness of early morning I was up and about; bright-eyed and eager to get moving to a new destination. I was leaving behind the town of Victoria Falls and heading into a more rural Africa. I had no place in mind where I would next be sleeping. No place in mind for my next drink or meal. I was going to hitch-hike and let the cards fall where they may.
With backpack secured I closed the zipper on my tent, bid farewell to the meerkat who had been my companion, and headed out into the dawn. The meerkat winked from his slumber as I left. As sad as it was for me to leave him behind I am doubtful I was anything more to him than another source of food, passing through town.
My hitch-hiking got off to a good start. No sooner had I made it to the main street than a car pulled up and offered me a ride to the junction. The driver was heading straight; I would be veering right so our journey together was brief however the day was starting out as a success for someone new to the game of traveling as a guest of others generosity.
From the junction it was another 70km to the border. The sun and temperature began to rise as dawn morphed into day. Fortune remained with me. A jeep slowed, passed by, checked me out, and came to a stop a short distance in front of where I stood. The offer of a ride to the border was made and off we went.
I had not thought much more about my transport following arrival at the border but assumed this would not be a problem. Most borders are busy places. This border was anything but.
In my journal I wrote the following;
An hour and a half later I was there. The Botswana countryside lay in front of me, flat and desolate. Not a moving car in sight. I began to walk in the late morning heat laden with a fully stocked backpack. I walked for about an hour passing through a troop of baboon who paid absolutely no attention to me though I thought they might. Kind of glad really. Ever since seeing a male baboon reprimand a junior family member I have been less keen to get too close. The barking and hollering was horrendous and must have struck the fear of God into the younger ape.
I reach the Kasungulo Junction around noon. The sign staring at me delivered an obvious choice. The town of Nata was left; 305km. The town of Kasane in the opposite direction was 9km. I head towards Kasane.
This time my walking only took me a couple of hundred yards before I notice a bus stop. An African lady was kind enough, quick enough, to give me 4 Pula (Botswana currency) for my 50 Zimbabwe Dollars. I find out later I got short-changed by half; the fee of ignorance I guess.
On my arrival in Kasane I found a hotel to drop off my bag and began to explore. It was a busy enclave of commerce and slaughter. Women and children sold all manner of food and trinkets roadside, many men were drinking in the “Central Bar”, and those who weren’t were cutting dark red bloody strips of meat from a dead cow that lay spread-eagled on a blue canvas out front.
The flies were all over. These were not a deterrent to the buyers as much as you would think. I guess the guy who’s cow it was had sold quite a lot already as pickings seemed to be getting slim. The blood which covered the carcass, canvas, and concrete had turned a dark red and become tacky. I am thinking if meat is purchased using this method then an early start while temperatures are cooler is the way to go. I passed when an opportunity to purchase a slice was offered.
I returned to the Chobe Safari Lodge where I had left my backpack, made my way to the road and once again extended my thumb. It was the town of Nata where I was now heading and had only the afternoon and early evening in which to get there.
A family heading to Francistown picked me up and for a charge of 20 Pula would drop me in Nata. This was a common occurrence in Botswana. Anyone with a vehicle became a part of the public transport system. On arrival I discovered that Nata was less a town and more a crossroads. I decided over a meal of sampa, meat, and fanta that I would go for broke and continue my journey by thumb.
It is 4pm now and I am heading to Maun in the heart of the Okavango Delta. I wait at the corner with dozens of locals all with the same destination as me. There is no bus to Maun so hitch-hiking is the only option.
It is a strange feeling to be miles, hours, from the nearest town with no certainty regarding onward transport or where you will sleep once the sun settles below the horizon.
At 7pm a car finally pulled over and offered me and Robert, one of the locals I had met in my 3 hours of roadside chatter, an onward ride. It was now very dark. It was 11pm when my campsite appeared out of nowhere; a single light bulb shining in the blackness. Fortunately we had picked up others en route to Maun and Robert had made a love connection in the back seat so he was all set with his accommodation.
The camp bar was open; I stayed and talked. Exhaustion set in shortly after finishing a beer and my eyelids began to succumb to the pull of gravity. I lay down in a small tent loaned to me from an Overland Tour Group even though it was already occupied by a chattering East German who became my roommate. A big change from the silence of the meerkat the night before.
I have never met anyone from East Germany before so even though my eyelids flickered I did my best to listen as the stories were interesting and I wanted…zzzzzzzzzz.
I was dead tired but I had hitch-hiked across Botswana and was now in Maun. My adventure in the Okavango Delta was about to begin.
Flat Tires and Slow Boats 
incredible post, I totally agree with you! to the rest I am completely sure that this is one of the destinations that you would visit more than once
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There is so much inequity and injustice in southern Africa. I read the story of the bushmen and the mining company and I want to think this is something that happened in 1900, but no, it just happened! I was in Botswana about 10 or 12 years ago but didn’t get beyond the safari camps where I stayed.
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This sounds like a very adventurous journey, Tim. I wonder if I’d like to visit Botswana. I’m not the adventurous type and not know where I’d sleep next is not exactly my cup of tea. Botswana is definitely not for the weak of heart from what you are describing.
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But the photography is incredible and you would love that.
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What an adventure you taken your life on. I think I will watch your adventure and read about it. You are doing something I know I could not do. I’ve never hitchhiked and I probably would not pick up today. I admire your energy.
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Sounds like another great trip Tim. It’s amazing how much energy you had for your travels, and also that you had the discipline to keep a journal. what an invaluable tool to have now to look back on. The dead cow would prob. have been something you would have remembered anyway I imagine!!
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Yes, I gotta say that the image is pretty vivid. A street washed in dark red blood is difficult to forget.
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What an adventure. I’ve never hitchhiked before but I have picked up hitchhikers and I love meeting new people on the road. It sounds like you had an amazing experience!
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Sounds like a great adventure Tim! I haven’t tried hitchhiking before but it’s something I’ve always wanted to try (probably just scared to do it).
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WAIT!! Hold UP! NO CAT killing on my watch! LOL..LOL. That is because I’m a Cat lover 🙂
Thank you for taking a peek at my blog. And I’m a New a Fan of yours… 🙂
Author & Recovery Advocate, Catherine Townsend-Lyon
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I love how you break away from your writing to share some of your initial notes and thoughts. Botswana is a place I will most certainly visit one day. I’m not quite sure I would be as brave as to travel the way you have managed (successfully!). But, I loved reading your adventure!
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Botswana is quintessential Africa so am sure you will love it.
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hahaha I am sure the eastern German’s stories were super interesting but my experience is, that when my eyelids are starting to close, I can fight as much as I want, but I never win, I fall asleep no matter what …
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I’m sure so many people have told you this but damn, you have a great writing skills! haha, very good! I love it!
That sounds like a great and exhausting adventure in Botswana! I would love to go there! What made you decide to visit that country? Was there something fascinating about it, or are you just open to anything?
Travel safe to Okavango Delta and have fun! 🙂
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To be honest it is the next country over from Zimbabwe so I went, but once there I realized it is the country you imagine when you think of Africa.
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Loved this sentence: “It was a busy enclave of commerce and slaughter.” I only ever picked up hitchhikers when I was working in Yellowstone, but it was a common thing for park employees to do for the employees in different locations that didn’t have cars. I think once you been a bit of a vagabond, or at least backpacked a bit like I have, it gets easier to just leave your pack and if it gets stolen, that’s life, but usually in those situations people leave other’s stuff alone. Helps too to have a nappy looking bag 😉
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Tim — when you travel it surely is an adventure. Thumbing a ride in Africa — or any country — is a scary proposition (I think I use the word “scary” in all my comments to you). Were you concerned about leaving your backpack and sure that it would be there when you went back for it?
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I wasn’t concerned. I have left my backpack at places all over the world so that I could be free to explore and never once has this caused a problem for me. Hopefully me saying that doesn’t jinx it. But no, I wasn’t concerned. To be honest there wasn’t that much to steal even if someone had a mind to; my t-shirts and shorts are not worth that much 🙂
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Another great insight into your travels!
I must say I am not surprised that you were short changed by the African woman. This tends to happen to visitors deriving from the western world.
I am pleased that you found a place to rest. I consider hitch hiking to be rather risky – even for men.
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I think seeing that dead cow spread eagle and being hacked on might have done me in, Tim. LOL I am apparently of much weaker stomach than this adventure requires…so I am mighty content to sit here and read about it! Wow… my admiration for your courage continues to grow.
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More wanderlust and cat killing curiosity than anything else I think…but thanks.
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