the border crossing from Zambia to Botswana is not for the
faint at heart....forwarned proved not to be forarmed!
dropped off by our courtesy vehicle, from our more than
civilised hotel, I suddenly found myself in the midst of
madness.....gigantic pantechnican-lorries stretched as far
as one could see. carloads of bemused people, trucks, cars
vans and everything in between. the elderly, the pushy, the
resigned, babies.....sellers of rugs, sellers of jewellery,
sellers of carvings, sellers of everything under the
blazing sun. our cases were dumped on the ground, where
dust inches deep was pitted with stones and the odd rock.
eventually realisation hit me....it was going to take
hours!I grabbed my mercifully small case and lugged it
through the clogging dust down to the river.....finding a
rock to sit on, I sat, and watched the scene unfolding.
amidst all ths chaos a girl stood with her baby wrapped in
a grubby piece of cotton and slung accross her chest. she
was only a child herself, but had a dignity far beyond her
years. the baby was whimpering,and quickly growing
distressed. the girl walked calmly down to the waters edge,
which was strewn with rubbish. and with an old tin she
scooped up the muddy liquid and held to the babys mouth. at
that moment a woman from one of the many safari groups
waiting for transport rushed forward crying 'no no'! wildly
waving a bottle of mineral water in her hand.I watched as
the girls body grew rigid wiith disdain, her eyes blazing
she knocked the bottle to the ground, and turning her back
walked with a pathetic dignity to disappear amongst the
shifting mass higher up the beach. the woman was outraged
at what she considered insulting behaviour, and the way the
infant was being cared for.....
as I watched I wondered if I was in the same world....at
home people were getting into cars and going to tesco!
eventually, our luggage was counted and correct, and loaded
into the boat, which only managed about 5 at a time,....so
we were ferried to Botswana, in a small boat, covered in
dust....once disentangled from my lifejacket I was able to
survey Botswana. how long had I imagined this moment?
it was the mirror image of the scene we had just left....!
at the top of the slope immigration waited....push shove
and hope...and then incredibly, we were through and
hurtling along a proper main road, no potholes, no
bouncing, unbelievably, normal....and so we arrive at chobe
safari lodge....