Kubu Island appears like a mirage on the dreamscape of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Peering through the dust, I can see a string of baobabs on the horizon. Driving closer, I notice that this “island” is given form by a tangle of shrubs, trees and grass. Life exists here, in a place otherwise dominated by sky.
We left Gaborone at 6 am this morning. It's nearly 5 pm now. I'm riding shotgun with Mark Jones, the tour leader on this 11-day adventure. Mark lives in Plettenberg Bay and uses lingo to match: “Lekker man”, “Proper nice” and “Well cool” are popular phrases in his repertoire. He sports about a dozen copper bangles (a guide thing) and complains about cold mornings while refusing to wear anything other than flip-flops.
I'm spending the night on Kubu with Mark and the rest of the Bhejane support crew – Adriaan Tromp (guide), Rooijan Seforo (logistics manager), Comfort Thethe (camp chef) and Mpho Suping (logistics). Whenever we move camp, Rooijan and the others pack up all the tents and gear before he and Comfort drive ahead to set it all up again prior to our arrival. Mpho drives with the convoy to help Mark and Adriaan with tasks on the road, like organising lunch.
We've arrived a day in advance to set up camp before the 26 guests get here. Tomorrow morning, Mark and I will head back to Letlhakane – the last “big town” before you reach the Makgadikgadi Pans – to meet the guests and lead them in convoy to this isolated, wonderful place.
Kubu (or Lekhubu) is bigger than I expected it to be, a kilometre-long outcrop of granite on the edge of Sowa Pan (the name for the eastern half of Makgadikgadi). After the sun has set, the light fades quickly. We make camp beneath a star-chestnut tree and eat lamb chops and garlic bread cooked on the fire. The Milky Way is splattered across the heavens, as
