Twelve Days In Botswana Through the Eyes of a Traveler

By Kathryn J. Hardy

Charging elephants, hungry leopards, and spitting cobras could not stop five determined travelers as they made their way through Botswana on safari, following their hearts in search of a life-changing adventure.

Twelve Days in Botswana through the Eyes of a Traveler presents an informative, detailed journal depicting day-to-day descriptions of a journey into Botswana that led author Kathryn Hardy, her husband, and three friends on a path less traveled. This personal narrative shares the constant potential dangers of the daily trials and tribulations facing the African wildlife thriving in one of the most natural, unspoiled, and stunningly beautiful places on earth. Through remote camps and lodges found in the most desolate areas of Africa, Hardy shares the group’s unforgettable memories of an incredible journey.

This travelogue in journal form offers a firsthand account of five travelers’ remarkable experiences while on safari in Botswana.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Mar 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483457444

Book preview

KH

Copyright © 2017 Kathryn J. Hardy

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5743-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5744-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016914500

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 01/27/2017

Contents

Preface

Two Days Before

Day One – Departure

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Day Nine

Day Ten

Day Eleven

Day Twelve

Day Thirteen

Preface

For me, this journal was a labor of love. I would like to thank Max Aly and his excellent staff with SITA World Tours for putting our trip together and making travel easy.

A personal thank you goes out to our delightful travel companions, Dorothy Burton, Amy Burton, Carrie Henley and of course, a very special thank you to my husband Ron, for making this trip to Africa, as well as our past trips to Africa possible. Thank you all for sharing your photos, for the fun, laughter, and the many adventuresome moments we shared throughout the entire safari.

Part of the enjoyment in writing this journal has been rewarded by extended memories of the expedition itself, keeping alive the whole experience and awakening forgotten moments that made this trip so noteworthy.

If this journal moves you or touches your emotions, then you most likely should consider a journey to Africa.

Kathryn Hardy

December 16, 2012

TWO DAYS BEFORE

As the day of departure rolled near, I slid into a state of mind, zoned if you will, emotionally bundled with excitement and anticipation. This dreamlike predisposition would remain with me until my return home. I think that is what makes traveling, (a life-changing experience no matter where you go), seem like a dream until it is all over. The entire journey will pass too quickly, I suspect, fast forwarding to an unpredictable return home. The next two weeks will be lost in new experiences titillating our senses with riveting encounters, unfamiliar sounds, smells, tastes, and adventures.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Saturday and Sunday was a blur which I knew would be the case, even though it was going to be our seventh trip to Africa, six times to Kenya and Tanzania, and now Botswana. One may believe I should not have been inundated with such anticipation after having traveled to Africa so many times before, but it is the calling of the continent itself that keeps me awake at night prior to our departure, every time. I find it hard to explain the effect Africa can have on someone unless they have been there before. It is the simplicity of the land and openness to soul searchers that draws me to its purity, keeping me aroused with bated breath. It is not to turn your back from the poverty or destruction in many areas, but to face the reality of life in its simplest form.

Saturday April 28, 2012

DAY ONE – DEPARTURE

I zipped up the last of our three small duffel bags. With butterflies in my stomach, we loaded up the car, grateful to have a friend kind enough to take us to the airport in Panama City Beach. It wasn’t long before we joined Dorothy waiting for the first leg of our flight to Atlanta. In Atlanta, we met up with Dorothy’s daughter, Amy, and in Johannesburg, we would meet up with Carrie, discovering Botswana together. After relaxing while waiting for our flight to Johannesburg in the Crown Room at the Atlanta airport, we soon boarded the Boeing 777 aircraft for a lifetime adventure. Peering out the window of the airplane, I was inspired as we soared high above the earth.

From the seat by the window

We peer through the transparent wall to all that is visible.

Ascending, we quickly forget what was left behind and wonder what is ahead.

From above, our eyes watch the world below, searching for the familiar.

Farms, like colorful patterns of hand-stitched quilts pass our way.

Sculpted mountains rise from bodies of water powerfully still. While clouds sit

Thick, rich in form, calling to us with familiar shapes of things we wish to

Recognize. Briefly our thoughts drift. The earth below, brilliant in every

Aspect. Its inhabitants’ stewards of a life that only they know. I am in quiet awe.

KH

Sunday, April 29, 2012

DAY TWO

Our fifteen-hour direct flight to Johannesburg passed quickly, thank God, and was relatively uneventful. There were quite a few hunters on the plane traveling to Botswana to hunt elephants, which made me feel a little sad. They were going to kill the very thing that draws me to this land, and that was a little hard to swallow. Elephant hunting is prevalent in Botswana, and the culling of the animals supposedly saves the species in the long run. Hmmm? Not sure how I feel about that, either. Being hunters, Ron and I both understand hunting as a form of food. However, trophy hunting is not something either of us condones. There will always be a controversy between hunters and non-hunters, but whichever side you are on, the preservation of the land, people and animals are the most important factor. The truth is, both photo safaris and hunting safaris give Botswana the resources needed to save species and maintain the preservation of their country.

I cannot imagine how one must feel after shooting something so magnificent and beautiful as the elephant. They are the second largest living mammal in the world, second only to the Blue Whale. There must be a part of these hunters’ inner souls that feel sad.

*******************

Entering the airport rested and excited, we retrieved our luggage and began looking for our escort, but after a half hour had passed, we decided to find our way to the hotel on our own. Thanks to the airport staff who were very attentive and helpful, this was a much easier task than we had anticipated.

We arrived at the Hotel Peermont D’ Oreale and Casino, where we found Carrie waiting in the lobby. She had encountered the same problem at the airport we had but managed to make her way to the hotel, alone. Our group was together, and all was well as we checked into this beautiful hotel located near the airport. Johannesburg is much more modern than Nairobi, reminding me of Las Vegas with the casinos and traffic. I was not prepared for such an Americanized city as it did feel a little odd pulling up to the hotel only to discover Hooters Restaurant across the street.

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Hotel Peermont D’Oreale

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Milton in the lobby bar

Once settled into our rooms, the five of us met in the bar. Milton, our bartender, helped us with a few words in his native Zulu language, while we sipped on an excellent South African merlot called Audacia. After drinks, we enjoyed dinner in the restaurant; Ron had springbuck loin…delicious! Carrie and I shared Chateaubriand which was excellent as well. I laughed and commented, So here we go! I don’t think we will starve on this trip!

Although the hotel is luxurious and comfortable, we would spend only one night there, catching an 11:00 am flight to Livingstone the next morning, anxious to get out into the less populated areas, and was happy with that schedule.

Monday, April 30, 2012

DAY THREE

I awoke at 4:00 am Tuesday morning, and for some reason welcomed the chatter in my head. It was obvious that I would not go back to sleep, so I left Ron sleeping in bed while I showered, dressed for the day, and worked on my journal. Two hours later with the clutter emptied from my brain and Ron moving about, we adjusted our luggage, met everyone for breakfast, and were off to the airport.

After a short flight, we landed in Livingstone, Zambia and was escorted by our driver to Livingstone Lodge and Spa; a lovely lodge which sits placidly, on the Zambezi River where deep blue colors of water lay against the rich green landscape of trees and clear blue skies. Entering the open-air lobby, we were greeted with a slight breeze cool to our faces as we stood before the Great Zambezi River. This broad and beautiful body of water called the Zambezi River means, River of the Gods, and in the far distance, we could see the spray from Victoria Falls, better known as the Thundering Smoke.

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Livingston Lodge and Spa

The lodge is built close to the river’s edge with a swimming pool overlooking the Zambezi. Warning signs of crocodiles in the pool at night (swimming restricted after dark), are taken seriously. On this particular night, we enjoyed an evening cruise aboard the Lady Livingstone, a triple-decker cruise boat with live traditional Zambian music. We were able to spot crocodiles and hippos as we lazily cruised until sunset. Ron and I felt at home enjoying wine and boating on the river as we do so often on Florida’s Choctawhatchee River (without the hippos and crocodiles, of course). We met several interesting couples from South Africa, one on their honeymoon, one celebrating a birthday, and others simply on holiday. A couple from California joined in the conversation as well. Everyone we met was delightful, repetitive of what we would find throughout the trip.

Both the river and lodge were perfect, but somehow, I was not feeling at home in Africa as I have in the past. Perhaps it is the more modern conveniences we had experienced so far, or maybe I was being a little too opinionated comparing Kenya and Tanzania to Botswana (and Zambia), without having begun the safari. Livingstone Lodge offers all the modern amenities you may want, TV, the Internet, phones in the rooms, air-conditioning and even room service, which I did enjoy. Whatever that missing feeling was that continued to plague me, still, I was content to be in Africa. Too much wine on the Lady Livingstone and dinner outside ended the third day of our trip. The next day we would venture into Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

DAY