Our first night on the road was only about 1/2 the distance that we planned for from our starting point . After a hectic week in Pretoria organizing our new kit we set out for what turned out to be half a day in Mookgophong/Naboomspruit where we had 2 nifty 25litre water tanks fitted to the trailer.
Given that it was our first day and we were anxious to be driving anyway we drove around town for quite a bit…found the farmer's co-op, a bit of track to let the Landy get some mud on her... I learned that "Naboom" is the Afrikaans word for the Euphorbia tree. It was a quiet farming town that happens to boast a trailer factory.
We listened to several radio stations poking serious fun at pretty hostile political tensions and full on tantrums by important political personalities that had happened over the week we were there. These followed the murder of an elderly right wing leader by two young men who really might not have had a clue how his murder might be politicized. It made for riveting radio which we lost as we approached the Botswana border.
This Canadian was glad to cross the Limpopo River border into quiet, business-like Botswana. We hired a chalet at a lodge that overlooks the river and had a relaxing dinner on a lantern lit kondi/deck.
It was the night of the flying ants when an entire colony will reach the point in their lifecycle where they grow wings. They fly for about a day until you find them or just their wings by the hundreds and thousands caught in whatever puddles and condensation that can be found. They were attracted to the lights and our dinners and we picked quite a few out of our plates.
It is amazing what one attempts to suffer lightly in the hope that the kids won't freak out. I picked this grasshopper shaped creature off my head when it landed there, plopped it down on the floor and then took it's picture when it started climbing back up my chair. I don't think I would have been capable of that 10years ago...
