Meanderings During The Merry Month Of May

My favourite month by far: not too cold, not too hot; skies are bluer than blue, and the landscape has changed into its autumn coat. Sharing the beauty of this vibrant season helps the audience feel inspired and eager to experience similar moments.

We were awake before the alarm could buzz us out of bed, on the morning of 30th April. Still wiping the sleep from our eyes, we set off well before the cock’s crow. We saw the sunlight up the Karoo skies when we stopped for breakfast in Beaufort West for our “traditional” Wimpy Breakfast and a gigantic frothy coffee. Here we met up with our friends and travel companions, Chris and Marie.   We were on holiday!

It was a hard, uphill push all the way to Johannesburg on our first leg, but once we’d alighted from our vehicles and refreshed ourselves, we sat down to a great pizza and a good vintage red. We slumbered, knowing we’d be heading into Botswana the next day. Platjan was our first border post; we were whisked through this quiet outpost on a breeze.  We crossed the Limpopo River, and to the merriment of the locals, we were all teeth and gums posing for a selfie. 

It had rained in the Kalahari; roads were filled with puddles everywhere.   A parade of elephants met us along the road; we weren't camera-ready but managed to shoot one cheeky bachelor showing off. This highlights the thrill of spontaneous wildlife sightings, sparking wonder.

Mashatu trees, monkeys and the magic of the bush awaited us on our second evening at Molema Bush Camp (managed and run by Tuli Wilderness for the local community) in the Tuli block. Rustic, down-to-earth, and basic was exactly what we were expecting. We pitched our tents, set the table, lit the candles, and, with sighs of pleasure, grinned and counted ourselves lucky to be there.
Three nights did the trick. The large campsite was spotlessly clean, the facilities were basic, but who cares when the shower is hot, and the pressure is on? The primitive gas geyser was efficient; I almost whistled while I scrubbed and exfoliated.

The Moroccan Lamb Tagine was fragrantly spiced, and flavours of North Africa filled the balmy air. Our campfire burnt well into the night as we sipped our coffees and broffies (coffee with a good dash of Brandy). Later, once we’d run out of conversation, we settled into our chairs and started listening to the night sounds, and only then did we spot the fireflies.

My Precious has a mantra: “Happy wife, happy life”. Unfortunately, he forgot it when he packed the air mattress. As I gingerly lowered myself onto the very thin but firm air mattress, my coccyx hit the earth. Our first night was going to be long and excruciating. When he threw himself down, I bounced right off (he did the classic belly flop), legs a-akimbo, and landed next to the “bed”. This did not augur well, but we were in the bush. Without complaint, I tossed and turned, feeling my age as my hips, knees, back and neck ached and burned! Fortunately, we’d upgraded (borrowed) the tent, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t have to crawl into or around a two-person tent. Unfortunately, I was so buggered that it took 2 Myprodol, Voltaren gel, and a shove to get my joints going in the morning. But I soldiered on!

At night we listened to the whoop-whoop of hyena and the plaintive cry of the Fiery-necked Nightjar whistling “good lord, deliiiiiiver us”! In the morning we’d be awakened by the cry of the African Fish Eagle as he throws his head back and calls his mate. Other camp visitors included a very tame Bush pig, a horde of Banded Mongooses and monkeys on a mission to cause havoc at campsites. We’re seasoned, so we're always very diligent with storing any foodstuffs, leaving nothing to chance, as we know they’re far more resourceful than anticipated when it comes to scavenging and stealing food.

Visitors are not permitted to use the Lodges’ private roads for game drives; only the main public road can be used by private vehicles. We had no choice but to book a game drive. It’s always a treat to be chauffeured, as it allows Precious to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Our guide was eager to show us as much as he could, but unfortunately, we missed the cats. Guides must keep tight schedules, which does limit one in terms of distance. We found our own slow meanders along the main thoroughfare more rewarding. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the white-fronted bee-eaters feeding their chicks along the riverbank, but we did enjoy the huge flock nesting in the tree along the road.

The Limpopo River runs through the Tuli Block, and we were camped on its banks, a prime spot for wildlife viewing. I had to see the magnificent trees lining the riverbank, and Precious had to rendezvous with the enormous crocodile sunning himself on the bank-an unforgettable moment that showcased the raw beauty of nature in this region.

The camp manager and his staff were all extremely friendly, helpful, and courteous, never hesitating to assist us, and the general upkeep of our site was excellent. Molema Camp was an excellent choice for our first few nights en route to our destination, Mana Pools.

“The Tuli Block is a narrow fringe of land on Botswana's eastern border, wedged between Zimbabwe in the north and east and South Africa in the south.[1] It consists mainly of privately owned game farms offering safari tourism. The eastern section up to and including Redshield has been declared a game reserve, known as the Northern Tuli Game Reserve.

Tuli is renowned for its geographical features — Solomon's Wall by the Motloutse River at the southwestern corner of the Tuli Block — as well as for its location near the Tswapong and Lepokole Hills, where the ancestors of the San people left traces of their rock paintings. The Tuli is readily accessible by road from South Africa and all the major cities in Botswana.

The Tuli extends from the southeast corner of Botswana, where the Shashe and the Limpopo Rivers meet, down to the Notwane River, north of Olifants Drift, in the southwest. The entire conservancy area, including the adjacent safari area bordering the Tuli Circle, comprises about 800,000 hectares. The Tuli Block is quite different from anywhere else in Botswana. It is referred to as the Hardeveld because of the rocky outcrops and the abundance of stones and pebbles of all shapes and sizes. The red sand of the Tuli area is an unforgettable feature, as are the massive trees along the banks of the Limpopo.” Copied from Wikipedia.