| “Chemical
warfare in the desert” is how Ralph Bousfield, zoologist and owner of Jack’s
Camp, explained the burning in our eyes resulting from the pungent fragrance
of the wild sage that grew in the Makgadikgadi Pans reserve. He went on
to explain how the powerful and deadly combination of poisons employed
by the San (Bushmen) in their arrows derives from natural substances resulting
from the struggle over 100’s of millions of years between plants
and insects, a story in which mammals appeared only recently, and man even
more so. We continued to proceed across the rolling grasslands towards
a line of zebra and wildebees stretching across the horizon, one of the
last vestiges in Africa of the animal migrations that occurred yearly as
rains brought fresh grass out in the drier regions of the landscape. Traveling
along, Ralph continued to point out the novel adaptations that occured
in the Kalahari semi-desert. Every 1/2 mile along the road, a Black
Korhan, with territories as clear as if mapped out at the local planning
office, would leap out of the grass, flapping its wings, and cackling loudly
to decry our trespass.
Our fascination with Botswana 20 years ago on an overland camping safari using a Land-Rover to travel through Magkgadikgadi Pans, Nxai Pan, Moremi, Savuti, and Chobe up to Victoria Falls. In those days the road from Nata to Maun was still a dirt road, often flooded as it crossed through Suwa Pan. Maun itself was a traditional African village with goats, mud huts, and the refugees of the British Empire, whose livers were as unreliable as the Landrover’s they drove. When back from conducting safaris into the remote parts of the Okavango Delta guides and hunters sought cures for the former malady at the bar of Riley’s hotel, and while awaiting repairs to the latter at Riley’s garage, not much more than a tin shed with an Indian mechanic. This remote outpost was still too much civilization for Ralph’s father, Jack Bousfield who headed off to the nothingness of the Makgadikgadi Pans. The unreliability of vehicles in those days was well portrayed in Jammie Uys’s popular movie “the God’s Must be Crazy,” which, in regards to the safari vehicles of the day should be accepted as historical documentary, and not slapstick comedy. One of the watering holes en route was, and remains the well-known Gweta rest camp. In days gone by it was run by Keith and Margie Poppleton. We remember being regalled around the camp fire by Keith's tales of adventure in the bush, and recordings of hyena chasing lion off of kills, a phenomena know well-known, but in those days when fiction loomed larger than fact, The
road to adventure still runs north from Maun the Moremi Nationa Park, the
Savuti region and then to the Chobe and Kasane.
While one mourns the passage of a certain romance that has disappeared with paved roads and competition from Toyota, one must congratulate Botswana on what it has achieved in the past two decades as one of the real success stories of Sub Saharan Africa. Wealth generated by the discovery of diamonds at Jaweng and Orapa have been wisely invested in providing broad oversees educational opportunities for the citizens of Botswana. Twenty years ago a border guard found a New York City subway token during a baggage inspection and laughed with incredulity at our description of its use and intent. Today the son’s and daughters of those customs officials now call us for flights on 747’s to return home from their studies at universities across the United States. While modernizing, the other result of the success of Botswana has been its unsurpassed commitment to wildlife conservation with large parks and private concessions containing a fabulous quantity and diversity of wildlife. Transportation and accommodations are as good as they need to be while not compromising the unspoiled nature of the experience in Botswana. The wildlife, birdlife, and natural beauty have to be experienced. Many citizens take up careers as safari guides in the reserves and concessions. While tribal pride, traditions, and language remain, these are a subcurrent to a thriving national culture. While some roads have been improved sustantially, once one gets into wilderness areas, the wonders and challenges of the African bush prevail. Roads remain very rough, and 4x4 travel is as challenging as it gets. |
