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Tue Jun 03 2003 (Johannesburg to Gaborone)

Up at 6am, get everything packed and take Leila and her cousin to school. Over to News Cafe for ENglish breakfast and try to get solar charger working with pocket PC. Power screen indicates that is charging, but % charged slowly drops when solar charger connected and climbs again when disconnected. Went back to camping shop in Rob's car. Bought tent, another mag-lite, roll mat, SPF30 long-sleeved shirt and a pillow. R1500 in total, travel kit is so expensive. Back to Rob's work, help me to strap kit onto pack, then Rob dropped me at Intercape depot. Talked to SA bloke in his 50s who is thinking of moving to near Ghanzi to farm, SA too dodgy at present, although he seemed proud of country. Passport and ticket checked, told that bus will be completely full. Go to Joburg and stop a few times.I end up with back 2 rows of top floor to myself. Pass near to Hartbeesport and then past huge escarpment. Eat snack and get cup of tea. We stop around 3pm, announce small technical problem, unencouraging smell coming from bus. Eventually take a look to see the driver and conductors trying to saw through length of hose with broken bottle. Go out and offer knife, then they syphon water into coolant reservoir with Peter the Latvian missionary (he's going to work in Gaborone). Halfan hour later we stopped for a short break, got a burge,atlking to lad who works for family in town an hour from border. His parents from SAand Manchester, he spent two yearsin Blackburn. Also talk to Jason, an American guy who was told there was no bus to Botswana, he is spending 5 weeks there. Carried ontowards border, stopped for family of about 10-12 babboons. Arrive at border post in dark, take day pack and walk to SA checkpoint, passport stamped then walk 200 yards across border to Botswanan checkpoint. Fill in form, then asked to fill in SARS form as have come from UK. Said I would be in country for 2 weeks, gave me exactly 14 days - wish said more. Confusing customs declaration room, ignore and back onto bus. Very short journey across unlit land before arrive in Gaborone. Bus drops us at Shell petrol station between SA and Nigerian embassies. Jason (US) and Joe (SA) decide to try my hotel. Help Peter out with phoning missionary centre. Get taxi with Joe and Jason (should be P20) to Brackendene Lodge. Driver doesn't seem to have a clue, Jason navigating from map in Lonely Planet, prob not taxi driver. Arive at lodge, looks like Beirut. Reception in small shed next to building shell. Have good laugh with receptionist about state of place. Joe and Jason decide to stay, me and jason in twin for P181, Joe by himself for P170. Get taxi with receptionist to residential area near Botswana National Front office. Ask if it is safe, receptionist says yes, then takes gate padlock off, then outer cage door, then alarm, then unlocks front door. We're in a house with lounge, dining room, four bedrooms and bathroom. Me and Jason will get our own rooms as no twins here. She hasn't got my room so will bring key later. Takes us down road to show us where we can get food. 10 minute walk along dusty kerb, feels much safer than SA. Get to small precinct with a Wimpy and Milano's. Place full of black smoke from oven (log fired). No lasagne, no spaghetti, no beef, plumped for chicken kebab. Drinks just as limited. Food is great though. Talk about various stuff, Joe has three farms scattered around SA, beef, sheep and maize. Sons run things now, looking to farm beef near Ghanzi, Botswanan government trying to attract more farmers, will get plot of land that is fenced off. Also talked about racial issues in SA, US and UK. Jason been teaching in Japan for a while, then went travelling in Micronesia and now through Southern Africa, then home to Philidelphia. Has Japanese girlfriend, loves Japan was sorry to leave. Back to house, no keys for me, then phone rings. Receptionist cannot find any of other keys so comes with taxi to move us to another house a few hundred yards away. New place is even better, although me and Jason share twin now. Big lounge and dining room, Joe has own TV, he is getting early taxi to catch first bus to Ghanzi. Me and Jason watch TV, film about meeting to define rules of holocaustfull of English actors, news, Eng vs Serbia/Mont,great goal by Joe Cole, NHL ice hockey. Turn in not too late, both fairly knackered. Photos from today