A week after arriving in Livingstone, it was finally time to drive again! We had no idea if Gigi would drive again, so we hadn't planned anything. We were headed for Botswana, where apparently everybody always needs to plan all campsites and lodges at least 6 months in advance. We had no Plan A, let alone Plan B. One way to be sure if there is availability, is to just go!
We packed our stuff inside the new trunk and fitted everything inside Gigi. It did seem like the car wash guys had missed some of the rat droppings, but we made sure the last bits were gone. Everything fitted perfectly, even better than last time. We were really happy with the trunk and we took our time to get everything in a nice spot again.
A little later than initially planned, we were set to leave Livingstone once again. Fortunately, the drive would not be too long, about 1.5 hours, plus a border crossing. We would immediately go into our first new country, Botswana! We were excited to explore yet another country. The drive up to the Kazungula border post was easy without any issues. The first whiffs of rat pee from the A/C were quickly replaced by our Rituals car perfume and the music coming from the speakers felt familiar. The real overlanding vibe was still not there yet, but we were certain the feeling would come soon enough.
Just before the border we quickly read the information on iOverlander again. It all seemed to be very easy. When we arrived at the first gate, we waved at the people, but were immediately stopped. We first had to step with our shoes into disinfectant. We apologized for forgetting to stop immediately and asked where to go next.
The first stop was the 'health declaration stop'. The friendly ladies said we needed to show our passports, after which we could go through. We saw people just driving past this stop and wondered if it was really necessary, but we gave our passports just in case and we received a health declaration in return.
The next stop was a one-stop-shop for immigration out of Zambia, getting Gigi stamped out of Zambia, immigration into Botswana, and getting Gigi stamped into Botswana. It all went very smoothly. What cost us the most time, was waiting in line for Botswana immigration. We arrived at lunch time, and there were only 2 booths open. No hassling, no issues, and in about an hour, we had entered Botswana! We continued our drive to the first campsite, Thebe River Safaris. Stefan and Anastasia had recommended this campsite and it seemed quite nice. The ladies at the reception did give us a scare by saying that it was fully booked. Did we make a mistake by not booking? Well, if we did, we would just turn around, head back to Zambia and stay with Rob and Claire for a week or two.
Fortunately, there was a camping spot close to the pool and the ablutions block. We happily took it. Jeroen went to the reception to confirm that we would take the spot and in the meantime, Emma set up camp. She did give both of us quite a scare though. When setting up the tent, one of the poles was missing. Did Jeroen forget it at Maramba farm, after cleaning out the tent?
Then suddenly the pole was spotted on top of the car. PHEW! No need to head back. Emma continued setting up camp and Jeroen returned to the reception to book some activities for the next day, an early morning game drive in Chobe and an afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe river.
We had a nice local beer and a burger at the restaurant. We were in BOTSWANA!
Coming back at the campsite, Jeroen got a new scare. Did the car smell like rat pee? Did we take the rat with us to Botswana and is it still inside Gigi? We assured each other and ourselves that it must have been either old pee, or a smell from the camp site.
Third scare is the charm, though...
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