7:25 a.m., Livingstone, Zambia.<\/p>\n
My brother and I eagerly await our 7:30 a.m. ride to the safari company HQ for our two-day camping trip in Chobe National Park, Botswana. \u00a0This morning\u2019s destination is a car trip, a boarder, a river crossing, and another boarder away.<\/p>\n
7:40 a.m., concern sets in that our driver is not coming.<\/p>\n
We were told by the safari company that someone would pick us up.\u00a0 I inquire at the front desk of our hostel. \u00a0The hostel woman doesn’t know anything about our pickup, she says, \u201cWe do business with dem all da time, but I cannot call dem. \u00a0It\u2019s international.\u201d \u00a0My iPhone with pre-paid Skype credit finally pays off! \u00a0On the phone, the safari company tells me they arranged for our hostel to take us to the boarder, and they would pick us up from there. \u00a0Our hostel has never heard of this arrangement. \u00a0DAMMIT! \u00a0OK. \u00a0Doesn\u2019t matter. \u00a0Moving on.\u00a0 How do we get there now? \u00a0Taxi? \u00a0Shuttle? \u00a0If we\u2019re late, we’re going to miss the pickup for the safari. \u00a0The hostel arranges for a taxi. \u00a0The best driver they know. \u00a0He will drop us off at the boarder. \u00a0Wait! \u00a0What do we do at the boarder? \u00a0How will we find the safari guy? \u00a0Don\u2019t worry, the hostel woman says. \u00a0\u201dA man will be dare. \u00a0E will meet you at da boa-da.\u201d \u00a0There\u2019s no time, or hope, for more detailed information. \u00a0Let\u2019s go! \u00a0The taxi picks us up. \u00a0Two minutes into the trip, he stops for gas. \u00a0COME ON! \u00a0OK, now we\u2019re off. \u00a0It\u2019s a nice 45-minute ride to the boarder, just a few swerves around potholes that could swallow our small car whole, not a big deal. \u00a0The taxi drops us off at the Zambian\/Botswana boarder and drives away. \u00a0There are hundreds of people around. \u00a0They are selling goods, exchanging money, and calling to us for a taxi. \u00a0We just got out of a taxi. \u00a0We don\u2019t need a taxi, we need to find the safari guy! \u00a0We look around, not really seeing anyone that looks like our guy. \u00a0OK, we figure that we need to at least leave Zambia and enter the no man\u2019s land between the Zambia and Botswana boarder. \u00a0Boarder crossing, no problems, we are now in no man\u2019s land. \u00a0A river separates the two countries, and we need to get to the other side. \u00a0Well, we think. \u00a0Sometimes when traveling you try to \u201cblend in\u201d, well, how can two tall white guys really blend in in Africa, more like, try to pretend like you know what you’re doing. \u00a0And, sometimes, you intentionally look like you have no idea what\u2019s going on to attract attention. \u00a0We choose the latter, hoping to attract our guy. \u00a0We walk toward the approaching ferry, shuttling trucks, cars, and people between the countries, still not knowing if our guy was on the Zambia, or Botswana, side of the river. \u00a0Our \u201cnot knowing what we were doing\u201d look pays off, and many men approach us asking if we need help, if we need to exchange money, or if we want to buy the artisanal\u00a0trinkets made in their home villages. \u00a0We dismiss about fourteen men and the fifteenth one mumbles something. \u00a0He unzips his black jacket to reveal his shirt with the safari company\u2019s logo on it. \u00a0Yes! \u00a0OK, anxiety, and fear subsiding. \u00a0Looks like we’re in someone\u2019s hands now. \u00a0He leads us to a small motorboat down the shore, away from the ferry, and shuttles us across to the Botswana side of the river. \u00a0We meet another man who immediately asks us, \u201cWhy are you late?\u201d \u00a0Because you didn\u2019t pick us up! \u00a0Of course, we don\u2019t say that, we say something\u2026 \u00a0It doesn\u2019t really matter, we’re hurrying towards immigration. \u00a0Our newest handler walks us to the front of the Botswana immigration line (sorry!), our passports are stamped, and we’re officially in Botswana. \u00a0Wait! \u00a0When entering Botswana, you have to step on the chemical rug to disinfect your shoes of potential foot and mouth disease. \u00a0OK, now we\u2019re in Botswana. \u00a0We climb into our handler\u2019s jeep and we’re on our way. \u00a0We make it to the safari just fine.<\/p>\n
I love this stuff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
7:25 a.m., Livingstone, Zambia. My brother and I eagerly await our 7:30 a.m. ride to the safari company HQ for our two-day camping trip in Chobe National Park, Botswana. \u00a0This morning\u2019s destination is a car trip, a boarder, a river … Continue reading