8. To Clarens, back to Jo'burg and our flight into Botswana. Thamalakane Lodge

Another stunning drive to our overnight stay in Clarens, a return there for us. It is now busier but still has character and actually truly free beer to taste at the Clarens Brewery on the square though of course we ended up buying more, before also returning to Clementines, a restaurant previously in a shed, now larger and in a warehouse, but still good.



Next day was our long drive to Jo'burg, initially through the Golden Gate National Park, the scenery just keeps on coming !

Gave back the car and caught our Gautrain to Rosebank and our Air B&B ; Uber makes travelling around more secure than it used to be.


We were due to fly to Maun in Botswana two days later but went through a great deal of stress with Air Botswana trying to confirm the existence of the booked flights and where the flight would actually be going. This fun and games continued at the airport with handwritten boarding passes and no flight on the departure board. While we had established the flight would eventually get us to Maun, until we were on board and the pilot announced the route we did not know how it would get there.

We were late and tired by the time we arrived at the lodge to meet Ralph and Gill and Ian and Jeanette with Peta and Brian unable to join us as planned because of Peta's ankle injury.

We also met Bruce and Barbara, the two elderly but spry local reps who were to take us through the two vehicles and their kit. They also took use through the route from which it became apparent that navigation would not be at all easy and we would have to rely on maps and local knowledge as much as navigation devices.
Bruce demonstrating the roof tent

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