Last night, after dinner, I reviewed the Ghanzi leg of the Safari. From the time I had initially looked for accommodation in Ghanzi only a vague Plot No.19 turned up on booking.com, besides many other costlier options. I noticed that the accommodation in Ghanzi is quite pricey, which baffled me. Kiron sorted that out for me by reminding me that Ghanzi is the biggest cattle market in the country contributing more than 70 percent of the beef supplies. Buyers from all over the world flock here to source meat and that explains the pricier accommodation. Moreover, supply is short in comparison to demand for accommodation.
Out of curiosity I looked again for other options in Ghanzi. My eyes fell on a review of an AirBnB facility close to Ghanzi, which was way cheaper than Plot No.19. Review after review talked highly of the Ghanzi Farmhouse. Moreover, being a farmhouse I thought I may get to see a proper ranch and its activities. I had some trouble logging into my AirBnB account. Once that got sorted out I made a booking at the Farmhouse duly cancelling the reservation I had already made in Plot No.19. This morning I had messages from Peter, the owner of the facility, giving me directions to the Farmhouse and asking if I wished to have a supper cooked for me at an extra fare of BWP 130. I accepted the supper option and went to the Maun Lodge dining area for breakfast.
I found a few traditional items, mostly baked, at the buffet counters, which I intended to try out. But first came the orange juice, a bowl of pear and peach slices and cut fruits and a small portion of muesli and rice crispies in cold milk. When that was done I drifted over to the buffet counter for the more serious stuff; bacon, pork sausages, two well done bull's eye eggs, phaphata, muffin, scone and mapakiwa. The last four are traditional bakery items of Botswana. A few items on the cuisine bucket list got cancelled out with those. I took my time over breakfast and overran the scheduled departure time. I thought it did not matter as experiencing local stuff is more important to me.
The friendliness of the people I have met during the travel in Botswana and even briefly in Zimbabwe and Zambia has amazed me. Not a single person passes by without wishing you and flashing a smile. An enquiry of my injury is always followed by, "Oh, I am so sorry." The ordinary people in these countries are relatively poor as compared to India. But their sense of cleanliness, civic responsibility, road discipline, respect for fellow beings, warmth, trust and regard for the environment. Of course, you see this more in the rural areas and smaller places than, say, in Gaborone. I have found that it is when societies reward surpluses rather than concentrate on equitable distribution of resources that people become avaricious and lose humane qualities. Commercial considerations override humaneness.
Immediately after I turned onto A3 in Maun Google Maps directed me to take the next turn only after 270 km! The A3 till its entry into Ghanzi district is a mixed bag. Large potholes are bothersome at some places and one has to be careful, especially a small car like mine. The importance of cattle rearing as a means of livelihood can be understood as one travels the route. Cattle are everywhere. They look healthy and well provided for. This season is a boon for them when lush grass and plentiful water are available. At the entrance to Ghanzi district I had to stop the car, step out and disinfect my shoes and drive the car through a trough with disinfectant in it. This precaution is to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease in cattle, which has plagued many farms.
The condition of the road improved dramatically in Ghanzi district. For the first time I topped 120 kph and, at times, a bit more unknowingly. In the past 10 days I had never attained the top speed because the 'underfoot' conditions, to use a horse racing jargon. The road was like a carpet with brilliant holding and zero potholes right up to Ghanzi. 15 km short of Ghanzi town was the turn off to the Farmhouse. As soon as I turned off from the highway both data and mobile connections ceased. A dirt road of nearly two km led me to a humongous property which, I later learnt, was part of a 30,000 hectare game camp cum cattle ranch.
I was greeted by Morlen, the keeper of the Farmhouse. He showed me to a well-appointed bedroom with en-suite toilet, bath and shower facilities. The complex has two bedrooms of equal size with attached bathroom, an extra bathroom, a comfortable sitting room, a large dining cum living room, a well stocked pantry and a kitchen. Once I had kept the luggage in the room I asked if I could do the laundry. Morlen led me to a room outside the house where a large washing machine was put at my disposal.
Morlen told me that I had passed Dekar, where the Kuru Art Museum is, when asked. He suggested that I go back there immediately as the place may close by 3 pm. I made haste to Dekar, about 25 km away, to be there before the closure. The people I saw in Dekar were different from others I have seen in Botswana. These were people with fair skin and mongoloid features. Later I was told that these are the San, the earliest settlers of this region and who developed Kuru Art. Unfortunately, when I got to the museum it was padlocked. From a nearby store I learnt that it opens only on weekdays. A wasted trip. Nevertheless, glimpses of their art was on display on the walls of a couple of nearby buildings.
After a short siesta, I accompanied Morlen on a tour of the Ghanzi Pen, the largest watering hole in the region. It was Peter's grandfather who settled in the property that was then inhabited by the San people. The primary reason for choosing the area was the abundant source of ground water. However, they had to travel by wagons to Namibia to buy provisions they had to use over months. In fond memory of the wagon days one of the wheels is still preserved on the property as a garden table. The 30,000 hectare property is largely managed by Peter's younger brother, Clive Eaton, with who their father, all of 97, lives. Part of the property is a Game Camp called Tholo Safari that has all types of antelopes and Rhinos. Because of the latter the Anti-Poaching Unit has a permanent base within the Game Camp. Guests come to the Game Camp for hunting antelopes.
Almost the entire property has abundance of limestone rocks, indicating the high water table. The bores in the property yield perennially at less than 20 meters. The ranch has over 10,000 heads of cattle that are all local breeds and is reputedly the second largest ranch in Botswana. The government has a Meat processing and marketing company that buys the animals directly from the farmers, keep them for about three months to fatten them and then consign them to the slaughter house. The main reason why the Ghanzi cattle meat is sought after is because of the quality of grass and water. I had heard the same thing in New Zealand too. The cattle are not fed anything else other than the staple of grass and water.
By 7 pm Morlen had readied a super meal of chicken curry, pasta and boiled veggies. It was so tasty that I took a couple of extra helpings. A piece of chocolate cake with custard was the dessert. All these were cooked by Morlen.
In the evening I had met Morlen's wife Trudy in the vegetable garden. She was wearing a t-shirt with "Connected To Her" printed across. I commented that despite the print there was no connection; what I had meant was the absence of internet connectivity. She immediately piped up and said, "Never mind that, I am connected to you!"
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