An African Safari - Day 3 – 12 March 2022 - Goo Moremi Gorge to Francistown- 206 km

It must have been the mind playing tricks. I could have sworn that there were animals near my tent during the night. In the night the noises get amplified and, at times, are scary. I prayed not to get the urge to use the ablution enclosure during the night.  After a while I slept without a care in the world. It was past five when I woke up in the morning when a curious group of langurs came visiting. They were up in the trees surrounding the camp site, peeping, jumping and ducking. They were so human in their mannerisms. It seemed to be a large family because there were mature and very small ones among them.

A hot cup of coffee in the morning is a force of habit. Without a kettle I was lost. After 6 am I drove to the reception and was told by the security guard that the kettle would be sent to my tent as soon as the reception opens. In a while I got the hot water done and realised that I had not brought a spoon with me. I broke a twig from one of the trees and cleaned it thoroughly before using it to stir the coffee. All this while the langurs were keenly watching me. They were alright as long as I was sitting down and relishing the coffee I had made. I could make out that they were shortening the distance gradually. They must have been curious because they saw someone with a similar crop of white hair and a dark face, but without a tail! When I got up to take a close up shot of the nearest one they all vamoosed.

Once breakfast was done Mr. Pilot, the GM of Goo Moremi Gorge Resort paid a visit to my tent and detailed the government-community initiative the resort project is. I asked him why he was carrying a longish stick because he didn't seem old or unfit to be using a support. He casually mentioned that it was to guide the Mamba and Spitting Cobra snakes to go their way and not disturb him! That sent chills down my spine. The ten year partnership between the community and the government had paid off with handsome dividends to the community due to increase in tourism. The partnership, however, was soon to end. The community would soon be taking complete control of the Goo Moremi Gorge Resort and its activities. Pilot told me the various expos and road shows he participated in to improve the business of the Resort. I told him that he must impress upon the Botswana Government to have effective road shows in India, where people were looking for new avenues of fun and adventure.

I ate up another sandwich of multigrain bread and smoked ham over a cup of coffee before embarking on the trip to Francistown. Duly returning the battery operated led light to the reception I reached the gate to be given a huge smile by Mike, the security guard. He opened the gate and gave me an effusive send off. As I nearest the village I was shocked to see hundreds of cars parked on either side of the sandy road. I wondered what the reason for such a large gathering would be. I thought it was some kind of weekend get-together, as loud music could be heard from inside the bushes. When I got to a clearing the reason became crystal clear. There had been a death in one of the families and the Modiba funeral arrangers were at their job.

The drive to Francistown was smooth on A1 after I had backtracked over 50 km from the resort on the road I had travelled yesterday. Abin Antony Pattamana, a young entrepreneur with his own construction company, and his talented wife Aswathy and their affectionate son, Aryan hosted me in Francistown. Abin took me to the Our Lady of the Desert Cathedral, for worship and prayer. A visit to the Supa Ngwao Museum proved futile as it is closed during the weekend. The museum is believed to showcase local heritage. Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana with a population of over 100,000. The city has two main streets and all the life happens in and around them. Abin patiently pointed out important buildings and institutions. One of the things he mentioned was an eye opener. Most of the established businesses and initiatives have Indian roots like, Choppies, Motovac, GUC, Trans, etc.

I was spoilt silly by the food that was put on the table at lunch and dinner - too much in the belly - which had to be burnt a bit. Towards that Aryan and I turned our hands and swung the bat in a friendly cricket encounter. Interacting and staying with Abin and his family added further insights into the Botswana way of life. While the Batswana are generally very friendly, a spate of crime involving locals has shaken the collective conscience. There have been a couple of cases of break-in even in Abin's superb estate.