The Big Smoke, 25th May 2002

The show isn't over until ... well, until the show is over.

The last part in Zambia proved to be eventless with the brand new tar road
making for smooth progress and the removal of all roadblocks gladdening
our hearts.  In Livingstone we spent a sleepless night in a noisy
backpackers' hangout and so decided to spend an extra night at a quiet
campsite at the edge of the Zambezi gorge with only bush sounds and the
river to soothe the nerves before heading to the ferry border crossing
into Botswana.

Using the money saved at previous border crossings we splurged on a
three-day scenic detour through Chobe, Savuti and Moremi.  In Chobe we got
to use four-wheel drive for the last time in thick sand and we saw masses
of elephants including a few at very close quarters in our campsite - both
resulting in some exiting but tense moments.  In Moremi we saw aardvark,
leopard, a pack of wild dog chasing impala though our campsite, cheetah,
pangolin, honey badger and five meter python devouring an impala -
actually we didn't see all that stuff, we just thought we'd get you all
worked up if you are reading this at work on Monday morning!  The truth is
that the booking office displayed their spectacular incompetence by
booking us into a campsite that couldn't be reached because of damaged
bridges and flooded roads but we had a good time anyway.  Our only Land
Rover breakdown was a punctured tyre.

Unbeknown to us, Plasmodium falciparum (the potentially fatal cerebral
malaria) was proliferating in Thomas's bloodstream resulting a record body
temperature for this trip of over 41.5șC.  Unbeknown to P. falciparum,
however, we had stocked up with Artesunate.  Artesunate so cheap and
effective with no known side effects that the South African Medicines
Control Board has so far found it entirely unsuitable to be used as a cure
for malaria, opting rather for expensive drugs that are nearly as likely
to kill patients as the malaria itself (reminiscent of the Government's
AIDS policy?).  North of the Zambezi, medical authorities are not as
narrow minded and this cure is freely available, without prescription for
only a few dollars.  Within 24 hours P. falciparum was on the run and
within four days Thomas had recovered.  During this episode we got better
assistance and support from the crews of two Which Way Aventures overland
trucks than we did from the doctors and clinic in Maun.  Thanks Mike,
Riaan, Graham and Monette, as well as Scott and Sammy, two doctors on
board that thought they were on holiday.

At the end of it all, Bridget went on an hour's sunset game viewing flight
over the Okavango Delta.  Apart from lots of game, the floodwaters could
be seen arriving from Angola and a myriad of bushfires added their redness
to the sunset.

For the last three days at least the wind was friendly, blowing steadily
from behind.  At one of the veterinary roadblocks Bridget got some
foot-and-mouth solution in her eye courtesy of one of the careless
meatheads that was turning Olivia into an ignoble mess with his sprayer.
Meanwhile at the back, Simon the serpent and Veronica the viper, our two
faithful plastic pets, were ensuring that the compulsory vehicle search
for fridges and cool boxes containing meat and dairy products was reduced
to a mere glance into the vehicle from a safe distance.  It seems that
Africans will find any reason to put up a roadblock, appear officious and
harass motorists.  At least someone has taught the Botswanan State Vets
that fish and poultry cannot carry foot-and-mouth disease, but they still
need to work on their PR.  Will somebody please inform the Botswanans that
not all South African registered vehicles carry a fridge and a freezer and
a cooler box, it is possible to travel without any of these.

We re-entered South Africa at 09:45 Saturday 25th May after the longest
wait at a border post on the South African side.  Our greatest
achievement?  We paid not a single bribe in nine on the most corrupt
continent and had nothing stolen.

And now the show is over.  Don't clap, throw money or at least decent job
offers.


Thomas & Bridget