Botswana

Well on Thursday 15th March we finally set off from JHB at 6.15am to meet Neville and Lorraine Karg in Warmbaths. We left together at 9am and headed for Zanzibar border crossing into Botswana. All was going well…..then a red light began to flash! – our alternator warning light was flashing. We stopped and Dave found a cut wire. Our second alternator fan belt had cut this wire so as there was no immediate problem we proceeded over the border and made our first bush camp in Botswana. In the morning when the engine was cool, Dave made an inspection and phoned Brian Day, and after testing with meters, discovered that alternator number 1 was not charging but no problem we still had alternator number 2. Dave bridged the batteries so that alternator number 2 charged all 3 batteries and we set off towards Francistown. As Brian was still in SA he said he would bring spares to fix alternator number 1. We headed from Francistown towards Orapa so that we could take the scenic route up to Nata through the Makgadikgadi Pans. Burning rubber smell! - So we stopped only to discover that the fan belt driving alternator number 2 had snapped. Well, the engine was too hot to work on so we decided to push through to Nata as we have 3 batteries and if neither alternators were working it wasn’t too serious- bad mistake! This scenic route was slow going and rough. Next minute our fuel tank, which we had only done 26kms on, suddenly dropped to empty! Immediate stop once again but as there was no evidence of petrol leaking out, we decided it was just a faulty petrol gauge. By now it is 4 pm and this scenic route is never ending, in fact we only look to be about a third of the way! Neville is ahead and pushing fast to try and get us to Nata before night fall. Because of dust he cannot see us but keeps in regular CB radio contact. Six o’clock, 2/3‘s of the way and bang we get a flat tyre! Immediately I, Beryl, call Lorraine – we can see their dust. But guess what? Their CB radio has given up the ghost. So we start to change our tyre, and at 10 to 7 in fading light, we are on the way again. Unbeknown to us, Nev and Lorraine have realized we are not behind and have turned back to look for us, but as there are numerous tracks, have missed us and now are behind us! Eventually we have to put on headlights to see where we are going and of course our batteries are draining. By 8.30pm our headlights are like candle light but we reach the main road and head on the last 30kms to Nata. Our headlights are basically off and we are getting rather nervous. We stop, without turning off our ignition, and start our petrol generator up, in the back of the vehicle, to try and charge our batteries. However, a few minutes later Garfield stops-all 3 batteries are flat due to the head lights, the electric ignition and the powerful cooling fan we have. We are now stranded on the side of the road in the pitch dark and I am scared! Dave says we will have to sleep where we are and I am not happy. Five minutes later a GP tour bus/combi stops and offers to help us but then, up drive Nev and Lorraine! Hugs and tears of relief and we are towed to Nata. At 10.30pm we are in the camp site and have met up with Ann-Rose and George.
Saturday morning Dave replaces alternator number 2 fan belt so it is charging again and we go into Nata to have our tyre repaired. By 11.30 we are on the road to Kasane on the Zambian border. An hour later – rubber smell! Immedaite stop and air conditioner fan belt is broken! We have not been running the air con and don’t want to, so no problem, we carry on. A while later, I am driving, and wham, our temperature gauge zoots to the top – off the scale. “STOP” screeches Dave and we stop only to discover that the main fan belt has snapped. Of course this has to be replaced, so Nev and Dave don gloves and set about working on a hot engine in the heat of the day! We are on the road again and only an hour to go. The one fuel tank is empty so I switch over to the rear tank – but guess what? We grind to a halt – all 3 vehicles stopped again and the men work out that the switch to change tanks is not operating! So, we have to siphon out 20l from the front tank and pour it into the rear tank and we are off again. We arrived in Kasane at Kubu Lodge camp site at 4pm and since then nothing as gone wrong. This morning(Sunday) Dave has found the broken common earth wire, which was the cause of the faulty petrol gauge and the faulty petrol tank switch over switch. Tomorrow, Brian is arriving with the spares for alternator number 1 and so all our troubles should be over. I think we have had all our troubles in the first 3 days or so I hope.

Monday 19th March
We had a very relaxing day yesterday in Kubu Lodge Camp site. There is a swimming pool in the camp ground and so when it got too hot we submerged ourselves in it. Dave worked the whole day but in a leisurely manner, and got all the gremlins sorted out. All our switches are now working and he has removed the errant alternator in preparation for Brian’s arrival to do the repair. I tidied up and sorted all things out in the inside of Garfield and then I made a start on my tapestry. During the day we were entertained by a troop of banded mongoose who obviously live in the camp ground. On the way up to the Lodge last night for a sundowner drink we stopped to observe a very active army ant colony who were very fascinating.Today has dawned a cool day and we are packing up as we hope to cross with the Kazungula Ferry into Zambia