Self-drive: From Kenya to Cape Town

Monday - Chobe to Maun

We were originally going to drive to northern Namibia through the Caprivi Strip, but due to security concerns we decided to head for Maun and Windhoek. After a lie-in until 7am, we reluctantly said goodbye to Chobe Safari Lodge and started our 620km journey to Maun.

There were dramatic thunderstorms and squalls all day and the sky was leaden with big storm clouds. We were glad we'd decided to stick to the tarmac, instead of tackling the shorter route, a rough mud track through Chobe and Savuti.

The road to Nata borders Zimbabwe's Hwange game park, and we saw giraffe, impala, baboons and zebras by the roadside. We were driving along a 19th century ivory route, but the only ivory we saw was on the elephants that crossed the road before us. We passed fields of cotton, sorghum and maize, and stopped at several agricultural checkpoints to repeat the toe- and tyre-dipping routine.

The scenery began to change after we left Nata, from dense bush and trees to a more arid savannah. With the heavy cloud cover it was remarkably chilly. When we arrived at our campsite in Maun, Tim, who had been sitting in the open back of Hillary, was blue with cold.

Tuesday - Maun to Windhoek, Namibia

Waking to threatening grey skies, we prepared ourselves for another long day on the road. Leaving Maun, the jump-off point for the Okavango delta, we saw the sign for a local safari company, Phakawe Safaris. Tim mused softly, "Two days in the delta and you'll be asking, where the Phakawe...?"

We soon crossed the border at Mamuno and took the main road to Windhoek. The last rays of the sun turned the hills pink as we approached the city. As the light faded, Gary, who was at the wheel of the longer Land Rover, hit a guinea fowl which shattered the windscreen on the passenger side, covering Maria with glass. They went back for the guinea fowl and followed us slowly into town.

Once we'd showered and set up camp, we went to Jo's Beer House, where we sat outside under the stars, eating grilled zebra steaks with garlic butter and sipping warming gluh wine. Maria recovered from her shock sufficiently enough to go out lambada dancing with Carmen and Gary.

Wednesday - Windhoek to Tsumeb

We spent the morning getting the Land Rover windscreen replaced (a bargain at #42), and stocking up on food and film before leaving Namibia's capital city at lunch time.

Not far out of town, we started seeing colourfully dressed women in long Victorian dresses, with elaborate headgear. We were near Okhandja, where the Herero people hail from. We stopped at a curio village full of carvings, spears and wooden animals (mostly hippos, warthogs and elephants). Best of all were the wooden Land Rovers, complete with rooftop tents and spare tyres. Everybody wanted one.

The paved road stretched on, ever northwards, empty of traffic. We saw a princely oryx galloping off into the distance. Fencing accompanied us the whole way, as did the telephone pylons, weighed down by birds' nests.

We decided it was best to stop when it began to get dark. We were at Tsumeb, a small mining town with a large municipal budget. An empty dual carriageway takes you grandly into town past well-watered and manicured lawns. The town itself is dusty and deserted, and the only place to eat was a rather depressing Teutonic hotel, which served oily schnitzels.

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