KALAHARI © look into yourself in an elder place that makes youfeellook intoyourselfinanelderplacethatmakes very, very young. ing totherealities ofthe21stcenturywhiletryingtomaintainoldways. Visit them,and ancient, asdotheSan,itsindigenouspeoples,althoughlatter are alsoadmirablyadapt- watercourses thatburstwithlife bytherains. whenkissed harsh, butitisalsocovered withtrees andcriss-crossedbyephemeralrivers andfossilised of theCongo,Angola,Zambia,Namibia,Botswana,ZimbabweandSouthAfrica. The landis in song’behindthedark. the impossiblylonghorizon.Indeed,localSaninsistthathere you canhear‘thestars shades:indigonightsthatfadetodeepestblack,andbluestarsice-speckling white-cold But comethenightsthishardendofcolourwheelshiftsintoitscooler,sometimes reds andbleachedboneyellow;dustthatbites youbackastaste itinthemorning. alandpainted byasandpalette:a landofsanddunes,thenit’scertainly bloodandmud feetand snapofthornbushunderatracker’s inthe Kalahari. of racialinfancy.This impression ofwhencetimebeganisutterly realised inthehotwinds land thatspeakstosomedeep-seated backtoasort essencewithintheDNA,ahearkening ries ofthehumanexperience. Buteven inthiscountrythere isaspaceolderthanspace, Botswana’s landscapesare primeval,recalling instone,thornsandbrushtheearliestmemo- Kalahari 148
L Was thisoncetheGardenofEden?Insomeancestralmemory,perhaps. The landfeels oftheDemocraticRepublic 1.2-million-sq-kmbasinstretches acrossparts The Kalahari’s The Tswana callittheKgalagadi:LandofThirst. Andthisisdry,parchedcountry.Ifnot
HIGHLIGHTS o n Exploring the Learning atthefeet ofonemankind’s at thesmall Gettingataste fortheKalahari Watching themoonriseassunsetsand Feeling thewindstripyoutoprimalhappi- e in Botswana one ofthemostremote populationcentres oldest cultures in but accessibleKhutseGame Reserve ( p152) vice versa inKgalagadiTransfrontierPark ( p155) ness inthe l y
P l a n e t Central Game Reserve Kalahari Kgalagadi Villages (p151), (p150) D’kar ( p154) Park Transfrontier Kgalagadi Khutse GameReserve D'kar Central Kalahari Kgalagadi Villages Game Reserve KALAHARI 149 (96km) Moriso Kanye Letlhakeng Pitshane Gasese To Gaborone Khudumelapye Gope Moshaneng Vryburg Salajwe Gaborone (48km) Ditshegwane GR Game Reserve NP National Park Jwaneng ὄὄ ὄὄ Kukama To Molepolole (10km); Takatokwane Mothomelo Bibe Mboane Maokane 659 6959, 7212 0695; www. Molapo % 00 100 km 60 miles ( Kikao
Dutlwe Khutse GR Sekoma GR River Central Kalahari Moloporivier
Molopo Voorspoed Bray Menatshe Xaka This popular campsite is a fun This popular campsite Motokwe ) ὈὈ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄὄὄὄὄ Werda Khakea s Tsetseng Phepheng Kang S O U T H A F R I C A Xade
Interesting alternatives to staying in Ghanzi alternatives Interesting Thakadu Bush Camp Quee Pan McCarthysrus Makopong Khisa
P200/330; enjoying place to stop for a night or three, the boozy, friendly ambience and letting a refresh- There’s soar overhead. the stars and a pub-style ing swimming pool on site The rough access road and bar. restaurant – is just passable to low-slung 2WD vehicles Sleeping Sleeping you up the below options can hook All of San cultural activities drives, with wildlife the like. and ) in p151 ( Game Farm the Dqãe Qare are Safari nearby D’kar and De Graaf Grassland east. 60km ), p151 ( Lodge thakadubushcamp.com; camping per person P30, s/d chalets
Morwamosu River
Palamakoloi River De Graaf Dikbos Lokalane
Grasslands ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄ ὄὄ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ
ὄὄ ὄ ὄὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ Okwa ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ Safari Lodge Vanzylsrus See Central Kalahari Game Reserve Map (p156) See Central Kalahari Game Reserve Map Molopo Middlepits Tshabong Section Maleshe
Tshane Mabuasehube Lehututu Lokgwabe
Bore Dqãe Qare Game Farm Villages Kgalagadi Khawa Ohe (flies), though D'kar (286km) To Maun Mmalogong Hukuntsi Section Gemsbok Tshatswa Takatshwaane KALAHARI •• Ghanzi (Two Rivers)
Ghanzi ὄὄὄὄὄ Ὀὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ Ὀ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄ Fly's Kop gantsi Nossob Bokspits Tshootsha Cheleka Kaa
Marie Se Draai River Two Rivers
Kwang Tropic of Capricorn of Tropic Langklass Twee Kamqua Talismanis Rietfontein
Rivieren NP Ncojane Montrose Xanagas Closed Gate (No border crossing) Kule Grootkolk Kalahari Pulai Gemsbok Mata Mata Karakubis Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Makunda Union's End Mamuno Oorwinning Helena
Ukwi ὈὈὈὄ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὄὄ ὈὈ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄ ὄ See Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Map (p153) the Tswana word the Tswana N A M I B I A
not
crossing) Although the town is not without a certain Interestingly enough, ‘Ghanzi’ the name Interestingly Aroab KALAHARI Buitepos (No border To Windhoek (290km)
Closed Gate GHANZI GHANZI this would arguably be more appropriate. more be this would arguably and comes from the San word for a one-stringed comes from the San word for a one-stringed musical instrument with a gourd soundbox outback charm, travellers stop in Ghanzi ei- travellers outback charm, ther to fill up on petrol and stock up on sup- up the monotonous drive plies, or to break and Maun. between Windhoek (Namibia) understand how a town could prosper in such how a town could prosper in such understand inhospitable but it helps that Ghanzi terrain, con- sits atop a 500km-long limestone ridge water. artesian taining of vast amounts The ‘capital of the Kalahari’ isn’t much more more isn’t much Kalahari’ the The ‘capital of in the dust. It may be difficult to than a break
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