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We are now safe in Kasane after a few hrs flight delay to get here- downtime by any other name.
Upon arrival we discovered we are not holding our first workshop where we thought (the Mowana Safari Lodge - they're all safari lodges on this town!) but somewhere a little less salubrious and about 20 min out of town - checked the venue on our way through after arrival and it'll be fine, just a little unexpected. Where we thought there was some serendipity in us being booked to stay at the Mowana on our 1st night here (accommodation of choice being fully booked the 23rd) so we weren't schlepping all the gear around, sadly wrong.
The local wildlife looked to be shy at first ( no elephants on the runway or road into town) but as we drove around sorting ourselves out Bruce was treated to his first sight of the impala, warthogs and finally a family of elephants laying waste to a stand of trees. As we flew in over the national park it is in fact obvious that the elephants are doing huge amounts of damage - the proportion of living trees seems very small and like it or not, they will have to control numbers somehow quite soon before the park is little more than a dustbowl.
Staying at the Mowana gave rise to a certain level of expectation, and our rooms are a few cuts above the hotel in Gaborone. Not only spacious with a seating area and an outdoor 'spot' , but also a quiet and non- smelly aircon and a fridge in the room- bliss! Feeling a little pampered, we decided to enjoy a good meal last night to complete the package, and that's where things got challenging.
The bar area is upstairs, a huge beautiful open deck overlooking the river- quite spectacular. We met there for a drink before dinner, sadly when the lights come on the insects come in - but being open air it's hardly unexpected. Cover your drink, pick the beasties out of your hair and hope none of them are stinkbugs!
The restaurant is downstairs and you would think fully enclosed- but curiously dark. We should have taken warning and gone a la carte, but had already decided on the buffet, so we ploughed ahead. You almost needed a torch to see what you were selecting, but despite the 'no lights no bugs' attempt it was fairly hit & miss. If we'd come here last trip with Bill & Sonya (entomologists), we could have claimed the entire effort as a collecting trip! Didn't really do it for me I'm afraid, despite shares in a nice bottle of wine .
Today Ash will relocate our bags to the Waterlily lodge whilst we get the first of the Kasane workshops off the ground, and with luck we will walk across the road tonight to what I firmly believe is one of the best Indian restaurants in the southern hemisphere - and hopefully no bugs.
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