Mocholodi

Agust 2, Mokolodi:On our way to Mokolodi Nature Reserve, just outside Gaborone. Good name for a game reserve--it just rolls off the tongue. We spot baboons on the side of the road playing frogger with the passing traffic. Findley guffaws, and then yawns. He is only mildly impressed. We arrive, buy our tickets, chit chat with a World Bank consultant from Canada who is waiting with us for our ranger and vehicle that will take us through the park for our first game reserve experience. We settle in the open air truck, having no idea what animals we'll see, but hope for high numbers. Findley rides bjorned to his papa, facing forward and beside Chase and in front of five other equally excited tourists. The truck bounces along and for the next two hours we are treated to sightings of (in order):kuduswarts hogs,elephants,impalas,gazelles,antelopes,baboons (again)ostriches, spotted hyenas, water bucks. Findley stays awake until the antelopes, then succombs to sleep. As the drive winds down, the sun settles under and the skyline amazes. The temperature drops rapidly and dramatically. (Desert my arse.) Our driver is waiting for us when the ranger drops us off, and we leave with lots of photos, a few of them actually in focus, a hungry baby, and a taste of Africa that leaves us wanting more. Chase and I agree, we've had worse days.