From Johannesburg we drive, interrupted by a shopping stop, to Borakalalo NP, where we spend our first night. We continue to Botswana to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, then we drive to Rakops to the entrance of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. In the footsteps of Mark and Delia Owens (the cry of the Kahalahri) we take a tour of the endless wilderness. Lekubu, Piper Pan, Phokoje Pan, Passarge Valley and Sunday Pan as well as of course the trips in between give us a good impression of this dry area, which is actually hostile to life but is rich in animals. We always notice the notorious wet spots in which some vehicles have got stuck early enough - but the danger is impressive, especially when you hardly meet other travelers and rescue is accordingly unsafe.

The next days we explore the national parks of Makgadikgadi Pans, drive to Tree Island, Naines Baobabs and discover the Nxai Pans. We don't discover many animals everywhere, but the landscapes of the salt pans are interesting and we hardly see any other visitors. We hardly find the huge baobabs under which we peek, they hide on the edge of the endless salt pan. We admire the millions of glittering stars in the black sky.

We experience the heat and dryness that characterizes the landscape and marvel at their traces on the blasting ground, but also the thunderstorm in all its force with a heavy rain shower impresses us. The rain changes life, who knows where all the little frogs suddenly come from? We hope in vain for flamingos in Nata and on to Senyati

From the luxurious Senyati, after shopping, we continue to the parks of the Okavango Delta. Along the Chobe to Ihaha, where we spend a very special night in the middle of a herd of elephants and later under police surveillance. We reach Savuti via the sand track, which mainly spoils us with wild dogs. We discover many animals in the swampy landscape, but we don't find it here as spectacular as expected. The wetness makes a direct drive to Moremi impossible and forces us to detour a few hundred kilometers (Senyati, Nata, Maun) through wide puddle landscapes.

We really like Magoto Camp in Moremi NP, the trip over the bridges and in the strait rivers near Third Bridge is unforgettable. In Maun, the end of the line, we flee to accommodation with a solid roof, because it is pouring rain.