I had mixed feelings about the trip. The prospect of seeing live the waters of the mighty Chobe River, among other things, heightened my curiosity.
There were feelings of apprehension about the trip to Kasane, on the other hand. My fears stemmed from my recollection of bits and pieces of information about the journey and the village itself. Vivid in my mind were possibilities of contracting malaria, encountering the unusual road block mounted by the boss of the road - the elephant. Above all I was worried about the distance factor - negotiating a 500km journey in unfamiliar territory can never be an easy thing. Despite my initial apprehension I had to undertake the trip partly to fulfil my curiosity and to respond to the call of duty.
The journey kicked off in Francistown. It was about 11 minutes past eight when the engine of an Iveco mini bus roared to mark the start of the journey. Aboard were 25 passengers. Listening to the sound of the engine plus its shabby body told me the bus must have miraculously passed a road fitness test. Knowing that I allowed myself to ride in a bus with a questionable roadworthiness compounded my fears about the journey. But what choice did I have? Kasane route has limited transport. People going to Kasane do not have the luxury of choice of transport like those heading south. In fact I felt lucky to have found this particular bus. All the same off we went. The first stanza of the journey, a 200km stretch from our point of departure to Nata, was largely uneventful. Save for the minor potholes, which the driver skilfully avoided, this part of the journey was swift and smooth. There was a deafening silence as the bus was cruising. The less said about the journey ahead the better, said a woman next to me when I tried to get her to talk about the remaining kilometres to Kasane, which is on the border with Zambia and Zimbabwe.
