Another lovely hot shower, on a cold morning, indulging this time, rather than dashing in and out like yesterday, after so many months of trying to use as little water as possible. Breakfasted on poached eggs then Per and Hans interviewed me about several aspects of the trip, which ended up being just a chat.
Kel found that two we'd broken two truck springs and replacing them delayed our departure for several hours. But eventually we were away, driving on dirt roads until we reached the main T junction, where we lunched beside a bar which was near the garbage pit.
Then we hit tarmac and "enjoyed" a journey similar to the Hell Run through Zambia, with long straight road, flat land and little to see except an occasional village, and single-building bars/bottle shops in the middle of open ground. Three women squatted on the front steps of one we passed.
Into Francistown where we found a fabulous little supermarket stocked “just like home”, a “super burger” place and various other familiar shops. Kel headed off to send a telex informing Exodus that we would arrive in Joburg on Thursday (2 days from now). Then we drove on. We were looking for somewhere to camp but the road was fenced on both sides and all the gates into the bordering scrub were padlocked. I was having visions of us camping beside the road when we saw an unlocked gate and possible site; we turned off and hit a puddle whereupon we sunk like a stone up to the axles in sandy mud. All-hands digging and matting and the help of a local who appeared from nowhere got us through, although we dug deep ruts through spongy ground. Parked on the sand mats overnight.
We had started unloading everything for the night when we discovered that Geoff wasn't with us! Kel would have to drive back into Francistown to find him. We removed the rest of the cooking stuff and started pitching tents under threatening grey clouds as Stanley disappeared back the way we'd come. It was cold and we were huddled around the fire when the truck returned, stopping before crossing the trouble spot for the third time. Nikki announced that they hadn’t found Geoff and we’d have to go back tomorrow to look for him. Jim didn’t believe them and went to look in the back but of the truck but couldn't see him. Had we really lost Geoff? Then Hans put his hand on a strange pile of cushions to turn on the light – the strangeness was Geoff!
Sat around the fire reminiscing about the trip while Julie didn't cope well with dinner supervision by too many cooks. Dinner was another cracker but it was so cold everyone went to bed early.
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