Page 73 - Discover Botswana 23rd Edition 2023

KGALAGADI
how to survive and watching her sometimes succeed and sometimes fail in her life, took us on a rollercoaster of emotions from day to day and year to year.
Of course, living the life that we do is no easy task and there are
all sorts of issues and discomfort that comes with the territory. Food supply and vehicle parts meant that we needed to plan our time very carefully as well as obtain skills like the ability to fix our vehicle as and when it was needed. Our base camp in the Kgalagadi was rudimentary yet practical offering a small amount of comfort for us each evening
as we returned to download data, charge cameras and get a well- deserved break. The night sounds of the Kalahari are etched in our minds and each night around the campfire, we would take stock of the day’s highlights and carefully plan the next day’s movements. As most people know, the best light is early morning and late afternoon, and this means leaving camp way before the sun rises. On the days that
we did not have to wonder to far from our base, we would come in to fix a meal, repair the vehicle and if we were lucky, get in a short siesta. The extreme temperatures of hot days and cool nights furthered our discomfort but never broke our spirits.
Previous pages: A termite mound is the perfect vantage point for a Meerkat on the lookout for aerial and ground predators. These endearing characters of the Kalahari are frequently seen out and about during the day in search of food.
Left: Brown-veined White butterflies flutter around the head of a Lioness. In fact, these butterflies are migrants and passing through on their north east bound journey across the Kalahari sands.
Above inset: Silhouetted against the Kalahari skies, a Lion starts out under the cover of darkness. A new moon signals a new cycle and a new chapter in the Kalahari.
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