The alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m. and we get up reluctantly. It's bitterly cold and since we have a 1 ½ hour drive ahead of us in an open safari jeep, we dress according to the onion principle. That means: as many layers as possible that can be taken off during the journey. We have a quick coffee or tea at the bar and set off almost on time with our guide Robert. We also welcome a family of three from Karlsruhe in our vehicle, who are coming from South Africa and will be driving on to Kasane today.

The journey goes through the bush and is accordingly bumpy. Robert drives over the sand tracks at up to 40 km/h and due to the lack of shock absorbers it feels like 80 km/h. The car can handle it and there is a slight dampening thanks to the leaf springs, but comfort is different than in the Moremi. However, the roads are not designed for more comfort.

Shortly after sunrise, an elephant crosses our path, once again showing us how lucky we are to see animals. Later, in addition to the farm animals of donkeys, cattle and horses, we also see ostriches. Our first target, however, is the much smaller inhabitants of the Kalahari, and after a while we turn off the path and come across our first meerkat.

Planet Baobab from Joerg on Video.

The colony of cute little animals is used to people and is therefore not shy. They are just crawling out of their burrows and are standing one after the other in the sun, which is still very low, to warm themselves. We are allowed to watch and after a short time the little rodents are scurrying around us and climbing over our shoes and legs. We follow the pack for a while and are allowed to watch the 14-member family looking for breakfast, i.e. insects and larvae.

Now the reason for the early start becomes clear: the animals gradually disperse and it soon becomes difficult to follow them or to observe them properly. So we eventually let them go and have breakfast at the car.

We then drive on to the Makgadikgadi Pan, a huge salt pan similar to the one in Etosha National Park. Here we get out of the car in the middle of nowhere and can take photos of the lunar landscape. There are few limits to creativity, as this environment invites experimentation. Robert explains the system of salt pans, how they were formed and their future.

The return journey is uneventful and we soon reach the village of Gweta with its small infrastructure. Here, as elsewhere in Botswana, the people greet us very friendly and you always have the impression that you are warmly welcomed. Completely shaken and dusty, we arrive back at Planet Baobab and catch up on some sleep after a quick snack.

The rest of the day is spent relaxing, and a break at the pool and bar is a real treat after the eventful days. We enjoy the day and the good food, catch up on some of our diaries, and take care of restructuring our suitcases. We even managed to do some laundry, so nothing stands in the way of the adventures of the coming days.

Weather: cool in the morning, about 10 degrees, later sunny and warm, pool weather.