No great African road trip is complete without a few stories that, at the time, feel like disasters – but later become the moments everyone laughs about around the campfire.
As part of our Botswana journey, we continued our daily Tai Chi practice, discovering that the calmness, patience and adaptability developed through Tai Chi were just as valuable on the rough African roads as they are in everyday life.
Because the rough Botswana roads certainly kept us on our toes.
The constant corrugations gradually loosened the fitting on one of our gas bottles, resulting in a slow gas leak that fortunately we discovered before it became a serious problem. Somewhere along those same bumpy roads, bottles of wine and sauces decided they had had enough of travelling upright and redecorated parts of the trailer with colourful (and sticky!) enthusiasm.
One memorable lapse in concentration came when we forgot to raise the trailer’s stabiliser leg before moving off. The inevitable result was a badly bent stabiliser – a mistake made only once… we hope!
Water found its way where it definitely shouldn’t have, leading to the fridge and battery giving up the ghost. Not exactly part of the travel plan, but just another challenge to solve along the way.
Then there were the monkeys. Like experienced campsite thieves, they watched patiently for their opportunity before making off with a perfectly good peach. It was a reminder that, in the bush, you’re never the only one looking for a tasty snack!
And, of course, there was the memorable “gas strangulation” incident – one of those stories that probably grows funnier every time it’s told and will no doubt be retold at future campfires for years to come.
Looking back, none of these hiccups spoiled the adventure. In fact, they became part of the journey itself. Every unexpected problem solved, every laugh shared, and every “well, that’s never happened before!” moment added another chapter to an already unforgettable Botswana adventure.
Sometimes it’s the things that go wrong that become the stories we remember the longest.
