When asked if I wanted to go cover Makgadikgadi Epic, courtesy of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), I was a bit sceptical. The whole idea of camping has never been my drill.
Just the thought of leaving my comfortable and warm bed just to ‘suffer’ four or more days in a cold tent and even worse, struggling to get long hot showers, did not thrill me. However, the tourist and courageous woman in me prompted me to try new things and I obliged.
The Epic was organised by the BTO in partnership with the Parachute Association of Botswana (PAB) and hosted by BOTASH in collaboration with the Sowa Township Council and Tutume Sub-District. The event took place at Sua Pan, which lies approximately 20 kilometres from Sowa Town’s LAPA Recreational Area in Sowa Town Park.
Even though I love road trips compared to flying, that particular Thursday as we left Gaborone, I spent most of the journey dozing off. Arriving at Sua, the excitement of being near the famous Salt Pans where the event was hosted, jolted me right out of any sleep I had. The whole scenery was different; it was breathtaking. We could have not arrived at a better time as we got a chance to see the gorgeous Makgadikgadi sunset. It was priceless.
At the camping site, everyone had to choose his or her tent and that is when my curiosity rose to a higher level. Too many questions rushed through my mind like how safe was that small structure that looked like it could be cut with a butter knife? What about crawling insects there or even worse, the chances of being bitten by poisonous snakes and scorpions? Would I be able to survive the cold night?
Surprisingly, the tents even though small, were a bit comfortable, even cosy. A single bed there, spread with white linen and a battery-operated lamp by the side table. It looked decent and the bed was also comfortable with a warm Mooi Mooi blanket.
The nights by the media campfire were also magical, giving us time to get to know each other better. The endless jokes while snacking and drinking by the fireplace and looking at the stars, were enchanting, something to remember.
However, the heavily dusty winds made the days unbearable. Even though wearing facemasks made breathing tolerable, it was still hard for some of us. That helped me understand the BTO and its partners' decision to choose the Safari Chic theme for the epic tour, as everyone dressed in earth colours that were suitable for the white sands.
The thrill of watching the skydivers doing tandem jumps, helicopter flips above the Makgadikgadi Pans, and the beautiful Puma Flying Lions display was overwhelming and I would like to try skydiving too someday.
I did, however, have an opportunity to enjoy a thrilling camel ride for the first time in my life. Even though it was a bit uncomfortable when the camel stood up or went down, I surely enjoyed the slow walks. The feeling was just inexplicable.
The Makgadikgadi Epic contemporary festival was also fun.
Just the whole experience of an outskirts event in the wilderness was just that, epic, especially because I knew I was safe since the Salt Pans do not have wild predators.
Waking up to birds singing and flying by the pans, just a stone’s throw away from our camping site, was an unexpected feeling of fulfilment.
