Day 30 Limpopo Valley to Gabarone

We got ourselves up and moving, packing up our few belongings and headed for the dining room.  It was still raining some, and the light of dawn was just making its subtle entrance.   At breakfast we learned that the storm's winds had picked up considerably during the night and Brett's Tiger Moth and one of the helicopters got damaged during a particularly bad gust.  They ended up trying to occupy the same space!  We felt so badly for Brett and Pixie, Boris and Yulie.  Reports from the airfield also mentioned that the Antonov, big as it is, actually tried to weather vane into the wind but fortunately didn't get very far.  Brett and Pixie, who were staying at a different lodge nearby,  had been alerted to the damage and had already been to the airfield to size up the situation. Brett's assessment of the damage his plane had sustained convinced him he and  Pixie would have to proceed directly to Cape Town in a different airplane while his was being repaired.  We were all disappointed for them.  We had become a tight flying family and it was sad when misfortune landed on any of us.  We wished them well and looked forward to seeing them all at the terminus of the rally which was coming up fast.

The wind and rain that continued with cloud layers moving all around was the first encounter we had had with the possibility of a serious weather delay.  By 0700, though, things started looking up and we set off for the airfield.  The rain stopped and our drive back along the bumpy, dirt road was beautiful as the sun shone through and around the moving clouds aloft.  A herd of elephants crossed the road in front of us, and some giraffe about 150 yards away breakfasted on the high branches of trees swaying gently in the stiff breeze. 

At the airfield, we were relieved to see "Smuggler" at her tie down looking as secure as when we saw her last.  It's funny how a man-made machine can take on a "personality" - a "soul" so to speak.  I can't count the times on this trip so far that I talked to and about "her" as if she was a living, breathing, faithful, loyal friend.  When you are so  dependent on the integrity of anyone or anything for your safety, it's amazing how quickly the aura of kinship builds.

The flight to Gabarone was a little bumpy but fun as we flew over herds of Wildebeests and small groups of ostriches.  At the Gabarone airport we were greeted by a reception hosted by Puma Energy and some local dignitaries.  Because of our weather delay leaving Limpopo, the president of Botswana who had planned to greet us was not able to be at the airport.  A disappointment for us, but we enjoyed the crowd of aviation enthusiasts who filled the large reception tent near the parking ramp.  Live music, cocktails, food, speeches by Puma Energy and Bird Life people were the order of the afternoon.  We participated in a short air show of low fly-bys to enhance the festivities at the airport.

To wind things up, an auction was arranged to help benefit the Bird Life effort to save the African Vultures vital to the health of the African ecosystem and consequently the health of human communities.  It was very sad to learn that elephant poachers had been poisoning vultures in order to keep their illegal presence from revealing the location of the poachers' butchered prey.  The auction was a small one but highlighted the masterful work of Botswana artist Wilson Ngoni.  Two of his paintings were auctioned off and Nick and I outbid others to get his beautiful work, "Sense of Light".  My interest in and attachment to children and their childhood made having this magnificent work in our home important to always remind us that traveling the world far and wide shows above all that mankind is a family and every member of it starts out as an innocent being fascinated by light.

Wilson Ngoni was present for the auction and it was such  a pleasure to meet him and ask about his work.  He's an insightful and sensitive young man whose work absolutely goes to the core and foundation of human expression and potential.  I would love to see his work more widely known.  He has a website, so googling 'Wilson Ngoni of Botswana' will lead you to his work.

We stayed at the Travel  Lodge in Gabarone where our bathroom shared a rather "interesting" shower design as the bathroom in Gambela, Ethiopia -- water flooded the bathroom floor.  It at least, stayed in the bathroom and did not flow out into the room, under the room door and into the hallway!

At breakfast,  we learned Martyn and Julia, Mike and Colleen  and the Antonov were leaving the rally and might join us in Cape Town.  

Enroute to the Botswana capital, Gaborone.  You can see one of the rally GoPros mounted on the wing strut.  All the vintage planes had them and the videos would be collected and edited into a documentary of the rally.

One of our many greeters at Gaborone Airport.  Shyness immediately turned into enthusiastic engagement.

A nice lineup of Travel Air, Stampe, Bucker, and Waco.

Brett got a ride to Gaborone in another airplane to line up the help he would need to get his Tiger Moth repaired.  Here he is in need of light libation to cheer his spirits.

At top are the two South African striped BushCats with the reception tent in the background.

At bottom are the two remaining Tiger Moths in the rally.  South African Mark's red one and John Baxter's yellow plane from the UK.  Pilots and spectators all around. 

 This little girl was quite engrossed in her wire airplane in the reception tent.

 With Wilson Ngoni and his painting, "Sense of Light", we won at the auction.  The people at Puma very kindly took charge of having the painting properly boxed and delivered to our Florida home via DHL.  It arrived safe and sound!  It is now framed and hangs in our dining room.

Nick starting up Smuggler to take someone for a ride.

Our "shy" little greeter came back and gave Nick a big smile as he closed up the cowling after checking the oil.  Our day was coming to a close and her presence so nicely sealed up the day's events.

 A lovely sunset as we drove away from the Gaborone Airport enroute to our hotel.