Wednesday, Feb 5. Rhinos! No more than 15 feet away at times. Guards with ancient AK47s gave brief safety instructions, then showed us where they were. Six in total. There are eight in the entire country. If a rhino charged us, the guards weren’t there to shoot the rhino but to arrange our funeral. Rhinos almost never stopped eating grass. Gigantic, but how scary can an animal be that eats grass?
Transfer to Botswana. (Pronounced “Boat”, not “Bot”.) Crossed the Zambezi River as passengers in a motorboat, leaving our bus behind. One-vehicle ferry boat, holding one truck at a time. Hundreds and hundreds of trucks waiting to cross. Weeks maybe. Prostitutes. Bridge being built, which will revolutionize things.
Observation: Zimbabwe walks. Zambia rides bikes. Botswana (thanks largely to diamonds, found after the UK surrendered the country to independence) drives cars. Seemingly much more advanced country. Shopping centers.
Short remaining drive to lodge. Entire staff turned out to sing. Nice place, on the edge of a ravine, which provides frequent wildlife parades. Shorter walk to room, a relief. Excellent views. Lodge serves pasta! I like this place. Still, bugs own the world. We’re just guests in it.
Rest, then drive along flat land, which later in the wet season becomes a wide river. Some rain. Massive lightning all over. Incredible number of birds. Eagle, storks, vultures, etc. Huge number of vultures. Something died somewhere.
Illness has been curbed by taking regular doses of Ibuprofen. Though we aren’t walking much at all, lots of exercise bouncing along the roads.
Guards have shoot to kill orders on poachers. 
