Ellie and the Ferry

Our Saturday morning almost ended in disaster, fortunately in only turned into a minor delay and placating an irate ferry master.

The Boteti River is flowing and this has cut off the easy access to the Makgadikgadi National Park across the dry riverbed. There is now a pontoon ferry that at quite a price will take you across. There have been some attempts to drive across the currently short stretch of river that have ended in disaster and a costly tow away from the scene.

Mphoeng is taking a while to get used to ‘Ellie’ who is an automatic who loves to drive and so if you want to go slowly you need to play with the break a little or go into low range. However after a few days driving in the bush I felt that they had formed a good working relationship and it was time for Mphoeng to drive onto and off the ferry. Getting on was a fine – reversing whilst on board a little hair-raising with us almost going off the back at speed!!!!!!! The playing the brake is the issue here.

Coming off was the near disaster. I thought I was coaching him OK with explaining that you have to following what OT the ferry man was telling him and keep straight to get off the ramps. Somehow that all went in one ear and out the other when Ellie got into gear and the next thing I felt was a large thud and heard the wheels spinning, we were not going anywhere and it was not the spinning in sand that was the issue!!!!! We were in mid air – with diff and spare wheel on a ramp, and a wheel stuck between the ramp and the chain and an epileptic ferry man calmly shouting at me (as Motswana do)!!!! Mphoeng was beside himself with sorrow, worry and no doubt a little fear. Thankfully the diff is tough, but during the following hour of jacking, slipping in water infested with cow poo, and dealing with water current and a more than a little wind, I was wondering if we would ever get off the ferry and get Andrew onto his flight to Joburg in a days time.

Eventually the only solution was to detach the ramp from the ferry and then re-connect it. By which time we had drawn quite a crowd – being the morning entertainment for Khumaga village – even the cows were watching. We had also managed to and shred two bolts, thankfully he had spars (perhaps this had happened before!)

Ellie, and the rest of us, were very pleased to get onto dry land again, and OT the ferryman was happy to have his boat back in one piece. Mphoeng carried on driving and Ellie seemed to be fine – phweeeeeee.

Before OT would take us back across a few days letter we had to offer him a Fanta – a small price to pay I feel.