On Sunday night after our visits to Sebina and Mosojane we arrived back in Francistown, for the last of our nights away. We stayed in a hotel rather than an inn or lodge and Mave and Kuno were delighted to have internet and dstv! Once again we had not managed to avoid some nighttime driving so were relieved to arrive safely at our destination. Francistown is located at the confluence of the Tati and Inchwe Rivers and near the Shashe River; indeed it seemed we drove over a dry Shashe River many times in our nearby travels.
In the morning, we had a glance at Francistown, mainly a drive up and down Blue Jacket Street, a genteel street that forms the core of the city center. This road runs east of and parallel to the railway line and has formed the town center since Francistown was founded at the turn of the 19th century. (Today Francistown, like other Botswana towns and cities, is full of modern malls that are the more likely shopping destinations.) Francistown is Botswana’s second largest city and very close to the border with Zimbabwe (from where it has received a serious influx of immigrants in the last decade or so, though has abated). It was founded as a gold mining and railway center, and mines and the rail line are still important to the area. Francistown is also home to the Supa Ngwao Museum, but I could not convince anyone to make a visit.
In the morning, we had a glance at Francistown, mainly a drive up and down Blue Jacket Street, a genteel street that forms the core of the city center. This road runs east of and parallel to the railway line and has formed the town center since Francistown was founded at the turn of the 19th century. (Today Francistown, like other Botswana towns and cities, is full of modern malls that are the more likely shopping destinations.) Francistown is Botswana’s second largest city and very close to the border with Zimbabwe (from where it has received a serious influx of immigrants in the last decade or so, though has abated). It was founded as a gold mining and railway center, and mines and the rail line are still important to the area. Francistown is also home to the Supa Ngwao Museum, but I could not convince anyone to make a visit.
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