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Poling on Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta Bush song (only) around night campfire
We left Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side with our 12 new travel mates, driver, cook and leader for the next 20 days in a well outfitted truck, of which we now know every nook and cranny.
Heading to Botswana, we were told by Ingway, our Kenyan leader, to be cheery, have our paperwork fully completed and do whatever the Customs officer requested. His example, "if they dont like your shirt and tell you to change, don't argue...or we may not get across the border." Our group had no issues the multiple times we passed through the border. A pleasant group we are, especially with so many Australians/"Aussies" on board. Check out map in 1st post for reference where Botswana is. As we drive, we see small villages consisting of huts and lots of miles of brush, trees and open plains. Children often run out, waving their hands and shouting hello as our big, white truck passes by. Our driver, John, does a great job driving our truck.
I should mention that while traveling from place to place, we generally stop so Simon, our cook, can pick up fresh supplies, we can go to the bank to convert money or ATM as well as pick up snacks and drinks, aka booze, afterall, we are traveling with a bunch of Aussies (and others who partake). Pounds of meat, vegetables, potatoes and other food stuff go into the freezer on the truck. Duties are split among us each day. One day you sweep the truck, another, you do dishes, or pots and the 4th day you help cook.....slice, dice and set up. It all seems to work out. Think pots is our least favorite task.
First major park was Chobe National Park reserve, home to thousands of elephants. After a slow start to our 6am, early morning game drive, we were treated to numerous elephants, impalas, kudus, African fish eagles swooping down on their prey, a pod or two of hippos and sadly, for a baby elephant, a kill by several hyenas. We think the baby was sick, lost or had died on its own, before the hyenas found it, because they never stray far from their mom in the wild.
The afternoon was spent chilling by the pool of the very nice Chobe River Safari Lodge, where we caught up on internet before heading out for a sunset cruise on the Chobe River and game view. Both sunset and animals were fabulous. Elephants galore, birds, alligators, water buffalo. We have now seen 2 of the BIG 5! Check em out, along with another beautiful African sunset!
Our next big adventure, and perhaps my favorite "beat expectations" so far, was our visit to the Okavango Delta, also in Botswana. Imagine Moses traveling down the Nile but on steroids! Miles of narrow river canals with long grasses, lilies, animals, specifically, hippos, and birds all along the way. We traveled by mokoro, a dugout canoe, poled in the back by a "poler" man. Our poler and the local guide while we were in the Delta for 2 nights, was Beman.
He explained what we were seeing and hearing along the way. Upon arriving at our bush site (aka no facilities), Beman showed us where our toilet was....no kidding and once tents were set up, took us on a dung and tracking walk. Yep, we can now recognize elephant, buffalo, hippo and ardvark poop and tracks. Woohoo. See if you can guess where this came from?!
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| Elephant cemetary |
We were treated to local song and dance by the polers who stayed in the bush with us. When it was our turn to show them what we do, all we came up with from our 6 nations, was Waltzing Matilda and The Hokey Pokey.....which they joined in and seemed to enjoy. What song and dance without your I pad, would you have chosen?
Our 2nd night in the bush, we were treated to platform tents, full facilities and in addition to more animals, volleyball and a chance to pole a mokoro. Aaron opted for volleyball. Nice form! so did an elephant who was walking by!!?
Another sunset hike followed by a 7am plant, herb, tree and bird walk by Beman. We waved goodbye after 2 very full days and headed for Namibia to meet the San Bushmen. Stay tuned for who these native Africans are and what they do.
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