Botswana

Botswana was a short but wonderful adventure. I’ve now ticked off 3 countries with many more to come, been in Africa 4 weeks, yet not even half way through my trip here. I’d agree with everyone who told me Botswana has the best safaris in the world, not that I’ve been on too many yet. The life here is in abundance, people beautiful, respect for the environment clear. 4 of the big 5 have now been ticked, that’s buffalo, lion, elephant and rhino, my camera and phone exploding with pictures of these guys going about their days, seeking shade under trees or even in the trucks shadow, the only unenjoyable part is having to whisper my wow’s, rather than scream in excitement as I so desperately want too. Botswana, also home to the hippo, meant our time spent island hopping and on the water was shared with these beasts, read more about the less than ideal experiences we had over on my blog, it was a hilariously scary 24 hours. The 4 nights spent here were perfect and means my first leg of my intrepid trip is very nearly over, one more country to tick off with the 11 incredible humans I have been lucky enough to share it with.

Okavango Delta

An uneventful crossing into Botswana meant we were soon on the Ovanago Delta, the river and its islands home to thousands of hippos, elephants and crocodiles. Our speed boat to our home for the night, one of ovango deltas 1000 islands, chosen by our guides strategically to avoid any rising river levels and unwanted visitors, being hungry freshwater crocs. Setting up our waterfront villas was another game of strategy, placed far enough apart from each other so that any guests can get through with a clear path, avoiding our tents, sure that the 200kg beasts would kill us with one step. Our afternoon joyously spent ‘cruising’ along the river, thankfully on the speed boat and not the traditional mokoro’s we would be on the following day. Cruise wouldn’t be the world I would use to describe this experience, far from it in fact. Our first hippo sighting was exciting, cameras snapping, everyone standing to get better views, this relaxed vibes would be short lived when the driver yelled “sit down now please”, his expression far from relaxed. Confused and worried we sat, and instantly hit full throttle, yells and screams filled the tin boat as we zoomed passed the now submerged hippo. Only after did he explain that hippos could kill, even 11 people on a medium sized boat. We wouldn’t be cruising any more, the thrill ride hilarious, our trauma default was to laugh, internally petrified. The excitement of each encounter soon turned to scared after snapping a few pics, as each hippo submerged and we wondered if it would leap at us at any moment, one scaring even the very skilled and knowledgeable driver who grew up on this river, clearly unimpressed with our presence it quite literally chased us from behind. The often narrow canals meant we were driving at speed getting hit from all angles by towering bushes and branches, only increasing the laughs and cackles. Eventually stopping in a safe place to enjoy sunrise, although hardly relaxed, eyes darting all directions checking for any new arrivals, our sunset spot perfectly positioned, as 4 elephants joined the frame, the sun reflecting a beautiful red on the plain. This elephant encounter was much nicer than our last, where much like the hippos, we were glad our well-maintained motor was working. We watched in awe as a male elephant pissed on himself not a mere 50 metres from us, that 50 metre buffer soon became 10 as it charged us, its trunk twisted in anger as we yelled at the driver to get us the heck out of there, laughing but traumatised once again. Pissing on oneself is a sign that the elephant is looking for his female accomplice, clearly our boat was fierce competition that he was threatened by. Heart racing at this point, the sunset was a reminder to breathe.

Enjoying yet another delicious meal under the full moon, listening to the rivers inhabitants, some a little too close for comfort was the end to another perfect day. Our makeshift loo (a hole in the ground), was well dug, although another heart pumping activity, too scared a hippo or leopard was waiting for me in the bushes, shitting has never been so fast, the fireflies in the distance looking way too similar to the eyes of an animal stalking me. Thus, we survived the night, all 4 limbs attached but rather tired after I was woken up in the early hours of the morning by a less than ideal noise. The yell (more like a scream) came from a nearby tent, the 3am wake up call startled me, convinced a fellow camper had woken to a hippo at their door I froze. Fortunately someone else wasn’t too scared to speak and asked if they were alright, the only comforting thing was the reply that followed. I was still convinced there was an animal outside and laid still for the rest of the morning, now awake the noises of the nearby hippos all the more clearer, it was going to be a long night.

Leaving our picturesque campsite we journeyed along the river again, this time on the Mokoro’s. A more of transport many children used to get to school, to transport goods, or just cross the river, it’s a thin wooden canoe, and is severed by a long stick that is pushed of the ground, a good workout at best. Our pola (pole puller) did amazing at pushing the 3 of us along the banks, beaching ourselves more than once I regretted not risking my life for a morning poo ;)

The Lilly pads and birds were fortunately the only life we came across in the morning, now very conscious that disturbing a hippo in a canoe rather than a speedboat would undoubtedly not have a positive outcome. Beaching the canoes for the last time we hopped out and tracked some footprints back to the speedboat to resume the journey back. Convinced we shouldn’t be following the massive elephant footprints, we got led straight to them. The group grazing, and unfazed by our presence, I’ve never been so quiet, and got a quick glimpse of what it might be like in Uganda in a months time when I’m trekking with the gorillas there.

Sad to be leaving the islands we fortunately had another night on the Ovango delta, soaking up the views, nearby bush fire and the wifi, opting for games night rather than a scroll on instagram was a reminder that we don’t need social media to be sociable, all this time spent with no service very good for me.

Namibia…again

We crossed the border again, and again, back to Namibia for a shop and some giraffe shots (I’ll leave it up to your imagination for that one), treating ourselves to an upgrade, a proper bed and own shower making us feel like queens for a night, the $16 room more than worth it.

Back in Botswana after an 8 hour journey to a different border crossing, we were sore and exhausted, but thrilled to be back in safari scenes. Our campsite for the night, Chobe river safari lodge, sits 5 minutes outside Chobe National Park, the park itself having no campsites, one of its strategies to prevent environmental impacts. The poolside bar and sunset bars were well utilised, finally entering $USD territory, my money on my card very nearly gone I was glad to be able to use my $USD, of which I have plenty (for now!). Our relaxed afternoon by the pool and river wonderful, visits from hippos exciting us for the next day… not so much the 5am wake up call that would come with it. Being a morning person has come in very handy this trip, the early wake up calls unbothersom, only that I can’t go for a morning run or engage in some stretching, the dark not quite the ideal environment to be doing so.

Chobe National Park

Our 4wd today was the traditional kind, an open aired troop carrier, unlike our intrepid truck we used for our last safari, this time there was no where to hide from the cold morning air, I couldn’t imagine doing this in the winter, although the cold is welcomed after the hot midday heat, it’s still chilly. Catching the animals at their most active, dawn and dusk means early mornings but these are well worth it after a sighting or two. Again, not getting my hopes up, a girl on our trip for the second time telling us that her last visit to Chobe was met with no animal encounters and a rather tiresome game drive, yet I had a good feeling we would get lucky once more.

There’s a reason those who practice manifestation get rewarded, and rewarded we did. Our 4 hour morning game drive was perfect, and I realised why everyone raved about the safaris here. Although unfortunately not seeing the rare leopard, the last of the big 5 we still had yet to see, we got up close and personal with the big cat, the lion. Finally spotting our first male within the bushes, chewing away happily at his kill it was a sight, the raw meat of the antelope (you can tell from the scattered bones nearby) bright in comparison to the lions fur and greenery surrounding him, hiding so the hyenas (and us) can’t get too close for comfort and steal his well earnt meal.  Being closer to the ground in with open doors made encounters with the next few lions all the more daunting, whether it was the 3 one year old triplets walking through after a drink at the Chobe river, the teenage boy, yet to grow his mane perched on his castle, or their parents were saw trying for a 4th not far up the road, it was a hilarious, and exciting, jaw dropping and even tear inducing morning. We didn’t need our zoom lenses, too close for comfort at times, the non-consensual mating experience witnessed, probably a once in a lifetime, even the guides wanting the videos we took, our immaturity showing as we laughed with shaky hands through the ordeal, the more wise of the group probably rolling their eyes at our youthfulness. The 5am wake up call quickly forgotten once we were treated to a coffee and bicky in the bushes, our journey continued and we lucked out with more lions, active and sleeping, buffalo’s in the horizon officially ticking off big 5 animals number 4,, just the leopard to go.

Our time in Botswana ended with a beautiful sunset cruise along the Chobe river, more buffalo chilling on the islands, when they get flooded in the roast season they swim to the mainland, either right to Namibia or left to Botswana, the river itself ‘no man’s land’s’. Our cruise got progressively less about the hippos, crocs and buffalo and more about the $2 gin and sodas. lol, our last night in Botswana perfect and excited to cross the border into Zim tomorrow, although our first group leaving us sad all the same.

My time on leg 2 of this trip is slowly coming to an end, my group of 11 fellow adventurers are leaving on Sunday, heading home to their lives, adulting sucks, as Ela would say. I’m grateful I get to continue, but it’s not lost on me that I worked extremely hard to be able to uproot my life once again for 10 weeks of exploring this magical continent. I’m a month in, 4 weeks ago I was sat in Doha airport excited for the journey ahead, unsure of what it would be like, and so far it’s been everything but boring, nothing like I expected and so joyous.

One country to go before these beautiful humans leave me, the lessons they’ve taught important and stories incredible. I’m equally excited for their future prospects than I am my own, already looking forward to catching up across the world.