Day 20 - Shakawe Houseboat

We left Maun at 8:30 AM and headed north along black top. Today we have a nice van instead of our open safari vehicle. What comfort compared to other days. There were plenty of potholes but at least there was no wind blowing in my face and I was able to read my Kindle and snooze.

It was a long drive – about 5.5 hours. We had to stop to clean our shoes at a ‘Hoof and Mouth’ checkpoint again. And we had to stop and/or slow down at least a dozen times for animals crossing the road. They weren’t exciting sightings like giraffe or elephants, but cattle, mules, goats and horses. I thought we were going to hit some on occasion but we didn’t of course.

We arrived at our destination, Shakawe, at 2 PM and boarded our accommodation for the next 2 nights. We are travelling by houseboat down the Okavango Delta. The water where we flew over yesterday would have been impossible to navigate with a large craft. Further north, the channels are much wider and deeper. Our group of 9 plus 2 guides are only guests on this houseboat, which goes by the name of ‘Kabbo’.

After we put our stuff in our cabins we were served a nice lunch of spaghetti, meat sauce and salad. Another gal and I went for walk nearby before the boat took off but there really wasn’t much to see. On shore, there was a wooden canoe which I was hoping we were going to use but they have a larger craft for excursions. I sat in the canoe anyway, just for the experience.

Around 3:30 we left where we were moored and headed out at an easy pace. The grass along the banks is incredibly tall, perhaps 10-12 feet. There are quite a few birds in and around the water of course. We also saw crocodiles and even elephants.

I was in the middle of a great story on my Kindle and anxious to continue, so I found a quiet spot at the rear of the boat. It was most enjoyable sitting in the shade with a glass of wine. However when the sun came around, the heat in combination with the wine, made me quite sleepy so I lay down for a nap.

I was woken up by my roommate who came to tell me the sun was setting. It was beautiful and clear. We’ve noticed how perfectly blue the skies are here in Botswana, particularly in the Maun area. We have moored for the night and the mosquitoes and bugs are out in full force.

Supper was some kind of steak, noodles, veggies and a delicious coleslaw. It is very dark out there and much to our surprise we have an early morning tomorrow. It’s not 9 PM yet and many have gone to bed. I’m headed there soon. This is so not me!