Day 19 Botswana - Maun

We didn’t have to leave until 8 AM today so the alarm wasn’t set for 5:30 AM. We left the bush lodge we’ve been at for the past 2 nights and headed into Maun, Botswana. It was about an hour on the rough highway, followed by another hour on black top – hurray!

We arrived at our hotel by 10 and went for a coffee break. Then a group of us went in search of some stores for Botswana souvenirs. We took a taxi because our hotel was quite a ways out of town. Although Maun is the country’s 5th largest city with a population of 60,000, there really isn’t much for shopping. When we got back to the hotel we had lunch in their restaurant.

At 3 PM our guide took us to the Maun Airport where we got checked in for our scenic 45 minute flight over the Okavango Delta. It is one of the world’s largest inland deltas and is considered one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. They weren’t ready for us until 4:30 PM.

I was excited when got to sit in the front seat again! But it really was of no advantage. Unlike a helicopter, you can’t even see out of the front windshield of a small 6 seater plane because the dash is so high up. Oh well, it was fun sitting beside the cute pilot!

I was amazed at the size and scope of the delta. I am anxious to learn more about it in the days ahead. I was able to spot elephants, giraffe, kudo or impala perhaps, and several other herds of I-don’t-know-what.

The ground and the water make for an interesting patchwork of greens, browns and blues. I can hardly wait to examine my photos in detail. I’ve got some great abstracts!

After the flight we were whisked off to another activity – a Botswana cultural presentation and dinner. We learned about the work the director is trying to do with disadvantaged, unemployed youth, and watched them perform traditional singing, drumming and dancing.

We learned about their clothing, ceremonies and then had a delicious traditional meal.

My favorite was the pounded beef, made by boiling the beef for hours until it is tender, then pounding it as the name suggests. Yum!

Back late; bed late. I hope I can sleep on the long drive tomorrow.

Day 18 Botswana - Leopards, Lions & Elephants

After the alarm went off at 5:30 AM, I was looking forward to a hot shower, but again, it was a cool one. The tap water is very salty and when you get it on your lips, you know it. Breakfast was at 6, and we were off by 6:30.

Our destination today was the Moremi Game Reserve an hour and a half away. Today I sat in the front row of four on the jeep. That made quite a difference to my back, that and some pain killers.

Our road was bumpy, and many times we had to take a short little detour due to trees lying across the road. Elephants are very messy eaters and quite destructive. We saw the odd giraffe enroute, and some elephants (we call them ‘ellies’) quite close to the road. We drove off road so as not to disturb them. When I say ‘road’, I mean a sand trail. I shot a video of the road through the front windshield and it was impossible to keep the camera steady.

When we arrived at the park gate, we used the facilities – much nicer than a rock. We headed off to see what we could see. The guides had a 2 way radio on and suddenly changed course. We headed off in a different direction at break-neck speed. We knew there was something very interesting to see but they wouldn’t tell us what.

Oh my goodness, it was a mother leopard and her cub feeding on a freshly killed red lechwee!

We got so close, then parked and watched in fascination for a good long while. The mother had finished feeding and the cub was digging away. He was having difficulty attacking the flesh. The female leopard got up, and began tugging at the fur. She got several mouthfuls, then dropped the hair on the ground. She did this several times, then went to lie down again.

Again, I could have watched for much longer.

Then, we came across 2 male lions resting in the shade after they had had their fill. They had also killed a red lechwee. We parked extremely close, a little too close for comfort for some of us. Their breathing was quite fast I thought.

When some vultures flew by, they lifted their heads and appeared to be ready to defend. There really was no need. No one argues with the king of the beasts!

We went back to the leopards to see if she had put her kill in the tree, but they were still feeding. We could clearly see the blood and watched the female tearing the guts out of her kill.

What incredible luck we have had on this trip. To see 3 sets of animals feeding on their kills is quite rare. We headed back to the park gate to have our picnic lunch at 1:00 – salad, quiche, buns and coleslaw. Yum!

The afternoon was not as eventful as the morning but we did see various animals – waterbuck, an elephant or two, some birds and a mongoose.

At 2 PM we headed back to the lodge. It took about an hour and 45 minutes to return. When we were almost at our place, we came across a vehicle stuck in the deep sand. It looked like a regular vehicle, perhaps 4x4, but not the sturdy vehicles we have seen for the past 3 days. Our guides pulled them out and helped them turn around. Unless you have a heavy bush vehicle made for this country, it is impossible to navigate the bush roads. Some of the main ones are easy enough to drive but they don’t get you everywhere.

I enjoyed an ice cold Coke back at the camp, followed by a shower, then I lay down to read. While I was reading, I could hear various bird as well as African squirrels rustling around in the grass and leaves. Then I heard a noise that couldn’t just be a squirrel so I got up to investigate. It was an elephant just behind the next tent! I ran inside to grab my camera and began to take photos and video. I was clad in only my nightgown as I had changed into that for comfort’s sake. I was sure no one could see me from the lodge. I was wrong, and was dismayed to find out that not only had I been seen, but photographed as well. Sheesh!

Supper was another wonderful meal with delicious Botswana beef as the main course. After our meal, the whole staff sang for us as we sat around the firepit. It’s been another wonderful day!