Day 12: Wednesday, August 18th
I don't think this morning was too cold, or maybe I'm just getting used to it. We had our bags out ready to be loaded on the trailer while we went out on a morning game drive. We went to where they had recently discovered a wild dog den, but they were all gone. Either they got scared by all the people who came to see them constantly, or a hyena attacked them...depending on whose story you choose to believe. The guides are getting frustrated because the animals are getting harder to find. As the water keeps changing, the animals move and the roads become blocked. It truly comes down to timing and luck.
And as luck would have it, we caught wind of a lion sighting with a kill - a zebra. Problem was that they were very far away, but we decided it was worth it anyway. By the time we got there, the lions had pulled their kill under the bushes to hide it from scavengers. There was only 1 female lion out in the open, but she was lying down on her side and was difficult to see in the tall grass. We tried to see the lions under the bush, but could only see the bellies of 2 and that was after sitting there and staring for a while. Makes you wonder how many lions we have driven past and not even known it!
Because we went so out of the way, we got a late start on our drive to the next camp - Xakanaka. The road today was nowhere near as bumpy as yesterday. We had lunch near the water again. This time our guests were hippos. They kept popping their heads up and blowing bubbles. No going to the bathroom here though...there was a black mamba living in it! Yikes!
We finally made it to Xakanaka camp, but another group had beaten us there. Here in Botswana, it doesn't seem to matter if you've paid for it, the rule of 1st come, 1st served still applies. So we searched for a place to set up our camp near-by. The crew would level out the ground and cut down the grass while we went out on a game drive.
The area here is very wooded and has lots of tall trees. We got very close to a group of zebras, which I'm hoping will make for some awesome pictures.
We are seeing fewer elephants now, but they're definitely still around.
As we were driving back to camp, the bugs started to come out. There are definitely more bugs here than any of the other places we've been. We were covered by the time we got back! We had dinner to the sounds of hippos, hyenas, and 2 leopards mating. It sounded more like they were being tortured! And by the sounds of it, they were very close to camp!
Day 13: Thursday, August 19th
Another morning of waking up early in search of animals. One of these mornings I would love to sleep in, but I doubt it's going to happen this trip. It didn't seem too cold this morning, but I still bundle up in layers because the wind is freezing once we start driving.
As in the days past, we were really hoping to see some lions or cheetahs. Well, the stars must have been aligned, because we turned the corner and round tons of cars all grouped together. We knew it had to be something good, boy was it ever! We had stumbled upon 9 lions and their fresh kill - a cape buffalo. It was very clear what the pecking order was, because until the alpha male was finished, the other lions couldn't come within 5 feet of the kill before he would roar and swat them away. He was definitely going whole-hog, and was up to his shoulders inside the buffalo. He would come back out for air after a few minutes, panting with meat sweats, and then go back in for more.
Some of the younger females got bored and started playing with each other - very entertaining to watch.
After about 30 minutes, we headed out toward the channels to go on a mokoro ride. A mokoro is a traditional dug-out wooden canoe where you are pushed by a poler. It's like Africa's version of a gondola. We zig-zagged through the tall grass and reeds, learned about the local plants, and I even tried a water fig (it tasted very planty), and once the water opened up, we saw tiny little frogs and the resident hippo. He wasn't too fond of us, and tried to scare us off. We decided to give him some space, and headed back. It was very relaxing and a neat tradition to experience.
After a quick lunch, we started back for camp, with a game drive en route. There were tons of birds, antelope and zebra.
And the lions were all still there, now passed out in a food coma. The vultures were starting to crowd, but the alpha male made sure to let them know that they were not yet finished. It would be theirs soon though, because lions won't eat the meat once it starts to spoil. The hyenas and jackals would be there that night to fight with the vultures.
While we had been out, the crew moved our entire camp over the campsite we should have been in last night - they were one hard-working crew! It was our last night camping, and we celebrated with a yummy dessert - caramel bake!
Day 14: Friday, August 20th
This morning was bittersweet, as it was our last morning in camp. We took group shots with the crew and waited as everything got packed up.
We were to do a game drive as we headed out, but we didn't see too many animals, so we actually made very good time. We had a new first - baby giraffes! They were so awkwardly cute! They kept trying to drink water from the watering hole like the adults, which is awkward looking when they do it too, but their necks weren't long enough, so they kept falling onto their knees. Poor things!
We stopped and had lunch at a campsite run by a bushman tribe. There were people there preparing grass thatching for roofing, and there were also women selling woven baskets. I bought another one, this one with many different colors in it. We took more group pictures, then kept driving to Maun.
We finally returned to paved roads, which means high speeds in an open-air vehicle without seatbelts. Kind of scary! We checked into the Island Safari Lodge, and after a nice shower and some hand-washing of my laundry, it was off to the airport. We went on a scenic flight over the Okovango Delta. The flight took place in a tiny 5-passenger plane. One of the Spaniards, Adrian (our newly adopted brother) joined us. The views were amazing, but between the heat and the quick tilting from side to side, I nearly lost it. An experience I will never forget, but not one that I care to repeat anytime soon.
We re-grouped back at the lodge, then had a delicious dinner at Audi Camp, where we'll stay when we return to Maun next week. It was our last night with the safari crew and 2 Peace Corps volunteers Shannon and Steve. It felt so good to be back in a bed again. There are different animals one the outside of each of the rooms here. Ours naturally were elephants - it was meant to be!
There are lots of monkeys roaming around the grounds, so you can't leave the windows or doors open, or they'll sneak into your room and steal your stuff. They were pretty cute, but I'd probably change my mind if they got into the room. Tori and I definitely slept soundly tonight, which is good because another early morning awaits us!
No comments:
Post a Comment