Chobe River and the Okavango Delta

It was a long and hot border crossing to get into Botswana, and during the unexpected hour wait in full sun just to board the ferry to cross the river, everyone got badly burnt.  We may have arrived dehydrated and grumpy, but Botswana soon proved to be a beautiful and welcoming country.

We camped by the edge of the Chobe River and got to know the new members of our group that joined at Livingstone.  On our first night camping in Botswana, the storm clouds started rolling in late in the evening.  Before hitting the tents, we watched the fantastic light show of the approaching storm, and heard the distant crashing of thunder.  Warm in my sleeping bag in the middle of the night, I was woken by the loudest thunder I have ever heard.  Everyone spent the next hour wide awake in their tents as the most intense storm battled above.  The lightning would illuminate through the thick canvas of the tent, and almost simultaneously the roar of thunder would rattle your bones and you'd think briefly of the metal poles supporting your tent.  We awoke to a veritable flooded campsite, with one tent actually floating over running water.  

Our next safari was a boat cruise along the river.  With the African sun blazing down, we still decided to take to the roof for the best views on all sides.

A family of elephants came jogging down a hill to the bank for a drink and bath.  The smallest ones were up to their ears, copying mom and dad, learning how to keep cool.

Fish eagle

We came across a group of hippos chomping on the vegetation, mouths open excessively wide for the thin grasses.  We were treated to a display of how hippos mark their territory, when one larger hippo helicoptered its waste a remarkable distance in the water using its tail.  Quite a sight to see!

My favourite photo from the entire trip: especially with the plot of grass resembling a mirrored version of the continent

The grand finale of the river cruise was one of the most glorious sunsets yet, and every single sunrise and sunset in Africa is pretty spectacular.

Time to head into the heart of the Okavango Delta.  Each year, this plain floods with water coming from heavy rains in Angola, bringing much needed water to the Kalahari Desert.  Animals make their annual pilgrimage to this oasis before it dries up, feasting on the seasonal vegetation and enjoying the water.  Packing up for a trip into the delta, I was especially excited to go on a bush camping adventure.  While we've been camping the entire way, this felt more like camping at home, where you prepare what you need, canoe out into the wild, and do not have a toilet.  

The journey started off with a crowded two-hour jeep ride over rough dirt and occasionally mud roads to access the delta.  We sang in terrible harmonies to keep ourselves entertained, and avoided getting scratched by thorn trees in the narrowest sections of the road.

Photo: Scott McQueen. We crammed 22 people into a jeep made for 16.  This is Africa.

We met our Botswanan polers who would guide us into the wild.  Peeling off into pairs, we hopped into our makoros, the dugout canoes that would navigate the channels of the delta.  It was already midday, and the sun was fierce.  Wilson had suggested everyone pick up an umbrella at our last grocery stop.  As we headed out, the boats blossomed with bright yellow and pink animal faces opening up to the sky, topped with protruding ears.  It was supremely relaxing as our trusted poler Miguel guided us through the reeds, and we listened to the birds.  This felt so much like navigating the channels of Big Creek Marsh in Long Point, that I forgot for a minute that we were still in Africa, and hippos grunted in the distance.

Hannah and Franny

Me, Steve, and Miguel

Traffic jam

We set up our camp in the woods, and a bathroom was dug uneasily close to our civilization.  I suppose this was a comfort in the night, but a little disconcerting in the daylight.  We headed out in small groups for a hike with our polers, who were determined to find us some wildlife, or at least show us the active land.  We only saw an antelope and some birds, but evidence of frequent use was all around us, as our guide pointed out warthog burrows, hippo and zebra tracks, a buffalo skull, and snake trails.  Another beautiful sunset capped off the hike, and we raced to get back to camp before we were caught too far away without headlamps.

Once the stars illuminated the sky and the fire was roaring, our polers demonstrated traditional Botswanan songs, and one in English for us.  The harmonizing and dancing around the flickering light felt like the heart of Africa.  Then it was our turn. We split up into our countries to sing a representative song or two.  Canada had the majority at 6 people, and thought "Sorry" would be an appropriate start, followed by a little Drake, then a raucous transition into the Hockey Night in Canada theme and finished off with the Good Ol' Hockey Game.

"Beautiful Botswana, I shall never forget beautiful Botswana."

Photo: Scott McQueen

Early morning makoro back to mainland

Lastly for this post, here are two pictures by Scott McQueen that provide a glance into the sweaty life in the overland truck.  Also check out his amazing video from this leg of the journey!

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