Day 16 (Acacia day 13) - Maun
We got up early today for a walk in the bush with some local bushman. They took us into the bush and showed us different plants and how they used them for medicine and everyday life (cleaning your teeth, leather dyes…). Also how to find water and start a fire without using matches. The bushman were pretty neat, these still wear traditional clothes (tanne
d animal skins) and work on the farm that owns the campsite we stayed at. They help with various activities and the cattle farming. The culture and lifestyle of the bushman is dying out, so being able to work in this manner has given them a bit of sustainability in their ways. Like most native cultures (Sioux, Australian Aboriginals …), the bushman have a natural predilection to becoming addicted to drinking and cigarettes. So even the work they do on the farm they don’t really get given money for, they are given food or any other things that they need.
We got up early today for a walk in the bush with some local bushman. They took us into the bush and showed us different plants and how they used them for medicine and everyday life (cleaning your teeth, leather dyes…). Also how to find water and start a fire without using matches. The bushman were pretty neat, these still wear traditional clothes (tanne
d animal skins) and work on the farm that owns the campsite we stayed at. They help with various activities and the cattle farming. The culture and lifestyle of the bushman is dying out, so being able to work in this manner has given them a bit of sustainability in their ways. Like most native cultures (Sioux, Australian Aboriginals …), the bushman have a natural predilection to becoming addicted to drinking and cigarettes. So even the work they do on the farm they don’t really get given money for, they are given food or any other things that they need. After the walk, we returned and packed the truck for a drive to Maun. A bumpy ride, dodging donkeys and cows in the road and we finally arrive in Maun. We stopped to change some money, buy a few supplies and check the internet really quickly. A few kilometers later we arrived at the campsite. We setup camp, made dinner and had a little birthday party.
Today was our tour guide Sammy’s birthday. We surprised him with a card, some balloons and a small gift. So after dinner we went to the bar and lived it up.
Day 17 (Acacia day 14) – Okavango Delta
Rough morning after a long night. We got up and had to pack a 4x4 truck with our kit for the next day. This included tents, kitchen, stove and food. We rode the truck for an hour or so through rough roads, streams and whatnot out to the mokoro camp.
Day 17 (Acacia day 14) – Okavango Delta
Rough morning after a long night. We got up and had to pack a 4x4 truck with our kit for the next day. This included tents, kitchen, stove and food. We rode the truck for an hour or so through rough roads, streams and whatnot out to the mokoro camp.
The Okavango Delta is the largest in land delta (most empty into oceans or seas) in the world. It is a huge mass of streams, islands and such that are always changing as the water levels rise and fall. It is inhabited by loads of different animals including elephants, lions, buffalo, crocodiles, hippos, impala and zebras, to name a few.
We arrived at the mokoro camp and met our polers. You see mokoros are dugout canoes (although most are made of fiberglass now to help with sustainability) that are propelled by polers (using…wait for it.. a long pole that they push the boat and steer with). It was very quiet and relaxing riding out to the campsite. The reeds and lilies are taller than you are when you sit in the mokoro and there are pretty much no other noises out there. We stopped and took a swim and then made it to our island.The afternoon was pretty much free for all of us to do whatever we 
wanted. Several of our group 
took naps, I thought I’d try my hand at the mokoro. It was fun but definitely a lot harder than it looks, especially to keep it going straight. We had an evening game walk but didn’t see any animals. Its not necessarily the place you go for animals, more of a time to chill out, relax and enjoy camping and the water. I know I did. As evening came, we all started feeling the effects of a big night before, all day in the sun and the bugs came out. So it was an early one.
Day 18 (Acacia day 15) – Maun
We got up early and had another game walk. Again because of the rainy season and how big the area is, there wasn’t any luck finding any game. Even without game, the Delta is a really cool place and very interesting. We might not have seen any elephants but we followed plenty of their tracks. Anyway another short mokoro ride back to our island, and then we loaded up and poled to the trucks.
wanted. Several of our group 
took naps, I thought I’d try my hand at the mokoro. It was fun but definitely a lot harder than it looks, especially to keep it going straight. We had an evening game walk but didn’t see any animals. Its not necessarily the place you go for animals, more of a time to chill out, relax and enjoy camping and the water. I know I did. As evening came, we all started feeling the effects of a big night before, all day in the sun and the bugs came out. So it was an early one.
Day 18 (Acacia day 15) – Maun
We got up early and had another game walk. Again because of the rainy season and how big the area is, there wasn’t any luck finding any game. Even without game, the Delta is a really cool place and very interesting. We might not have seen any elephants but we followed plenty of their tracks. Anyway another short mokoro ride back to our island, and then we loaded up and poled to the trucks.
After we got back to the campsite we cleaned up a bit and then four of us had booked a 45 minute scenic flight over the delta. We got a ride out to the airport and met our pilot… I think he was about 17, seriously. At one point I asked how long he had been flying and he said since he was 15 but that he had over 300 hours now… Even so he was a good pilot and we saw loads from the air. We saw some impala, tones of 
hippos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and several elephants. We when spotted animals with enough time, he put us into a steep bank so that we had awesome views. He wasn’t allowed to circle the animals or deviate from the flight plane much but we still saw a lot and it was awesome.What should have been a nice quiet night was turned into an impromptu party when after dinner, the thunderstorms hit. We ended up having to do the dishes and pack away the kitchen in the torrential rain, but it was fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment