Botswana Safari

  Chobe National Park, Botswana
Monday, May 14, 2007

The next day we headed out on a Safari in Chobe National Park, Botswana. The boarder between Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe is a river crossing. A huge line of hauling trucks waits to cross on a ferry that carries just one truck at a time. We finally get into Botswana and start the safari on a boat doing a river cruise down the Chobe River toward Okavanga. I've seen hippos before, but to be so close to them in a boat is both scary and unbelievably cool. We come upon a huge group of them napping with some alligators in the middle of the marshes. We motor close, trying not to wake them and staring in awe at these huge creatures, some of the most dangerous ones in nature, these huge animals, seems to float somehow, their tiny ears sticking out of the water, babies resting their heads on mothers, soaking up the sun and slipping into dreams I imagine. The scouter sees us coming and even when we cut the motor and pull up close, he circles around, disappearing under water for what seems like eternity and surfacing else where...nothing quite like the sound of a hippo or their yawn as they open up their mouth. The best shot of this was from the safari I did in Kruger in South Africa, so I'll put a pic in of it here.

We notice many animals are sucking the ground and our guide explains they are sucking the salt from the earth.

On the banks of the river elephants gallivant along, playing with each other, taking mud baths, and drinking for the water's edge. Warthogs, kudus and impala seem content to play together on the banks...it's always a favorite for me to see the animals together and how they interact. We spot an enormous alligator, motor over to it, trying to sneak up, it cracks a yellow eerie eye and with all the stealth you would expect slithers off it's perch from sunning itself in the marsh and disappears beneath the water's surface.

I stare down into the water, lily flowers are seemingly strung together in horizontal fashion, attached to river reeds and plants leaving a natureza too beautiful to describe fully in words.

As we get off the boat, we can't stop thinking of lunch, hungry from the morning trip. We pile into safari vehicles and as we leave the edge our thoughts of food seem to vanish as we look around, as far as the eye can see giraffes are peeking their heads out of the trees, eating leaves from tall branch or spreading their stilt like legs far enough apart so they can bend their head down and nibble from the ground. Huge elephants intermix with them as they graze from shrubs; the two huge animals leave us all speechless and filled with excitement at the same time. trying to get close: We drive by the banks of the Chobe river, winding our way to camp, literally in the middle of the bush.

When we arrive tents are being set up and lunch made as we now have become mad with hunger...if you all know me personally I can't function without food and soon become incoherent trying to make small talk with others on the trip. We have a couple girls who just graduated from undergrad, full of ambition, one doing an internship in cape town working with refugees. A Japanese girl who works for UNDP in Windhoek, Namibia just on vacation. And a North San Diego County older couple who are visiting their daughter and her husband...they are maybe 35, both met backpacking, had been working in corporate jobs and took over a year to travel around South America, Africa and Asia. While on their trip they volunteered for a couple weeks in an orphanage in South Africa. When they returned to "normal" life they found they were changed by what they saw and decided to work for a year, save up money and come back to Africa. They are now volunteering for a year, managing the orphanage in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It's so interesting to travel here because everyone you meet has a fascinating story of how to live life just a bit differently.

After lunch we head off on an afternoon game drive, starting by the banks of the marshy river, the sun is making the surface sparkle, sending jewels of light off in all directions. We first come across some elephants hanging out by the banks, getting so close you could almost touch them. Then we head up into the bush, passing monkey, baboons enjoying the afternoon. An enormous Cape Buffalo is so still against the greenery we almost drive past, but as we backtrack and stare in awe at him we can't help but wonder at the way his horns look like hair. Next we come across an old kudu, I often find they exude an almost majestic air as you stare at them and they stare back at you, and you can't deny the beauty and prestige of his amazing grace.

Heading to another part of the river, a troop of elephants is just crossing the banks, we watch as the adults, only go in half way, but the babies are completely engulfed in the water. Exiting back onto dry land the now two-toned elephants are picturesque against the African landscape. As they exit, the driver inches closer, one turns, his ears are out at full span in a sign of caution, unsure if we are a danger or simply a gawking visitor to his beautiful existence. I could not fully describe the beauty of Chobe, it is part desert with sand on the ground and part marsh river, huge trees rising above, tall and branching out at the top, something you might picture from Hansel and Gretel child tale. The sounds of nature fill the air, the smell of it intoxicates the senses and you are just left with your own thoughts as you stare across the expanse of landscape. It's quite different than Kruger or than Zambian landscape, but it leaves you just as awestruck.

As the sun begins to set, reds and purples light up the African sky; knobby trees stand as if in a painting set against this landscape and animals are backlight by the setting sun. All of the sudden our driver talks on his radio and starts driving fast, he turns and says I apologize for the dust, but I have a surprise for you. We pull up to a tree and there is no denying the hanging white tip of the tail of a leopard, he is laying on the branch, his cat ears relaxed, scanning the ground below. With some binoculars we stare at his spotted fur, and watch in awe as he stands up, seems to spot prey below. He is so graceful and quiet we all are transfixed watching...the sun behind him, outlines the silhouette of the tree in black and you can't believe you could be so close to something so amazing. We sit for what seems like an eternity inching this way and that to get the best view. Finally he seems to spot something and effortlessly, silently climbs down the tree to find dinner.

As we head back to camp the colors of the sky have taken on different hughes, so beautiful I don't have words for it, we drive by the banks of the river and when we get back to camp are alive with conversation. We eat dinner cooked over small stove and sit around the campfire. I start talking to one of the guides who has worked all over Botswana doing safaris, the life he has lead is one I can never imagine, an incredible opportunity to work and live so close to the animals

That night we often wake up to sounds of hippos, hyenas and a lion. In the morning as we take a drive, we spot lion tracks only feet from camp, a hyena bounds past us into the bush, talking to others, vultures cluster in groups in the top of a tree and we strain to make out if there is a kill. As drive back mongoose and baboons, monkeys, giraffes, elephants and buffalo dot the landscape and you almost want to scream let me stay here just one more minute, because the truth is there is nothing like it, nothing so beautiful.