Safari Chapter Three: Camp Okavango

We were warmly greeted at Camp Okavango by our guide and camp hosts. Our first activity was a canoe (mokoro) ride. Traditionally, these vessels were carved from mokoro wood, but environmentally friendly fiberglass is now the preferred material. We walked to the water’s edge and saw lion tracks and talked about the five deadly snakes of Botswana. During the canoe ride we saw a crocodile that was trying to sneak up on a stork and two cranes. We also saw a scorpion that is thought to have magical powers to turn men into women and vice versa. The water was shallow and clear and the mode of propulsion was “poling”, where the guide, while standing, used a long forked stick to push the canoe through the shallow, crystal-clear water. We had a nice jovial snack time with guides. Our refreshments included dry lemon drinks and biltong, which is similar to beef jerky.



On our walk back from the canoe launch site, we saw a big giraffe. We were able to get within 20 feet of him, which was a majestic experience and we got a lot of pictures.



The excitement and magic continued when we arrived at Christmas dinner to see a beautifully decorated dining room awaiting us. The Christmas tree had flashing lights and there were bowls of spray-painted pods. A cylindrical “party cracker” was placed at each plate setting. We popped them to find a prize and a proverb, which we shared by reading around the table and then guessing the author. Among the other guests were a couple from Parma, Italy and four friends from rural England. The staff also joined us at the table. Dinner was delicious and included barbecued turkey (on the braii, which is a barbecue), ham, and all the fixings. They had even prepared a special Christmas cake. Following the feast, we all gathered around the roaring fire and sang a lot of silly songs, played a lot of fun games, and celebrated with a few Christmas carols.

On Sunday, we were awakened at the usual 5:30 am and breakfast at 6:00. We went in the boat to Mojei Island for a walking safari. During the boat ride to the island, Jessie spotted the first crocodile of the day and won “the prize”. Once on the island, we walked for 4 hours. It was long and hot. However, our sweat was rewarded when we saw a pair of lions sleeping in the distance. We approached them under the direction of our guide. The main point was “No matter what happens, don’t run”. We observed the female who got up and sauntered off in the opposite direction into a refuge of trees. Eventually the male woke up and noted that his partner was gone and he, too walked away slowly. On this walk we also saw wart hogs, impala, red leschwe, and many kinds of birds. There was no snack.  We thought we were going to die, not from the lions but from dehydration, pollen, and exhaustion.





After lunch, we went back to our rooms to take a nap and then we got together to look at pictures. We had tea and chocolate éclairs with maraschino cherries at 3:30. Then we went out on the boat to see hippo and did we see hippo! Our guide was gently propelling us down the channel when Jessie spotted a hippo. When she pointed out the hippo, anticipating that we could slow down to view it more closely, our guide put the boat in full throttle and we zoomed away, narrowly averting capsizing.



Apparently, hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa, and they can inadvertently capsize a boat because they displace so much water. They are really big and they completely submerge, making them impossible to see when they are under the water. Their jaws are enormous and they open all the way. Once we were in the open water of the lagoon, we were able to view the hippo more safely. We saw several hippo, most notably three at one time bobbing, snorting, spouting, and twirling their ears. We saw the Malachite King Fisher, the most beautiful bird of all.
Back at the tents, we showered and then went to dinner with our fellow campers.

After dinner, one of the camp guides walked the three of us back to our tents but just as we approached Jessie and Laurie’s tent, we spotted two hippos next to the trail. It was alarming. We walked backwards slowly and the hippos did not move on. So the guide, the smallest of the four of us, announced that he was going to get a stick to throw at the enormous hippos. The stick didn’t work so he sent us back to the lodge where we explained the situation and called for backup. Another camp guide went to help the first guide while we stayed by the fire with the other guests. Eventually we got the all-clear signal and were escorted to our tents. We heard the hippos during the night but they did not bother us because they are unable to climb stairs and our tents are on elevated platforms.

On Monday we were up at 5:30 as usual, breakfast at 6:00 (French toast) and a power boat ride back to the island for another walking safari. We saw baboons, wart hogs, kudu, a Nile monitor lizard, and the fur of the lion in little tufts along the trail. It was breezy in the early morning and we only walked for 2.5 hours.



After 3:30 tea time, we went fishing. This was not a routine safari activity, but our guide was glad to accommodate our request. We took a 20 minute power boat ride to “the spot” which was a nondescript place in the channel that looked like a junction of two channels where elephants and hippos might access the water. Upon grounding the boat on the reeds, our guide reached into a black plastic garbage bag and pulled out fists full of flying ant wings which he threw into the water. The fish responded positively so we baited our hooks with raw beef and cast them into the water. In a matter of minutes, the fish were biting and biting and biting and biting. We ended up with over 20 tilapia. We took the catch back to camp and the kitchen prepared one of the largest tilapia and served it with all of the other dishes for our dinner, which we shared with the family from Australia and the camp staff.





After dinner we retired to our tents for some much needed rest. In the morning we went on a relaxing mokoro ride in the shallow channels of the delta. One of the highlights was seeing a chameleon slooowly travel along a branch near the shore.
Later that morning we were off to Kasane where we stayed at the Chobe Game Lodge.