Thurs 17th June
We had an adventure of a completely different kind this morning, we again set off in search of a leopard at around 8am. Again we headed to the water's edge but this time the water was flooded just a bit too much and we got completely stuck in about a foot of muddy water, the wheels span, we were grounded. Luckily the engine did not stop and the exhaust was half out of the water and it spluttered and farted but did not stop. Lenti stripped off to his vest and shorts and went into the bitterly cold water and the cold wind to rescue us. First finding logs then jacking up the car to get them under the wheels so that we could get some grip. It took over an hour to get us moving after several failed attempts, but then finally we were off. We got about 6m before we were stuck again and this time the engine stopped. That is the worst thing, now, had the exhaust been underwater still, water would have been sucked up into the engine and then we would have been stuck for good. Lenti's hands were so cold that he couldn't turn the key but fortunately when I gave it a go the engine spurted back into life and after another 10 mins of jacking and placing logs we managed to make it out of the water.
We leapt from the vehicle and covered Lenti in blankets, made him coffee and fed him chocolate then, after about 15 mins he could feel his hands and feet enough to get underway again. Phew!
But our aquatic adventure was not over yet, as we left the Moremi game reserve, that has been our fantastic host for the past few days, we had to do three river crossings, one of which was the one where the two German guys got stuck yesterday. So we were all a bit nervous and Lenti was definitely more cautious, we rocked and rolled through the rivers and pools, one time water splashing up over the engine, but we made it through. Then we were off 120km along a sandy track with a top speed of about 30kmh to Sabuti, a dry marsh area where the river hasn't flowed for over 30 years, but this year it is flowing and is over a foot deep! We passed some South Africans who obviously didn't know how to drive in the sand and they had got themselves stuck. Lenti gave them advice but they didn't seem to want to take it until they had tried and tried and were just digging themselves deeper and deeper into the sand. Eventually Lenti gave them one last bit of advice and then told them that we were driving on but that we would stop up the road and wait for about 20 mins to see if they could get out else we would send for help by his radio. They finally took his advice and unhooked their trailer and did lots of reversing and then going forward - SLOWLY - so that the wheels could get traction. We bypassed them and stopped about 1km ahead to have lunch and just as we finished they came along the road, finally having followed his advice and managing to free themselves.
We arrived in our new campsite at around 2:30pm, had a quick cup of tea and then went out on a game drive. We had only been going about 20 mins when there she was, the beauty, a leopard right out in the open, sunbathing on the top of a termite mound. She was gorgeous and posed for us for over half an hour as we sat and watched. Then we went to see some Wildebeast and by the time we returned she had gone, but what a treat. Another great day.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Moremi Game Reserve - Day 3
Wed 16th June
We had a lie in until 7:30am, it was cold again last night but I went to bed with roasty toasty legs due to the large campfire we had been sitting around. Lenti had gone off into a village about 1/2 and hour away so their were no lights that they usually leave lit from the car battery, he went to watch the Brazil game, he reckons they are going to win again. Celso decided to sit around the fire for longer than Tris and I and he was rewarded with a brief sighting of a grey Bush baby that scuttled up the tree right by our fire and then leapt away.
After a breakfast of hot rice pudding we set off on a game drive to see if we could find the pride of lions that had kept us awake from about 4am with their roaring. Lenti explained that they only roar for 3 reasons; 1, they have made a kill and are just happy; 2, they are calling together all their members after an unsuccessful hunt; or 3, they are confident and advertising their presence and ownership of the territory. To Tris and I it had sounded like they were only about 400m away but Lenti thought they were more like 3km away. He said that if they are within 15m or so you can actually feel the vibrations of their roars through the ground!
We found one pair of lions, an (about) 5 year old male and a female, we are not sure if this was the lion that made all that noise or not, but he was magnificent anyway even though not yet fully grown. We later saw tracks for more lions with cubs and another set for a Cheetah but we couldn't find them.
We took a track along the edge of the river but it was completely flooded and at times I was sure we were going to get stuck as the water came up over the wheels and the exhaust farted from under the water, but Lenti got us safely through. We saw some Red Lechwe antelope that live in or around water, about twice the size of the Impala and with no black markings. We had taken that route because it is prime habitat for leopards in the trees above the water as they sit in wait for animals to come down to drink; no luck for us though. We thought we had found a large kill when we saw vultures circling and then coming down to the ground, we got fabulous pictures of them hunched in the trees; but as we approached 'the kill' we found that it was a dead 3m Rock Python, perhaps killed by a Honey Badger, or maybe it died of old age, but anyway the vultures were enjoying it! There were three types of vulture, 1 Hooded vulture that flew off as we approached, 1 White Headed vulture and perhaps 20 or so White backed vultures, they are such ugly-beautiful creatures!
Later we came across a couple of elephants sunbathing and looking completely blissful and unaware of our presence.
By 11am we had found our way to the park entrance gate to collect some more water for camp. We met a couple of German guys there who had spent all night in their rented 4WD stuck in a river, all their documents and money had been in the safe in the floor of the car and they were completely soaked so they were trying to dry out passports, money and visa papers in the sun. Fortunately their 4WD was one of those with a pop up sleeping section so they had managed to get some rest up and out of the water but it must have been absolutely freezing and a scary time. They were pulled out this morning by a passing truck and were now waiting to be towed back to Maun to see if the vehicle can be fixed.
We are now back in camp and sitting in the sun. Lunch will be served soon! Celso has spent the last hour photographing a strange little beetle thing, first found by Tristan when we went to get water but now we find them everywhere. They have two antlers and a long stick thing down their backs but they are less than 5mm long, we haven't a clue what they are and we have no insect book so we will have to wait until we can get some Internet access before we can discover what they are.
The afternoon game drive was a bit unsuccessful, we saw plenty of Impala and baboons, but some Meyer's Parrots were too shy for us to get a real close up look or even a distant photograph. We were specifically looking for leopards, which in this tree filled area can sit up to 6m above the ground, so we spent the drive squinting up into the trees but with no luck.
When we returned to camp the hippos were honking and a female lion made its way around the camp through about 130 degrees (but over 2km away), roaring as she went and occasionally answered by a male, I wonder if it was the same 2 we saw this morning.
After dark we had a brief glimpse of a Bush baby but he/she was far too fast, up into the canopy and off, leaping and jumping. Later another came to lick the sap from the tree bark just above our fire and we managed to get a few snaps before he/she too leapt away.
We had a lie in until 7:30am, it was cold again last night but I went to bed with roasty toasty legs due to the large campfire we had been sitting around. Lenti had gone off into a village about 1/2 and hour away so their were no lights that they usually leave lit from the car battery, he went to watch the Brazil game, he reckons they are going to win again. Celso decided to sit around the fire for longer than Tris and I and he was rewarded with a brief sighting of a grey Bush baby that scuttled up the tree right by our fire and then leapt away.
After a breakfast of hot rice pudding we set off on a game drive to see if we could find the pride of lions that had kept us awake from about 4am with their roaring. Lenti explained that they only roar for 3 reasons; 1, they have made a kill and are just happy; 2, they are calling together all their members after an unsuccessful hunt; or 3, they are confident and advertising their presence and ownership of the territory. To Tris and I it had sounded like they were only about 400m away but Lenti thought they were more like 3km away. He said that if they are within 15m or so you can actually feel the vibrations of their roars through the ground!
We found one pair of lions, an (about) 5 year old male and a female, we are not sure if this was the lion that made all that noise or not, but he was magnificent anyway even though not yet fully grown. We later saw tracks for more lions with cubs and another set for a Cheetah but we couldn't find them.
We took a track along the edge of the river but it was completely flooded and at times I was sure we were going to get stuck as the water came up over the wheels and the exhaust farted from under the water, but Lenti got us safely through. We saw some Red Lechwe antelope that live in or around water, about twice the size of the Impala and with no black markings. We had taken that route because it is prime habitat for leopards in the trees above the water as they sit in wait for animals to come down to drink; no luck for us though. We thought we had found a large kill when we saw vultures circling and then coming down to the ground, we got fabulous pictures of them hunched in the trees; but as we approached 'the kill' we found that it was a dead 3m Rock Python, perhaps killed by a Honey Badger, or maybe it died of old age, but anyway the vultures were enjoying it! There were three types of vulture, 1 Hooded vulture that flew off as we approached, 1 White Headed vulture and perhaps 20 or so White backed vultures, they are such ugly-beautiful creatures!
Later we came across a couple of elephants sunbathing and looking completely blissful and unaware of our presence.
By 11am we had found our way to the park entrance gate to collect some more water for camp. We met a couple of German guys there who had spent all night in their rented 4WD stuck in a river, all their documents and money had been in the safe in the floor of the car and they were completely soaked so they were trying to dry out passports, money and visa papers in the sun. Fortunately their 4WD was one of those with a pop up sleeping section so they had managed to get some rest up and out of the water but it must have been absolutely freezing and a scary time. They were pulled out this morning by a passing truck and were now waiting to be towed back to Maun to see if the vehicle can be fixed.
We are now back in camp and sitting in the sun. Lunch will be served soon! Celso has spent the last hour photographing a strange little beetle thing, first found by Tristan when we went to get water but now we find them everywhere. They have two antlers and a long stick thing down their backs but they are less than 5mm long, we haven't a clue what they are and we have no insect book so we will have to wait until we can get some Internet access before we can discover what they are.
The afternoon game drive was a bit unsuccessful, we saw plenty of Impala and baboons, but some Meyer's Parrots were too shy for us to get a real close up look or even a distant photograph. We were specifically looking for leopards, which in this tree filled area can sit up to 6m above the ground, so we spent the drive squinting up into the trees but with no luck.
When we returned to camp the hippos were honking and a female lion made its way around the camp through about 130 degrees (but over 2km away), roaring as she went and occasionally answered by a male, I wonder if it was the same 2 we saw this morning.
After dark we had a brief glimpse of a Bush baby but he/she was far too fast, up into the canopy and off, leaping and jumping. Later another came to lick the sap from the tree bark just above our fire and we managed to get a few snaps before he/she too leapt away.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Moremi Game Reserve - Day 2
Tues 15th June
Last night after I wrote the blog I was looking at some of the photos when a Praying Mantis came and sat on the screen as it was nice and bright; he sat there at the bottom of the screen for over 20 mins when a mosquito landed near the top of the screen; the hunt was on; he crept up the screen and then out shot his hands and he grabbed his prey and sat munching for another 5 minutes; it was safari in miniature! Then later we went to bed with the Hippos honking from 3 different directions, they are noisy, big brutes! They do 4 honks then wait 5 seconds and then repeat until another responds from somewhere else.
At about 4am we were woken by what sounded like rain, but it was just a strong wind that apparently is common this time of year, and it continued for the rest of the day making it bitterly cold when you were caught in it without protection from the trees.
Our first stop today was a visit to an area from which you can get taken out into the delta in canoes. On the way we saw Reedbucks leaping through the tall reeds at the edge of the river; then we nearly ran head first into a large male elephant in musk coming in the other direction. Males in musk look like they have been crying with some fluid oozing from just above and back a bit from their eyes. He was definitely a little bit flustered when he noticed us and flared his ears before making a detour off the track to avoid us.
When we got in the canoes, Celso was propelled by Glen and Tris and I were in a second canoe propelled by Action. They were both very knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife of the delta. We stopped for photos of beautiful lilies that change in colour after pollination from white and yellow to pinks, blues and purples, then the flower is withdrawn back under water and becomes a fruit. We found 3 fruits and ate two; I didn't think much of it, it was full of tiny pips that made the texture like eating grit and the nutty taste didn't make up for it; however, Celso and Tris munched merrily on them! We also found some water figs, tiny berries on a bush that grows in the water, they turn from yellow to red when ripe and Tris and I found 1 ripe one to munch on, again it was very gritty but this time a tiny bit sweet too. Glen spotted the tiniest frog that I have ever seen, barely 2 cm and looked like wet sugar, glistening and slightly green. He was clinging to a reed about a foot above the water and he was no thicker than the diameter of the reed itself. Action spotted another slightly larger frog later on, also clinging to a reed about a foot above the water, he was about 4cm and brightly coloured, orangey brown with cream coloured stripes and spots and bright orange feet; he leapt away onto a lily pad which was the perfect photographic opportunity. At the furthest point on our canoe journey we entered an open bit of water where the crocs can get up to 6m long; I'm quite glad we didn't see any as I felt quite vulnerable in the wobbly little canoes, then we left the canoes and crept around the edge of the water to watch a pod of 4 hippos, a large male, 2 females and a baby; however the wind was blowing and they were avoiding coming out of the water as much as possible so the sightings weren't that good. We spotted a kingfisher; no trees here to sit on a look for the fish, here they have to hover above the water to spot their prey.
After 2.5 hours out on the water we were cold but happy with our sightings and we returned to a welcome cup of hot tea and then headed back into the drier area East towards the River Kwai again but on a rather protracted route due to the many track closures due to flooding. We again were treated to some fantastic wildlife viewing. First we ran into the male elephant in musk again, then 2 lions (young males) lazing in the sun, one with his head on the others back looking very contented. Then a hippo out of the water and munching on the grass, another Hammerkop duck, a large male warthog with his antenna tail, 3 large Topi (the fastest antelope), a flap necked chameleon that we nearly ran over as he tried to cross the road, he was yellow, camouflaged against the sand but turned green as we picked him up and then brown as we released him on a tree - incredible. We stopped and had some lunch and watched a huge ant colony carting away our bread crumbs and blocking the hole into their nest with a largish piece which caused quite a commotion for a while as they sorted it all out. As we started off again a Honey Badger crossed the road about 10m in front of us but the road was so bad at that point that it took us ages to reach that point and all we could see was his bottom disappearing into the bush. He/She is such a funny looking creature, sort of the shape of an earwig, very low to the ground but with a hairy skirt rather than a shell, it just looked like some sort of dry elongated mop head shuffling across the road. Our next encounter was a little hairy; a tree had fallen across the road in the winds and Lenti decided to try and pull it out of the way with the truck. As we left the truck to attach a rope to the tree Celso joked that it was an elephant that had pushed it over to block the road in some kind of protest, then Celso shouted 'Elephant, Elephant!' and we looked up to see a large male with ears flared tramping towards us from out of the brush. Tris, Celso and I dived into the truck, but poor Lenti who had had head down fixing the towing rope didn't have a clue where the elephant was and didn't know which way to go... we laughed about it afterwards! Luckily the elephant decided not to do a full charge and stopped about 5m away behind some bushes at the edge of the road, then turned and went away. So after the tree was successfully moved we got under way again and came across a huge herd of elephant, mums and toddlers, at a water hole. There were, perhaps, 25 to 30 individuals and some posed and drank beautifully for us. As we neared our next camp we surprised a group of Vervet monkeys foraging on some fallen wood, they leapt up into the trees and watched us pass. We are staying at this camp for 2 days so the guys have even set up a small canopy tent for our dining table, it is all very civilised - oh yes, I tried the loo and it's fine, you just put some soil down the hole after each visit!
Last night after I wrote the blog I was looking at some of the photos when a Praying Mantis came and sat on the screen as it was nice and bright; he sat there at the bottom of the screen for over 20 mins when a mosquito landed near the top of the screen; the hunt was on; he crept up the screen and then out shot his hands and he grabbed his prey and sat munching for another 5 minutes; it was safari in miniature! Then later we went to bed with the Hippos honking from 3 different directions, they are noisy, big brutes! They do 4 honks then wait 5 seconds and then repeat until another responds from somewhere else.
At about 4am we were woken by what sounded like rain, but it was just a strong wind that apparently is common this time of year, and it continued for the rest of the day making it bitterly cold when you were caught in it without protection from the trees.
Our first stop today was a visit to an area from which you can get taken out into the delta in canoes. On the way we saw Reedbucks leaping through the tall reeds at the edge of the river; then we nearly ran head first into a large male elephant in musk coming in the other direction. Males in musk look like they have been crying with some fluid oozing from just above and back a bit from their eyes. He was definitely a little bit flustered when he noticed us and flared his ears before making a detour off the track to avoid us.
When we got in the canoes, Celso was propelled by Glen and Tris and I were in a second canoe propelled by Action. They were both very knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife of the delta. We stopped for photos of beautiful lilies that change in colour after pollination from white and yellow to pinks, blues and purples, then the flower is withdrawn back under water and becomes a fruit. We found 3 fruits and ate two; I didn't think much of it, it was full of tiny pips that made the texture like eating grit and the nutty taste didn't make up for it; however, Celso and Tris munched merrily on them! We also found some water figs, tiny berries on a bush that grows in the water, they turn from yellow to red when ripe and Tris and I found 1 ripe one to munch on, again it was very gritty but this time a tiny bit sweet too. Glen spotted the tiniest frog that I have ever seen, barely 2 cm and looked like wet sugar, glistening and slightly green. He was clinging to a reed about a foot above the water and he was no thicker than the diameter of the reed itself. Action spotted another slightly larger frog later on, also clinging to a reed about a foot above the water, he was about 4cm and brightly coloured, orangey brown with cream coloured stripes and spots and bright orange feet; he leapt away onto a lily pad which was the perfect photographic opportunity. At the furthest point on our canoe journey we entered an open bit of water where the crocs can get up to 6m long; I'm quite glad we didn't see any as I felt quite vulnerable in the wobbly little canoes, then we left the canoes and crept around the edge of the water to watch a pod of 4 hippos, a large male, 2 females and a baby; however the wind was blowing and they were avoiding coming out of the water as much as possible so the sightings weren't that good. We spotted a kingfisher; no trees here to sit on a look for the fish, here they have to hover above the water to spot their prey.
After 2.5 hours out on the water we were cold but happy with our sightings and we returned to a welcome cup of hot tea and then headed back into the drier area East towards the River Kwai again but on a rather protracted route due to the many track closures due to flooding. We again were treated to some fantastic wildlife viewing. First we ran into the male elephant in musk again, then 2 lions (young males) lazing in the sun, one with his head on the others back looking very contented. Then a hippo out of the water and munching on the grass, another Hammerkop duck, a large male warthog with his antenna tail, 3 large Topi (the fastest antelope), a flap necked chameleon that we nearly ran over as he tried to cross the road, he was yellow, camouflaged against the sand but turned green as we picked him up and then brown as we released him on a tree - incredible. We stopped and had some lunch and watched a huge ant colony carting away our bread crumbs and blocking the hole into their nest with a largish piece which caused quite a commotion for a while as they sorted it all out. As we started off again a Honey Badger crossed the road about 10m in front of us but the road was so bad at that point that it took us ages to reach that point and all we could see was his bottom disappearing into the bush. He/She is such a funny looking creature, sort of the shape of an earwig, very low to the ground but with a hairy skirt rather than a shell, it just looked like some sort of dry elongated mop head shuffling across the road. Our next encounter was a little hairy; a tree had fallen across the road in the winds and Lenti decided to try and pull it out of the way with the truck. As we left the truck to attach a rope to the tree Celso joked that it was an elephant that had pushed it over to block the road in some kind of protest, then Celso shouted 'Elephant, Elephant!' and we looked up to see a large male with ears flared tramping towards us from out of the brush. Tris, Celso and I dived into the truck, but poor Lenti who had had head down fixing the towing rope didn't have a clue where the elephant was and didn't know which way to go... we laughed about it afterwards! Luckily the elephant decided not to do a full charge and stopped about 5m away behind some bushes at the edge of the road, then turned and went away. So after the tree was successfully moved we got under way again and came across a huge herd of elephant, mums and toddlers, at a water hole. There were, perhaps, 25 to 30 individuals and some posed and drank beautifully for us. As we neared our next camp we surprised a group of Vervet monkeys foraging on some fallen wood, they leapt up into the trees and watched us pass. We are staying at this camp for 2 days so the guys have even set up a small canopy tent for our dining table, it is all very civilised - oh yes, I tried the loo and it's fine, you just put some soil down the hole after each visit!
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
First day in Moremi Game Reserve (delta area)
Mon 14th June
Today was basically one big game drive. We started from camp at about 8am and arrived at the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve at about 10am, then drove through the Okavango delta lands for 7 hours with incredible amounts of water next to really dry desert brush and grasslands. It is difficult to explain what a fantastic day it has been and the number of encounters we have made, you will just have to see the photos and know that all of the animals were within 25m but most were within 10m, it has just been incredible. All I will do here is list what we have seen.
Loads of Impala (a deer like creature with a stripey bottom and oversized ears); some Kudu, (a larger stripey deer); a Topi, (the fastest antelope, but too far away to photograph); baboons, two huge troops and one single male sifting through the elephant dung for the undigested seeds; elephants, several solitary male and a huge breeding herd (maybe 25 females with young) who were munching at the thick brush; giraffes, several soiltary females and a Jenny (this is the official term for a group of giraffe - stick that in your next pub quiz!); an incredibly colourful Saddle Beaked Stork; A Kori Bustard (the largest flying bird); an Opu (a tiny little bird with a colourful crest); loads of Guinea Fowl (in mating conflicts); a Hammerkop (a hammer headed duck); Wart Hogs, (who eventually ran away with their tails in the air) ; Hippos (4 in a pool of water about 2m deep); zebra, we lunched with a large herd wandering close to the truck ; Jacana (a chocolate brown moorhen type bird also known as the Jesus Christ bird because it seems to walk on water; and, if you can believe it, a small herd of lions who hunted a herd of zebra and one wildebeast as we watched. The lions were unsuccesful but the dust and the noise of the stamping of hooves was awesome. We can't believe how lucky we have been. Then at 5pm we arrive in camp, just a spot under a large Sausage Fruit Tree, and the support guys have set everything up and water was on for a shower, which is a bucket strung up in a tree and a special attachment at the bottom with a shower head; you just stand in a tent underneath.
The loo is in another tent where they have dug a hole and a chair with a loo seat attachment sits above the hole - I haven't braved it yet!
Today was basically one big game drive. We started from camp at about 8am and arrived at the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve at about 10am, then drove through the Okavango delta lands for 7 hours with incredible amounts of water next to really dry desert brush and grasslands. It is difficult to explain what a fantastic day it has been and the number of encounters we have made, you will just have to see the photos and know that all of the animals were within 25m but most were within 10m, it has just been incredible. All I will do here is list what we have seen.
Loads of Impala (a deer like creature with a stripey bottom and oversized ears); some Kudu, (a larger stripey deer); a Topi, (the fastest antelope, but too far away to photograph); baboons, two huge troops and one single male sifting through the elephant dung for the undigested seeds; elephants, several solitary male and a huge breeding herd (maybe 25 females with young) who were munching at the thick brush; giraffes, several soiltary females and a Jenny (this is the official term for a group of giraffe - stick that in your next pub quiz!); an incredibly colourful Saddle Beaked Stork; A Kori Bustard (the largest flying bird); an Opu (a tiny little bird with a colourful crest); loads of Guinea Fowl (in mating conflicts); a Hammerkop (a hammer headed duck); Wart Hogs, (who eventually ran away with their tails in the air) ; Hippos (4 in a pool of water about 2m deep); zebra, we lunched with a large herd wandering close to the truck ; Jacana (a chocolate brown moorhen type bird also known as the Jesus Christ bird because it seems to walk on water; and, if you can believe it, a small herd of lions who hunted a herd of zebra and one wildebeast as we watched. The lions were unsuccesful but the dust and the noise of the stamping of hooves was awesome. We can't believe how lucky we have been. Then at 5pm we arrive in camp, just a spot under a large Sausage Fruit Tree, and the support guys have set everything up and water was on for a shower, which is a bucket strung up in a tree and a special attachment at the bottom with a shower head; you just stand in a tent underneath.
The loo is in another tent where they have dug a hole and a chair with a loo seat attachment sits above the hole - I haven't braved it yet!
Monday, 28 June 2010
Into the Delta
Sun 13th June
After breakfast, again with our hosts, we set off to go further into the Okavango delta. However, the path we were supposed to take was flooded, in fact Lenti says that he has never seen water in that area in all his lifetime, again we seem to have brought the weather with us! In fact the rain does not fall here but North in Angola and then flows down the Okavango river to this region where it just soaks into the sand. Apparently the movement of the tectonic plates causes the rocks about 300m below the sands to shift and so the movement of the water is very unpredictable, but this year has been a bumper year for rain; it has slowly increased over the last 4 years but before that it was pretty dry.
Any way, we had to change plans and headed to a different campsite instead. On the way we saw rollers, Bee eaters, loads and loads of red and yellow beaked Hornbills. We passed through what they call a 'vet fence' which is a crescent shaped fence that prevents the domesticated cows getting into the park area and the Buffalo and other wildlife going into the populated area; the main reason being to stop the spread of Foot and Mouth disease. Once inside the park we drove on a sandy and bumpy road with a top speed of around 50kph.
We arrived at a private campground / lodge and went down to the reception; we met a rep from the company who was trying to sort out what we were going to do now that the normal route was blocked and he had booked us in to a campsite. As he talked with Lenti in the carpark we could see 2 small, black, dwarf mongeese (mongooses!) running around in the bushes; and later, as we drank tea outside the reception they came up onto the decked area to look for beatles - amazing. Lenti told us that in this area we must not go off into the bush as there could be lions and other wildlife just there behind the bushes.
The support vehicle (we are in one vehicle with Lenti and then our cook (Pi..so )and aid (Gerry) are in another; they always travel in two vehicles here - just in case) had already arrived at the campsite by the time we arrived, our tents were up, the table was laid and we sat down to eat lunch.
There was so much to see as we waited the half hour after lunch before we set off to do a bush drive and walk. First 2 Crested Francolin (a bit like partridges) came, scratching at the ground like chickens and then walking right across our campsite; as they left a yellow mongoose arrived, he seemed very shy at first but then he became very bold and also walked right through the camp. At one stage he lay down in the sand and dug his front paws into the sand as though he was sunbathing.
Our game drive was pretty uneventful apart from a brief sighting of a Speenbok (a small antelope) on the road and a huge, great giraffe munching on the top of the thorny bushes, but we arrived at another lodge after 45 minuteswhere we took a walk. Celso, Tris and I with 3 guides, one with a rifle, for about an hour through the bush. Our first sighting was a pair of male elephants who were eating the pods from the camelthorn tree, they were only about 20m away and apparently could have charged to us in about 1.5 to 2 seconds if they were angry. The larger male put his trunk up around the trunk of the tree and shook and shook so that all the pods fell down, it was incredible. Then we crept around them and on down to the Kwai River (part of the delta system), where we saw a huge Fish Eagle (with a white head and brown body), some Water Buck and a large group of Impala. There was large amounts of elephant dung everywhere, they hardly seem to digest what they eat and there were whole camelthorn seeds in perfect compost; aparently many plants here have seeds that don't germinate until they have been through an elephant!
Our drive back to camp was much more eventful, after meeting up with the 2 elephants again who had moved on to another camelthorn tree near the tack, we had a close up encounter with Waterbuck (they have a great white circle on their rumps like a huge target), then we saw a small herd of Zebra complete with a baby, a herd of Water Buffalo and a Tawny Eagle. We arrived back at camp really happy with the day, could it get any better? Water was being heated on the fire in a metal bucket and then this was tipped into a bag and hung up so that we could take a shower underneath, then we sat round the table and ate rice and fish and discussed what else we could possibly see. One thing I want to see is a Hyena but Lenti says that they don't see them very often as they are nocturnal even though they sometimes hear them in the nights; there was a rustling in the bushes and we got out the torch and shone it in the direction of the noise and believe it or not a spotted hyena was sneaking around the camp - how fantastic.
It has been an unbelievable day.
After breakfast, again with our hosts, we set off to go further into the Okavango delta. However, the path we were supposed to take was flooded, in fact Lenti says that he has never seen water in that area in all his lifetime, again we seem to have brought the weather with us! In fact the rain does not fall here but North in Angola and then flows down the Okavango river to this region where it just soaks into the sand. Apparently the movement of the tectonic plates causes the rocks about 300m below the sands to shift and so the movement of the water is very unpredictable, but this year has been a bumper year for rain; it has slowly increased over the last 4 years but before that it was pretty dry.
Any way, we had to change plans and headed to a different campsite instead. On the way we saw rollers, Bee eaters, loads and loads of red and yellow beaked Hornbills. We passed through what they call a 'vet fence' which is a crescent shaped fence that prevents the domesticated cows getting into the park area and the Buffalo and other wildlife going into the populated area; the main reason being to stop the spread of Foot and Mouth disease. Once inside the park we drove on a sandy and bumpy road with a top speed of around 50kph.
We arrived at a private campground / lodge and went down to the reception; we met a rep from the company who was trying to sort out what we were going to do now that the normal route was blocked and he had booked us in to a campsite. As he talked with Lenti in the carpark we could see 2 small, black, dwarf mongeese (mongooses!) running around in the bushes; and later, as we drank tea outside the reception they came up onto the decked area to look for beatles - amazing. Lenti told us that in this area we must not go off into the bush as there could be lions and other wildlife just there behind the bushes.
The support vehicle (we are in one vehicle with Lenti and then our cook (Pi..so )and aid (Gerry) are in another; they always travel in two vehicles here - just in case) had already arrived at the campsite by the time we arrived, our tents were up, the table was laid and we sat down to eat lunch.
There was so much to see as we waited the half hour after lunch before we set off to do a bush drive and walk. First 2 Crested Francolin (a bit like partridges) came, scratching at the ground like chickens and then walking right across our campsite; as they left a yellow mongoose arrived, he seemed very shy at first but then he became very bold and also walked right through the camp. At one stage he lay down in the sand and dug his front paws into the sand as though he was sunbathing.
Our game drive was pretty uneventful apart from a brief sighting of a Speenbok (a small antelope) on the road and a huge, great giraffe munching on the top of the thorny bushes, but we arrived at another lodge after 45 minuteswhere we took a walk. Celso, Tris and I with 3 guides, one with a rifle, for about an hour through the bush. Our first sighting was a pair of male elephants who were eating the pods from the camelthorn tree, they were only about 20m away and apparently could have charged to us in about 1.5 to 2 seconds if they were angry. The larger male put his trunk up around the trunk of the tree and shook and shook so that all the pods fell down, it was incredible. Then we crept around them and on down to the Kwai River (part of the delta system), where we saw a huge Fish Eagle (with a white head and brown body), some Water Buck and a large group of Impala. There was large amounts of elephant dung everywhere, they hardly seem to digest what they eat and there were whole camelthorn seeds in perfect compost; aparently many plants here have seeds that don't germinate until they have been through an elephant!
Our drive back to camp was much more eventful, after meeting up with the 2 elephants again who had moved on to another camelthorn tree near the tack, we had a close up encounter with Waterbuck (they have a great white circle on their rumps like a huge target), then we saw a small herd of Zebra complete with a baby, a herd of Water Buffalo and a Tawny Eagle. We arrived back at camp really happy with the day, could it get any better? Water was being heated on the fire in a metal bucket and then this was tipped into a bag and hung up so that we could take a shower underneath, then we sat round the table and ate rice and fish and discussed what else we could possibly see. One thing I want to see is a Hyena but Lenti says that they don't see them very often as they are nocturnal even though they sometimes hear them in the nights; there was a rustling in the bushes and we got out the torch and shone it in the direction of the noise and believe it or not a spotted hyena was sneaking around the camp - how fantastic.
It has been an unbelievable day.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Into Botswana
Friday 11th June
A bit more of a leisurely start today, we left camp at 8 and headed 100km to the Botswana border. The border formalities were quick and painless and we drove on another 200km to a small camp outside Ghanzi on the edge of the Kalahari desert. The drive was peculiarly void of animal life but Delphin says that sometimes it is just like that; there were plenty of cattle, goats, horses and donkeys but very little wildlife that we could see apart from a few small Bustards, some Pippet like birds and several Violet Chested Rollers - beautiful birds (but very shy).
We reached the camp at about 1pm Namibian time, 2pm Botswana time and chose a hut to sleep in; the camp is run by a cooperative of the Kalahari Bushmen (like those from the Gods must be Crazy), and we are sleeping in some of their huts; though we have the luxury of flushing toilets near by!
We were taken on a walk into the bush by 7 Bushmen, 3 men and 4 women, 1 with a baby. They really are very small people and are quite fair skinned for africans, they have the most wonderful complexions! They would spot a plant and then sit down and dig with their digging sticks and then tell us about the plant in their click clack language which was then translated by a guy called Comfort. They dug up the most enormous tuber, the sign was a tiny dead looking stick poking out of the ground, then opened it up and it was bright red inside- they use it to tan leather. There was a long, long root that they burn the end of then inhaloe the smoke if they have a headache, when they sneeze then the headache will go. Another was a root that they boil up and then rub on joints that are sore or put into nicks made in the skin for backache. There was another root for bad dreams, a seed that pops when you put it under your tongue - it is their joke, they loved it when we were shocked by the popping. There was a herb used to stuff into stinky meat as it is cooked - e.g. jackal, and another herb that is used to seal the hole in ostrich eggs which they use to carry water. Eventually they all sat down and made a fire by rubbing sticks, drank water from an ostrich egg and ate a wild melon that they had found accompanied by huge burps. They seemed very content and very pleased to be able to share their knowledge with us. All too soon it was over and we made our way back to camp, but we saw them again later that evening when they came to do some singing and dancing around a fire for another group that arrived much later. For this the men wrapped some sort of seed that had been strung together around their calves so that they rattled as they danced, they stamped their feet so had that we could feel the vibrations about 10 metres away, the women sat and clapped and sang, only 4 women again but amazing harmonies and really loud resounding claps.
The huts were lovely and warm to sleep in even thought the night was another cold one; the group that had arrived late were a noisy lot, I'm so glad we are not in a large group like that.
Sat 12th
We drove for about 3.5hours to Maun. We saw Baobab trees towering above the other scrubby trees and large numbers of rollers (birds), Hornbills and Chanting Goshawks but no big mammals. At Maun we had to say goodbye to Delphin and Jason and we met our new Botswana guide who is called Lenti in an open four wheel drive. We had some lunch and then went out to our chalet / hotel run by a dutch couple on the edge of the Delta. The river round here dried up in 1994 and then started flowing in abundance in 2007, now the area is quite flooded. Celso and I took the opportunity to go out and take photos of the numerous birds in the area. There were also some very frisky squirrels which we managed to photograph but we didn't mange to capture the little yellow mongoose. In the evening we ate dinner with our hosts at the hotel, a young Dutch couple who have owned the place for 3 years. We watched England squander their chance to win the opening match against the USA and then went to bed to sleep very well.
A bit more of a leisurely start today, we left camp at 8 and headed 100km to the Botswana border. The border formalities were quick and painless and we drove on another 200km to a small camp outside Ghanzi on the edge of the Kalahari desert. The drive was peculiarly void of animal life but Delphin says that sometimes it is just like that; there were plenty of cattle, goats, horses and donkeys but very little wildlife that we could see apart from a few small Bustards, some Pippet like birds and several Violet Chested Rollers - beautiful birds (but very shy).
We reached the camp at about 1pm Namibian time, 2pm Botswana time and chose a hut to sleep in; the camp is run by a cooperative of the Kalahari Bushmen (like those from the Gods must be Crazy), and we are sleeping in some of their huts; though we have the luxury of flushing toilets near by!
We were taken on a walk into the bush by 7 Bushmen, 3 men and 4 women, 1 with a baby. They really are very small people and are quite fair skinned for africans, they have the most wonderful complexions! They would spot a plant and then sit down and dig with their digging sticks and then tell us about the plant in their click clack language which was then translated by a guy called Comfort. They dug up the most enormous tuber, the sign was a tiny dead looking stick poking out of the ground, then opened it up and it was bright red inside- they use it to tan leather. There was a long, long root that they burn the end of then inhaloe the smoke if they have a headache, when they sneeze then the headache will go. Another was a root that they boil up and then rub on joints that are sore or put into nicks made in the skin for backache. There was another root for bad dreams, a seed that pops when you put it under your tongue - it is their joke, they loved it when we were shocked by the popping. There was a herb used to stuff into stinky meat as it is cooked - e.g. jackal, and another herb that is used to seal the hole in ostrich eggs which they use to carry water. Eventually they all sat down and made a fire by rubbing sticks, drank water from an ostrich egg and ate a wild melon that they had found accompanied by huge burps. They seemed very content and very pleased to be able to share their knowledge with us. All too soon it was over and we made our way back to camp, but we saw them again later that evening when they came to do some singing and dancing around a fire for another group that arrived much later. For this the men wrapped some sort of seed that had been strung together around their calves so that they rattled as they danced, they stamped their feet so had that we could feel the vibrations about 10 metres away, the women sat and clapped and sang, only 4 women again but amazing harmonies and really loud resounding claps.
The huts were lovely and warm to sleep in even thought the night was another cold one; the group that had arrived late were a noisy lot, I'm so glad we are not in a large group like that.
Sat 12th
We drove for about 3.5hours to Maun. We saw Baobab trees towering above the other scrubby trees and large numbers of rollers (birds), Hornbills and Chanting Goshawks but no big mammals. At Maun we had to say goodbye to Delphin and Jason and we met our new Botswana guide who is called Lenti in an open four wheel drive. We had some lunch and then went out to our chalet / hotel run by a dutch couple on the edge of the Delta. The river round here dried up in 1994 and then started flowing in abundance in 2007, now the area is quite flooded. Celso and I took the opportunity to go out and take photos of the numerous birds in the area. There were also some very frisky squirrels which we managed to photograph but we didn't mange to capture the little yellow mongoose. In the evening we ate dinner with our hosts at the hotel, a young Dutch couple who have owned the place for 3 years. We watched England squander their chance to win the opening match against the USA and then went to bed to sleep very well.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Sossusvlei and back to Windhoek
Wed 9th
Up at 5am, quick hot drink and on the road to Sossusvlei. At Sesriem we had to wait about 10 mins until sunset for the gates to open to the Namib desert national park and then we were through. As the sun came up the dunes glowed red and we stopped at dune number one to take a quick look at the base and see what tracks we could find. We found beetle, lizard and a porcupine track! On to dune 45 we stopped and whilst Jason got breakfast ready Tris, Celso and I tried to climb up the dune. It is so tiring, thighs burning we felt we were reaching the top when more would loom above us. Eventually we gave up, Tris and I decided to slide down the face whilst Celso ran back down the ridge. After a slow start Tristan beat me to the bottom, both of us filled with sand. We found some really strange rocks that Delphin tells us are called Elephant skin because they are wrinkled on the surface like elephant skin. In this region a lot of these rocks have been found, the outside looks like elephant skin but the inside can be any type of rock and scientists are not that sure how they formed - ours looks like a piece of plastic, I am bringing it home as a souvenir.
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon we drove on; the road follows the path of the Tsauchap river between the enormous dunes, the river used to flow to the sea but about 900 years ago it was blocked by the dunes and now ends in several lakes amongst the dunes. The river runs for about 6 weeks in February when water comes down from the inland mountains and fills the lakes, but now the lakes are dry and white with dead trees sitting in them. We walked through the desert from 5km to the largest of the lakes Sossus (the vlei means lake in the local language). We found several lizards amongst the small shrubs, loads of beautiful and very fast beetles and an evil looking spiny plant that produces desert melons that are a useful source of water for animals. The area is dotted with huge Camelthorn trees that have 10cm curved bean pods that are a useful food source for cattle and that make a wonderful crunching sound underfoot; the local tribes also use them as ankle bracelets when they dance as the seeds shake around in the pod sounding like maracas. It was hard going across the sand and when we finally reached the dried up river bed it was a real relief to walk on the dry clay even though it often broke underfoot. Over a final dune and there was the sparkling white expanse of the lake with a sprinkling of ghost trees and the Big Dada dune to the left and the Big Mama to the right (the two highest dunes in the area). We sat and drank and contemplated the scene for a while and then headed back to a small track where we could get a lift back to our truck, loads of small birds came to see us and we sprinkled a few crumbs from a breakfast bar for them to eat just as we left. We climbed into a passing small truck and turned back to look where we had been sitting under the shade of a tree and there was a jackal chasing away the birds and eating the crumbs. He must have been hidden right close to where we had been sitting but we didn't have a clue; everything is so well adapted and camouflaged around here.
When we returned Jason had prepared lunch for us and we sat with our table clothed table and our crockery and cutlery and ate like kings, our hand washing bowl became a very popular birdbath with many of the small birds in the area so we were entertained by their antics as we ate.
We returned along the same road to the gate house where we had entered the park, this time the dunes were yellow (they only glow red when the sun is low in the sky), and dune 45 looked tiny compared to some of the bigger monsters we had seen and yet we had failed to fully climb even that! At the gate house we took a small detour to visit the Sesriem Canyon, the course of the Tsauchap river. It is an amazing place cut through conglomerate, littered with elephant skin stones and cool and shady down below. The canyon was formed about a million years ago, the river now doesn't get more than a metre deep. As we walked in the canyon there were some small pools of green stinky water left over from the flow in February / March, you could see by the mud rings around them how they were shrinking fast. You couldn't see into the water but Celso decided to investigate with a stick and we found some fairly large (about a foot long) fish in the water; not that we ever saw a whole one, just the splashes and sometimes a fin; we assume they must be the type that lay eggs that can remain dormant in the mud until the next time the river flows and that these fellows will soon meet their demise.
We returned to our camp, stopping to see the various birds and animals along the way, in time for a nice cup of tea followed by a well needed luke warm shower to remove some of the sand, but the water was too cold to even contemplate washing our hair so we are all a bit gritty! Jason had whipped up yet another triumphant dish of fish, rice and vegetables and then we all went to bed - pooped!
Thursday 10th
Today involved a lot of driving interspersed with stops to try to photograph some of the many animals we saw. They are so shy when you slow down the vehicle but if you drive past they just sit and stare at you, very frustrating! We saw several troops of baboons, especially as we got close to Windhoek again; they sit on the rocks with the hands on their knees propping up their chins - a bit like The Thinker, they look so humanlike! We also saw Eland, Oryx, Klipspringers (a type of mountain antelope that seem to spring from one rock to another using all four feet at the same time), Springboks, Roller birds, Chanting Goshawks, a Kite and many other small birds. We arrived in Windhoek and had a 2 hour break to eat and change money, then we were off again Eastwards towards the Botswana border. The truck decided to break down just as we were on the outskirts of Windhoek - more luck for us as it only took about half an hour for the company mechanic to reach us; imagine if we had been back at Sossusvlei, we'd have been waiting for hours. Anyway the gear box had lost a bolt as so it was a quick fix to replace it and only an hour late we were on our way again. After about 3 hours, having seen masses of Warthogs on the edge of the road, we arrived at a campsite and set up our tents just before the light went. Jason, of course, whipped up another amazing meal and we gorged ourselves as the night got colder and colder. In fact this was the coldest night yet.
Up at 5am, quick hot drink and on the road to Sossusvlei. At Sesriem we had to wait about 10 mins until sunset for the gates to open to the Namib desert national park and then we were through. As the sun came up the dunes glowed red and we stopped at dune number one to take a quick look at the base and see what tracks we could find. We found beetle, lizard and a porcupine track! On to dune 45 we stopped and whilst Jason got breakfast ready Tris, Celso and I tried to climb up the dune. It is so tiring, thighs burning we felt we were reaching the top when more would loom above us. Eventually we gave up, Tris and I decided to slide down the face whilst Celso ran back down the ridge. After a slow start Tristan beat me to the bottom, both of us filled with sand. We found some really strange rocks that Delphin tells us are called Elephant skin because they are wrinkled on the surface like elephant skin. In this region a lot of these rocks have been found, the outside looks like elephant skin but the inside can be any type of rock and scientists are not that sure how they formed - ours looks like a piece of plastic, I am bringing it home as a souvenir.
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon we drove on; the road follows the path of the Tsauchap river between the enormous dunes, the river used to flow to the sea but about 900 years ago it was blocked by the dunes and now ends in several lakes amongst the dunes. The river runs for about 6 weeks in February when water comes down from the inland mountains and fills the lakes, but now the lakes are dry and white with dead trees sitting in them. We walked through the desert from 5km to the largest of the lakes Sossus (the vlei means lake in the local language). We found several lizards amongst the small shrubs, loads of beautiful and very fast beetles and an evil looking spiny plant that produces desert melons that are a useful source of water for animals. The area is dotted with huge Camelthorn trees that have 10cm curved bean pods that are a useful food source for cattle and that make a wonderful crunching sound underfoot; the local tribes also use them as ankle bracelets when they dance as the seeds shake around in the pod sounding like maracas. It was hard going across the sand and when we finally reached the dried up river bed it was a real relief to walk on the dry clay even though it often broke underfoot. Over a final dune and there was the sparkling white expanse of the lake with a sprinkling of ghost trees and the Big Dada dune to the left and the Big Mama to the right (the two highest dunes in the area). We sat and drank and contemplated the scene for a while and then headed back to a small track where we could get a lift back to our truck, loads of small birds came to see us and we sprinkled a few crumbs from a breakfast bar for them to eat just as we left. We climbed into a passing small truck and turned back to look where we had been sitting under the shade of a tree and there was a jackal chasing away the birds and eating the crumbs. He must have been hidden right close to where we had been sitting but we didn't have a clue; everything is so well adapted and camouflaged around here.
When we returned Jason had prepared lunch for us and we sat with our table clothed table and our crockery and cutlery and ate like kings, our hand washing bowl became a very popular birdbath with many of the small birds in the area so we were entertained by their antics as we ate.
We returned along the same road to the gate house where we had entered the park, this time the dunes were yellow (they only glow red when the sun is low in the sky), and dune 45 looked tiny compared to some of the bigger monsters we had seen and yet we had failed to fully climb even that! At the gate house we took a small detour to visit the Sesriem Canyon, the course of the Tsauchap river. It is an amazing place cut through conglomerate, littered with elephant skin stones and cool and shady down below. The canyon was formed about a million years ago, the river now doesn't get more than a metre deep. As we walked in the canyon there were some small pools of green stinky water left over from the flow in February / March, you could see by the mud rings around them how they were shrinking fast. You couldn't see into the water but Celso decided to investigate with a stick and we found some fairly large (about a foot long) fish in the water; not that we ever saw a whole one, just the splashes and sometimes a fin; we assume they must be the type that lay eggs that can remain dormant in the mud until the next time the river flows and that these fellows will soon meet their demise.
We returned to our camp, stopping to see the various birds and animals along the way, in time for a nice cup of tea followed by a well needed luke warm shower to remove some of the sand, but the water was too cold to even contemplate washing our hair so we are all a bit gritty! Jason had whipped up yet another triumphant dish of fish, rice and vegetables and then we all went to bed - pooped!
Thursday 10th
Today involved a lot of driving interspersed with stops to try to photograph some of the many animals we saw. They are so shy when you slow down the vehicle but if you drive past they just sit and stare at you, very frustrating! We saw several troops of baboons, especially as we got close to Windhoek again; they sit on the rocks with the hands on their knees propping up their chins - a bit like The Thinker, they look so humanlike! We also saw Eland, Oryx, Klipspringers (a type of mountain antelope that seem to spring from one rock to another using all four feet at the same time), Springboks, Roller birds, Chanting Goshawks, a Kite and many other small birds. We arrived in Windhoek and had a 2 hour break to eat and change money, then we were off again Eastwards towards the Botswana border. The truck decided to break down just as we were on the outskirts of Windhoek - more luck for us as it only took about half an hour for the company mechanic to reach us; imagine if we had been back at Sossusvlei, we'd have been waiting for hours. Anyway the gear box had lost a bolt as so it was a quick fix to replace it and only an hour late we were on our way again. After about 3 hours, having seen masses of Warthogs on the edge of the road, we arrived at a campsite and set up our tents just before the light went. Jason, of course, whipped up another amazing meal and we gorged ourselves as the night got colder and colder. In fact this was the coldest night yet.
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