Words and pictures
From Maun some are going to Johannesberg and others are extending their tour to Cape town. I catch the flight from Johannesberg to London arriving at five-twenty-seven in the morning and home by nine am. There is time to unpack, do washing and have thirty minutes snooze. I’ve booked a one pm swim with my club and am apprehensive. Surprisingly, I haven’t lost too much fitness. It’s good to be back in the Fifty Metre pool at The London Aquatic Centre.
I’m taking my first time out form the Game Drives to stay in the lodge, catch up with my diary and keep an eye on animals coming to drink at the wate hole.
I’m rewarded by a group of Impala and a few Kuudus. There is one Impala Buck with his herd of does. He is having trouble controlling his females and is particularly intent on one who is probably in oestrous – he needs to mate with her. She’s not interested and probably not ready, so he does a lot of chasing – she always runs faster .
The early morning game hunters in the group return unexpectedly, having voted to cut it short at the morning coffee stop. They are exhausted.
After lunch I go for my routine swim in the six-stroke pool as the temperature is good in spite of the cold early mornings. I stick at it for about ten minutes.
The late afternoon Game Drive is our last and our first encounter is with a Steen Bock – the smallest of the antelopes. These are solitary and the buck has cute but small horns. Out on the savanna and near the water hole where the lion was marking his territory, we come across a Lion and Lioness seeming to sleep side by side in the grass.
We sit and wait. I’m trying to get a photo of him flicking his tail occasionally. Our guide says he will look up three times before standing. We wait for the three looks then the stand. He walks over to the Lioness and mounts her, grabbing her neck with his teeth.
It’s all over in a few seconds and he retires to the grass to recover. Apparently this mating ritual is complicated and Lionesses may mate with several Lions in the Pride by creating a false oestrous. She saves herself for the Alpha Male, but all the others in the Pride believe the cubs are theirs. This is her insurance for the survival of her offspring, particularly if the alpha male is later toppled. It’s another privileged ring-side view of ecology in action. Every species here has a survival strategy. Even the plants can respond to grazers by sending out unpalatable toxins to their leaves.
By now it’s that ‘Elephants at the water hole’ time of day.
We go in search of a group of Baobab Trees – the giant Succulents we saw back in Tsowa – Zimbabwe. It’s our last Sundowners session and a time for a group farewell before the light goes.
Back at the lodge during dinner, Elephants arrive at the water hole for a late drink. Their greyness is lit by the lodge lights so they appear as ghosts in the darkness.
Sunsets are always magical to watch but it’s not easy to identify the place. I content that a picture of the sunset could be anywhere in the world. However in Africa they have served as a marking of the end of the day. A knd of full-stop.
The Ghost Elephants serve as the coda to this story.
As we have now become accustomed, we set off in the Land Cruisers with hot water bottles to clutch under our blankets. It is Winter here, with morning temperatures of nine to twelve degrees C. We all look like polar explorers but will shed layers later as it will rise to the high Twenties in the afternoon.
Everything is of interest on the Savana, starting with the well camouflaged Jackels. There are more Turkey-like Red Billed Hornbills, their red heads and necks are striking against their jet-black feathers.
The beautiful Zebras are out grazing in the morning light. We suddenly interrupt a female Elephant right next to the track. She is trying to shield her baby behind her from whatever danger the Jeep may pose.
Dotted aver the landscape are rocky out-crops providing relief from the flatness, but now we are interrupting a Giraffe’s breakfast.
I never tire of these extraordinary and beautiful animals. We approach a water hole where a flock of Marabou Storks have gathered. They are classified as one of the five ugly animals of Africa, but to me everything has a beauty of sorts. Suddenly the Storks all open their wings and face away from the sun to regulate their temperature. It’s still cold, so maybe they are warming up in the sun.
We stop for morning coffee (also part of the Safari routine) near a tree with nests of the Buffalo Stich bird.
Further on, we make out Kori Bustards – so well camouflaged in the long grass.
We are now driving along a track which will be under water in the rainy season. The clouds oblige to decorate the big African skies.
Hornbills are everywhere. Mostly they have been the small red ones but today it is the turn of the Yellow-Billed variety to shine. A pair pose on a Termite nest for a photograph.
A pair of Ostridge’s are our next obliging customers.
Desert and Delta Safaris always have a surprise alfresco lunch programmed.
Back at the lodge, our afternoon siesta is delayed by Giraffes drinking at the water hole. It is a tricky manoeuvrer getting that long neck down to water level – stretching the legs wide. Their reflections in the water make amazing geometric patterns. An adaptation in their hearts adjust the blood flow to allow for the altitude change in the head.
A family of banded Mongooses arrive, drink and leave.
Our late afternoon Game Drive begins with another Giraffe.
We now have to stop for the best shot so far of the beautiful Lilac Collared Roller perched on a ridge of sand at the side of the track – what a treat.
Also common everywhere are Starlings who don’t hang around to be photographed. They are not at all like European Starlings – African Starlings are dark iridescent blue in colour – fantastic.
Late afternoon around a water hole is always Elephant family time and today is no exception.
Suddenly we are off at pace, driving to another part of the reserve.
Our driver guide spots the lions first as they emerge from the long grass and shrubs. Two females with their cubs are on the move. They take no notice of us – intent on something in the distance. Their cubs – some at three months, others at twelve months – follow haphazardly.
We and several other jeeps who have heard the shared Walkie Talkie news, follow. The Lions are in no hurry – their cubs straggle behind suggesting that they own the place.
We somehow get ahead and get a fantastic view as the lionesses find a high vantage point on the track.
The cubs arrive – each one acknowledging their Mother with a nudge on the chin – to say ‘Hey Mum, I’m here. Once they are settled n what seems like an organised photographic pose, they concentrate on the distance, not us, to pan and watch for a hunting opportunity. All the cubs will participate as this is a classroom situation.
Some of the older cubs are already looking confident and adopt concentrated gazes into the distance.
As the light fades, we miss the Sundowner Drinks and return to the lodge for drinks around the fire pit.
After Dinner, we are treated by Actor/Director Annie Ruth performing a reading of her One Person Show The Book Addict, which she has toured all around Aotearoa. It is a personal story and the references resonate with me and my youth and my time in the New Zealand theatre scene.
As we way goodbye to Xugana Lodge, there’s a small Crocodile on a log in the shade, patiently waiting for the sun to travel across the sky to warm him up.
The flight North in yet another small plane takes about fifty minutes and the landscape quickly turns from aquatic to dry savannah. Our journey from the airstrip in Land Cruisers takes in more Giraffes and Elephants. This park is grassland dotted with water holes, scattered shrubs and trees – a more open landscape.
The Savuti Lodge is also operated by Desert and Delta and after a welcome lunch and getting acquainted with yet another luxury room with thatched roof and canvas walls.
The Lodge overlooks a waterhole where the level is regulated by pumps from underground reservoirs. Impala are drinking – so is an Elephant. A slightly larger swimming pool beckons. I get in six strokes here, the longest pool so far.
It’s off in the Land Cruisers for the evening game drive. Out on the Savana there are Jackels and large Red Beaked Hornbills – almost as large as a turkey A family of Mongooses seem out-of-focus behind the dry grass.
The Wildebeests further on oare plainly visible as they have cropped the grass short. They often share their grazing spaces with Zebra who eat the tops of the larger grasses.
We arrive at a large water hole where a breading hers of Elephants are teaching their young how to drink with their trunks. One little chap hasn’t got it yet and drinks through his mouth – the hard way. Two young larger males are caressing each other with their trunks. This turns into a bit of a play-fight.
At the same time and by contrast a family of Lapwings are feeding and drinking. Each parent Lapwing is supervising one tiny chick about a week old. The parents have a dilemma as the chicks are on opposite sides of the water hole and one of the parents’ files back and forth to avoid the Elephants. Miraculously the chick and the elephants avoid each other.
Elephants consume large amounts of water each day and at this time of the year, supplies are dwindling fast. Many of the water holes are drying up and the water is muddy. They may have to travel far to find fresh water. Pumps, powered by solar energy source underground water but there will still not be enough to cater for so many animals.
Just as suddenly as they arrived, the Elephants leave, prompted by some command that we cannot hear or understand. The Lapwings have the water hole to themselves but they still haven’t managed how to re-unite their family.
Our Guide gets a message via Walkie Talkie and we are also off to another water hole where a Lion is surveying his territory – marking it out with his spray. Everyone has heard the news and there is a crowd. A land Cruiser filled with tourists like us is up close to this big cat. He is only a few metres away from us but does not acknowledge our presence. It’s as if we are not there – the jeep is not perceived as a threat. We are not tempted to get out of the vehicle and our guide tells us a story of having to grab a tourist by the pants and drag them back into the jeep. We have to be cautious and it is an honour to watch all these beautiful and heathy animals up close with no bars.
In the other direction a herd of female Impala are on full alert. They are assessing the situation and gradually relax as they see the Lion is busy and not hunting.
What an end to the day as we find a safe spot for the mandatory sundowner drinks and nibbles.
Back at the lodge there is enough light for a shot at the home waterhole.
Our morning activity is a walk on Palm Island, but first we take a two boats to get there. We spot a semi submerged Crocodile lurking in the reeds – they are everywhere here, so no free swimming. King fishers and more Bee Eaters (who eat a variety of insects) and Herons are basking in the first rays of sunshine. On the Island ahead we can see the semi-aquatic Lechwes.
We are to travel in two groups each with two guides. The leading guide carries a loaded gun and the other brings up the rear with a First Aid Kit. We walk in strict single file all equi-distanced. I guess we look like a long animal – of sorts. Someone asks the lead guide if he will shoot to scare an attacking animal. ‘No’, is the answer, he cannot guarantee they will be scared. Safety is paramount and the group will travel only as fast as the slowest person.
There is a large herd of Buffalo in the distance many of them have white birds living symbiotically by feeding on the parasites on the hides of their hosts.
The Palm Trees are not indigenous. Elephants have brought them from distant parts of Africa during their migration. Given that their inefficient digestion takes twenty-four hours, this dispersal of seeds has taken thousands of years. We come across a Buffalo skull and pelvis bone – bleached white by the sun and long striped of flesh by scavengers.
We get to meet the Sausage Tree – the heavy fruit are edible and the fibrous part can become a loofah.
Wart Hogs abound and there is some courtship behaviour going on. The female is mounted by a young male but he doesn’t seem to know what to do. Suddenly a huge male with tusks comes running out of the undergrowth and dislodges the youngster. The older male doesn’t seem to be interested in stepping up with the female.
Our next skeleton is from a Hippo killed by lions jumping on it’s back where they are particularly vulnerable. The thick skin survives nearby with a hole in the back showing.
There are more Lechwes and Water Lilies when suddenly a White Herron is spotted – it takes flight with a dance like manoeuvrer of the wings.
On the way back in the boat, we happen upon a huge crocodile on the bank with mouth open.
We have an added extra activity today – a helicopter ride in groups of two or three. We soar above the Delta area – it is a stunning view flying low enough to make out Elephants and Hippos. I’m on the first flight and the pilot spots a pair of Lions basking in the open grass. A few metres away is a low clump of bushes where their cubs are also sleeping. We can see the lines in the aquatic vegetation along which Hippos travel. The Pilot is Canadian. He asks me where our group comes from. I reply, ‘Three New Zealanders, one Australian and the rest are Americans who are all lovely, so please be kind to them.’
Helicopter Ride
For my late afternoon activity, I choose the Mokoro. It’s the name for a traditional dug-out canoe, but these are made of dark brown fibreglass. Grey plastic seats without legs with a padded waterproof cover. Each Mokoro accommodates two plus a guide propelling us with a wooden pole. It’s a bit like a gondola, but instead of the architecture of Venice, we are looking as the patterns of Water Lilly leaves amongst the reeds.
There are many small insects to be seen close-up and ‘Striders’ use their long legs to skim over the surface.
There are frogs here but it takes a while to spot them with their limbs folded up blending with a reed. They are almost impossible to photograph on a mobile phone due to auto-focus on the background. The Green Large Reed Frog is about 1.5 cm long and I also spot one with brown spots on it’s back blending in with a rust-spotted reed.
It’s a completely relaxing experience with a reward of fluffy white Barbie clouds reflected in the water. Sunset happens as we cross the lane back to the lodge.
We say farewell to the Hippos sheltering in the numerous ponds.
There are more birds to be seen and a herd of Zebras. One of them has a baby sleeping in the grass and when she turns around, we can see a large bloody area on her side – possibly a cat wound. Just as well for the baby’s sake she survived.
There’s a pond full of spoonbills with fabulous reflections and then we are bac at Paradise for morning coffee before flying to Xugina. The flight takes only fifteen minutes but we get a great view of the Delta region.
We are met by the lodge staff and taken by boat though the reed-lined canals. This reminds me of the Norfolk Broads only more varies and exotic.
This lodge has been re-built/renovated by Desert & Delta Safaris with a new pool and fire pit.
After lunch and settling into more luxurious rooms, we are off on our afternoon Game Drive by boat– a chance to see a whole new habitat close to and in the water. A grass-hopper, Otters and lots of birds including Fish Eagles.
A shag dries out
We are still in pursuit of Leopard, Chetah and Wild Dogs but a s compensation we happen upon a very large group of Giraffes.
A father is teaching his son the moves required to fight for status and the right to mate with the females. It is incredibly graceful, balletic and a privileged to witness. We note that some Giraffes are darker in their markings. The Guide thinks it is genetic variation. Giraffe walk like Camels – front and back on each side move together so they are quite ungainly and not good at sudden changes of direction. They can however deal a fatal kick to a Lion if attacked. The name Giraffa camelopardlis reflects it’s similarities to Camels – they are both ruminants and share the same gait. Their coat patterns copy those of the leopard.
Next up is a huge flock of Guinea fowls. We have seen a lot of these strange birds scuttling around en mass at water holes and in the bush. I am reminded that they can be purchased in Sainsburys at Christmas, ready to cook. Maybe I’ll give them a try. More Giraffes and one Zebra follow – what a treat. I think Giraffes are my favourite. This area is well supplied with water in numerous ponds where Pelicans, storks and spoonbills gather.
Back at the Lodge – after lunch and a siesta, it’s time to check out the pool. It’s refreshing but too short for anything more that three strokes and a push off.
The afternoon Game Drive shows off Elephants and Hippos again and a Snake Eagle.
The Semi Aquatic Lychwee are abundant here. Their ability to wade and swim in water deters the Lions, they just have to watch out for the Crocodiles. We are so close-up to the animals, reminding me of the Galapagos where we were obliged to walk around the wildlife. The difference here is that we are in a vehicle to which the animals have become accustomed.
Once again, we are at Paradise for Sundowners and the Lodge staff have again brought the entire portable mahogany bar outside.
It’s our last night here and the pre-dinner drinks are by the fire pit – every lodge has one. Nearby and under the sky the dinner tables have been set up with lamp lights. It’s another magical time when we from the southern hemisphere take delight in looking at the Milky Way. Two of the earliest stars to appear in the sky are The Pointers which show navigators the position of the Southern Cross – essential for finding due South without a compass.
Last dinner at Moremi
This area is on the edge of the Okavango Delta where the river floods the land before evaporating and disappearing into the sand which lies on top of bedrock, metres below. This sand makes for challenging tracks around the park. Deep ruts have developed and the Land cruisers plough though them like a boat. We feel like sailors with sea legs at the end of the drive. Today I’m with a lovely guide called Gee, who really knows his stuff.
The game is plentiful and we see herds of Impalla – graceful and delicate. The males have the most exquisite horns. There are Zebra to be seen here as well as Kudu and a semi-aquatic antelope called Lychwee. They all seem to graze together taking advantage of the Zebra’s ability to sense the presence of Lions.
Birds such as Egrets, Eagles (Snake and Fish) are spotted. Everyone is on the look out for whatever we can see.
There is a lot of water around and there is a particular bridge made with tanalised poles. The driver/guides have to cross it very carefully.
We encounter three Ostriches – two males and one female. The light beige female has the right camouflage to sit on her eggs during the day, whilst the males take the night shift. Their black feathers become invisible.
Suddenly we see Wilderbeasts for the first time. They are classed as one of Africa’s Ugly Five. Up close they seem more dramatic and eccentric. Apparently, they don’t see well and rely on other animals to signal danger. They are the lion’s favourite dinner.
On the banks of the ponds are crocodiles sunbathing with mouths open to regulate their temperature.
All the game keepers talk to each other via walkie Talkie with info on where the game is. Lions have been spotted. They have stolen their dinner from a pack of Wild Dogs. Our driver races slowly though the sandy tracks and we arrive to a small line-up of Land Cruisers parked as if for a drive-in cinema.
One young male is walking back and forth in a distracted way and in the bush is a female.
What appears to be another female is lying in the grass. This turns out to be a younger male who has not yet grown his mane. When he does get up we can see that he has been in a fight.
There are claw wounds on his flank and he limps badly when he walks. The other young male also has wounds and the rangers think they have been in a fight – maybe with another male trying to take their female from them.
We now hear rumours of Cheetahs and Wild Dogs. We take off to look but there is no sign of either. Instead we discover Jackals basking in the sun on open grassy ground by a pool.
We are now rewarded with Warthogs, who eat on their knees to crop the grass close to the ground. A lilac Collared Roller makes and appearance followed by a very large herd of Zebra.
Lunch is a surprise – the staff have set up a barbecue and camp tables and chairs by a shaded pond. An Elephant is grazing in the shallows on marginal grasses and reeds just around the corner – far enough away to be safe.
Hippos are in the water, coming to the surface to breath and look before submerging.
Sausages and chicken wings are sizzling and the drinks master has brought the whole bar in a fold-up mahogany cabinet. A few choose beer, but most go for sparkling water.
As we approach the entry to the Camp, Oscar, the resident Hippo is grazing just outside the electric fence which encircles the Lodge. It mainly keeps out Elephants, allowing shorter animals inside.
We now have time for an afternoon nap in the luxurious rooms/tents which surpass any concept of glamping.
Our late afternoon Game Drive begins with a full on Giraffe encounter with a magnificent male, but we are chasing a couple of Chetahs. We Criss cross over the game park to no avail, but on the way we see birds, Impala and Lychwee, ending up in the area known as Paradise.
Ancient trees, flooded in the past and now dead reach ghostly branches to the sky. Here all the herbivores take advantage of the small islands in the swamp to graze and sleep for the night. The Big Cats don’t like getting their feet wet and the herbivores can hear them splashing through the water.
This is a strange and beautiful place, becoming magical as the sun goes down and here we are again sipping beer or gin & tonic or sparkling water with nibbles.
Everything in the African tourist trade seems to work to the clock. Our schedules must match the animal’s time-tables, their time at the water hole, when they are eating and so forth. Be prepared for very early starts – animals start grazing at dawn.
Our guides and lodge staff work to the clock as well. We are checking out of the Tsowa Safari Lodge and our luggage has been collected from our rooms/tents and loaded into a boat to be transported to the International Airport at Kasane. We stop briefly to look at game – there is always a time allowance should anything interesting show up on the track. A minibus with trailer is waiting on the main road and we double check our luggage.
At the Botswana border, we get our passport stamped on exiting Zimbabwe. Any shoes we are wearing must be disinfected by stepping into a tray containing a damp rag soaked in a charcoal looking liquid. We then enter Botswana and get our passports stamped for free. Most of this happenes outdoors where we are now required to disinfect any other shoes we have in our luggage. These we have isolated in advance for easy access. Out luggage is transferred to a Botswanan minibus with trailer and we proceed to the airport. Two eight seated Cesena planes are waiting to take us to Xakanaxa. This takes about an hour, initially over arid scrubland. As we approach the Okavango Delta, the landscape turns to an amazing green with large areas of water.
My understanding of a delta is when a river enters the sea or a lake. Over sixty thousand years ago a tectonic shift blocked the path of the Okavango River so that it now soaks into the Kalahari Desert, creating an amazing wetland.
At Xakanaxa, the Desert and Delta Safari company collect us and transport us to Camp Moremi where the entire staff welcome us with acapella song and hot moist towels. The paperwork is thorough and identity forms must be filled out and indemnity statements signed. We can then be escorted to our individual rooms via a walkway. It’s a reminder that we are in close proximity to wild animals and safety is a concern.
Our Game Drive this afternoon takes us in three Toyota Land Cruisers along soft sandy tracks. The landscape is much greener than the Zambezi National Park and the animals much more relaxed around the vehicles. They see us as one large non- aggressive object. We are to stay in the vehicle most of the time – apparently a single person approaching will cause the animal to flee or attack.
We spot the beautiful Lilac Collared Roller, Impalla, Hippopotami grazing on the marginal grasses in the lake shallows or just sleeping. There’s a medium sized Crocodile, motionless in the afternoon sun and flocks of birds everywhere.
As is the custom in Africa, we stop for the obligatory sundown drinks and nibbles. Back at the lodge we have time to shower before pre dinner drinks. As it is now dark, we must be escorted from our luxury huts. After a buffet dinner, we are all tired and have to be escorted back to our lodges by one of the staff. There is safety in numbers even though the path is well lit. There’s a very early start in the morning and the temperature has plummeted.
It’s a late start (our party are the only guests) and we are on a cruise up the other side of the island to look at the Zambian side of the river. Small communities farm here, growing maize and vegetables. There are herds of cows and Zulu (who speaks nine languages) talks to the people on the edge of the river to pass the time of day as we hover in the boat. We see a vast variety of birds, the Bee Eaters and Egyptian Geese we saw yesterday, an enormous Grey Heron and Fish Eagles to name only a few.
Further up the river we can see a huge group of Elephants drinking. Zulu thinks they might be the same group we saw on our first day. Everywhere are Hippos, but they are mostly under water keeping out of the sun.
Our afternoon excursion is to the area on the other side of the main road to Botswana. As usual it’s the boat from Tsowa Island to pick up the Land Cruisers.
Our first obstacle on this dirt track is a lorry parked in the middle of the road. Workers are preparing to fill one of the many large holes and we manoeuvrer around them. Only a few minutes up the road we spot a huge Bull elephant coming towards us down the track. He is clearly on a mission. Zulu says he is ‘in musk’ as he has a huge erection and we must give way. This guy has a possible date and is in a hurry. He pauses momentarily to grab a mouthfulls of vegetation – he needs to eat – giving us a few seconds. We back up and both jeeps manage to turn around in time and manage to negotiate around the road-workers and take the long way round to the main road.
This part of the Zimbabwe National Park is quite different – we are in a dried-up riverbed covered in grass up gentle slopes on each side, where small shrubs graduate into green forest beyond. The Elephants have been here doing their shrub pruning but it’s a herd of Buffalos that we encounter first, grazing amongst the trees.
We’ve interrupted them and they just stare at us. Bulls, cows and calves make up the herd. One female had recently lost a horn and constantly flaps her ear over the bloody hole to keep the flies at bay.
There is a small group of seven Zebras – our first- and they seem paler that I had expected, a beautiful sight. Here the sky is large and the thin strip of dark green forest separates the golden grass from the blue winter sky.
It’s time for more elephants. A family group of four cautiously approach the water hole The park has installed dinking pools fed by pumps powered by solar panels from artesian wells. As we continue along the road, Zen suddenly stops to avoid running over a Dung Beetle, rolling his prize along the wheel rut. The beetle makes a diversion up the bank and away from danger.
Hornbills are everywhere and then, without warning a herd of Warthogs cross our path. I can see why they are cast in Disney movies as comedy characters – they are funny.
At the final waterhole, what looks like two groups of elephants are gathering. Some of the young males are being pushed away. One of the females is in oestrous. It’s the mating season and dominant males with erections are trying to tempt her but she’s not ready to play yet.
We are on the high side of the valley to have our sunset drinks in a hide – a hut on tall poles. We can see two Kudu deer nervously break cover from the bush and hesitantly make their way down to drink. Our last encounter in the dying light is a Hyena, newly emerged from one of four burrows. He is off for a night’s scavenging but stamps the ground on seeing us – a farewell gesture indeed.
On our now familiar route back to the river, a tree has been uprooted over the path by Elephants. They like to eat roots for medicinal purposes. It is pitch dark, but with the ais of headlights, Zen gets out his machete and sets to work chopping the branches which prevent the jeep from passing. Zulu also gets out his machete, but doesn’t use it, looking on in a supervisory way. Another jeep has arrived and the much taller guy hacks from the other side. A last bit of drama for us all at the end of our stay at Tsowa Island Safari lodge.
