After our mesmerizing evening around the fire, we were once again up early to hit the road on our way to our appointment with the Okavango River and Delta.
The Okavango River is a fresh water river originating in the mountains of Angola north of Botswana. It is full at this time of year because the run off from rain further north takes its time to get here. I may have these percentages off but something like 60% of the water coming into the Kalihari Desert through the delta is soaked up by the plants, 36% is lost to evaporation, only 2 % going into the aquifer and the balance flows into Lake Nagami. It was the 1000th site to be inscribe on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014. It covers a significant area but is very shallow.
The road today was not bad to start with, but nearer our destination Sandile had to slow down dramatically and wind back and forth across the road to avoid potholes. By 1:30 or so we arrived at the docks where we would be picked up by a speed boat for our transport to the house boat where we’d be spending the next two nights on the Okavango River. We had a picnic lunch by the side of the river, provided by the house boat captain, and it was a nice change from our regular fare on the road.
After all the dusty, bumpy roads since our arrival in Africa, it was a delightful change to be speeding down the river with lush papyrus and other grasses on the sides. As we went, we startled piles of birds who had been looking for their lunch along the river and they took to the air flying alongside of the boat.
Within minutes of leaving the dock we saw a snake swimming in the water. It turned out to be the very poisonous puff adder that had caused a Herera woman we had met to lose her leg. We saw several huge crocodiles, and although the boat driver slowed down to allow us to see them, it was near impossible to get pics because they slipped into the water before we could take them. I had seen some pretty big alligators in the Florida Everglades but they were puny compared to these guys. About 20 minutes into the journey i looked over my right shoulder to just catch the sight of a hippo scrambling to get into the water from the bank, I didn’t even get my camera to my face before he was submerged but I have it burned into my memory.
We were on the river for 30 minutes or so when we rounded a corner and there was our home away from home – the Madikubu, meaning, the Queen of all Hippos. After a safety briefing by Captain Sam, we were assigned our cabins. They are certainly adequate, but very tiny. We’re sharing a teeny Jack/Jill bathroom with the other single person and it’s almost as big as the cabins.
After settling in, and a quick clean-up, we gathered on the top deck for a sundowner, (yes Savanna, Phyl) as Captain Sam took the boat out for a spin. He slowly steered us along the river, as the sun went down. Wow, sunset on the Okavango. A dream since I first learned about the Okavango 40 years ago.
It was almost immediately time for dinner, served on the open air top deck. Food always tastes so much better, outdoors and especially on the water. Bedtime came quickly as we had been on the road all day, and after dark, the boat’s 12 v batteries only ran very dim lights.
Lois' Adventures 