The Essence of the Journey!

Savute, Linyanti, Chobe Riverfront – Okavango Swamps, Botswana

 By: Celeste

 

An elephant has just walked past, I mean right past. It is full moon, bright over the Savute River and grass. Marcelo celebrated the time and space we are in with a cigar. “What is aroma, Dad?” asks Nicolai, needing a complete explanation. I was reading to them, sipping my tea. Crunching grass contrasts with quiet footfalls. We first hear the crashing branches and then a huge adult bull is standing there – it wouldn’t be a small one now would it? Mind you, the young teenagers are sometimes more unpredictable and problematic.

Take for example the one that chased a couple approaching the ablutions this afternoon, with expressive trumpeting and impressive ear-flapping, or the Zambians we met who had a tempestuous elephant spearing their car from behind on a previous visit. Imagine the reaction from their insurance! “Oh, that wasn’t all. Afterwards, we got stuck in a river.” Danica’s eyes widened, despite her apparent nonchalance. Willie and his wife were helping Marcelo with the car, which would not start again, together with Carol-Anne and Kurt from Pretoria – we had met them all at the Okavango river Lodge camping ground in Maun before entering the Swamps.

 The shadow takes full form, wrinkles and all, tusks only a few metres away, sharpened by the moonlight.

It was one of those ‘time stood still’ moments. He plucks grass, shaking the tufts free of dirt against his knees before stuffing his mouth. Mouthful after mouthful. I will him to wander down to the river. He must be thirsty now. He turns and walks calmly (him, not me) straight towards us. By this time, I am clinging to Marcelo with one hand, the other clasped over my mouth in suspense. He passes between the table and chairs and the tent – I can hardly believe an elephant can fit in this gap – right at eye level. If he had swung his head ever so slightly, his tusk would have …. could have …. This is the beauty of the Swamps – being surrounded by the wild. Lions and more elephant grumblings. Hyena and owls. Nightjars and bats.

 We had set up camp, arriving only at 20h20 after a little incident with deep sand requiring a bit of digging, some winching and some tense discussions. Three young guys, electricians at a new lodge, had assisted us, more in spirit than manpower. Their short-wheel base landy was a dinky toy in comparison with the Staffie and trailer. We had been cheerfully overtaking one another intermittently since Maun. Marcelo had obliged by taking their photograph at the entrance to this section of the greater Chobe National Park over the Khwai River. “Oh man, this is a **** up,” they cheerfully greeted us. Later, we parted, equally as cheerful, with some meat and South African beaded flag keyrings as we parted ways. Thank you Alfred, Luxam and Bongani. We are treated to a ratel padding along, white streak shining silver in the moonlight.

 From Xakanaxa we had to travel via South Gate as the River Road to North Gate was flooded, as was the actual river crossing. So we had opted to go the extra mile and re-fill with fuel in Maun before heading northwards once more.

 

William, the camp manager brings Scar, a roundish, shortish man with magic in his fingers. He took out the starter motor, cleaned it and the solenoid. Nicolai peppers him with questions. “What is your national animal? And fish? And bird?” Zebra, Tiger Fish and Kori Bustard. After various other tinkering we clapped with praise at his skill in getting Staffie on her paws again.

 

Harvey’s Pan’s held the most game, with wide, open savannah supporting giraffe, zebra, impala, warthog, elephant and huge (400 +) herds of muddied

buffalo. The road around Quarry Hill was stunning but the

San paintings at Bushman Hill were unimpressive. Sticky climbers, poking thorns and blackjacks surrounded the overgrown pathway. Determination notwithstanding, we only ‘discovered’ a single painting of zebra and eland. A lifer more than made up for it: a Striped Crake in the flooded grasslands after Rhino Pan, itself inundated with a large flock of Collared and Black-winged Pratincoles.

 

Danica sketches a fish-eagle perched in the tree opposite in the early morning light.  Nicolai has the tracking book, his sketchpad and pen in hand. We are off on the hunt. Beetles, birds, elephant – 59cm. “But the book says 58cm for a female’s hind foot,” questions Danica. Males come in at 50cm. Baboon, tree squirrel, mongoose.

 The ablution block is built within a high wall that one can walk atop giving a great view of the surroundings. Inside it, it houses mongooses galore.

 

Prett Lady (Cleome hirta)

I am engrossed in the Common Wild Flowers of the Okavango Delta by Veronica Roodt, detailing their identification, traditional uses and legends. A Wild foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba) white with dark mauve stripes on the inner lip, tall stalk with furry leaves – it’s multi-purpose is astounding – anything form abortion, diarrhoea, eye problems, flatulence, nausea and my favourite, earache.

 

Whilst being earth-bound for the duration of the car maintenance, we achieve the completion of a mathematics capacity water-fun exercise; a discrimination and bias exercise for life orientation – thanks to The Telegraph: Journalism with courage. A Chocolate Cake/Brownie reading and comprehension practical for Nicolai took the cake! Separating each biscuit crumb from it’s neighbour, melting butter with solar energy, syrup, cocoa powder. Jamie Oliver would have been proud.

 

We met a lovely Swiss Family, the Herzig-Waldvogels, doing a six-week stint from Kenya to Cape Town. They had travelled in Africa before, Pascale even doing anthropological research. Uli is a conductor and music teacher. Flurin, their ten year old son, Lorena, their eight year old daughter and our two played fly and soccer happily for an hour or two. We invited them for dinner. Marcelo served up two chicken potjies of note. The children played charades, not needing much language at all, but producing much laughter. Wine, chocolate brownies, stars and good company led to a 23h30 bedtime.

 

Linyanti is remote and we are alone for two nights in our site, perched next to a termite mound, under several Jackalberries, overlooking the lagoon where we watched the jacanas, Black Crakes, kingfishers, elephant, hippos ….. not rubbing it in or anything, but it was amazing. Kudu wandering past, more close encounters of the elephant kind, vervet monkeys, baboons, warthogs, mongooses, butterflies. The roads are minimal and most action takes place right here in camp. Games of lassoing branches follow the kids work. A fish eagle swoops for his dinner at sunset whilst we play cricket.  Green Pigeons alight in flocks above.

 

We are awakened with the most powerful racket imaginable: hippos. After fighting for about half-an-hour, the victor ploughs back into his lagoon, the other slinks off through the trees, leaving us wonderfully fresh spoor.

 

Several army vehicles speed by, backwards and forwards on border patrol and anti-poaching, we guess. Namibia lies across the river.

solar panels used to the max

Travelling towards Kasane, it is 45 degrees. We stop to ‘cool off’ the car, leaving the bonnet ajar. The fridge is at 15 degrees and the freezer is now a fridge, despite the solar panels working well over the past few days. Energy, power, water, food, safety – all daily concerns.

 

We see four Southern Ground Hornbills in a bare tree en route to Kasane as the main road

traverses the actual Chobe National Park. Kasane is a bustling town, new alongside old, smart contrasting with shabby. Lots of building going on, even timeshare duplexes. No diesel here, go on another 15km to the border. The fully-stocked Spar is fantastic. Marcelo is approached by Mark, an honorary ranger who had seen our Rhino Rescue Project stickers on the car. The longer they chat, the higher the level in the trolley. Marcelo and Nicolai have sneaked in a surprise for me: Trees of the Okavango Delta – the Part I I had been longing for (not available anywhere up till now).

 The children are horrifyingly dismayed by the one-fingered beggar outside, the rest of his hands all scarred and gnarled. The why’s and how’s unanswered, guesses of birth deformity, polio, leprosy – all discussed at length. Just yesterday whilst squeezing out the washing, Nicolai and I had chatted about the blessings of hands, the strength and softness of hands, the joy and uses of having two hands!

 Chobe Riverfront is a world apart. We entered at the main gate, booking two nights at Ihaha campsite. Tourists like mushrooms atop their fertile bases abound. A wildlife

paradise – a sheer proliferation of elephants, old and young, timid, relaxed or cheekily-aggressive – all manner of ages and temperaments – everywhere! We take three hours to get to camp, bewildered by the beauty of the Riverfront road only metres from the water: hippos, crocodiles, impalas, giraffe, impala, two lion prides!

 We reached camp after easing our way through another herd of buffalo with many young, also overlooking the river. Memories that will last a lifetime: being surrounded by a herd of elephant at night; fish eagles galore. What got to Nicolai the most was that the monkeys actually managed to unzip our tent and munch on soaps and books inside before scooting off when we disturbed them. Can you believe it – they even left teeth marks in my book! And Danica finally gets to see her Puku!