From the Mists of the Zambezi To the Grasses of the Okavango
From the Mists of the Zambezi To the Grasses of the Okavango Journal and Photos by Laura Jamieson June, 2010
Itinerary:
June 13-15: Livingstone, Zambia
June 16-17: Chobe Game Reserve, Kasane, Botswana
June 18: Chobe Game Reserve, Savute, Botswana
June 19-20: Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai, Botswana
June 21-22: Moremi Game Reserve, Xaxanaka, Botswana
June 23: Moremi Game Reserve, Xini, Botswana
June 24: Maun, Botswana
Our African adventure started when we landed at the little white airport in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The plane pulled right up at the door to the airport, and we disembarked onto the tarmac and into the immigration room. There was a mass of people in the little lobby waiting to pay for visas ($30 USD for Americans, $75 USD for Canadians) then pick up luggage from the floor where it had been laid out. At the main entrance of the airport was a group of performers in faux animal fur costumes. It looked like hot work – even in African winter. The little airport was a hub of activity. Local people wandered in to rest and cool off. Women with babies swaddled on their backs sat and talked.
From the airport our driver took us as far as the Zimbabwe border. At the border we had to stop and show our passports to get a pass permitting us to leave the country. Our driver transferred our bags to another driver who loaded us into his van for the Zambia portion of our journey. We then drove over the bridge connecting the two countries and had our first view of Victoria Falls. On the other side of the falls we stopped at the Zambian immigration to pay our $50 USD Zambian visas. Outside of the immigration office we were accosted by people trying to sell us money or crafts. Mangy baboons scavenged through garbage. The border does not give a good first impression of Zambia; however we soon discovered it to be a clean and pleasant country.
On our first morning in Livingstone Ty woke me at 5:30 am to watch the sun rise. The Zambezi was very calm, the mist rising in the early morning air as the sky turned shades of pastel pink, blue and yellow. The stillness was interrupted only by the occasional bird flying low over the river. It was very peaceful, but also quite cold, so we went inside for tea and to read our guide books until breakfast time. After breakfast, Ty went to see the falls. Sue, Sloan and I went into Livingstone. We started at the craft market where there were nearly 60 stalls of local craftspeople selling their wares: carvings, textiles, and paintings. The people in the stalls were friendly, welcoming and not too pushy. They were curious about where we had come from and asked if we had brought anything to trade. Sadly, we hadn’t brought anything. Trading would have been fun. We were prepared to bargain for our purchases, and we all successfully came away with a few items. I bought two teak boxes and some small carved hippos, rhinos, and elephants. We walked down the busy main street and stopped at the post office on our way to the Livingstone museum. The museum was small, but it had an interesting exhibit on David Livingstone including actual letters he had written and a replica of the broken arm bone that was used to identify his remains. Ty came into town and met us for lunch and to watch the Denmark vs. Netherlands World Cup football match. We watched the match in the brightly coloured upstairs room of a restaurant. We ate pizzas, and Ty and I tried the Zambian beer, Mosi Lager, named for Mosi-oTunya, the Zambian name for Victoria Falls.
In the evening we took a Zambezi River cruise. The cruise was delightful. We were settled comfortably on the upper deck of the boat sipping gin and tonic and sodas as it meandered up the Zambezi towards the setting sun. We passed four young hippos bathing and playing in the water. We saw two baby crocodiles along the shore. It was most exciting when Ty noticed giraffes on the other side of the river. There were three giraffes nibbling leaves along the riverbank. These were our first glimpses of safari animals, and we were thrilled. We watched the sun set over the Zambezi before heading back to the Waterfront Lodge to watch some football and go to bed.
The next morning Ty went whitewater rafting and Sue, Sloan and I took a taxi to Victoria Falls. We first walked to the Knife’s Edge, a thin point that juts out just in front of the falls. We could see people coming back, and they were soaked head to toe, so we didn’t hesitate to spend $2 each to rent a pair of crocs and a rain poncho. As we started down the path a “tour guide” adopted us, and we were all too polite to tell him to go away, so I guess he was hired. Our tour guide took us first to see the rainbow which he said was best in the morning. We then walked out over a small footbridge to the tip of the knife. We were just metres away from the water going over the falls, and it was wet! It was like a heavy rain, except the water seemed to be coming from all directions. The ponchos did kept us somewhat dry, but our arms and legs were still soaked. Standing that close to the falls we could feel the sheer power of the water. After the Knife’s Edge we climbed down to the Boiling Pot, the swirl of water at the bottom of the falls as the water enters the gorge. It was a long walk down, but we arrived to the most gorgeous views of the river and gorge looking up at the bridge to Zimbabwe and the bungee jumpers hanging from the bridge. We finished our visit in Livingstone with a helicopter ride over the falls. It was interesting to see the falls from above as they are a fissure in the landscape. This is why the mist from the falls goes so high into the air. It has nowhere else to go as the water pours into the fissure and against the other side. We could see how close to the falls we had been when we had been walking along the Knife’s Edge. From the helicopter we also saw our first elephant and a herd of water buffalo. We had not started our safari, yet we had seen many animals already: hippos, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, baboons, vervet monkeys, and water buffalo.
Our stay in Livingstone complete, we met our safari guide, Barobi, and set off for the next leg of our adventure. As we approached the Zambia exit point along the Chobe river we saw dozens of transport trucks lined up along the side of the road. The driver told us that sometimes it takes two weeks for a truck to leave. Once we got past the immigration office we discovered the reason for the truckers’ delay. To get to Botswana they had to cross a river, and there was only one boat that could ferry the big trucks across. They all had to wait their turn. Fortunately for us we were transferred from the van to a smaller boat and taken swiftly across the river to another waiting transfer van. The transfer van drove us to the town of Kasane. Kasane’s main street has shops, a hospital, a police station, banks, and many other businesses. The homes are mostly constructed of concrete blocks with tin roofs.
We passed through Kasane to the Chobe Safari Camp, a large public camping ground where our Karibu safari vehicle was waiting. Transfers complete! We were now at our new home for the next 10 days. Barobi loaded our gear in the back then drove us to the campground area where we had a picnic of sandwiches. There were two warthogs scavenging around the campsite. Most of the campers seemed unbothered by the warthogs, shooing the large pigs out of their campsites. After making their rounds through the garbage bins of the site, the warthogs snuggled down side by side for a nice rest – right in the middle of the road. If we didn’t love warthogs yet, we did then. After lunch we went into Kasane to change money and to buy beverages. We bought juice concentrate and candies at the supermarket and gin and tonic at the bottle shop.
Our first game drive was a sensory overload. As we turned off the main road from Kasane we saw three elephants on the side of the road. We turned the corner to find a herd of impala scampering across the road. When we entered the game reserve we encountered water buffalo grazing in a field. There were more elephants and impala, but also a group of giraffes strolling leisurely through the trees. We approached the Chobe river to find a herd of elephants coming up from the river and crossing the road. Little did we know, the climax was yet to come. Barobi had noticed some tracks along the side of the road leading us to the most exciting find: lions! There were two male lions lounging just a few metres from the side of the road. They were brothers, and at one point they gave each other a friendly nuzzle before settling down to relax again. The females were not so relaxed. Prowling stealthily in the background, they were preparing themselves for the evening hunt. What a start to our safari!
We arrived in camp at dusk with the last rays of light fading behind the bush. Our camp consisted of a central covered eating area, two khaki sleeping tents, a green toilet tent, and a green shower tent. Off to the side was the cook area with three khaki tents for our guide and assistants. There was a campfire lit and waiting for us. This was now home. The assistant, Prince, and cook, Mula, came over to introduce themselves. This completed our group of safari companions.
After relaxing by the fire listening to some of Barobi’s safari stories we were treated to our first of Mula’s wonderful dinners: grilled lamb chops and sausage, a local mais dish that was sort of like polenta, tomato sauce, and broccoli. It was delicious camp food. At the end of the meal Mula served guava with custard. If this was any indication, we were going to eat well on safari. The night was cold, so after dinner the others went to sit around the campfire, but I snuggled in to my camp cot. With two layers of socks, tights, sweatpants, long sleeved shirt, fleece, duvet and two blankets, I was nice and warm all night.
On our second day in Chobe we awoke to a fabulous camp breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. After breakfast we went out for our first game drive of the day. It was a very quiet morning, but Sue noticed something scavenging in the underbrush: a honey badger. The honey badger is an industrious beast. He has no time to waste, going from tree to bush checking and digging for rodents or bee hives. He didn’t seem to notice us watching. He was busy! As it was quiet in the bush, Barobi took us down to the riverfront. By the river there was much more activity. Several species of birds, including egrets, pelicans, and lilac breasted rollers were active on the beach. We also saw a number of small crocodiles. We were excited to find a spotted hyena down at the river side looking for something to scavenge. Hyenas tend to be active at night, so it is not common to find them out during the daytime. He retreated quickly into the bush when he saw us. We stopped for tea on a long, flat delta. There was a group of hippos lazing across the river at the end of the delta. After our morning game drive we returned to camp for a rest, a gin and tonic, and an excellent lunch of salad, pasta, and cooked vegetables.
In the afternoon we went on a Chobe river cruise. We stopped first at the Chobe Safari Campground to use their shower facilities before going through the lobby of the much more luxurious Chobe Safari Hotel to meet our boat guide, Kaunda. The Chobe river is very wide, and the channel splits around an island in the middle. The island was contested by Namibia who wanted it for agriculture and Botswana who wanted it for wildlife preservation. Fortunately for us, the island was awarded to Botswana. As we made our way along the Chobe river we saw many crocodiles of varying sizes. We also saw a couple of water monitor lizards and a Puka antelope on the bank. We were able to get a much closer look at the hippos from the boat; however Kaunda was careful to keep a safe distance from these animals. Next to the mosquito, hippos are the second most dangerous animal for humans in this region. The riverfront was also a gathering place for elephants. Hundreds of elephants were down along the river. Two young males had swam across to the island and were eating the long grass. They picked the grass with their trunks, then shook it to clean it before putting it in their mouths. We saw a big elephant swimming back to the mainland, his large, glistening form emerging from the water. Along the shore mothers, babies and young males drank from the river and splashed themselves with mud. Young elephants were chasing and getting under their mother’s feet. Adolescents were play fighting. The elephants enjoy their time at the Chobe river.
On our way back to camp Barobi spotted a leopard, so we went on a little detour to try to get a better look. The light was fading, and the leopard was moving swiftly, so we only caught a quick glimpse of him. As Barobi accelerated the land cruiser around a corner, he hit a bump, and we heard the hissing of air from the rear right tire. Flat. Ty and Barobi stepped out of the land cruiser to change the tire while Sue, Sloan and I watched the last light leave the sky as the sun set over the Chobe river. Barobi drove us swiftly back to camp. Luckily he knows the roads even in the dark. Prince and Mula welcomed us back to camp with a warm fire and a delicious meal of mashed potatoes, gulash, cauliflower in butter, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Once again, an outstanding safari meal. We tucked ourselves in snugly for another peaceful sleep; however we found it was much less peaceful outside the tents than inside. In the night we were all awoken by lions roaring and growling. It sounded as if they were right outside our tents. We all lay very still in our cots. In the morning Barobi assured us that the lions had probably been around 100 meters away, not in our camp as it had seemed. That still seemed a bit too close for comfort.
We started the next day with a quick breakfast of cereal and toast then packed the land cruiser to set out for Savute. We started our journey with a game drive. The warthogs were busy digging. The warthogs have such spunky personalities. They seem so eager with their busy digging and upturned snouts. When they run they stick their tails straight up in the air. Off to the side of the road we caught sight of three jackals, but they headed into the bush as our land cruiser approached. We found a large group of baboons who were looking for insects and grooming each other. Barobi took us for one last drive along the river. He had noticed some lion tracks. As we passed another safari group they told us there were five lions along the beach. The lions were lying in the sun, but they weren’t relaxing too much. They had their eyes on an impala that had run for protection over to a little island. There was one young male lion just starting to grow his mane and four females. Our visit distracted them, and they temporarily lost sight of their impala. We left them to finish their watch and continued our journey along the river.
As we made our way to the Ngoma gate we passed elephants, water buffalo, giraffes, and a few zebras. The Ngoma gate is at the border of Namibia, and we could see the bridge linking the two countries across the river. The road after Ngoma was dusty and bumpy. We were no longer in the park, and passed through the villages of Mabele, Kavimba, and Kachikau. While we bumped along the dusty dirt road, a bigger paved road was under construction off to the right. The company building the road was a Chinese company, but most of the workers appeared to be African. After the last village we entered the Chobe National Forest and one of the sandiest roads I have ever seen. It was like driving through dunes.
We entered the Chobe National Park again at the Ghoha gate, and the road turned from sand to dry mud. This area of Chobe is a dry valley with grassy plains. We saw a few giraffes and zebra as we made our way to camp. After we turned off the main road to go to our camp we saw a leopard. It was making its way swiftly through the brush. We had stopped to change another flat tire on the way, and we were all thankful for the delay as without it we would not have seen the leopard. In fact, we started to think that leopards and flat tires came in pairs. We arrived at our Savute camp to find Prince had our tents set up and hot water ready for us to have our first bucket shower. After all the dust from the road, the shower felt really, really good. Our dinner was rice, fried hake (a local fish), and a local squash. Over dinner we asked Barobi about the animal sounds we could hear in the distance. Barobi assured us they were from elephants approximately 5km away and that we were really safe from lions, but Sloan and I remained slightly skeptical.
We started out from the Savute camp for a game drive before starting the journey to the Moremi Game Reserve. Along the side of the road we saw a very small antelope called a Steenbok. It has a small body, but big ears. The males have little pointed antlers. Further along the road we saw three jackals trotting through the grass. It seemed generally quiet in the morning until we ran into another safari group and they told us there were some wild dogs nearby. We found the wild dogs resting under a tree. Barobi said this was unusual as wild dogs are normally very active. They run all day looking for food and have very little time to rest.
We drove to the Savute river, a river that had been dry for many years and has just recently started to flow again. Here we stopped and hiked up a sharp rock face to see bushman rock drawings that are approximately 100 years old. They featured an elephant, an elan, a giraffe, a hippo and a crocodile. It is thought that the bushmen left these drawings to tell other groups where they could find good hunting. We made our way to the Savute Marsh where we expected to see zebra, but there were none. Instead, we saw our first wildebeest, an ostrich and a funny bird called a secretary bird. After stopping for tea we continued along the grassy plains until we finally came upon a small group of zebra. Sitting next to the zebra were some impala and a tsessebe antelope. We stopped for lunch at a water hole along the plain, and a warthog watched us from the other side.
We started the journey to Moremi along a very well named road called Sand Ridge Road. It was hard driving, and when we had to pass another vehicle it was quite a maneuver to get off the road to let them by. As we entered the Moremi Game Reserve dry sand turned to mud and water. We pulled up at one water crossing behind a couple of 4x4 vehicles trying to cross a flooded point in the road. As the first vehicle went through it looked like it was going to flip on its side. The people in the next vehicle didn’t know what to do as they weren’t confident about their ability to pass through themselves. Barobi took off his shoes and waded in to the water. He waded through the pond testing the depth of the water to find the firmest, shallowest route, then off we went successfully to the other side. We were now in the Okavango Delta, a large marshy area that fills with water twice a year.
Feeling quite pleased with our success in making it through the water crossing, we were enjoying our drive. As we approached a passing safari vehicle they pointed to us. Right beside our land cruiser was a pack of wild dogs on the move. Approaching from the other side of the road was an elephant. They met on the road, the wild dogs passing as the elephant went by. For a few moments it almost looked like the elephant was part of the dog pack. After passing a few more water crossings and the village of Khwai, we arrived to find our camp waiting for us. It had been a long day: 10 or 11 hours on the road.
This morning we started with a full breakfast of toast, eggs and bacon at camp before heading out for our game drive. It was a quiet morning in Moremi. Lots of impala as usual, but we also came across five red lechwe near a watering hole. They appeared to be alert to something off in the distance: perhaps the lions that we had been hearing all morning at camp.
Just around the corner we passed an impala bachelor herd. The female impala stay together in breeding herds. The breeding herds have only one male. All other males come together to form a bachelor herd. As we drove through the grassy plains the air was filled with the scent of sage and basil. Barobi told us the small bush giving off this pleasurable scent is called sweet basil.
Further on from the red lechwe we came upon a pack of hungry wild dogs out on the hunt. They were, unfortunately, in the only place that didn’t appear to have any impala. One of the dogs had lost an eye, and the others were licking him to clean the wound.
We saw more elephants today. We could watch elephants for hours. Their lumbering gracefulness. They emerge almost silently from the bush as they make their way across the plain. Yet, they also cause such devastation in the forest. Where elephants have been scratching themselves and shaking berries from the trees, the forest looks like a war zone. The glistening body of the elephant as he emerges from the river is magnificent. Watching them cover themselves in mud is fun. The way they use their trunks to grab leaves, clean grass and drink water is fascinating. The protectiveness of mothers to their babies is touching. The playfulness of the young is joyful. The elephants stir so many emotions. We love the elephants. After a delicious lunch of freshly baked buns, french fries, chicken skewers, and coleslaw, we spent a couple of hours relaxing around camp. We set out around 4pm for our afternoon game drive. The impala all seemed very peaceful and relaxed as did the red lechwe grazing in the swamp. We passed two elephants walking across the plain. The larger of the two elephants walked right past the front of our land cruiser, just meters away.
On our way back towards camp we drove up to the edge of the swamp to look for hippos. We could not see any, but there were a couple of elephants wandering through the swamp. We sat and watched a gorgeous sunset over the marsh before heading back to camp. It was getting much darker as we drove along, and everyone was watching out the side windows in case there were any animals prowling about. That’s when I noticed something in the road ahead of us. It was a female lion relaxing comfortably in the middle of the road. After we had watched her for a little while Barobi restarted the engine of the land cruiser. This did not please the lioness. Her roars filled the air and carried through the forest. We had to drive through the bush behind her to get past. We finished our drive back to camp with a good sense of how close, really close the lions are to us. Our camp was just around the corner from where the lioness was resting.
We set out from our camp in Khwai this morning and stopped briefly at a small shop to pick up some biscuits. To drive from Khwai to Xaxanaka we had to take the long route as the roads on the direct route were impassable due to the water. The drive from North Gate to South Gate was long and straight, and apart from the occasional elephant it was dull. At South Gate we stopped to talk to a South African couple who were making tea in their trailer. They have very clever safari trailers. The trailers are compact, but they fold out to reveal places to pack in dishes, a fridge, a hot plate, a tent, and other handy items. From South Gate we took the winding road up to the Xaxanaka gate. At Xaxanaka gate we stopped at the boat launch for lunch. The grass in this area of the park grows so tall it would swallow me up. This is the part of the Okavango Delta that we had seen fill with water and grasses on the Planet Earth documentary. It is incredible to see it in person. During lunch we were visited by many colourful species of birds. One yellow bird looked like a punk rocker, there was a red woodpecker, a swallow and its nest, little yellow birds, and a dove. They were very friendly, especially when I threw bread crusts for them. My favourite metallic starling posed for a photo.
After lunch we went in search of a cheetah, but found only elephants and grassy landscapes. Finally, we came upon a beautiful blue hippo pond and realized that this piece of heaven would be home tonight. There was one hippo in the pond and others could be heard in the neighbouring marsh.
For two days we had been hot on the trail of a cheetah, and while the cheetah eluded us, there were other animals to amuse us. On our game drive last evening we saw a small herd of waterbuck at the side of a marsh.
In the evening as we sat around the campfire we heard a loud splashing coming from the pond. Our hippo was on the move from the pond to the neighbouring marsh. In the dim light the mass of the hippo emerged smoothly from the pond and over the short ridge of land. We could hear it splashing its way through the reeds in the marsh behind us. Minutes later, a second hippo made the same migration. It was a magnificent sight and spectacularly exciting to be so close to hippos without the protection of our land cruiser. Our pond was now hippo-less, but our cluster of impala remained.
The next morning we watched the sky fill with colour as the sun rose over the calm morning. The hippos were quiet now, and bird song filled the air. Our impalas nibbled quietly on the grass near the pond.
To get to our campsite we had to drive over a precarious log bridge. It was difficult maneuvering for our 4x4 vehicle to get over the bridge, and at the end of the bridge we still needed to drive through deep water. We heard that fourth bridge was out of commission, so we switched our route to use the third bridge. On our way to take a mokoro ride we passed seven lions lounging at the side of the road. They will sit there resting until sundown when it will be time to hunt. The mokoro is a canoe made from a hollowed log. Our pole drivers were named Lake and Rueben. The mokoros move smoothly and quietly through the channels of the delta through the tall grasses and past pastel-coloured lily pads. We saw a little painted frog clinging to a reed in the marsh.
The grasses of the Okavango Delta are varied and spectacular. The colours range from pale wheat to brown, orange, amber, and every shade of green. The tall grasses are well over 6 feet high. Some grass is thick like a reed. Other grass is textured like a feather. It is the most splendid grass.
We continued our cheetah hunt last night, but to no avail. We searched all the places the cheetah was known to be seen, but apart from a few lion tracks, there was nothing to be found. We had been out for about two hours, and the sun was going down, so we finally gave up and started back to camp. Then, as we passed a grassy plain, Ty called out. At the very edge where the plain met the forest was our cheetah making his stealthy way into the bush. Now, energized by this distant sighting, we went exploring again. We followed the road along the plain, and Ty again spotted something in the grass: a striped jackal, and behind it a wild cat. We followed the track further and found a dead baboon in the bush. The baboon was likely the prey of a leopard, but he had not been able to pull his kill into a tree. We returned in the morning to find the baboon still there. The leopard must have moved on, and none of the scavengers had found it yet. This morning we made another attempt to find a cheetah or lion. Barobi is a determined tracker, and we are all his enthusiastic assistants scouring the horizons, inspired by Ty's success last night. While the lions and cheetah did not appear, we found a group of giraffes meandering through the trees.
We had started on our journey to Xini when we received a radio call from Prince and Mula. Their land cruiser’s batteries were dead, so we had to go back to camp to give them a boost. This gave us an opportunity to go back over third bridge.
The grass at third bridge is my favourite. The tops of the grass look like fireworks. It reflects the dew in the early morning light. It sways delicately in the afternoon breeze.
We took the scenic route back to camp and stopped to see some zebra along the way. On our morning drive we also saw another secretary bird, an African darter drying its wings and a black backed jackal. We also saw some tsessebe lying in the grass. The tsessebe is one of the fastest antelopes in Africa; however the tsessebe we saw were quite content to stand still and eat.
The journey to Xini was through a sandy forested area. We saw a large herd of zebra in one of the open areas. We also passed a herd of elephants in the trees. Our camp was on the edge of a marshy pond. As we pulled in to camp we could see a hippo on the other side of the pond. Because Prince and Mula had been delayed by the dead battery, they were still setting up when we arrived.
We ate our lunch at the side of the pond. With our binoculars we could see an elephant on one side of the pond and a crocodile nearby. As we ate our lunch, another hippo came out of the bush just about 50 metres to the right and went into the pond. There were many reeds and grasses in the pond, so we could not see how many hippos there might be. We had to rely on their grunts and chuckles to let us know they were out there.
On our afternoon game drive we passed a hippo sitting in the water. On the other side of the bank were four giraffes looking puzzled. This was normally their crossing place, but the hippo was in the way. They pondered this predicament for awhile before finally moving further along the bank to cross. As this was not their usual path, they approached the crossing very tentatively. Two of the giraffes were particularly cautious about starting, but they eventually splashed their way across. The dominant giraffe had a swollen belly. She is probably expecting a calf soon. Further along we found a group of elephants in the trees. One young male was showing off by trying to push over a tree and by flashing his big ears at us. Barobi pulled the land cruiser over to the side to let the elephants pass, and the entire herd crossed the river. We continued on our drive and heard some lions in the distance. We stopped for Barobi to climb up on a termite mound to survey the area, but the lions were not visible, so we returned for our final night at camp next to the hippo pond.
On our final morning in camp we had a quick breakfast, and everyone started packing. We took a group photo by the pond, and Ty thanked Barobi, Prince, and Mula for the wonderful experience they had given us. We all hugged, then we got ready to leave. Before we left, Barobi came over to thank us. He said he enjoyed traveling with us. We were a “good complement�. Barobi had started as our guide, but he had quickly become a part of our safari family. The drive from Moremi to Maun was a long, straight, dusty road. Along the way we passed the buffalo gate that keeps the wildlife from the livestock. We were leaving the safari world and returning to civilization. Coming in to Maun we passed the homes and livestock of the local people. The homes were a combination of square concrete block construction and traditional round thatched buildings. The goats and cattle wandered freely next to the road. As we approached Maun, the buildings became more modern. Maun is a busy little town with a lot of safari operators and supporting shops and services. Barobi drove us to the airport so we could book a flight over the Okavango Delta. There were moist eyes as we said goodbye to Barobi and the end of our safari.
Laura, Barobi, Ty, Prince, Sue Mula, Sloan