The Botswana Tour: Maun, Gweta, Kasane

  Maun, Botswana
Friday, September 22, 2006

GPS Coordinates:
S 19°57'14.3"
E 023°28'43.7"

Temperature: 22.9°C
Humidity: 33.9 %
Pressure: 91.5 kPa
Altitude: 848 m

Dumela (Hello in Setswana),

I flew from Jo'Berg to Maun (pronounced Ma"oo"n) via Gaborone,Botswana. Guess what? They lost my luggage again but got it back safely a short time after. Maybe I should get luggage that finds it way back to the owner just like in the credit card commercial...!

Didn't stay long in Gaborone so didn't visit. I visited Maun but there was not much to see. FYI Traditional art from Botswana is weaved baskets and ostrich egg shell jewelry (NC: You would like...!).

I then booked a safari into the Inner Okavango Delta and Moremi NP. I had to unfortunately remove seeing the Kalahari from my itinerary because of cost and time. The inner delta safari was admittedly a little expensive but it was all-inclusive and offered a range of interesting activities. Let's just say they didn't make money with me if they considered how much I eat and drink...

Snaking River in the Inner Okavango Delta

Elephant Huddle

The delta is flooded almost completely even during low water season so it creates an environment similar to the Everglades, Florida where elephants,hippos and crocodiles roam. Because of this there are no roads to the inner delta so we have to fly. All tourists and cargo has to be flown in. Consequently, and for the same price, I got a very cool (low altitude) 40 minutes small Cesna ride over the Okavango delta and Moremi NP. We began by flying through the delta into Kanane where we dropped stuff and then off to my camp, Shinde. By the way,we landed on small airstrips in the middle of nowhere just like in the movies... that was so COOL! Shinde was similar to the other exclusive lodge I stayed in Kruger (Rhino Post). Three quarters of Shinde Camp is surrounded by the Delta and one quarter by land (Moremi NP). So, since we are in the middle of the bush animals can roam into camp anytime. Apparently, an elephant regularly uses a water / mud hole in front of my lodge (obvious damage on the ground) but I didn't have a chance to see him. There are colorful birds everywhere.

View from the Mokoro Canoe

White Egrette in Flight

Since the inner Okavango delta is like the Everglades you can do a MOKORO trip along the water. MOKORO's are traditional wooden dugout canoes moved by guides using poles. Nowadays, MOKORO's are built from the resistant and lightweight tree called the Green Fiberglass tree... but the traditional shape remain. 

Baby Croc Sunning in the Reeds

Water Lilly #2

Anyways, it was very relaxing! I also went fishing in a powerboat where I caught a very BIG ONE!(I swear it's true!) but only had a second or two to see it before the fish broke the line. (I got really nice pictures of the Inner Okavango Delta part but forgot to upload them... so please check later (I will let you know) for an update!)

Baby Giraffes

Me and a Buffalo Skull

The company that owns the camp also owns the land around it so the safari game drives were litteraly done in the bush and fields, driving into tall grasses and at least 1 meter high water. It was quite different than the other places where you have to stay on the roads. Similarly, the last day I went for a game walk with an armed guide in the middle of the bush where lions can show up on the next bend and fresh bones litter the ground; it was quite exciting! of course I might have been asking for it, to get into a wrestling match with a 200 kg feline, but HEY! we live only once... In this case it could have been literally... Learning about tracks, dung, plants (food and medicinal) was fun.

Sunset Over the Inner Okavango Delta

Sunset in Moremi National Park

Sunsets here were amazing!

Assisted to a traditional song / dance by the staff of the camp which was very touching (S... M...: Like the movie Power of One!). This was followed by a traditional Botswana dinner.

I then went back to Maun and met two cool guys (Hi! To Theo and Lance) from South Africa working for a UK based agency in relation to the better management of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Let's say we had a few dringgss...!!!

Big Baobob Tree

Sunrise at the Quad Bike Corral

I then booked a further experience in the Salt Pans (Ntwetwe pans close to Gweta). We (me and two fun/party couples from England) drove for 1 hour then took quad bikes to ride into this desolate moon-like landscape. Camping in the middle of nowhere under the stars with only a bedroll under you... that was awesome especially that... It rains 1 or 2 times a year here... well guess what...? There was a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon, thankfully we got just a little rain but the weird experience was that we were caught in the resulting SANDSTORM!!!! and we could see only a few meters in front of us. (See pics)

Martin Lawrence of Botswana

Caught in a Duststorm

It was like getting a skin exfoliation by sand-blasting with wind reaching up to 85 km/h (I was standing sideways while people were diving for cover behind the rounded quad bikes). It was really funny because we had to run for after a few things that were flying away (e.g. bedrolls, garbage, hot coals from the fire) It lasted roughly 1 hour but it was still a little windy all night with occasional lightning strikes in the distance, IT WAS SURREAL!!!  Thank god I had my "turban" (See pic). We handled it without a problem especially after a few drinks and a great Braii (aka BBQ).

Bad Mood Hippo

Elephant in the Shade

Took bus to Kasane the next day to go for a 3 day tour of Chobe NP where there is the biggest concentration of elephants in the world (120,000?). Saw a few different animals. On the Chobe River boat game cruise, I met three Americans traveling and had a blast (Hi! To Lauren, Andy, Leigh) experiencing this place.

Then me and the Americans decided to travel a few days together and go experience Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (See next entry).

TSAMAYA SENTLE (Goodbye)

L8TR!

Martin