Okavango Delta, Botswana

So, for the last 3 days we have been properly bush camping in the middle of nowhere, in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.  I was particularly excited about this as I beleiev i have seen it featured on Planet Earth and remember thinking, 'I hope we go there'.  I may be wrong, but I hope not. 

at the camp before setting off on a 6am walk!

We basically took out makoroe canoes, basically hollowed out tree trunks, for a 3 day safari, through the narrow waterways of the delta.  Out of the group only 7 of us decided to go (out of 19) so it was nice to have a smaller group for a bit.  There were 2 of us per canoe, with a local guide who poled us along (like punting).  We canoed for about an hour and a half in the morning to the campsite then chilled and swam during the day as it is SO hot here (bordering the Kalihari Desert).  We really were in the middle of wild afriica.  As we were travellign along we had to stop a couple of times as there were elephants around and we had to make sure we didnt get too close!  We werent allowed to wander off from the campsite incase we got charged by and elephant or hippo, or got digested by a lion.  In the evening the others went off for a walk with the guide but i was cravingsome time to myself after 2 months of being with people all the time, so stayed and prepared our tea of BBQ chicken, potato salad and green salad.  (Oh dear I am eating so well on this trip I must have put on about double my body weight, so much for the diet of rice and beans....we even have a non stop supply of heinz baked beans...it's great!)

canoeing along the delta

The stars out there in teh evening were incredible, i have now seen over 6 shooting stars, which is very exciting as I had never seen one before!  The next day we were up at 5.30 am (uggggh- lie ins on this trip are 7am...if Rach says we are leaving at 8.00 one day we all consider that a great lie in!), to do an animal trcking walk.. we heard lions and Clive was all up for chasing them but they were too far away.  We saw more nellies and zebra which was great on foot instead of in a vehicle.  then coming back to teh camp at 10am it was already sweltering so we had anotehr lazy day, then a sunset canoe cruise at 6.00pm.

me in my canoe on the delta

ANotehr nigth of yummy food and amazing stars.  The bush camsping thing now I am totally at ease with....although tramping through the bushes to go to the loo is a bit disconcerting when you know there are massive spiders and snakes around.  And last ngiht I was so scared as I could here a loud chomping and munching as I was having my wee, i have never relieved myself so fast, it soudned like it was right next to me.  We could hear this all night from our tent....whetehr it was a hippo, or what we don't know, but it was amazing to hear!

Back to the campsite this morning, and some of the group have gone off to fly over the delta whcih i was going to do but have deided to save my dosh as i heard from the other group it wasnt as good as they had hoped. 

me with elephant in background

and as today is St Paddys day i think we are having a partay in teh campsite bar! yay!

Only otehr news from the last few days...the mornign after the booze cruise in vic faqlls, after a night of being thrown in the campsite pool, i woke up with my random eye infection/allergic reaction i sometimes get.  v bizarre.  anyway, i managed tog et some anti-inflammatory antibiotics (over the counter...unbelieveable!) and all is now well again.  we also took a river cruise down the Chobe River the day before the delta trip which was nice to see some game from the river view.

right best go as i'm on cook group tonight and have been ordered to go buy ice cream! yummy!

out on the sunset canoe

things naughty theo nicked from the hostel