Hi everyone,
We have just spent 2 glorious days at Stanleys Camp in the Okavanga Delta. I am emailing you from Chiefs Camp were we have just arrived today via satelitte internet - amazing! So you are getting this message from right in the jungle!
Stanley camp was amazing - we stayed in proper tents - with a shower and toilet attached to the end of the tent and had battery power inside - which I blew the first night we arrived - so Matthew and I spent the night in our tent in complete darkness, except for our torches which we both slept holding! There are no fences and at night hyenas and elephants and baboons roam right outside your tent - so it is alittle daunting at first - but we were assured that they ahve never come inside!
We have seen more wild life - new ones being the hyenas, wilderbeast, zebras and the most amazing of all leopards! They are THE most beautiful animals and there was a 5 year old female that let us up right close - inside the truck of course - which they dont recognise as prey - THANK GOD! and she walked underneath the truck - and me! She then climbed a tree and lay down - which was extra special as that is what Matthew wanted to see the most during his time here.
The bird life here is also amazing and we have alot of video footage of birds and photos that I havent added to this blog.
We spent a morning with a Doug and his 3 orphaned elephants - Jabo, Timbe and Marula - who he adopted 20 years ago and now lives with permanently in the delta - and learned all about elephants and their behaviours. It was a once in a life time experience walking with them thru the jungle - with a guide with a rifle too incase lions or leopards came too close, which they have in the past and the elephants have chased them away - and then interacting with them. What graceful and giving animals they are.
The people here have been so friendly and our Botswanan guide - Alan - has ben alot of fun. We have met some lovely people also on safari - from Wales, Australia, Italy, Switzerland and France.
Funny things that have happened, other than blowing the lights have been
1. Our truck being stuck in the mud whilst tracking some lions that has just killed and eaten a warthog - and having the other truck pull us out
2. Being in the middle of a group of Hyenas in the complete darkness but for a torch - god they stink! and our 2 trucks backing into each other and our spare tyre falling off the side of the truck - so Alan had to go off the truck to get it!
3.Night Safaris - we go out at 4pm and come back around 8 - in complete darkness! Looking at night animals on our way back
4. Having a barbeque out in the jungle at night with torches around us, just after seeing the hyenas close by, with people standing with rifles around you looking out into the darkness whilst you drink and eat - surreal!
5. Having sunset drinks - a gin and tonic for me and coke for Matthew in the middle of the jungle watching the sunset before driving back on our night drive
6. Floating thru the savannah grass on a mokoro (wooden canoe) seeing frogs, fish, water lillies and crocs (not too close!) and hippos. A completely diffeent perspective from being on the truck as your eye sight is below the top of the grass.
It seems amazing that we have had all these experiences and we are only half way through our trip. We have taken alot of photos and video footage - but here is a small sample....
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