Our day started early - 5:30 AM, but not too early for the family of warthogs (five including two little ones) playing on the grass between our porch and the river. At 6 AM we met the Ranger who was named Innocent (no kidding) and his Toyota Land Cruiser. We were in the last row seat which is higher than the rest. There were two HUGE steps to get in, but I made it by myself. It was a ten minute drive to Chobe National Park. It was rather cool and breezy in an open-air vehicle with a only a roof. After checking in, we immediately spotted a male Impala. We all took pictures. Didn't realize that before the drive was over we would have seen hundreds of them. Next we saw a hippo lounging in a wallow near the road. Down the road a bit we looked over to the Chobe river and saw many hippos bobbing along in the river with either their noses or heads sticking out of the water. The river is at flood stage now and is a mile and a half wide at some places. Namibia is on the other side of the river --clearly visible. Driving along we spotted a baboon, then realized that there was a whole group of them. Our driver called them the naughty boys. The road was like a parade route dotted with elephant dung and lion tracks. Eventually we spotted one elephant near the water. We stopped for tea and coffee--served by our driver. It was also a good time for bird watching. The Park is rich with a varied and huge population of birds. We saw vultures, quail, cranes, fish eagle,hornbill, plovers,and many others I didn't recognize. Also spotted a beautiful turtle crossing the road --slowly and a dung beetle pushing its quarry down the road. Back on the tour, we rounded a bend and saw hundreds of Impala on one side of the road. They were such a sight that we almost missed the four giraffes on the other side. As our drive was nearing its end, a lioness appeared in front of us, nonchalantly trotting down the road. Pretty soon, she veered off on a path. Our driver said he had seen her before and that she had two cubs she was nursing.
This afternoon I went on a river cruise. Chuck was under the weather and stayed back. During the course of the three plus hour cruise, we again saw many beautiful and different birds. The highlight was seeing a herd of 25 elephants. They played along the river bank, drank water, posed for pictures, and marched up the hill. Also saw a pod of 14 hippos. They are a challenge to photograph because most of the time only their noses are sticking out of the water. They can stay under for six minutes. They don't swim, prefer shallow water, walk on the bottom or float----my kind of animal. They are the most dangerous animal in Africa which means they kill the most people. Saw several crocodiles sunning themselves on the riverbank. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. Sorry Chuck missed it, but at least he was feeling better by the time I got back.
We have experienced a strong Christian influence here. Yesterday the bartender's name was Job. I asked him if he had better luck than Job in the Bible. He immediately and with a smile, said, "Job was a man who had a heart for God." We had a nice short discussion. He was proud to be named Job. Today Innocent asked John if he was John the Baptizer. John reminded him that that John was beheaded. So they decided that he was John the Baptized. Innocent obviously knew his Bible and was glad to share it.
Botswana is one of the most stable countries in Africa and has been for a long time. A high percentage of the people are Christian. They are a friendly and attractive people. Time to go to dinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment