Days 15 thru 23

(Dan’s comments are italicized)

Being in Botswana is a bit like stepping back in time (in a good way). On our short walk to the supermarket, we passed a group of people to playing billiards on an outside table, and a group of schoolchildren singing to a drum beat while another danced.

Also, a man sitting at a rickety booth asked Dan if he wanted a haircut; Dan has no hair!!! In all fairness to the man, when you need money, you chase it in all places, however unlikely they may be!! If we were here for another two weeks, I would take him up on his offer.

I always smile when shopping; I love the names of some of the local foods.

We’re excited about our safari as we hear that some cheetah and cubs have been spotted (no pun intended). 🤞

It’s now Sunday 25th May and we’ve just returned to Maun after a week of wild camping. There’s way too much to write about for one post so we’re going to cut it into three and, hopefully, post every day as we intend to lay low for a few days to recover!

The Okavango Delta was fantastic, as usual. Frank, our guide (and the same one we used last year), provides a more realistic (basic) experience than do most mobile safari outfits.

He has a rickety truck…

…that looks a bit like the Beverly Hillbilly’s when loaded up…

But I have to say that Frank’s mobile safari business has improved so much since last year…much to my delight! Last year, Dan and I had to crawl into a little tent and sleep on the floor (to the chagrin of my old, arthritic bones!) But look at our camp this year…

It truly was luxurious for us!! Fortunately, everyday was sunny and mild, so we did not have to test this living experience in extreme environments.

I really enjoyed the camping this year as that little extra luxury made a huge difference (side note: you know you’re in Africa when you consider a camper bed with a hard mattress a luxury 😂)! We still went to sleep to the sounds of hippo grunting, hyenas laughing, lions roaring, vervet monkeys and baboons screeching, and some damn birds that chirp all night long! We found out that elephants and hippos can make some very un-elephant and un-hippo like noises. Thankfully, it’s not lion mating season so we didn’t have the experience of them mating outside our tent this year…but we did have elephants, hippo, hyenas, vervet monkeys, and baboons at our camp at different times.

Arnold made some stunning food. Everything he cooked was prepared over a single camp fire. He grilled meats, deep fried chicken, boiled pastas, prepared soups, and even baked bread and steamed dumplings! Every meal had protein, fruit and vegetables, grains and carbs. It was, hands down, the best camp food I have ever had.

But back to Frank. He wants us to know as much as possible about the African bush and its animals and is willing to follow lions through the bush, and park in the middle of a herd of elephants (probably around 200) for 2 hours so we could observe their behavior. Both Dan and I were in heaven!!

We’ve had a fantastic 7 days and have learned so much! And in comfort to boot! Tomorrow, we’ll start writing about the animals but I’ll post a couple of photos as teasers (to make sure you come back)!

I’ve known for 40 years that I love Africa…but I didn’t expect Dan to love it as much as I do! This is opening up doors for us…! I can’t quite put my finger on why I like it so much here. It might be because the pace of living is slower. Or maybe there is not as much emphasis on consumerism. It might be because of how genuine strangers are here. It’s most likely all three, and more. Whatever it is, I love it and want more.