Okavango Delta - Kwetsani

The next Botswana stop was into the heart of the Okavango Delta which was still in high water. The camp was stunning, looking out over the waters with leopard and elephant patrolling the camp during the night. Game viewing was either by boat, by mokoro or by vehicle. Our mokoro trips reminded me of the photo of Freddie on her trip to "my Africa," sitting in a mokoro on the Delta, looking serene.

The boat trips cruised the hippo highways at high speed and although I am sure the speed was slower than it felt, we were very 007. Our fishing trip very nearly ended in Amanda out fishing me yet again, however as neither of us managed to land our fish it was hard to see if her fish was bigger than mine, despite the crytal clear water.

Unfortunately the game viewing was gain a little disappointing however we had some great kudu sightings, which would definitely have to be my favourite antelope. Yet again we were amused by zebra and giraffe and their constant staring. It can be quite creepy, but they are always looking at you. I can just imagine them pointing their hoof at their eyes then at us - "I see you."

Singfest 2010

On Thursday night Amanda and I went to Singfest. When reading "Singfest" please hold your arm straight up, clench your fist, then extend your pointer and little fingers, all whilst nodding your head.

The line up was some nobody I have never heard off, then Ian Brown from the Stone Roses, The Vines, 30 Seconds to Mars and The Smashing Pumpkins. I am not a massive Stone Roses fan so not really up to speed with Ian Brown. The music was OK although doesn't seem to be great for a live gig. The Vines were awesome. I had not seem them live but Youtube led me to believe they were going to be messy and all over the shop. They were fantastic though perhaps there was not as much "performing" as I expected. Smashing guitars in Singapore is as illegal as chewing gum.

30 Seconds to Mars was a tragic loss of 45 minutes of my life, listening to some tosser lead a band through average music that nobody will remember in 2 years. So by the time The Smashing Pumpkins came on at about 12:45am, Grandpa were pretty tired. I would like to say tired from the hard-core mosh pit, but it was more the "gee that's loud and my legs are saw from standing up for 2 hours" kind of tired. You know - sad old git tired.

Lagoon Camp - Kwando

Lagoon Camp is a beautiful tented camp surrounded by a broad range of environments from wetlands to scrub to plains to more densely wooded ares.


This camp is known for their wild dogs which was our primary reason for heading there. On our first day we were lucky enough to come across the dogs heading out for their daily hunt. They flushed out a large warthog which ran into a den inside a large termite mound. The dogs won't follow in as it's too fair a fight, one on one against a dangerous, tusked warthog. Unfortunately for the warthog, the dogs are smarter. They backed off out of sight and when the warthog poked its head out to check if the coast was clear, it didn't see any dogs. The scene was like the last scene in Gallipoli - the one where you are urging "don't run, don't run....please don't run."

But you know that he is going to run and you already know what the outcome will be.

Wild Dogs do not kill their prey before eating and even though the pack was 18 strong, it took a long time for the warthog to die. The squealing of a dying warthog is a particularly horrible noise that cuts to the bone. If you would like to know what that sound is like, we have a large video file which I will try to upload at some stage.

The weather patterns were changing during out time in Kwando, which unfortunately meant that there was some quiet times on the game drives as much of the game had moved on thinking the rains were coming. The cheetahs that include the area in their territory were a no-show however we did some interesting species - eland, honey badgers and sitatunga amongst them.

Livingstone & Chobe

After my friends in poorly-fitting dresses on Singapore airlines had delivered us to Livingstone (I presume), we went straight to Victoria falls. It was actually hard to see anything as the once the water falls to the base, the spray thunders back up and creates a mist obscuring much of the surrounding area. A walk along a knife's-edge bridge had us soaked to the bone before quickly heading to our lodge on the Zambezi river for a boat cruise, fire-side dinner and an early night before our trip to Botswana the next morning.

At this stage, Amanda had already shown the early signs of what would be an uncharacteristically ditsy trip, having left her scarf at the airport then losing her gloves watching the lunar rainbow. I on the other hand, had started to exhibit a very fledgling interest in noting the beautiful birds we saw and suffering the indignity of being called a "birder." While we were together, I had to look at birds out of the corner of my eye &/or through sunglasses.

We crossed through to Kasane, across the confluence of waterways that form the intersecting border of Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Botswana. Chobe and northern Botswana in general is the elephant capital of the world with large herds dominating the environment, to the point that the park is being loved to death by them. Sadly, the elephants (and other game) can easily cross the river to Namibia where they can be shot. The little guy below has some serious protection though and they moved into a flanking position in response to our proximity.

We were on a mobile safari and staying in tents. I had arranged two nights. Two nights turned out to be Amanda's limit. Amanda having stayed two nights in a tent was my limit.

Having been inspired by local fashion, Amanda is now thinking about "big hair." I didn't shave for a while but apparently that does not create the same " just want to cuddle-up and hug him" appeal that a lion's hair does. In my favour though, I thought that "not killing and eating her" was enough of a pay-off but Amanda thinks that lions don't like Chinese food.

Taster of our trip to Botswana

Amanda and I returned from Botswana last week and have many stories and even more photos. It will take quite a while to sort it all out and post, however I will eventually get around to it.

We started in Livingstone (Zambia) where we saw Victoria falls and the lunar rainbow - a rainbow that only shows during the full moon.

A mobile safari in Chobe brought huge herds of elephants and then when in Kwando near the Angola and Namibia border, we were lucky to spend time watching wild dogs hunt, socialise and den.

The Okovango Delta was fun cruising the flood plain in various water-craft while our final stay in the Makgadikgadi Pans was surprisingly amazing with its lunar landscape, unbelievably charismatic meerkats and walking with the San Bushmen.

The sunsets at every location were phenomenal, always improved by ice-cold sundowners.