Monday, October 14, 2013

The Okevango Delta

We have been to three of the most amazing places in the world while we’ve been here in Botswana, Kasane, Madikwe and the Okavango Delta. All three of these places are so hard to describe. We are always asked which place we liked best and all we can say is that they are all so different! The scenery was definitely the best at the Okavango.

Lastly, we got to go to the Okavango Delta compliments of Hillary and Roger. We flew to Maun and then took a small (really small) prop to the Okavango Delta. I thought I would be nervous flying over but it was so beautiful I just started snapping pictures.  

As soon as we got off the plane, we went out on the mokoro (canoe). Our guide poled our mokoro out to an island and we started walking. It was amazing to be on the same level as the animals. We weren’t quite as close but it felt more intimate with the animals than the other two places. We walked about 8 miles a day (going out 2 times a day). Elder Gubler and I were there 2.5 days and Hill and Rog stayed 3.5 days. We stayed at a bush camp with tents on platforms. 

The sunsets were probably the most amazing I had ever seen. The only power at the camp was solar energy. We (I) woke up one night about 1 am, and heard then saw an elephant walking past out tent. The next night we had a hippo outside slogging by. We had hippos in the water channels next to our camp. An elephant came to camp after Elder Gubler and I left. He spent the evening causing delays in eating dinner and late bedtimes.

 We saw zebras, impalas, hippos, elephants, warthogs, cape buffalo etc . everyday. There was such an African feeling in camp. We loved walking around the islands. We noticed more plants and termite mounds. There was definitely a feeling of vulnerability being on ground level with only as fast as we could run between us and the animals. I think everyone else felt pretty safe because they only had to run faster than I could! 

We loved the time in the Okavango, it is so beautiful and spending time with Hill and Rog was awesome! 

Sunset in the Okavango

Baboon

Birds in a thorn bush



Watching the Elephant knock down palm fruit


Framed!

Hill and Rog in the mokoro


Hippo channel


Hillary and Roger in the mokoro on the hippo channel

Lily

Lion tracks

Mokoros in the evening

Above the Delta

At play

Warthogs





Hippo troll guarding the channel

Waiting for the plane

Elder Gubler






1 comment:

  1. Wow...It's so beautiful :) I bet it's amazing to be that close to those animals that we've only seen in Zoos :)

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