Chobe family safari - part ii
Situated somewhere in the middle of 4,150 square miles of wilderness, our portable safari camp welcomed us with pre-erected canvas tents, a crackling fire and shiny tin cups brimming with the "finest" boxed wine. Depositing backpacks and roller bags in our respective 2-man tents, we were eager to explore base camp…but not before suiting up. Darkness of night brings creatures of the night, i.e. scorpions, and your best line of defense, as pointed out by a know it all German couple, are "Zoes", I mean shoes. "You must 'v'ear shoes. 'Z'ee's scorpions 'v'ill attack!"
Quickly swapping sandals for tennis shoes, our wardrobe change couldn't have happened at a better time. We were surrounded! Their tawny bodies blended into the ground seamlessly and it required nearly squashing them, for their positions to be revealed. Scattering to a safe distance, they would about face, raise their tails and prepare for battle. A defensive battle mind you. So long as we backed away the mini monsters would cause no harm. If antagonized however, a David and Goliath battle would ensue. Small yet strong, these little beasts pack a mean, often debilitating, sting. Testing their patience threshold, I prodded a few away from the campsite, but fear of recognition by a returning army, kept my legs safely folded Indian-style, on my raised canvas camp chair for majority of the evening. |
Dinner, a hearty beef stew with side dishes of pasta, potatoes, and salad, filled our bellies while banter filled our mouths. Sharing camp with two other Kalahari tour groups, our company included the previously mentioned, all-knowing German couple, 2 Aussies, 2 young Swedes and a half-dozen local guides. Swapping stories between mouths of braised beef, each camper was enamored by our families love for travel and adventure. As my Dad rehashed road trip memories of Ireland to George the German and my Mom and sister chatted with the young Aussies about our time in New Zealand, I couldn't have been more proud. We made traveling apart of our reality and in turn, became an inspiration for all those around us. |
As formalities and background conversations concluded, trivia and riddles spilled in. Spawning wit more powerful then a 2-ton bull and laughter more painful then a scorpions sting, It wasn't until the campfire flickered to embers and the last drop of boxed goodness was consumed, that campers moved to retire. But not before one last trip to the loo.
4 dark brown canvas panels hung over a ceiling-less, wooden frame. Within it, a basic white toilet seat sat atop a dug out, earthen hole. Some call them long drops, others port-a- potties, but this toilet was special. It was an eco-friendly, composting loo. Human excrement is mixed with dirt to support aerobic processing and reduce odor. As Mom comically demonstrated, "Just scoop and go". Another bathroom precaution, lighting. Mom also demonstrated the need for portable lighting units when moving about the dark camp. Nicknamed "Lady Gaga", she had at least three book lights attached to her blouse at all times, some illuminating the red, night vision glow, others a phscyodelic disco!
4 dark brown canvas panels hung over a ceiling-less, wooden frame. Within it, a basic white toilet seat sat atop a dug out, earthen hole. Some call them long drops, others port-a- potties, but this toilet was special. It was an eco-friendly, composting loo. Human excrement is mixed with dirt to support aerobic processing and reduce odor. As Mom comically demonstrated, "Just scoop and go". Another bathroom precaution, lighting. Mom also demonstrated the need for portable lighting units when moving about the dark camp. Nicknamed "Lady Gaga", she had at least three book lights attached to her blouse at all times, some illuminating the red, night vision glow, others a phscyodelic disco!
When it came time to retire, the Busse clan were still wide awake with the days excitement. Lying on our 2-inch thick mats, hardly a foot apart, Alicia and I caught up on months of separation. Gabbing and gossiping like only sister can, we tried our best to keep voices to a whisper and hearty laughs to giggles but the enthusiasm octaves were hard to contain. Luckily, we weren't the only ones suffering fits of levity. Mom and Dad were enjoying a chuckle fest of their own just a few tents away. But the loudest party of all, were not the lions roaring in the near distance or monkeys screeching in the trees, it was our German friend, George, and his animal like snores. ZZZZZ!!!
Chirp, Chirp. Morning arrived with the soft melodies of kingfishers and bee-eaters (birds) but the true alarm erupted in the form of Lance, "knocking" on our tents, "MORNING"! Struggling, as always, to insert my dust-plagued contacts, the rest of camp had already begun their morning rituals. Brushing teeth, washing faces, and for some, showering. Similar to the canvas walled loo, just slightly larger, the top-less shower utilized an upside down conical bladder for water storage. Suspended from a low lying tree branch, one only had to twist it's narrow bottom nozzle for a rush of refreshment. Dad was the only Busse to partake. Braving more then just cold water, exposure to mozzies (mosquitos) was of key concern. All that moisture with no protective barrier. Luckily, he emerged bite free and needless to say, smelled the best out of all of us. A preliminary spread of cereals and toasts were arranged to satiate our 5:30 am appetite but the larger, heartier brunch, would follow our upcoming game drive. |
Piling back into the Land Rover it didn't take long before the elephants, impala and water buffalo of yesterday faded into the, "been there, done that", category. We wanted something new to gaze upon. Primarily, we wanted a leopard! The most elusive of all the big 5, leopards live, sleep and hunt high above your head - in the wilderness canopy. Their agile feline movements and chameleon like spotted coats allow them to easily hide from unsuspecting prey and "all too" suspecting tourists. The closest we came were the teeth marks left on a most recent meal. A dismembered impala carcass slaughtered on an overhead branch. A reminder of just how powerful these cats are.
So no leopard but, to my continued delight, their monochromatic cousins…lions. Taking turns at the breakfast table, 3 lionesses chowed on a freshly killed water buck. Slain under the intense heat of the exposed floodplain, a good 60-feet from the peripheral foliage, if the lionesses wanted seconds, thirds and fifteenth's they would need to migrate between their shady cover and the scorching hot murder scene. A game of merry-go-eat which would persist throughout the day. A spectacle watched by not only our hungry cameras but the hungry bellies of vultures!
A flock of these greedy scavengers clucked nearby. Impatiently awaiting the water buck remains, each time one of the lionesses left the carcass, the vultures hobbled in for a premature nip. We compared it to the childhood game of, "Red Light, Green Light". Every step the lioness took away from the carcass, the vultures would hop that distance closer. And each time the lioness would turn and glare at the birds, they would freeze in their tracks, pretending they hadn't moved an inch. The lioness continued walking and turning until she had almost reached the shade when ROAR! Weary of the back and forth game, she would turn and run full throttle back to the carcass, scattering the birds every which way.
We were in hysterics commentating the game and completely lost track of where we were…in an open vehicle, a few feet from the shady spot in which two other lionesses lay. Bolting from the shrubs one of the lionesses chose a more direct route to scare off the vultures, practically jumping through our betwixt vehicle. My heart stopped beating in those moments as the magnificent beast raced towards us, skirting just behind the vehicle in the very last moment. Phew. What a way to end the game drive!
Departing the park, we drove back to Kasane and the Kalahari Tours office. It was here, we boarded our final leg of the safari - a game viewing cruise on the magnificent Chobe River.
Snaking far into the distance, the dark blue river and emerald shores teemed with wildlife. Congregating at this primary, dry season watering hole, almost every animal species appeared for a drink.
Elephants, which we had grown quite accustomed to, offered yet another intimate viewing. Bath time. Like well oiled machines, they placed their long trunks in the chartreuse shallows, gulped, and spewed a wave of water over their baking backsides. Parents performed this cooling technique with ease, but the babies, still learning to use this mighty appendage, missed more then they connected. Splashing unsuspecting parents in the eyes or passing birds with a muddy coating. It all seemed like fun and games but Mother Elephant never took her eyes off the murky waters. Ever wary of another river inhabitant, crocodiles. Too small to take down a 2-ton adult elephant, croc's were more suited for attacking babies. The moment a mother felt threatened, baby was quickly swooped behind her ominous figure and backed away to safety.
My favorite river side attraction were the hippopotamus. Some barely offering a flared nostril or curious eye above the watery plane, others sporting their stubby legged, large and in charge figures on the sun kissed banks. They reminded me of oversized pigs, but be careful, these pigs pack more then just harmless snouts and snorts, they cause the most animal related human fatalities in all of Africa. But they don't kill for food mind you (herbivores) they kill out of defense. Hippos are extremely territorial and often forget how much damage their mass can cause. So when you hear their 5-alarm snorts, don't rush towards them. Instead, stand clear.
Snaking far into the distance, the dark blue river and emerald shores teemed with wildlife. Congregating at this primary, dry season watering hole, almost every animal species appeared for a drink.
Elephants, which we had grown quite accustomed to, offered yet another intimate viewing. Bath time. Like well oiled machines, they placed their long trunks in the chartreuse shallows, gulped, and spewed a wave of water over their baking backsides. Parents performed this cooling technique with ease, but the babies, still learning to use this mighty appendage, missed more then they connected. Splashing unsuspecting parents in the eyes or passing birds with a muddy coating. It all seemed like fun and games but Mother Elephant never took her eyes off the murky waters. Ever wary of another river inhabitant, crocodiles. Too small to take down a 2-ton adult elephant, croc's were more suited for attacking babies. The moment a mother felt threatened, baby was quickly swooped behind her ominous figure and backed away to safety.
My favorite river side attraction were the hippopotamus. Some barely offering a flared nostril or curious eye above the watery plane, others sporting their stubby legged, large and in charge figures on the sun kissed banks. They reminded me of oversized pigs, but be careful, these pigs pack more then just harmless snouts and snorts, they cause the most animal related human fatalities in all of Africa. But they don't kill for food mind you (herbivores) they kill out of defense. Hippos are extremely territorial and often forget how much damage their mass can cause. So when you hear their 5-alarm snorts, don't rush towards them. Instead, stand clear.
The boat ride concluded our Chobe Safari and with it, a plethora of unforgettable up close and personal animal experiences. Dad, in his ever so poetic demeanor, summed up the safari perfectly when he referred to the, "Circle of Life". "From watching the baby impala learn to walk, literally minutes after being born, to watching a full-grown lioness eat her kill." We experienced creation and death. Life in its purest and most savage moments. Mother Nature in her rawest beauty. We experienced Africa.
HELPFUL INFO: Chobe National Park is situated only 5 miles from Kasane, Botswana. Many tourists fly directly into Kasane Airport but other hubs like Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - both only 50 miles away from Kasane - often offer cheaper airfares. Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana all meet in a convenient corner making border crossings relatively smooth and painless. After visiting Chobe National Park, don't forget to check out one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, along with enjoying a white water rafting trip down the mighty Zambezi River. You will never run out of things to do, just the time to do it all in. Happy Trails.
HELPFUL INFO: Chobe National Park is situated only 5 miles from Kasane, Botswana. Many tourists fly directly into Kasane Airport but other hubs like Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - both only 50 miles away from Kasane - often offer cheaper airfares. Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana all meet in a convenient corner making border crossings relatively smooth and painless. After visiting Chobe National Park, don't forget to check out one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, along with enjoying a white water rafting trip down the mighty Zambezi River. You will never run out of things to do, just the time to do it all in. Happy Trails.