Heading to the Bush

As I write this, we are at Victoria Falls, still not with consistent Internet, but we have a lot to get caught up on.  This may take a while.

Maun is the closest airport to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, about a 3 hour flight north, and that’s where we flew on the 11th.  Most of the flight was over desert, flat and dry.

We hopped on a 12-seater for the flight to Camp Xakanaxa (tska-ka-na-tska).  A few days later, we took a 4-seater to Camp Okavango.  Xakanaxa is a land-based safari camp, while Okavango has no land access – safaris there are either by water or on foot.

Both camps have elephants, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, baboons, impalas and other antelope members, lions, cheetahs, lots of birds, hippos …

The two sister camps use the same schedule:

Wakeup call at 5:30 am

Light breakfast at 6:00 am

Game drive at 6:30 am until around 10:00 or so

Brunch at 11:00 am

Siesta, Dip in the pool

High Tea at 3:30 pm

Game drive at 4:00 pm until around 6:30 pm or 7:00

Dinner at 7:00 pm

We did not go hungry.  Actually, Howard did not go hungry.  More on that later.

The camps are both on the Okavango River within the National Game Reserve where the animals run free.  Each camp has fences around it in an effort to keep the animals out, but that isn’t always effective.  Camp Okavango has a resident hippo, Oscar, about 3 years old, who has taken refuge inside the fence and considers the paths his territory.  He has the right-of-way in all disputes.

The camps have individual tent cabins and the housekeepers make towel art most days.

We have electricity during the daylight hours.  Water is purified, but we only drink bottled water.

Going to publish this page now – we are going to straighten the bill at the Royal Livingston Hotel in Victoria Falls (I hope) and then head to the airport.

More later …