"which is the only place in the world where four national borders meet?"
As we started to cross the Zambezi from Zambia to Botswana on Saturday morning the ferryman pointed out that we could also see the shores of Zimbabwe and Namibia. As interesting as that was, the sensation of bouncing across the water at what seemed like great speed was taking all our concentration, not to mention eliciting undignified whoops of delight occasionally.
Then came the slightly more sober but very straightforward process of immigration into Botswana (including having to disinfect our boots to guard against transmitting foot and mouth - shades of Scotland there) and we were off on safari.
And here,words begin to fail. We`d booked a weekend in the Chobe National Park,* renowned for the wealth and diversity of its wild life.
First up a cruise out on the Chobe River
then, after lunch, an extended ride around the park, the whole thing enriched beyond measure by our friendly and very knowledgeable guides who went to great lengths to seek out the animals and birds we`d come to see and could answer any question we cared to throw at them.
Perhaps we`ve become blasé about images of wildlife so readily accessible on film but to get close-up and personal with the real thing is still breathtaking
At dusk, as we were heading towards our camp for the night,a lioness with two cubs emerged from the track. Watching them wander past reduced us all to an awed silence.
After a meal round the fire and reassuring Marcia that she would actually live long enough to make her 60th birthday the next day despite talk of nearby lions and rampaging buffalo, we were ushered to bed in the sturdy little tents provided and fell asleep to the sounds of the bush - and whispers of "Which is the loo tent again?"
Happily Marcia made it through the night, though one of the aforementioned buffalo, "the most dangerous animal in the park", was mooching about on the outskirts of the camp in the morning, steadfastly ignoring the guide`s attempts to shoo it away.
And then we were off again for the day, freezing as we drove round just after sunrise looking for "cats and dogs" (for which read lions, leopards and hyenas all of which we saw) but warming up later as,thanks to our guide, we successfully spotted what felt like every animal and bird species on the continent.
And by the time we finally returned, dusty and tired but exhilarated beyond measure we discovered the big birthday had not been forgotten back at base.
.JPG)
No time for the "Sunday Blues". We sang Happy Birthday and went to bed dreaming of elephants, ready for a new week and a new school.
N.B. no animals were hurt or money donated to BookBus spent in the making of this weekend, just in case anyone was wondering. ;)
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobe_National_Park
No comments:
Post a Comment