August 1, 2024

Our last full day in Botswana. Where has the time gone; can we really have been here for 10 days already?

I am getting very good at climbing into the back of the safari vehicle. There is no doubt about it, going on a safari is the best way to do strengthening exercises. My first attempt to climb into the vehicle resulted in my grazing my leg and needing a push to get on board, now I can easily grab the support bars and swing my legs up the the platform. Yay! I am certainly not too old for this kind of adventure.

It was another very cold morning, and I was grateful for my several layers of clothing, as well as the blanket and hot water bottle.

We set off for the flood plain again. On the long and bumpy ride there we had a few sightings of wildlife, but it was clear that the lack of water did not make this a very hospitable part of the reserve. We passed the empty pans, which in a few months will be full of water again, making the local animal population very happy.

The trees were losing their leaves, and the green and gold colors of the leaves that remained could make you think you were in New England in the fall, except the sandy bumpy roads were a dead giveaway that you weren’t in New England anymore.

We stopped to look at a beautiful water buck, who did not seem to be at all worried by our presence.

Finally, we arrived at the flood plain and were treated to the sight of the red lechwe enjoying their time by the water and running through the reeds. In the Delta the lechwe had been very shy, and we were never able to get close to them, but here they almost seem tame, and are not at all concerned about the proximity of our safari vehicles.

We were also able to watch the varied bird life, and other wildlife coming to the water to refresh themselves. However, there were no wild dogs, and the lions and leopards had not been seen in this area recently.

Our guide decided it was time to have our morning coffee break, and he knew the perfect spot for that. On our way there he stopped the vehicle suddenly and pointed out 2 honey badgers. Now one asks, why would we be excited about this? Well, it is very unusual to see them, and in all of my years in Africa, I had never seen them before.

They look quite cute and docile, but apparently, they are fearless creatures, not someone you would pick up and cuddle, not that any wild animals really are cuddly. Honey badgers are vicious and think nothing of attacking lions. They are voracious omnivores and will eat anything they think will be tasty. Looking at them I was reminded of Mr Badger, one of my favorite characters in Wind in the Willows. Mr Badger was wise and kind, a really good friend. Maybe honey badgers have been misunderstood and are actually wise and kind, but I must say from what our guide told us, I would not like to come across one on a dark night.

Honey badger watching over we drove to a large open field for our coffee break.

The landscape in this reserve varies between forest, flood plains, dried out salt pans, and now we are in an area which could be the savannah of East Africa. It looked like good cheetah country, but the reserve does not have any resident cheetahs, just the occasional itinerant one who will move into the area, have a snack and then move on to greener pastures.

I do like the morning break where you can climb down from the vehicle and stretch your legs, sitting in a dusty bumpy vehicle for several hours is actually quite tiring, and the opportunity to walk around for a bit is great, but you need to be ever mindful that this is a game park, and who knows what lurks behind those anthills, other than the men in our group taking a bathroom break.

The anthills are actually quite interesting as they have a broad base, and then an almost phallic top. KK could not explain why the termites build their homes that way. I couldn’t think of any logical explanation either.

After our coffee break we drove along the bumpy road back to the lodge. I was falling asleep, and worried that if I did fall asleep I would fall out of the vehicle. Just as I was struggling to stay awake, KK very excitedly pointed out that there were some roan antelope behind the trees. We got a glance of them before they hurried out of view. I was so excited. It is very rare that you see them, and they are very beautiful and graceful. We didn’t manage to take any photos, we just enjoyed their brief presence.

On our way we passed more elephants. I am certainly getting my fill of elephants on this trip!

A little way down the road I felt that familiar feeling. Did we have a flat tire? Sure enough we did. It wouldn’t be a proper safari if we didn’t have to stop at least once to change the wheel. Luckily all of the predators seemed to be far away so it wasn’t much of a problem today.

Back at the lodge lunch was cooking, but we had time to sit and relax and watch the 2 elephants that stop by every lunch time to have a drink. Apparently they are not too keen on the water in the pan, so they are treated to fresh water in 2 small ponds. As we enjoyed our pre lunch drinks, so did the elephants.

It was too cold to swim, so after lunch we returned to our tent to organize the packing of our duffel bags, I would have preferred to watch the elephants, but James said he had plans for us to go and see elephants at a hide later in the afternoon so I was OK with packing, and leaving elephant watching for later.

The ride to the hide in the afternoon was long and bumpy. I do love Hyena Pan, but it takes so long to get to where the good wildlife viewing is, I reckon we spend at least 5 hours a day in transit.

This afternoon we were in for a treat. We returned to the waterhole where we had seen the elephants last night,

but instead of viewing them from a distance from the safari vehicles, this time we were in a shipping container that had been converted into a hide. We climbed down the steep metal stairs and looked through the opening which was just above water level. Talk about this being the best thing ever! There we were so close to the elephants we could look them in the eye.

I was so excited I could burst. We were told that they were unaware of our presence, but I am sure we were making eye contact with a few of them. The connection was so strong. Just like last evening families came and went, but tonight as one family was leaving, and another one arrived there was a lot of grunting and growling. What was going on? Elephant wars? But no. One of our group who has worked as an elephant trainer (what kind of dream job was that?) said that it was that the 2 families were very excited to great each other as they may not have seen each other for a while, and the matriarchs were probably sisters or cousins. The growling and hrumphing that was going on was their way of saying how happy they were to see each other. I felt blessed to be part of this joyful reunion.

One youngster was clearly having the best time splashing around

We had a good look at the elephants tusks. They clearly had been using them a lot.

Meanwhile in the background our youngster was still enjoying himself

I loved watching the elephants maneuver their  trunks

and still that young guy was playing around

The we got a good look at the soles of the elephant’s feet and a close up of their skin.

and it was great fun to watch the young guy still splashing around. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

We watched as the mothers of the little baby elephants were mostly nurturing to their babies, but some totally let the little ones sink or swim. I was appalled at the poor mothering that went on. How could a mother be like that? Weren’t they all as neurotic as I had been? James reassured me that they were good mothers, trying to teach their offspring of the ways of the world out there. Yes, I suppose Botswana is very different to the northern suburbs of Chicago. I needed to worry about our children missing the school bus, but never being taken by a wild dog or a lion. Or even a honey badger. Who was I to judge? But as I saw a baby disappear under water as it tried to nurse, I was tempted to give the mother a piece of my mind.

Our sundowner drinks and snacks miraculously appeared as we all stood and sat transfixed by the elephants inches from our noses. This had to be the best sundowner experience ever. It will be hard to beat when we get home.

I don’t remember how long we were there, but I do know I took over an hour of video recording. It seemed all too son when James announced that KK and Obert wanted us to return to the vehicles and head back to the lodge.

We said goodbye to the elephants and slowly made our way back for dinner. Wow, this had been something special. Our last night in Africa will be one to remember.

On our way back we had to stop because the elephants had downed some tree limbs this evening on their way to the waterhole, and we needed a machete to clear our way through.

There are 3 baobab trees that we have seen in the park. I took a photo of one of them on our way back. They have been here for hundreds of years. They remind me that we are newcomers to this magical place. They have stood tall and strong watching it all over the centuries. I hope they will still be here for centuries to come.

Back at the lodge our 2 friendly elephants joined us for dinner, as did the hyena family. I loved that the staff were totally unperturbed by their presence. There was this sense of harmony. They belonged here as much as we belonged here. We could share this beautiful place together. We just needed to respect each other.

I was overwhelmed by the sorrow that tomorrow I had to leave the bush. Looking around at our group by the fire, I knew we must be feeling the same. I just wish that everyone could have the opportunity to experience the African bush. Once you have experienced it, it lives within you forever.

We said goodbye to 2 of our group who were lucky enough to be able to spend a few more nights in Botswana before flying home.

KK escorted us back to our rooms for the last time. I fought my way through the mosquito net for the last time. I will miss this place.