July 29, 2024

Brian heard a lion last night, but all I heard were the noisy hippos.

We were up early to pack up our duffle bags. I’m sorry to leave this camp, I have finally got myself organized in the tent, and now I must move.

We had a cold breakfast, not an egg in sight. I hope that things aren’t running out, we have all been big eaters. There was really great chili oil and Mrs Balls chutney to begin with, and pretty table napkins. These are no more. We must have consumed more than was expected.

While Greg and the staff packed up the camp, Clinton and James took us on a bush walk.

As soon as we made our way through the bushes behind our camp, we were in an open area populated by a large herd of red lechwe. Unfortunately as soon as they saw us, they ran away,

We saw the tracks made by that crocodile again.

We were a short way from the camp when Clinton indicated that we should stop where we were. In the bushes behind us there were elephants, and we didn’t want to disturb them. We walked on and I didn’t see them.

I was feeling sorry that I had missed the elephants, but then James pointed out a solitary elephant on the other side of a water channel. He was at a safe distance, and I was so happy to see him.

So, no big excitement on our final bush walk. Still they have been great fun, and Clinton didn’t need to use his thunder flash at all. It would have been nice to see a lion though.

We loaded up the boats and started our journey out of the delta to join the main channel of the river.

I am so impressed at how Greg and Clinton navigated their way through the very narrow channels of papyrus and reeds, and along the shallow waterlogged hippo trails.

Once we were though the narrow channels and hippo tracks, we joined the papyrus forest channel, and then we were finally out in the main river again. I am totally in awe of how those two were able to navigate their way to the river. It was incredible.

Back in the river we had great bird sightings and saw several crocodiles.

We also saw a huge pod of hippos

No sooner had we passed the hippos than Greg stopped the boat on the other side of the river and announced that this was the sight for our camp tonight. Hmmmm. It’s rather close to the hippos, I think.

Our camp was being set up as we arrived.

And it was soon time for lunch.

Our tent was in a beautiful shaded secluded area near the river. Waterfront property at its best. But hang on, what is this I see next to the tent? A hippo path? Not again! I let James know my concern and he came over to look at the path. He smiled and let me know that it looked like it hadn’t been used for a while, so not to worry. So I suppose we just have to hope that the hippos won’t chose tonight to use it again.

The rest of the group also seemed to be concerned as most of us had our own special hippo path. Greg reassured us that we would be making so much noise this evening that the hippos won’t want to come anywhere near us, and by the time we go back to our tents they will already be off on their evenings stroll. So all would be well.

We had to believe him, although I thought that it would not be good to have a hippo invasion on our final night in the Delta.

Other than the hippo paths this was a very beautiful camp site – the best we had experienced.

In the afternoon we climbed into the boats and set off for a spot on the river that Greg and Clinton said was perfect for tiger fishing.

We stopped to see the hippos and birds along the way.

Whilst our group tried their hands at fishing,

the only people who were actually successful were Clinton

and Greg

It turned out that the fish were too big for the eagles so it was the fishes’ lucky day. We threw them back into the river.

Everyone had a good time and as the sun began to sink towards the horizon, we said goodbye to the fish and headed back to the camp for dinner.

During dinner the hippos were making a lot of noise. Not the usual happy snortling noises, but gruff angry hippo noises.

They did not want to visit our island while we were there, and were apparently not happy with us being there, but the noises were short lived, and soon we heard happy hippo noises again as they headed off to find another island.

It’s our final night in the Delta. We didn’t make it to Maun, but it has been an amazing, unique experience. I knew it would be great, but it was way more than I expected.

It was also fantastic to share this experience with the rest of our group. Everyone is so interesting and easy to be with. It feels like I have known them for ages, and not just a week. Imagine, the 10 of us have happily shared one shower, and at some camps, one long drop toilet for a week. Even though some of us have stronger egos than others, it has all worked out perfectly.

As I went to sleep in my bedroll for the last time, I could not help but feel there was something missing. Tree frogs!!!! I haven’t heard tree frogs once on this trip. For me they are the sound of the Delta. We haven’t seen any either. Where have they all gone?