Kasane

Monday, 20th February 2012

Greetings from Kasane, Botswana! Because of technical difficulties finding internet connections, my posts are a bit erratic. Some of them were initially posted as e-mails, so they'll have strange punctuation embedded until I can get around to fixing them. I spent three days on the 'Zambesi Queen' and that segment of the trip is now finished.

All the passengers would leave the 'Zambezi Queen' on Monday morning, but at different times, according to their onward travel arrangements. After a decent breakfast, a group of passengers, including Jan, boarded one of the posh aluminium boats and we went along the river to the by-now-familiar immigration office where we officially left Namibia. We boarded the boat again and continued along the river to the immigration office at Kasane. Once re-admitted to Botswana, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. With two other passengers, I was taken to Kasane Airport by car. This only took a few minutes but check-in for the light aircraft operated by Wilderness Air was a leisurely affair, taking about 25 minutes. Then I discovered that I'd two hours to wait before my flight to Duba Plains. The airport facilities were fairly modest but, to my amazement, there was an unsecured Wi-Fi that worked well, which allowed me to post this update.

I signed off with "I'll update you as soon as I can but it's possible I'll go silent for a while. It's all a bit of an adventure!". Well, that was true. It wasn't until I arrived at Maun some days later that I was able to make my next post, although I tried to write 'off-line' text whilst I was 'off the air'.

Chobe National Park viewed from the River

Sunday, 19th February 2012

In the late afternoon, we set off once again by small boat and headed towards the Chobe National Park. Passing the island, we had good views of the buffalo herd and hippopotamus.

Buffalo on the island.

Once again, we were to cruise along the river margin of the game park but, this time, in the opposite direction. First, we briefly docked at what turned out to be another Immigration Office but only Vincent went ashore, to obtain permission for us to cruise in Botswanan waters until 6 p.m. With this permission, we were able to go close inshore to watch the animals and birds.

"Impala in Abundance".

We saw Impala in abundance before cruising past the Chobe Safari Lodge. The various buildings of the Lodge were interconnected with high-level wooden walkways. There also appeared to be an electric fench, with its live wires intentionally set high to discourage only the larger animals, like elephant, from wandering too near the buildings.

Elephants in Chobe National Park.

It became very overcast and we thought we were in for a dousing but we returned to the 'Zambesi Queen' safely, passing a group of elephant walking near the shoreline before turning inland and disappearing into the trees.

There are more pictures of our cruise here.

Visit to a Namibian Village

Sunday, 19th February 2012

After the usual enjoyable breakfast on the 'Zambezi Queen' we took to the small boats. This time, our journey took us to a village on the Namibian shore. A few men were near the shore, possibly working on fishing tackle or the canoes which were in evidence, but there was no great sign of industry. A sandy path lead to higher ground where the village itself was situated.

A variety of building styles were in evidence, all fairly primitive. The most common technique appeared to be a wooden framework (of completely unprepared and twisted branches) covered with a liberal application of mud. Some buildings were round with a conical, thatched roof but the majority were rectangular with a corrugated iron roof. Openings in the walls served as windows and doors.

A village lady chats to two men whilst doing washing. On the left, Vincent (from 'Zambezi Queen') makes a call.

There were a number of people around, mainly women and children. They acknowledged us as our guides invited us to go inside the huts. I always feel embarrassed at poking around inside peoples' homes but in much of the world, people don't seem to have our well-developed sense of privacy. Acrid smoke was emerging from one hut. Inside, a large cooking pot was set on a metal trivet above an open wood fire and the smoke was filling the hut before lazily drifting out through the doorway.

At one hut, I spotted two small solar arrays lying on the roof, connected to a car battery. Inside the hut there was what a took to be an inverter next to a table loaded with a dusty music centre and a number of small speaker units. This hut also served as the village shop - the customer area was separated by two primitive counters from the stock which was distributed on a partially-collapsed set of shelves or hung from string running across the hut at roof level. An important section comprised cartons of Castle Lager, Carling Black Label, Coca Cola and Sprite. I was reminded of the well-stocked liquor store I'd seen in Langa Township, Capetown.

The Village Shop.

Modernisation was represented by two modern, metal toilet buildings. I spotted a couple of bicycles and, at what I assumed was the Head Man's house, a television aerial on a wooden pole and a satellite dish. Some of the land had a healthy-looking maize crop.

A series of moulded plastic chairs had been laid out for us in an open space next to an ancient tree in the centre of the village so it appeared that we were about to have a concert. There was also an array of souvenirs for purchase, mainly raffia work with some carved wood, together with a cash box for donations to the village community fund. But the high pressure-selling which is present in so many of the world's tourist destinations was completely absent.

A group of wonen and a few men had gathered and we were treated to a number of songs, all sung with great enthusiasm and considerable talent. Eventually three drums appeared to set the beat but, before that, stamping provided an effective alternative. Some of the women danced, including a couple with young children bound to them with a cotton sling. The dances were pretty lively, so it can't have been very comfortable for the babies (particularly the one attempting to breast feed while this was going on!).

Ladies from the Village sing for their visitors.

It was now time for us to return to our boats and travel back to the comfort of the 'Zambezi Queen' - quite a change from the lifestyle we'd witnessed at the village where we'd been made to feel welcome.

More pictures of the Village here.

Cruising on the Chobe River

Saturday, 18th February 2012

On our return from our visit by 4 x 4 to Chobe National Park, we enjoyed an excellent lunch whilst 'Zambezi Queen' cruised on the Chobe River. Most of the animal interest was on the Botswanan side of the river, either on the flat, marshy island (now ceded to Botswana and displaying a single Botswanan flag as an unlikely symbol of nationality) or on the rising, wooded landscape forming part of the National Park we'd visited earlier. There was a fair-sized herd of buffalo on the island but now a couple of elephant appeared and splashed around happily in the swampy ground quite near to our boat.

Elephants on the island next to the 'Zambezi Queen'.

Later, we took to the small boats for more game viewing. Once again, we saw an amazing variety of colourful birds. By now late afternoon, more animals were apparent. We saw Water Monitors (a type of lizard) and crocodiles, either swimming largely submerged or basking along the shore.

A crocodile, basking in the late afternoon sun, casts a baleful eye on our boat.

As we returned to our houseboat, we saw a Hippopotamus running through the marshy ground of the island and throwing up an awful lot of spray.

A hippopotamus at speed.

Life back on the 'Zambezi Queen' was very relaxing - drinks, dinner and, for those with the energy, more talking and drinking. I was only to happy to take to my comfortable bed.

Chobe National Park

Saturday, 18th February 2012

An excellent breakfast was served on the 'Zambezi Queen' before we prepared for our visit to Chobe Game Park (properly called Chobe National Park). This was quite a complex procedure. We needed our passport, separate departure and arrival forms for Namibia and separate arrival and departure forms for Botswana. Most of the writing-out had been done by the staff on the boat, but there were one or two minor problems with the paperwork to correct. The aluminium boats first took us from the 'Zambezi Queen' to the Namibian Immigration Post we'd been to the previous day where we departed Namibia. Then, the boats took us to the Immigration Post at Kasane (where we'd departed Botswana the previous day) so that we could be re-admitted to Botswana.

Outside the Immigration Office at Kasane, there were four rugged-looking 4 x 4 waiting. The rear of all four vehicles were equipped with three rows each with three seats. A roof was provided, supported by a substantial tubular frame but the vehicle was otherwise open. When everybody had cleared customs and found a seat in one of the 4 x 4, we set off in convoy along the fairly good road leading to the entrance to Chobe National Park. Before we reached the main entrance, we came across a number of stopped vehicles watching a pack of wild dogs who were happily scampering across the main road. Our group of 4 x 4 followed the dogs into the bush where we tracked them for a hundred yards or so before turning back to the msin road and continuing to the main entrance to Chobe National Park.

Wild Dogs are an endangered species in Botswana but we encountered this pack before we'd even entered Chobe National Park.

Chobe National Park was created in 1960 as a Game Reserve. It covers an area of over 10,000 square kilometres and is particularly famous for its large elephant population (which proved rather reclusive whilst we were there). We waited at the entrance for some time whilst Vincent, from the 'Zambezi Queen', negotiated with the office regarding our admission. At last, after a careful study of each of our passports, the office issued the large red numbered labels to be carried on the windscreen of each of our vehicles and we finally entered the park. Even the major roads were heavily-rutted sand and the ride was, to say the least, 'lively'.

There are large numbers of Impala and they became a frequent sighting, incredibly elegant animals who, when 'spooked', demonstrate an amazing turn of speed as they move away.

Impala are the most successful and widespread of the antelopes. This herd extends on both sides of our track.

We saw warthogs and countless colourful birds. We passed gibbons (I'm at a loss for collective nouns - troop? troupe? I can't even name a lot of the species at present so I suppose the short version is "Jan looked at a load of animals and birds"). In general, the animals and even the birds are used to the 4 x 4 criss-crossing the park and vehicles can get quite close to the wildlife. Some of the species (like gibbons and sometimes impala) can be quite reluctant to give way to passing vehicles.

One remarkable sight was two large, black Dung Beetles (each with a body about two inches long) rolling a ball of sand (about the size of a tennis-ball) along the edge of the track, with complete indifference to our passage. The male does most of the work with his hind legs, the female goes along for the ride. Once installed at their chosen location, the female will lay her eggs in the dung-ball.

As we made our way along the margin of the Chobe River, we found hippopotamus and wading birds, turning inland we found giraffe, warthogs, more gibbons and lots more Impala.

A group of giraffe hinging their necks up and down to reach the most succulent leaves. The sight reminded me of a number of dockyard cranes at work (before containerisation eliminated that sort of jib crane).

We didn't find elephant and this turned into something of a running joke. There are supposed to be 120,000 elephant in the Chobe National Park and Botswana but, so far, we hadn't found one. But we had had some wonderful animal sightings. The 4 x 4 drove us back to Kasane Immigration. Once again, our passports were stamped as leaving Botswana and our motor boats took us along the river to Namibian Immigration. Back in Namibia, our boats returned us to the 'Zambezi Queen', moored, as usual, mid-channel, tied to a buoy.

Pictures of Chobe National Park: Click here.