The Mothers received their sobriquet from Gerhard, one of our supurb guides on the river. We have just completed two days paddling two person inflatables down the Okavango River, negotiating rapids, camping on an island, carefully not negotiating hippos and crocodiles.
We commenced some many kilometres up river from Ngepi Camp close to the Angolan Border, which runs spasmodically along the far bank for the bulk of the journey. Few hippos on the first day, mainly due to massive killing during the Angolan War, when they became a food source. The two guides with us chose routes that skirted a labrynthine network of islands and channels, some providing some excellent opportunities for all of us to ground our inflatables on rocks. A first challenging rapids shot adrenaline levels sky high, and high fives were hit at the other end.
The night was a magic encampment on a small island, a clearing in the bush, a huge fire, and for the meat eaters a feast of boreworst and steak. And cold beers of course. We honour the person who invented the cool box. The night hearing the rustles of bushes, and sloughing of wind for me set imaginings into childhood stories of adventurers.
The second day, after aching muscles had been stretched and egg and bacon over the embers of the fire eaten ( well eggs for L and I ), we set off again. A haul over a blocked channel gave the ''boys'' some unintended extra exercise, and more rapids raised all our heart beats.
Against the rush of rapids there were long stretches of silent calm water, serene in the most perfect way.
The safari ended with the much anticipated Popa Falls rapids. a great whoosh of white water, twisting round rocks, and ejection into the calm of the end of the trip.
That's my take. Over to the others. eric
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