A reeds eye view of life by eric

Lindsay and I are now back at the Okavango River Lodge. It is Saturday. We are having a ''chill'' day, figurative rather than literal as once again the temperature is topping 34C. The last two days have been a delight of dream time on the Okavango River in a makora, poled by our guide and boatman, Kenny. A makora is a canoe basically, originally hollowed out of the trunk of a 'sausage tree', now in our age of sustainability, made of fibreglass and poled with a thin eucalyptus pole. We set out at with our very basic camping kit, and some food, for a night out on an island in the delta. A zizz of a powerboat to the ' community gate', where we swopped for the mokara, and set off into the reeds. It is impossible to feel anything other than calm as the boat edges slowly and gently through the narrow channels cut by hippo churning through in search of food. Each opening was approached carefully to ensure we did not have any unexpected encounters with our large waterway creaters. We laid back, watched the ebb and flow of bird life, from the top of the chain, the Fish eagle, to tiny LBJ's flitting amongst the reeds. Hundreds of dragon flies in a multitude of colours buzzed the boat and rested on creamy white water lilies. Our camp, in a clearing at the waters edge was just what we had hoped. We set up our small tents, Kenny lit a fire, our kettle was soon boiling with 'sweet'' water from the river to brew tea. Bush camping is definitely the 'bizz'. We went for a walk into the pan, following trails, learning what spoor was what, occasionally rounding a bush to see an elephant or two. Out on the plain herds of Red Lechwe, wildebeest, impala, giraffe. Night fell, the fire was stoked, Kenny hauled brush wood to create a barrier, assuring us that it would deter 'things in the night'. And it seemed to, as we laid in bed listening to sundry crashes and crunches, and the harsh cry of hyena. We managed to recognize a herd of bush cows as they had bells!! Next day, awakening to the rising ripples of bird song, and the sun creeping above the reed line to warm the tent. A cup of tea and we set off for a four hour bush walk, more an exotic nature ramble out into the delta. We are now a whole lot more knowledgeable about the nocturnal habits of the burrowing aardvark than before. Fresh elephant poo is easy, and means keep a sharp eyes open. It seemed to end too quickly, we broke camp, and before setting off I had a go at poling. Well, I reckoned all those years in Cambridge with punting should make for a classy show. Five minutes later, makopra, eric and pole were upside down in the water. Well, I needed a bath I guess. I managed to get the hang of it after my world class starting performance, and even managed a half elegant landing. Then it was the slow, gentle slur back. A huge calming still waterway, the silence occasionally broken by a startled Blacksmith Plover rising from its roosting in the reeds with loud 'teck teck teck'. Quite a special couple of days, and at last we have 'been on the delta'. Tomorrow we shall head up by road into the Moremi Reserve to explore a little, and then Monday we begin the 1000km haul back towards Windhoek.