Chobe NP, BOTSWANA

30/31 MAY 2011
BOTSWANA – Country number 13 –BOTSWANA
Lucky Kasane and CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Easy peasy trip to the Zimbabwe/Botswana border to receive a 30 day visa, gratis – wow. Get a taxi into town, asking the driver if it might be possible to get a safari into Chobe National Park this afternoon? I figure that picking up a tour this arvo and spending the night out in the park would be better than 2 nights in town here at Kasane, either side of a safari. “Yes, madam it is possible – a boat trip leaves @ 10.30am”! He makes the call and takes me directly to Kalahari Tours where they take my credit card and I’m on for a two day, one night safari! The boat is waiting for me and up front is Adam from Perth, whom I shared a dorm with back in Victoria Falls. The other passengers are all students along with three professors from a Jesuit University in Spokane, Washington State. They have been on an annual study tour in Zambia at a Jesuit Teaching College for their final year students.
Here’s hoping they were effective at communicating theories of pedagogy and focused listening and learning! 
The boat ride is relaxing with lots of animals to see easily, including elephants YAAHH, hippos, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, baboons, african fish eagles, buffalo and impalas – all in 3 hours - before returning to Kalahari’s Kasane premises for a yummy buffet lunch. Soon enough we board our safari trucks to traverse the 3 kms into the Chobe National Park.

Then Winston takes us on a long game drive all afternoon until sunset but this time we spot LIONS who are not so lazy, stalking their prey, and giraffes along with lots more hippos, crocs etc (how blasé I’m getting now I’ve seen elephants!). We found a small herd of huge hippopotomus taking their time to enter the river for a late afternoon bath. But my word, as soon as they decide to enter the river, don’t even think of getting in their way – they are like massive tractors without brakes. We witness a spectacular sunset on the edge of the Chobe River before returning to our tented camp in the park for great dinner and plenty of cask wine on tap, which turned out to be the undoing of a couple of the professors – especially my tent buddy. Deborah was helped into our tent later that night (several times), under the influence of wine and a sleeping pill (taken in deference to camping “which I don’t do” which became “because of the wolverines” later that night.
It was a real hoot, but not knowing these folk too well, I played possum and tried to get back to sleep after each of Deborah’s scrabbling for the zip to exit only to be returned to the tent guided by another of their group. Then later in the night she left the tent alone a couple of times against all instructions we’d been given of ‘not to leave your tent in the night’. I wondered how long I should leave it before raising the alarm! But she returned safely each time and was mortified the next morning at what had transpired. Then there was LindaMarie who, fuelled by red wine and lack of stimulating conversation during their one month sojourn with students, loudly demanded to know of everyone “but why are we here?” by the campfire late in the night. Funny then and even more hilarious in the light of day especially as Linda Marie emerged from her tent at 6am, after only a few hours sleep with a fierce hangover.
 
Our second day brought an early morning game drive to discover more lions who looked pretty skinn/hungry and looking for their next meal. We watched for a long time as they made a few stalking moves on the occasional impala but with little success on their part. Then we followed the edge of the river for a few kilometres to see more giraffe and then more elephants, impala, birds along with more fine views of the lovely Chobe National Park! Our wonderful guide, Winston is very persistent continually watching for tracks and eventually we are rewarded with the amazing sight of 3 lionesses minding at least 4 or 5 very cute cubs – here kitty, kitty!

Another 'bum' shot

Then along come a herd of elephants who are none too happy to sight the lionesses, so the biggest of them approaches the lions to start trumpeting at them (to move on?) and the lions roaring back and all this action less than 10 metres away! Then the lions make a dash about (please don’t jump into this jeep) leaving us all stunned at their displays of strength and power. We return back to camp around 10am for brunch and given free time – or down time really, till 2pm! The professors tried to negotiate an early return to town, given there is nothing much to do here at camp other than to hang around the tents due to the wild animals hampering any unguided walks. But no go, they are not too flexible nor interested in being flexible – we should have read the itinerary – huh what itinerary??
But I did learn a new card game, Kings in the Corner, thank you Deborah. But relaxing and chatting we suddenly espy a herd of elephants calmly wandering past our camp on their way through their park. Very sublime stuff and I am very grateful to have these wonderful experiences.

FACT: Chobe is nearly 11000 sq kms and was Botswana’s first national park and now Chobe’s elephant population numbers in the thousands. The Chobe and Zambezi Rivers also converge here adding to the amazing ecosystems here with birdlife, supporting the largest wildlife concentration in the park and is also it’s most accessible region.