Our trainee tour leader, Colin Walsh, who set off on the 11th of May 2013 on our Cape Town to Kenya (KTC41) tour, shares his third part of his adventure as he leaves Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and crosses the border into Botswana. Find out what happens when he meets the local Bushman tribe in Ghanzi and takes a mokoro trip into the Okavango Delta. Read more….
Image by: Michelle Lewis
Day 12 – Bushman walk – Ghanzi Trail Blazers
After celebrating Acacia’s 18th birthday in style at Joe’s Beer House, it was time to leave Namibia and head to Botswana.
Having crossed the border, we drove to Ghanzi Trail Blazers. Here in the midst of (seemingly) barren terrain cupping the northern section of the Kalahari Desert, we meet the San/Bushman for our guided bush walk to learn about their ancient way of life. Traditionally dressed, with their small animal skin carrying their essentials: bow and arrow, stick for digging, fire sticks and a ready supply of kindling. They walked through the sandy terrain in the midst of the Acacia trees picking and digging up medicinal and nutritious plants they use for things like brushing teeth, fixing kidneys and stomachs to tubers filled to the brim with water. To finish it off they made a fire their traditional way – rubbing a soft stick on a harder wood, to produce hot coals, which then started the fire. The group all watched in awe!
Image by Colin Walsh
We collected some warm clothes from camp and headed off to watch the traditional Bushman dancers. Sitting around the fire, the group watched in awe as the tribesman and woman clapped, stomped and danced themselves into a spiritual trance. After the dance we decided to upgrade our camping accommodation and spent the night, as a group, in one of the Bushman huts.
Image by Michelle Lewis
Day 13 – 15 – Maun – Okavango Delta – Mokoro Canoes
Another highlight of the tour was upon us, the Okavango Delta. The gateway to this beautiful oasis is a town called Maun, where the passengers were able to stock up on necessities, mainly water, for our Mokoro (canoe) ride into the Okavango Delta. This took place on the second morning. We arrived at the river after an hour truck ride and loaded all we needed for the night in the bush into our mokoro’s. The nice and early time of 7am, provided us a fresh start to the day.
Image by: Colin Walsh
We were allocated our 11 Mokoro, 2 passengers per boat and two just for our supplies. The Polers, men and women who would be the engines of the Mokoro, using 3m long poles to propel the Mokoro forward, greeted us with open arms and open hearts. The ride was relaxing and at a very leisurely pace, allowing us to view the beauty of this magnificent delta. We were lucky enough to see the heads of some Hippo in their resident pool, on the way to our designated island for the night.
Image by: Colin walsh
After a quick set up of camp, we were given free rein to either relax or even test our own skills on the Mokoro. We were all surprised as to how well we performed, and soon a small Mokoro war ensued, with everyone splashing and bumping each other to get the upper hand. One of the Mokoro was even sunk in the process, but of course it was easily retrieved, as the pool we swam in was only waist deep.
Image by: Michelle Lewis
In the evening we went on a 2 hour bush walk around a neighbouring island, which actually is quite big in the ‘none’ flood season. Even though animals are in the area, they are not easily seen as there are plenty hiding spots and channels for them to get away from us noisy human species. We were however fortunate to spot a herd of Zebra and some Warthog. Many spoor/tracks of Antelope, Zebra and Birds were pointed out to us, with the best of all being a large Elephant spoor/track. The guides were extremely knowledgeable giving us information about all the trees in the area, from medicinal to the huge trees they use to carve out their Mokoro.
Image by: Michelle Lewis
After another great dinner prepared by Mr Bombastic, our amazing tour leader, the Polers gave us an insight into their traditions by dancing and singing around the fire. This brought the campsite to life, and everyone joined in the dancing and clapping. The games and festivals were enjoyed by all.
The morning brought about another game walk. We spotted some Warthog and Zebra, in addition to all the spoors from the roaming animals in and around our camp. We were then transported back to the truck via (in my opinion) one of the best ways to travel…the Mokoro. The Hippos made another appearance, to bid us farewell just before we got back onto land.
Image by: Michelle Lewis
Some of the passengers had taken part in some other activities whilst in the Okavango. This included the scenic flight over the immense Delta and a 2 hour Horseback ride through it. The flight was said to be magical, being able to witness how large this river and mass of water really was. The Horseback rides were also thoroughly enjoyed bringing the passengers closer than normal to Zebra and best of all Giraffe. Even though we are all here for the African Bush, some luxuries like this are still enjoyed at some of the campsites, and the Champions League final was a big highlight. We all crouched around the TV to witness this spectacle, whilst a few drinks were enjoyed.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks to discover what he gets up to with the group as they head north of Botswana as he makes his way to Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.
Written by: Colin Walsh