Fratelli Parcheggio´s journey to Africa

Waiting... waiting for the pickup to arrive...

We stood at the gates to the Lodge compound and waited. The feeling was relaxed now that the grip of the flight was beginning to fade. Just after 11 we could see the Landcruiser coming and this time it had trailer at the back. This will now, more or less, be our home for the coming days because we are going by road from Maun to the Kasane, and then to Victoria Falls. I choose this over flying because it is more down to earth and one will get the opportunity to see more of the nature up close.

Bubbles and Rod took our luggage and throw it on top of the roof of the Landcruiser. Not the easiest task because they where packing some weight.

The trailer is something that Rod himself has built. One can see that it is the same type of chassis that you see in the back of the Landcruiser. I suspect that it will fill its purpose excellent because he really seems to know what he is doing.

The road soon turns from gravel to sand and one can really feel the sand in the air. The worst is when you meet another vehicle that turns the air into a big dust cloud.

The landscape seems to be desolated. One can see birds from time to time but that is all except the odd domesticated animal that we see. There are villages along the road but the further we travel the less human settlements we see.

We then reached a check point where we had to stop and show some papers to officials that I suspect work for the DWNP, i.e. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Rod knew one of the guards that tell us that there´s been huge fires in some of the areas we´ll traverse. One can see that the area just around the check point has been badly burnt. It will of course turn lush as soon as the rain appears but that might be a month from now.

The fires are actually good to a point because they bring new life to the area. That isn´t always the easiest to comprehend.

The road now turned even worse so Rod and Bubbles made the adjusted the Landcruiser to 4x4 drive. This will hopefully assist us so we reach our destination as planned.

The first animal we see is the tallest, the giraffe. It stood outside the South gate to Moremi Game Reserve chewing on some leaves. We took some pictures and then headed for the gate. It took us almost an hour and a half to reach this gate but we now had the opportunity to stretch our legs and use a flush toilet. Luxury.

Inside the gate we saw the official camping site. It looked ok but I am most pleased that we have chosen private camping sites for our stay. Of course we´ll miss the flushing toilets and showers block but we also don´t have monkeys and baboons that have come to learn that there might be free food at the public camping sites. And the biggest pro is that we get our own secluded spot in the wilderness with no other human around.

We are travelling towards Xaxanaka and I see by looking at the road signs that Rod chooses the dry road there. I don´t blame him for this.

We see some Steenbok and Impala on the road towards Xaxanaka. The road is becoming bumpier but it is also becoming greener.

Soon we reach one of the famous crossings. This one is Second Bridge. It is a wooden bridge so it squeals under the pressure of Toyota. We left the bridge behind us and went the last 5 minutes before coming to our own little place in Xaxanaka. This whole trip had taken us around 4 hours. I really can´t understand the day trippers into this Game Reserve when they have that many hours by road before reaching the Reserve.

When we approached the camping site we could see a lone male Red Lechwe that seems to be resident here.

He wasn´t bothered by our approach until Bubbles got out of the vehicle. It then took off to the other side of the pool scaring some of the birds that seemed to be calling this home.

The trip had been uneventful but hopefully the sightings will turn good when we head out in the wild around 16:00.

Bubbles quickly erected our tents while we just relaxed drinking our cold beer. Afterwards I looked around the camping site and it was of a really good size. There seemed to be a resident Yellow-billed Kite pair because we saw them over our camp every day.

Tea and biscuits is served in 15 minutes time and then we are off for our first game drive here in Xaxanaka.

I am excited. What will this bring???

Today is the day. We are going to get picked up by Rod early to head back to Maun for the scenic flight over the delta.

As usual I woke up early to the sound of nature outside the chalet. I had done most of the packing yesterday so now it was just to rise and shine. I went outside and watched the river come to life before heading to breakfast. We ate a healthy breakfast before Rod picked us up around 7:30. The sky was clear so we would have nice light for the whole flight.

There were people, goats and cattle all along the road to Maun, really bustling with life. We arrived at the airport and did some paperwork at Mack Air's office who lies just outside the airport. We left Rod at the Mack Air office and went inside the airport where we had to clear the security to get to the plane. After 3 tries Axel was actually let thru and we could go out onto the runway where our pilot Hazel Esitile met us at the plane.

Hazel showed us the flight plan on a huge map before we to seat inside the plane, or should I say that we crawled inside. This is the smallest airplane that I have every fitted into. I am not sure what type of plane it was but I would guess a Cessna of some sort. Martin took point and sat with Hazel in the front seat with me and Axel in the next row and Fredrik in the back. It was a bit cramped for me but it seemed to be okay for the rest.

We taxied out onto the runway before she hit the throttle. I thought that the noise inside the cabin was okay until she did that. I must say that I was disappointed to not get any ear protection because it was really needed.

The take off was smooth and we could now see Maun from a couple of hundred meter up. We left Maun and headed out over the Delta.

I have seen pictures and read about the Okavango Delta before but I can´t say that anything justifies the beauty you witness from seeing it firsthand. I sat and marveled at the scene just trying to realize that I was experiencing something spectacular, something extraordinary.

The first shout then came. Hippos!!!

We saw 3 Hippos that had been grazing but now was moving back into the water. They can pick up a good speed despite weighing in at around 1.5 ton. So people don´t stand between a Hippo and the water.

Now the game spotting picked up speed. Elephants all over the place.

More and more elephants. Then a herd of Blue Wildebeest, Zebra and Impalas. More Elephants, Kudu, Giraffe and then I saw them at the horizon.

A Water Buffalo herd.

It was really nice to see them from above. The seemed to move with an intention almost like they had sensed danger. The planes aren’t allowed to circle around the wild life so we made one quick turn over the herd before moving on. The Delta was really bustling with life but it was widespread. It was water all around so life must be pleasant for most of the animals even if this makes it harder for the predators to find their prey.

We continued the flight over the delta marveling at the sight. It all felt good until the noise in the cabin began to take a toll on me. I had understood that Fredrik didn´t feel ok because he was sitting quietly in the back of the plane when the rest of us was pointing and shouting when we saw the animals. Axel who really is afraid had taken one of his pills so he really enjoyed the time in the air.

After about an hour’s flight we touched the ground again. The landing was one of the smoothest I´ve felt but the approach was interesting when we flow over people working on the runway. They don´t seem to be that safety minded that we Europeans are.

We thanked Hazel and headed over to our bar outside the airport. We had to wait almost 15 minutes for the Coke and water before we got served. Must have been one of the slowest waiters in the world. We had finished the drinks when Rod came and picked us up.

We stopped at Rod, our maybe it was his business partners, place where we meet Bubbles the camp assistance that will take care of us during the camping.

Now everything is packed and we have cleared our chalets at the Thamalakane Lodge so we just wait for Bubbles and Rod to pick us up.

I am primed for this so let the fun begin!!!

We woke early because Rod would pick us up at 7:30 this morning. We needed to eat breakfast and make sure we got the packed lunch from the restaurant.

Rod was on time but unfortunately the packed lunch wasn´t ready. This is probably something one will learn. I told them that we needed everything at 7:20 but I probably should have said 7:00 to be sure.

We still arrived on time at the Okavango River Lodge where we had to sign some papers. We did this at our own risk was the message and please don´t belly rub the crocs. Yes, we did know of the dangers. We also understood that we had company for this trip. Marcy Mendelson a female writer/photographer from San Francisco would join us. She was actually in Africa to work for Cheetah-Watch and publish her thoughts on the Cheetahs' situation on National Geographic’s web. I really hope her work will bring something good for the Cheetah because they´re probably the most endangered predator here in Africa.

We spoke a little about our common ground Photography before we headed out onto the river leading into the Okavango delta. If you don´t know anything about the Okavango please feel free to read here.

The boat ride to the Mokoro Station at the Buffalo fence would take an hour, more or less depending upon the sightings we´ll have during the trip. I must say that I really enjoyed cruising in this flat-bottomed boat. The ride was smooth and we did have marvelous sighting of many birds.

At the end of this video clip we spot our first African Fish-Eagle for the trip.

This is a big eagle that is easily recognizable. Other good sightings were both Pied Kingfisher and Malachite Kingfisher. The Malachite is a really beautiful bird.

We finally arrived at the boat station. There were some Mokoros lying on the "beach". The mokoro is the traditional dugout canoe that they have used here for ages.

The mood was good in the group now that we heard that they had elephants just across the channel 30 minutes ago but we had to wait sometime before our Mokoro guides arrived. They had something that looked like a heated meeting before they seemed to decide who should bring us out into the delta.

Finally.

We left the safety of dry land and headed into the unknown. I had some expectations about this part of the trip but it was to become something completely different. We glided more or less soundlessly in the 3 mokoros. Me and Martin in the first together with the chief guide, the twins in the second and Marcy in the third.

Our guide poled us effortlessly further into this beautiful delta. We sat just inches over the water and we could easily see the bottom thru the clear water.

Water lilies everywhere and a rich bird life but where are the mammals? They seemed all have vanished into the shadows hiding from the sun but hopefully we´ll see some when we go on land at one of the islands.

While travelling towards this island the channels we travelled in got narrower and narrower.

We floated on top of the reed for the last hundred meters before reaching land.

We unloaded the mokoros before we took a light packing and headed into the bush. Water and camera was the only things needed.

We were told that the island had some water where wildlife seemed to congregate so we were going to take a look there. We saw the usual bird life but still no mammals until one of our guides pointed out some antelopes ahead of us. We moved close to take a look. I can´t say I was surprised when I saw this.

2 guides and 5 tourists’ wasn´t that hard to spot for these Red Lechews

We headed back after watching the Lechwes and some Warthogs passing by to have lunch in the shade of a big tree. We mostly ate in silence listening to the African wild while shared our food with the guides. Before we headed back we could explore the surroundings on our own. I found a Yellow Dragonfly that I took some picture of. It acted like a pro model and I am really pleased with this one.

The ride back was uneventful except the frog that took a ride in the Twins mokoro. At the boat station we had to wait for the motor boat so we had time to visit their village. It was interesting seeing how they use aluminum cans to isolate and strengthen the walls in their traditional huts. The standard seemed to be decent and everyone was friendly and nice towards us.

The motor boat got us back safely to the River Lodge and we managed to drink a beer before Rod picked us up and drove us back home to Thamalakane River Lodge. In all a really excellent day on water. We missed elephants, hippos, crocs etc but we experienced the peace of the delta.

Another dinner under the stars and tomorrow mean we leave civilization for the wilderness of Moremi but first we are going to see the Delta from the sky so don´t forget the passport.

Pictures from the day is found here.

I woke up early to the sound of Hippos. It sounded like they where further up the river so I went outside in hope of catching a glimpse of them. No luck but the morning greeted with warmth and sunshine and that isn´t bad considering that I could have been home in Sweden.

Me and Martin grabbed our photo gear and went outside to see what the morning could bring. The birds had risen early and we could see the African Jacana running around among the water lilies but also at the water’s edge. They are really funning looking when they are moving around.

I also recognized a newcomer that I didn´t saw yesterday and that was a Little Egret. I watched it for a time looking at the hunting technique. It stirs the bottom with its feet to see what it brings up. It then strikes quickly often catches something. I witnessed this bird catch a handful of fishes before we got back to the chalet to see if the Twins was up for some breakfast in the restaurant.

We had the first breakfast on African soil. The breakfast was healthy and there were of course some other guests. It was a group of birds that was aiming to get themselves some freebies to eat. Some of their tries was good but they didn´t manage to steal anything except leftovers.

We decided that we should take a dip in the pool and just relax but first some sun bathing. The sun was really intense so we just managed to bear maybe an hour before heading into the shadows. Martin now got the bright idea that we needed a when we plunged into the pool. We sat in the pool for some time just relaxing and drinking beer. The pool could have been bigger but this was just fine for the moment.

Actually it was pure luxury. This was really what one needed after the long flight and the hick up with the luggage yesterday. It felt really good.

The rest of the day was at the same tempo. We ate lunch looking out over the river.

From left: Axel, Fredrik and Martin

During the late afternoon me and Fredrik explored some more inside the Lodges premises and discovered a raptor. It was a Yellow-billed Kite that had a nest up high in one of the trees. It actually had caught something and sat in the nest eating.

We stood there for some time before deciding to tell the others. I went to the chalets to tell them and when I got back the bird took off. This was unfortunately the only time we saw it in the nest. One can´t always be lucky.

At dinner we shared a bottle of wine and ate a good piece of rump. They really have a meat culture here in Africa. I must sadly admit that they are way ahead of us back in Sweden. We think that good meat is fresh meat but that isn´t the case when you want a good rump steak or sirloin.

After dinner I recorded a video just to remember the sound when I get back home to the cold. The quality of the video isn´t good but it is the sound that was important.

Now bed and then tomorrow we´re heading out onto the Delta. Sweet!!!

Pictures from the day is found here.

We landed safely in Johannesburg and the immigrations went really smoothly. We took a wrong turn ourselves but the luggage hadn't arrived before we found the right carousel.

Now it was time to find our check in for the flight with Air Botswana. We got hijacked by 2 porters who took off with our luggage. One can say we really got ripped of by these gents. I have never before used a porter and I will never let them help again, that is for sure.

The only good thing was that we almost stood first in line but what a slow line. It stressed some of use but why bother when we almost had 3 hours to kill at the airport. At last we got thru and came into the departure hall. We tried to get some food and water but we where actually denied to buy food that we could take aboard the flight due to some restrictions that we never had heard of. Instead we bought some food at a little cafe where we sat and rested for some time. We also did some shopping at the safari store. I bought a new safari hat because the old one wasn't really good. Some of us even bought some USD. I will not recommend anyone doing this because the exchange rates isn't good at all at airports.

We boarded the flight on time but unfortunately we got 30 minutes delayed, don't know why. Fredrik managed to fall asleep before the lift off and soon Martin also slept. I sat during most of the flight and just looked at the landscape in awe. One think you really took noticed of was the straight roads that seemed just to disappear in the horizon.

The landscape was mostly desert or arid savanna and it is hard to understand how anything can live in this habitat but when we got nearer to Maun one could also see some green patches along the Boteti river.

All in all I think it was really good flight for being with a Fokker and the sound wasn´t that deafening as one could have expected.

Touch down Botswana, now let the adventure begin.

We had to fill some immigration papers before being let into the country. We quickly sorted this out before the circus began.

The airport in Maun is probably one of the smallest I ever have been to. They did all the luggage handling manually. This made for a really exciting experience when all the passengers tried to get their luggage. Unfortunately my was missing, lucky me, and so was also Axel's. More paper work to do and we also needed to find our guide Rod Wilson who I couldn't see in the arrival hall. I stood in line to fill in the papers for the missing luggage while Axel went over to a group to ask them about Rod. Lucky for us this was Chris who knew Rod well so he got on the phone and rang Rod. Chris told us that Rod would appear at the restaurant 30 minuters later and we where told by the airport personnel that the luggage should be there with the next flight at 15:30.

We went to the restaurant Bon Arivee, or something similar, and pondered about taking the lunch here. When the drinks arrived so did Rod. He went over to the airport to speak to them about the missing luggage while we paid for the drinks.

We packed the Toyota Landcruiser who will be like a home for us during our trip thru Botswanas wilderness.

Off we went and 10 minutes later we arrived at Thamalakane Lodge where we will stay for 3 nights before going out on Mobile Safari.

We got our chalets, Jacana 2 & 3, by the river and Rod told us he will be back with the missing luggage after 17:00. He also told us a little reschedule of the flight over the delta. That meant we will have a free day tomorrow just to relax. None of us had anything against that.

At lunch we drank some local St Louis beer and ate some burgers. Nothing spectacular but just plain good food and a beer that cleansed the throat. It satisfied us.

Luckily I had all my photo equipment with me so I went out taking some photos just to practise and to kill time before the luggage arrive. The temperatures was around 30 degrees celsius and that was really okay I must say.

The birdlife along the river was good so I had many subjects to practise on. The one that really caught my eye was the colorful Lilac-breasted roller. I wasted some MB and really got some decent shots off the birds.

After spending an hour, or two, I checked the recepetion and there the luggage was. Bingo, it really appeared as said so now both me and Axel could relax.

We just enjoyed the last hour of sun before going to dinner and I know I will be happy having this type of sunset at dinner every night.

Pictures from the day is found here.