OKAVANGO DELTA

[Martin Hash]

Okavango Delta.JPG

Botswana used to be one of the poorest countries in Africa but internecine fighting, corruption, and bad government in most of Africa’s other nations have allowed Botswana’s sound leadership to catapult it to the top. One of Botswana’s natural treasures is, obviously, its wild animal habitant - left largely undisturbed because of the small human population. The most famous of its game parks is the spectacular Okavango Delta; a weaving of twisting river tributaries so numerous and intricate that from the air they resemble blood capillaries – and in a sense they are because their nourishment keeps the region alive. Wild game not-withstanding, traveling through the delta in shallow, dugout canoes called mokoros, poled by the local tribesmen and women, along narrow channels through the tall reeds is the crowning experience. To prevent tipping over you must lie back in the canoe and watch the cloud-filled sky slowly pass by. Silence, except for the sound of the poles in the water and the subtle noises of nature, envelops you. The couple hours of calmness and solitude are enjoyable, welcome and memorable.

Camping is rudimentary: a hole in the ground for personal hygiene, pack out your wastes, and burn available deadwood. At night our polers performed songs in exchange for reciprocal singing on our part: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” was the best we could come up with. Of course, watching an elephant mother shake a coconut tree with her trunk to procure fruit for her calf is awe-inspiring as well as touching. A territorial male hippo chased our mokoro, causing our poler to double-time and a bit of excitement. Large honey badgers nonchalantly crossed our trail, and the cold water had to be watched for crocodiles while we bathed. The sun setting over the delta, flickering orange by the gently rustling reads, was the perfect culmination of the experience.