Into the Bush!!!

Ok people, so technically, I'm home now, but I had to blog on Maun/Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta experience. :) SOrry for the delay...Botswana isn't great about having internet connection. I did want to blog this specific experience because it was CRAZY! (Yes, I made it home safely...thanks!) ;) This was from my diary/journal...minus a few details. :)

The trip to Maun began Saturday after breakfast. Lasole (our guide throughout the program) had teased us saying that we were taking the combie to Maun (which is 13 hours away, mind you)...I thought- ok, this is going to be one hell of a trip. YIKES. Combies are NOT comfortable...they magnify every pot hole/bump and although it's nice to take one thru town or thru Old Naledi, 13 hours would have been INTOLERABLE. Luckily enough, he was being extremely sarcastic...we took the nicest tour buss I've ever seen...first class all the way! :) The ride was long, but I slept so much- sleep...something that I had been deprived of, at my own fault, so being able to crash out was great. :)

We stopped a few times to stretch our legs and get something to eat. The worst part was stopping halfway thru to go to a grocery store...I think it was Choppies. ANyway, as soon as our bus parked and we were trapsing out, here run little dirty Batswana children, speaking in a dialect I hadn't heard thus far. They were begging for "pula pula tswee tswee!" (money please!) and...ti's just not advisable, no matter how hard it is to say no, to give it to them...when we went into the store, of course, we all bought some food...the kids were waiting eagerly outside to haggle us more. The poverty and hunger were overwhelming. Christy dropped bread and the kids picked it up off the dirt/sand and began to scream and shout like an American child on Christmas day...as I laid down my partially empty disposable dish of half-eaten food, one child scurried up to my plate and started eating off of it. As if that wasn't saddening enough, some one put their dish in the one tipped over trash can, and a few kids ran to that and fished it out of the garbage. Horrible...I would've thought it was a lie, but seeing it with my own eyes was devistating. I wanted to tell them, "EW! Don't do that!" But- who am I to tell them not to scrounge for food? *heavy hearted sigh* An experience etched firmly into my mind.

We got back on the bus and a few hours to Maun. Maun is a small, yet prosperous city that lies not far from Safari land. We got to our lodge, Maduo lodge, late in the evening. Dr.Lucky advised us to get a good night's sleep. We were heading "to the bush" early the next morning. The earlier we leave, the more chance we'll have on seeing lions and other animals...it would be feeding time.

The lodge was NICE!!!! Comfy beds, nice bathtub...yet some people still complained! I wanted to swear and say, "IT'S EFFIN' AFRICA!!!!! What do you expect, a 4 star hotel?!" Some of the members just didn't get it. I was happy to stay in a room with a TV and warm air...I don't expect much, nor would I want to be put up in a fancy hotel. Anyway- a good night's sleep was had for sure! We woke up at 5:15, breakfast at 6, left for Moremi by 6:30am. Ya know, me, somewhat stupid American, expected a bus to take us the 90K it took to get to Moremi...but did we take a heated bus? No, we certainly didn't. :-/ We took the safari truck. I'll try to post pix so you can see. It was probably 40F that morning...and driving 50mph in that temp was completely harsh. African winters aren't warm in the mornings...ooooooooooooooo chilly!

Dirt road, off road driving...pot holes galore...what a cold and bumpy ride!!! SHIT was it cold! AHH! We tried to bundle up in coats and blankets, but that type of cold cannot be avoided.

Being Africa tho, it soon warmed up to about 65F and we were starting to unthaw. On the way to the reserve, we spotted impala, zebras, elephants and giraffe. Amazing. :) I was aching to see a lion, but was being patient.

Ooo, btw- we had the hottest Motswana guide. One of the hottest men I've ever seen actually. I think his name was Chippie? Eek. lol...

Anyway- we were supposed to take a boat ride right away, into the Okavango Delta, but we got there too late, so our guides said, "Let's go find some wildlife!" And away we went...deep into the bush...deep into the vast savanna...gorgeousness and gorgeosity made bliss. Felt like home...felt like freedom. I can't explain the feeling at all...guess you just had to be there. We began to see more and more animals and it was amazing. :) My fave part was when we came upon a group of baboons!! :) They were playing and loving eachother...so nice. :)

We did see one lioness, shading herself by a tree and that was all the "excitement" we had on that trip, but it was an experience. :)

Back to the delta, we got on a boat and went for a ride. It was sunny and extremely peaceful. Dr.Pillay had to wear his hat...what a kick.

The ride back was the same as the ride there- only without much scenery. :-p OH- but- the sun was setting and it was amazing! Dee and I huddled together like peas in a pod, and as the sun set on what felt like all ends of the horizon, we gazed in awesomeness. Seriously- the sun sets in Africa and there is a glow all about the land...illuminating the entire sky with pink and purple rays. I've never seen a sunset like that before. I starred off into the distant and fell into a meditative state.

EEK- our truck broke down about 30K away from our lodge...pitch black and scary, but we had eachother. Dee jynxed it I swear! She kept saying, "We've been driving forever...I hope this thing doesn' t run out of gas...SHIT!" Low and behold, it did. Shortly, we got onto another truck, froze our bums off, and ended up back to the lodge.

THe next day, because we had such "horrible" times coming back, the owner of Maduo lodge threw a Braai for us. I didn't mind- the braai was DELICIOUS and we danced for hours....

Back on the bus the next day...sleeping and hungover mildly, it was a long ride home.

ALl in all, the bush was amazing...I hope someone else can experience it. :)

Much Love,
Sarah

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