3-day Mokoro Safari (Cruise) in the Okavango Delta

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Spent the last 3 days (7th to 9th) in the delta.. had so much anticipation to go into the delta.. especially after watching a documentary on lions eating elephants in the okavango delta on somebody's ipod.. well.. i think if you want a more exciting safari.. don't do it by mokoro (dug-out canoes).. probably fly into the inner delta and do some game drives from there..

The mokoro CRUISE started on 7th.. we took a transfer truck from Camp Sitatunga.. after an hour's drive, we arrive at the delta where numerous mokoros await our arrival to take us into the delta.. the mokoros are basically poled along the shallow depth of the delta.. max 2 passengers.. so you and another person sit in the narrow mokoro.. and your poler stands behind to pole the canoe.. the canoe is hewn out of a solid piece of tree trunk.. so supposedly that's why it's special..

had an early birthday present given to me at the mokoro station... somebody unzipped my bag while i was concentrated taking photos.. and conveniently took one of me lens away.. !@#$%^.. guess i grew complacent after joining the overland truck tour and didn't pay attention to my surroundings.. only realized my lens was stolen after 40mins on the mokoro into the delta.. luckily it not the 300mm that i'd defintely need in the futures days.. and my beloved 10-22mm.. anyways.. filed a report at the Maun police station when i got out of the delta on the 9th to faclilate my insurance claim...

so back to the mokoro safari (CRUISE).. you arrive at your campsite after about 2hrs of poling.. and then you do nothing for the whole afternoon.. and at about 430pm.. you go for a 2hr safari walk.. did nothing much that afternoon.. basically slept and read.. woke up just in time for the safari walk.. the safari walk is pretty ok.. ok becos you get to enjoy the wilderness on foot.. saw some zebras elephants deer-things etc... but no dangerous cats or rhinoes.. and those that you saw.. you see from a distance away.. not really close up.. a bit disappointing... you walk to some waterholes.. expecting to see many animals and hopefully some lions (haha..) .. but the waterholes were all empty.. tough luck..

2nd day.. you wake up early for a morning safari walk... i opted for the 6hr one.. hopefully can go deeper and see more.. saw more game.. but no cats or rhinos.. and definitely no lions attacking elephants.. haha.. back to the campsite for lunch.. free and easy again till 430pm.. so i chose to try my hand at poling the mokoro... not too easy to steer.. but manage to grasp the basic by the end of the afternoon.. 430pm.. they bring you for a mokoro cruise.. so you sit in the canoe.. and they pole you around... super leisure..

what you see in the delta is basically reeds... reeds and reeds... you also get to see some nice water lilies.. and the delta is an excellent place for birding.. saw many birds... and since i had time.. i learnt some names iof the birds i saw such as blacksmith plove.. hammercock.. lilac breaster roller... i very impressed with myself.. aha..

we had a campfire on the second night.. the polers sang their local songs.. and then wanted us to present some stuffs too.. and me being the CHINESE.. they alwyas shout chinese! chinese! so i get pulled up to join them in their dances.. and then when they requested an item from us.. again.. Chinese! Chinese!... so i went up and do Chek Check Kolek with them.. haha..

9th of June.. morning.. we poled back and headed back to the campsite.. another afternoon of zuobo.. so i went to Maun and made my police report.. had some beer at a posh resort in town while waiting for the transport to come pick me up.. haha..

all in all.. quite disappointed with me experience in the delta.. was expecting something more action packed.. too relaxing for me..

This blog is written on 12th June 2007.. i'm now at one of the campsite of Etosha National Park in Namibia... crossed the border on the 10th.. internet here is quite expensive (US$5 for 30min).. but i won't get internet time until at least 3 nights later... so just came here to update on delta.. and to log mylocation...

Etosha park is good so far.. lots and lots of wildlife.. more on this in the next update.. going to check email now.. c u in 3-4 days!

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