Okavango Delta
Chapter five
Last day in the Delta.
I say my goodbyes to the family from New York. Dani tells me that they’ll be heading to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls the day after and we talk about maybe reconnecting there.
I’ll be in Livingstone on the other side of the border in Zambia. She tells me she’ll email me the name of agent who organized her trip to Angel Falls. I tell her I’ll do my best to see them soon.
My flight back to Maun leaves in the afternoon and Baams drives us out one last time. A layer of mist blankets the delta, hugging the earth. The tops of trees and shrub emerge from it, the curtains part as we approach.
It’s a beautiful morning, the mist making magic of the delta. I’m incredibly excited to have had this extra day to experience, happy just to see the landscape like this.
Baams drives around searching for cats, but it’s difficult to pierce the mist. We spy birds and impala as we drive across areas we’ve visited before, the landscape transformed by the clouded air.
As the sun rises, the mist clears revealing the golden grass of the savanna. We pass wildebeest, alone and in pairs and ostrich as we continue our search.
In a large field we come across a hyena feeding on the leg of a zebra. A jackal and another hyena are nearby. The other hyena has a smaller bone upon which he gnaws. The jackal keeps distance, now and again approaching in an attempt to steal a morsel for itself.
We spend as long as we can watching them feed. Baams looks at his watch and tells me we should start heading back towards camp so I can collect my things and prepare to head to the landing strip.
En route, we come across a lion. We drive parallel to its path until it decides to lay on the ground to rest, casually considering us as we continue on.
Nearing camp we attempt to cross a dry river bed. Our tires sink into the sand and we’re stuck. Fortunately we’re close to base and a Landcruiser comes quickly to pull us out after Baams radios our situation in. The other guides laugh and poke fun at the situation as they good-naturedly attach a cable to our vehicle and pull us out or our situation.
As we pull up out of the riverbed Baams spots two female lions. He asks if I want to take a look. I nod, and he turns off the road in their direction.
They wander into the tall grass on a small hill and Baams drives around the mound of earth so we can watch them emerge from the other side and then walk further into the bush.
Leaving the lions we catch our last sighting for the morning, a young giraffe near the camp. I’m happy to have seen one more before it’s time to go.
We arrive early at the landing strip and wait for the pilot to arrive. It’s a quick transition. I say my goodbyes to Baams and promise to send him photos. No sooner have my bags been transfered and I am on board than we are aloft.
From the window I can see Baams waving as we race down the runway and back up into the air.
The flight back to Maun is bittersweet, it marking the end of the safari. In aother day I’ll fly to Kasana and then take a car to cross the border into Zimbabwe for a tour of Victoria Falls before landing in Livingstone for a few nights. The trip is far from over, even if this chapter is, and I find myself looking forward even as my mind casts itself over the past. 🇧🇼
7 July 2024
