Okay More Birds From the Zambezi

I know
that some of you are not too excited about more birds, so you all can skip this one.

Bee-eaters flying in and out of the banks on the river's edge. There were free drinks and a mediocre pasta dinner, but the company was entertaining and up beat.











































And the birds on board!

Livingstone, Zambia

The elephant ride here this morning was delightful! We mounted up and rode along the Zambezi River. The elephants all tore branches off the Mopane Trees as we ambles through the forest. We could hear the lions nearby but never saw them.

Chobe Day Two

More critters seen from the river; plus see the sky after the thunderstorm.

The largest of the hornbills, the Ground Hornbill.









Mother and calf!







Plover





Fish Eagle





Kudu at Ox-pecker cleaning station.

Chobe River Botswana

Okay, this is Hippo and Elephant heaven.





This young guy is having a ball rolling in the mud!









Hippos!

Gweta, Botswana

Planet Baobab Cafe in the middle of Botswana and the Kalihari has this very old Baobab tree, about 5000 years according to our guide. That's about 250 human generations.





Somehow, I think it has seen a few things that we have missed. Can you imagine what it could tell us if we would listen.

These critters are listening to the Baobab this morning.

Okavango Day Two Party

After dinner on day two the guides and Mokoro pilots put on a dance and sing for us. All the folks in the Gap group reciprocated with a songs and dances of our own. My additional part was this poem I had written in the afternoon for the women pilots of the Mokoros.





This Kaylee my Mokoro woman.

Mokoro Woman

Mokoro woman wielding her log pole.
She reaches and pusher
Gliding through the reeds
Foopah swish, foopah swish, foohpah swish.

Mokoro woman standing tall
Floating with the morning light.
The path ever in her memory
Okavango ever changing.

Mokoro woman free at last.
Free from cook fires,
Free from water jugs,
Free from loads of wood

Mokoro woman proud and strong
Calm in her knowledge
Resilient in her skill
Sure of her way

Mokoro woman free at last
Azuma!
Azuma!
Azuma!

Okavango Day Two

We saw several birds on a marathon hike of 14 kilometers. A hot and a bit disappointing hike. But there were these cool Black Egrets.





Pied Kingfishers,





and a very nice Bee Eater.

Okavango Day One

This great River delta formed by the Okavango River flowing out of Anigolato the north disappears into the air. We entered the delta north east of the small city Maun. The river leaves the delta flowing due west. We loaded all of our tents and enough food and water for two and a half days on a remote island. The small very shallow dugout canoes are called Mokoros. They are each propelled by one person with along pole. They can carry three passengers maximum.






The first afternoon after setting up camp. My tent is the second on the left.





We went for an elephant hippo hunt. I saw my first wild elephant on foot.

Ghanzi Critters.

We have just crossed into Botswana for the evening. In the morning I rose early to go on a short walk with the Nama people. We found some pretty cool critters.

This is a Lavendar Roller.





A beautiful orb weaving Spider, similar to the ones found in Central America.





This is a Ground-scraping Thrush. This Thrush is much larger than any found in North America.





A toad of some species.

The San People of Ghanzi

The Nama people of the western Kalihari near Ghanzi were uniquely small and strong. These folks must have -10% body fat.






This woman is showing me how use this root for joint pains. The other meds she found were for headaches, fertility, flushing the kidneys, and burns.














These two fellows have just made a breakfast fire for the morning coffee.



This same family group performed a healing ceremony the night before.