Postcards form a Backpacker

The Okavango Delta

Posted in Africa, Botswana, Maun

We arrived at the campsite in Maun a city described as the gateway to the Delta. The camp was fairly nice and had a swimming pool so there were no complaints. Our tour leader had booked a group meal followed by ice cream a novelty in East Africa. Everyone turned in early that night having had their fill to prepare for the early start in the morning.

The Okavango Delta is formed by the Okavango River, which flows into the desert and disappears as it fans out to form the Delta. Our group, excluding tour leader Jade, driver Paul and a couple of others who stayed behind because of a dental problem, were driven through Maun and past some smaller villages to the water. After unloading the truck Amy and I paired up and were introduced to Sophie our Mokoro poler for the three days and two nights we were in the Delta.

Before I go any further a Makoro is a dug out canoe in the local language Setwana. The Makoros are traditionally made of wood but as they break fibreglass canoes now replace them. The fibreglass ones are not quite as authentic, but the old canoes take a whole tree to build them and the environment was beginning to suffer. Our canoe however was a wooden one with fresh straw in the bottom to soak up any water that managed to get in. When full with our weights and a few essentials, sleeping bag, camera and food the Mokoro sat about an inch above the water. The fibreglass one sat much further out of the water but the wooden ones will eventually be an experience that a tourist will not be able to experience as they are all replaced. We travelled in the Mokoros for about an hour stopping off for a swim on the way before we reached the spot that would be camp for the next two nights.

We bush camped for the two nights cooking on an open fire in the middle of the camp and using a dug out pit as the toilet. The first evening we took a short walking safari around the camp but did not see that much in the way of big game only some old elephant bones and baobab trees. That night the plan was to sleep out under the stars. As we climbed into our sleeping bags there was a thunderstorm on the horizon so we dozed off under the stars with some trying to see the southern star constellation with the lightning in front over the Delta. At around midnight I was awoken by a raindrop on my face, the storm had moved towards us and it was time to get into the tent to see out the remainder of the night.

The next morning we set out on another much longer game walk and found many more animals such as elephants, giraffe and buffalo. In the afternoon we spent our time in camp watching and helping the local guides make intricate straw baskets and having a go at polling the Mokoros. It turns out it is much more difficult than Sophie and the other guides made it look. The trick we eventually found was to use the pole as a rudder. In the evening we set off again with Sophie poling again to a scenic spot to see the sunset over the delta.

On the last day some chose to go out on yet another walking safari however I chose to stay behind and help pack up camp and prepare breakfast. When everyone got back and had finished breakfast we filled in the campfire and set off again to meet the truck for the drive back to camp.