21 September

21 September

Got up really late today – past 7! The sun was fully out and it was getting warm, wow. I could hear dad speaking to some Alaskans about his climbing McKinley through the tent fabric. We had breakfast and used the opportunity to use the wifi again.

At the campsite you have to pay a small sum to get a key to a power box. We had number 5, but once we got to it it appeared broken into and in use. The campsite staff were unhappy, but couldn’t do anything as the people were gone. I just plugged my charger into their extension. When they turned up later, they seemed friendly and did not question our right to their electricity though they claimed that all the boxes appeared broken into. This was last night and I just remembered to write it down, so….

We showered and got to leave, but stopped by this huge truck with a dutch plate on the way out. It was a dutch couple, who had sold their house and had been travelling for 3 years now – living in their truck. They had come down through West Africa and spent about a year here in Southern Africa. Their policy was to not fund corruption, so in a country like Nigeria where the police roadblocks every 15km expect a little something they would refuse. If they were denied passage, they would simply park, get out their chairs and begin to make coffee. After maybe 30min the policeman would invariably join them, get to chatting and end up sending them off with a wave. Read more from them on: www.travelisfun.org

We got to the airport, which is really just one big hall with 2 check-in desks and a few offices upstairs. After sorting our luggage, we went to the office of Moremi Air – which we were told was the airline flying us. A man took our bags and met us on the other side of the security, which was really just a metal detector and a lady who looked at our passports; tickets were handwritten. We then had to wait for about an hour in a small waiting room, before being led onto the tarmac where many small aircraft were parked. We had a 7-seater plane for the 2 of us and an Indian pilot who loved his job flying over the delta every day. I sat up front next to him and enjoyed the startling view.

We are now in the delta, which feels a little surreal to say. I know Khwai was technically in the delta, but very much on the edge – and now we are right in the center. It is such a natural wonder and watery paradise. Our lodge, Gunns camp, has big tents spread out on stilts with marshy water right beneath us.  We went on a little boat trip, by motor boat with a guide named OB, and it was very nice to enjoy the beautiful ecosystem and all the littler things you don’t notice from a truck. Small frogs, birds, grasses etc…

Dinner was alright, I sat next to an old Belgian army colonel who was raised and stationed in Congo and now runs a tour operator. He was nice and we spoke a while about politics, but the rest of his group did not seem too willing to switch to English. The start was interrupted by an elephant walking briskly between the dining table and the pool, dazed by the bright lights.

Tomorrow we begin our wilderness camping on a delta island.