Getting ready to go on my mokoro ride
The Okavango Delta is located in Botswana and is the worlds largest inland delta. It is a labyrinth of lagoons, lakes and hidden channels that can be traveled by motor boat or mokoro. I'm sure a few of you are wondering what a mokoro might be? A mokoro is simply like a canoe. They are traditionally made by digging out the trunk of a large tree. To get through the Delta in a mokoro you need a poler. The polers have a large stick (aka ngashi) that they use to push the mokoro through the waters. So pretty much it is like riding in a gondola in Venice (Africa style of course).
The Mokoro Polers and Guides
Me with Augustina and Luckson
Front seat in the mokoro
After an afternoon snack we headed to the mokoro's and split up in groups of two. I was paired with Augustina, and my poler was a man named Luckson. Luckson discovered I was from California and immediately proceeded to tease me. I was an easy target, but I was a good sport about it. I'm used to the American bashing during my international trips. Luckson told us to try not to move around in the mokoro, and to not freak out when going through the brush and spotting unwanted visitors (particularly spiders). The last thing I wanted was to tip the mokoro and share the waters with hippos, crocodiles, and snakes.
Spotting an Elephant friend on our mokoro ride
One of the first animals we encountered was an elephant. I would soon find out that Elephants were quite abundant in the Delta. We were told to be very quiet so that the elephant didn't feel like he was in danger. We breezed by, and headed to the island for our walking safari. Afterwards we headed back to our mokoro's to see an amazing sunset.
Our mokoros at the Delta during sunset
I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real
Before getting back on our mokoros we just soaked in our surroundings, and the amazing place we were all pleased to witness. We headed back to the camp in our mokoros and called it a day. The following morning we hopped back on our mokoros, but this time in another direction towards a different island for a walking safari. The brush was thicker the second day, and poor Luckson was a bit on the sick side so it was not an easy day for him.
To get an idea of how a mokoro ride is like, here is a little video from our second day. Don't mind us talking bible talk in the background.....
It was truly an experience to remember. The Delta in general is just a must on anyones bucket list.
Date Accomplished: September 22nd, 2010
2 comments:
That picture of the sunset over the mokoro's is gorgeous! Although I'm not sure if I could be still, I tend to freak out about spiders and would have capsized everyone!
i love this post...and YES me too, spiders make me run for the hills!
Post a Comment