We left Sat morning to go to the Delta. Wai Man overslept but we did make it to the airport in time. It is lucky we are only about 15 mins from the airport. We got to Maun and then went right to our little plane to go to the Delta. Dad rode in the co-pilots seat. We had to stop and pick up 2 more people at another camp before we were dropped off at Shinde. It was only 15 mins in the air before we landed to pick up the other 2 and then 15 more before Shinde so we were pretty low the whole time. We could see a lot of game on the ground that way. We saw lots of elephants, hippos, crocs, giraffe, vultures, eagles, antelopes and a herd of water buffalo. WE went to land at Shinde and we had to aport the landing. There were a bunch of warthog on the runway. We were able to land on the 2nd attempt. The next plane had the same problem. One of the guides went down and shewed them away. Farley who was the camp manager drove us back to camp. When we got there Kelly showed us around. Shinde lodge was a lot like a multi-leveled tree house. It was neat. We couldn'g go to our rooms/tents for a bit so we hung out in the chairs around where the fire is. We had lunch and then could go to our tents. We decided to go on a game drive for our 1st activity.
Our guide was named Bee and he had us and a family from Spain. He was a great guide and spotter. I couldn't believe the things he could find. We saw a very young giraffe and its mother. It wwas only 3 1/2 weeks old and still had it's embilical cord. The highlight of the activity was on our way back to camp. It was getting dark and he saw some movement in teh tal grass and said thereis something there. We went a little further and it was a male leopard! They are the 1 of the big 5 that are hard to find. It was dark but I did manage to get some good pics with the spot light and my flash. It was very exciting. After dinner my went out on a night drive and he saw a female leopard.
The next morning we went on the mokoro's. I thought it would be good like at Kanana but it wasn't. What a disappointment. We saw no game and I had a guide that I couldn't understand and he went sooooo slow. At least it was peaceful and Dad and Cindy got to experience the mokoro's. We went on another game drive for the afternoon activity. We saw a lot of game on all of our drives. There was more game at this camp than at Kanana. I later found out Kanana was known for the birds and Shinde for the game. I did see a bunch of birds at Shinde though. I got a lot of new ones too. On the way back to camp in the dark we saw a genet and a side stipped jackal. After dinner we went on a night drive and we saw a mother hippo and a young hippo out of the water. They high tailed it back to the water when we got near them. I never knew they moved that fast. It was amazing. We didn't find the leopard again but we saw a bunch of game and 2 marsh owls.
On our last day there an elephant came to camp early in the morning. They call him Snorey because he has a hole in his trunk and makes a lot of noise. He was crashing around a couple of the tents and broke some lights. I slept right through it. When we got up there was another elephant in camp. There were 2 more when we went out for our game drive. Those 2 we follewed to the water and watched them cross. We say a lot of game and then went to a water crossing we had gone to the day before. It was deep water and it was going into the truck. Everyone was watchingthe water when I looked ahead and said "lions!" everyone looked up and we were driving straight at 4 female lions lying on the shore of the water. We got through the water and they didn't really even move. They all had very full bellies and had obviously just made a kill. We got a lot of photos. There were 2 young females that still had some spots, their mother and the mothers sister. THe other car arrived after we called them about the lions so we left and went on. We found the remains of the lions kill. All that was left was the skull with horns and some vertebrae. There wasn't any meat left anywhere. A little ways away we saw some more of the spine and the place where they buried the entrails. We met up with the other truck and had a tea break and then stopped back by the lions on the way back to camp.
We saw a lot of game there. We saw Kudu, Red lechwe, Impala, Elephant, Waterbuck, Reebuck, Zebra, Warthog, Giraffe, Baboon, Vervet Monkeys, Leopard, Lions, Side Striped Jackal, Banded Mongeese, a Genet, lots of Hippos, Blue Wildebeest, Nile Crocs and a lot of birds. I saw many new birds. I was excited to see more birds of prey. I saw 4 different eagles and a vulture. I am up to almost 100 different bird now.
We left to Maun after lunch. Our plane ride in the little lane as very turbulant. We all felt like we were going to loose our lunch. We had a few hours in Maun so we took a taxi to where our pilot said they had good crafts. Cindy bought a bowl and then we walked back to the shos by the airport. It was so hot I thought I was going to die! We did some shopping and I bought a pottery bowl that was overpriced but it was neat. It had lions all over it. I still can't believe we saw the leopard and the lions. We had a jet instead of the normal planes that fly back and forth to Gabs to Maun so it only took 1 hour to get back. Dad enjoyed the beef jerky they give you on the plane. He got 2 bags and then wanted another one but wouldn't ask. I got the attendants attention and said my dad would like another bag of jerky if you have one but he is too embarassed to ask. She brought him another one. We both had a beer on the plane. They don't even charge for it!
We all had a great time on our trip. It was fun to do it with my Dad and Cindy. It is sad they are leaving. It will be lonely here without them.
Our guide was named Bee and he had us and a family from Spain. He was a great guide and spotter. I couldn't believe the things he could find. We saw a very young giraffe and its mother. It wwas only 3 1/2 weeks old and still had it's embilical cord. The highlight of the activity was on our way back to camp. It was getting dark and he saw some movement in teh tal grass and said thereis something there. We went a little further and it was a male leopard! They are the 1 of the big 5 that are hard to find. It was dark but I did manage to get some good pics with the spot light and my flash. It was very exciting. After dinner my went out on a night drive and he saw a female leopard.
The next morning we went on the mokoro's. I thought it would be good like at Kanana but it wasn't. What a disappointment. We saw no game and I had a guide that I couldn't understand and he went sooooo slow. At least it was peaceful and Dad and Cindy got to experience the mokoro's. We went on another game drive for the afternoon activity. We saw a lot of game on all of our drives. There was more game at this camp than at Kanana. I later found out Kanana was known for the birds and Shinde for the game. I did see a bunch of birds at Shinde though. I got a lot of new ones too. On the way back to camp in the dark we saw a genet and a side stipped jackal. After dinner we went on a night drive and we saw a mother hippo and a young hippo out of the water. They high tailed it back to the water when we got near them. I never knew they moved that fast. It was amazing. We didn't find the leopard again but we saw a bunch of game and 2 marsh owls.
On our last day there an elephant came to camp early in the morning. They call him Snorey because he has a hole in his trunk and makes a lot of noise. He was crashing around a couple of the tents and broke some lights. I slept right through it. When we got up there was another elephant in camp. There were 2 more when we went out for our game drive. Those 2 we follewed to the water and watched them cross. We say a lot of game and then went to a water crossing we had gone to the day before. It was deep water and it was going into the truck. Everyone was watchingthe water when I looked ahead and said "lions!" everyone looked up and we were driving straight at 4 female lions lying on the shore of the water. We got through the water and they didn't really even move. They all had very full bellies and had obviously just made a kill. We got a lot of photos. There were 2 young females that still had some spots, their mother and the mothers sister. THe other car arrived after we called them about the lions so we left and went on. We found the remains of the lions kill. All that was left was the skull with horns and some vertebrae. There wasn't any meat left anywhere. A little ways away we saw some more of the spine and the place where they buried the entrails. We met up with the other truck and had a tea break and then stopped back by the lions on the way back to camp.
We saw a lot of game there. We saw Kudu, Red lechwe, Impala, Elephant, Waterbuck, Reebuck, Zebra, Warthog, Giraffe, Baboon, Vervet Monkeys, Leopard, Lions, Side Striped Jackal, Banded Mongeese, a Genet, lots of Hippos, Blue Wildebeest, Nile Crocs and a lot of birds. I saw many new birds. I was excited to see more birds of prey. I saw 4 different eagles and a vulture. I am up to almost 100 different bird now.
We left to Maun after lunch. Our plane ride in the little lane as very turbulant. We all felt like we were going to loose our lunch. We had a few hours in Maun so we took a taxi to where our pilot said they had good crafts. Cindy bought a bowl and then we walked back to the shos by the airport. It was so hot I thought I was going to die! We did some shopping and I bought a pottery bowl that was overpriced but it was neat. It had lions all over it. I still can't believe we saw the leopard and the lions. We had a jet instead of the normal planes that fly back and forth to Gabs to Maun so it only took 1 hour to get back. Dad enjoyed the beef jerky they give you on the plane. He got 2 bags and then wanted another one but wouldn't ask. I got the attendants attention and said my dad would like another bag of jerky if you have one but he is too embarassed to ask. She brought him another one. We both had a beer on the plane. They don't even charge for it!
We all had a great time on our trip. It was fun to do it with my Dad and Cindy. It is sad they are leaving. It will be lonely here without them.
This by far looks like the best safari. Very cool pictures.
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful Jen! The pics look like they came right out of National Geo. Nice!
ReplyDelete