Sunset VII - Maun
Day broke bringing with it near cloudless skies and that now expected African glow of morning. We were heading back to Maun today but not in too great a hurry so for the second time nursed our hot teas marvelling at our familiar Okavango vista. The plan was to strike camp before leaving for another land safari with our hosts finalising the breakdown, even packing away our tents which was an unexpected, but most thankful gesture. On our return we all pitched in as usual loading up the trucks and donning life jackets for our last mokoro ride.
While travelling today with the flow of current, unfortunately for the polers it was straight into a head wind not seen since our arrival that for us passengers slowed the process slightly affording a little extra time on the delta. The trucks had swung around to our meeting point and we said our final goodbyes to the Delta Rain staff and our friendly Okavangan tribesmen. The drive back to Maun was as incredible as the one coming in if not a little melancholy and at the towns centre we stopped briefly for some supplies and other essentials before heading back to the Sitatunga Campsite to meet up again with the Wilderbus and Mr B.
With tents again erected and bags repacked to that greater than a day pack, it was hot showers, shaves and hand laundry for most before regathering in the restaurant for an included lunch. Intrepid offer many inclusions in their packages however equally provide optional extras for those interested. A some point over the past few days King Richard threw out an option for scenic flights over the Okavango Delta via fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. It was when he added the helo was open doored that we both shot up our hands never once asking the price. So four of us went helicoptering with five others taking the aircraft option. The rest of the crew remained at camp engaging in what we have been told was a monster, and most hilarious game of euchre.
Cars pulled into camp to take us respectively to the airport where on arrival we filtered through the necessary paperwork before making our way to the departures lounge. Maun Airport is surprisingly rated International so security was heavier than expected for a local helicopter flight. Many operators offer chartered flights over the delta and surrounds servicing the numerous lodges in the area making the airport the second-busiest in Africa for aircraft movements during the peak season.
On the tarmac we met our pilots, Blair and Trenton, or some other unmemorable hip millennial names portraying the quintessential fly-boy look with designer khakis, white cotton shirts barely covering the biceps, Rayban aviators and upper lip growths more akin to a 70’s porn star. Their swaggers were hypnotic and against a glaring sun and scent of aviation fuel, we followed them to our respective birds for preflight. Fatpap scored the front seat in ours while Michelle selflessly gave theirs to Cerys to better weave her Welsh charm on the hopefully unattached pilot.
From above the delta took on a completely different demeanour with the endless rivulets resembling an aquatic venous system. The water was more expansive than imagined and the land lush, if not scared with tracks of the wildlife highway between waterholes and feeding spots. Covering an area of 15,000 square kilometre there seemed no end to the wetlands from this height with our skipper making many sweeping runs over the major attractions below. Hippos, elephants, zebra and wildebeest could be easily seen while giraffes and crocodiles were a little harder to spot. Bouncing on the thermals and balancing our lens against the flow of outside air, it was hard finding focus while constantly picking up your jaw but we managed to bag a few keepers worth posting.
Those taking the fixed wing aircraft spoke of an equally wonderful experience with spectacular views and multiple animal sightings. The only down side to their adventure was Gillian leaving her mobile phone in the seat pocket when exiting and not realising for hours to come. With Richard stepping into detective mode calling on his myriad of contacts throughout Botswana, after some tense days the short of it was the phone was found, securely protected and flown back to Joburg for collection on their return to the city. It did however mean their holiday photos would now be reliant on Antony who luckily had an iPhone 6 and its cutting edge 2014 technology.
We returned at different times to meet the others and share our experiences together. To be back at Sitatunga, operationally ideal for the tour out to the delta, provided some familiarity to us all in a journey thus far entirely unfamiliar. We propped up the bar for a while before breaking off when ready for dinner to the restaurant as tonight we were on our own dime. The bar closed when we finally left for bed with a bill perhaps a little too hefty. Tomorrow we‘d be on the road again, this time heading due east bound for Nata and another completely different adventure.