23 August 2025 Cruising the Okavango Delta

 23 August

Our accommodation at Swamp Stop had the weirdest power points with three huge holes that would not engage in any way with our multiple plug options. Fortunately, we have power banks with us and managed to charge essential items like my hearing aids and our phones. 

For all its rustic quality, the chef took the food to a higher level. The food was homemade and delicious. When have you ever had scrambled eggs from the bain-marie that are perfect and not overcooked?

On the last night we had a braai. An African bbq. Long tables were set outside with lights, and that is where we enjoyed our last evening meal at Swamp Stop

That day, we were taken out on a small 16-seater vessel, which was tied up in the river almost outside our room. 

Pete, our captain, took us through huge channels of the Okavango Delta where we saw all sorts of creatures. The birds were everywhere, large and small. He spotted a monitor lizard, which was camouflaged in the papyrus grass. Monitor lizards feed on crocodile eggs and small crocs. This helps to keep the population down. Once the crocodile gets larger, he has no predators in the delta. The papyrus grass forms a floating island and filters the water of the channels, resulting in lovel,y clean, clear water. 

After passing a couple of medium and smaller-sized crocs, we came across this monster. We never got to see the rest of him, but we can imagine just how massive he must be. 

Which made us a little nervous when we switched from the larger vessel to a makoro. Makoro are traditional canoe although these were made of fibreglass. There is not a lot of freeboard, and we were told not to make any sudden moves, or we may capsize. Standing aft was the poler who propelled us through the water and kept us balanced. It was such a great experience! Sliding through the grassy pools and slipping past the pretty water lilies was very peaceful. But lurking in the back of our minds was that huge crocodile tail, or the chance that some elephants may come down to the water for a splash! 

It was already blistering hot when we arrived at Makoro Island. Our guide gave us a bit of a talk about the creatures and said it depends on nature as to what we will see today. Well, we only saw a few birds, so he gave us a talk about poo! I know, right up my alley!

You can tell whether droppings have come from a male or a female elephant by checking how close the urine patch is to the dung. If it is close, then it is a female, whereas a male's is a little further away. I did see an elephant having a wee the other day (not a phrase that I have ever used to start a sentence), and now I know that it must have been a female because of the direction of the flow. 

Hippo, on the other hand … the bull hippo comes into land to poop. Have you ever seen a hippo poop? It blows it out the back end using its tail like a propeller, and it flicks everywhere. So the bull hippo does this on land in a bush to mark its territory. If another bull comes along, it can tell by the smell of the leavings how strong the bull who did it is. If he thinks he might have a chance of taking him on, then he will fertilise the bush in the same manner. The original bull regularly checks his markings, and when he finds the new spray, he starts looking for the other bull. Finally, they meet and a fight ensues, and the lucky winner gets to look after the herd. 

Male baby bull hippos are hidden from the head hippo until they are big enough to look after themselves otherwise, the bull hippo kills them.  And, did you know that the hippo is the only mammal with no body hair. 

If we thought we were hot in the water, the island was ten times hotter. I kept trying to stand in Lance’s shadow to get out of the piercing sun. 

Fortunately, after the poo talk,s we pretty much got back in our makoro and made our way back to where our boat was. And there we enjoyed a lunch of cold spaghetti bolognaise and once again we hoovered it down. 

A monitor lizard is enjoying the sunshine 

Back on our 16 seater boat, we meandered once again through the channels, spotting the odd croc and a couple of hippo. And later set out again for another beautiful African sunset.