Chobe National Game Reserve

I am in love with guava!

Yesterday our team traveled a short distance to Botswana (Andrea, I thought of you) to safari through Chobe National Game Reserve. It was quite and adventure. At one point we were standing on four different countries: Botwana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Pretty cool. We learned that this is the only place in the world that four countries meet.

To cross the border we had to take a little motor boat across the Zambezi river. The first half of our day was spent on a safari boat tour. We cruised the Chobe River where we were able to spot a variety of the most beautiful fishing birds you have ever seen, small and HUGE crocodiles, hippos, water monitor lizards, elephants, bald eagles, and a number of other things. The fisher birds fly very high over the water and then dive beak first like a rocket. The weather was perfect, about 60 degrees and windy but with the sun shining over head. The beautiful African planes are incomparable to anything I have seen.

The afternoon was spent in Chobe Park on a game drive where we viewed more heards of elephants, giraffes, sables, impala, guineas, kudus, etc. I really wanted to see a lion or a leapord but Winnie (our guide) said that they are very difficult to view because their activity is almost soley restrictred to dawn and or midnight. Winnie was a fantastic guide and is very knowledgeable about all of the animals. I know it's his job, but he was very pleasant.

In Chobe, we were told that there are around 45,000 elephants!!!! Winnie said that the large elephant population is a problem. A few years ago the government voted on killing some of them off, but that was vetoed. Instead, they decided to sell off several thousand elephants to countries lacking an elephant population. The entire park is over 10,500 KM!!!!! Our tour did not even scratch the surface, but it was so much fun. Next time I would like to go on an all day game drive and be out there at dawn to watch the lions.

Unfortunately, my camera broke a couple of days ago so my pictures from the safari were collected on a disposable Kodak (better than nothing). My friends have offered to share with me though, and I look forward to showing them to you when I return. But let's not think of that now. Tomorrow I am returning to Lusaka to gear up for week 5 of camp!