And then the rains came.

We have completed our short stay in Botswana and are now in Namibia, staying in a tented camp on the banks of the Okavango River. 

The drive yesterday took us through several national parks, many small villages and endless scrub bushland. We passed numerous schools and saw children of various ages making their way home for the day at shortly after 1pm. Many of these kids walk great distances to reach school for the 7am start of the school day. We were told that some are walking 10 to 20km each way, which requires a very early start for kids as young as first grade. All the children were neatly dressed in colourful uniforms and looked so clean and cheerfull. This was especially interesting because it contrasted with the simple grass houses that they all lived in. The houses tended to be 10 or 12 foot diameter, circular structures made entirely of elephant grass woven onto a stick frame. As it is now the rainy season you have to marvel at their ability to stay clean and dry within such simple structures.

Our tented camp is quite "basic" although we are enjoying the experience. Supper last night was a feast that included an assortment of vegetables along with Oryx schnitzel...quite delicious. (Oryx are one of the largest of the antelope family) 

Our restfull sleep was interrupted several times through the night by the grunting and snorting of the hippos, some of whom wandered among the tents. As we are within 10 feet of the riverbank the noises they made sounded as though they were inside our tent. 

Our optional activities today included a visit to a local village, private compound and primary school. One of the workers at the lodge invited us to see the local school and visit his home. We enjoyed this very informal tour and felt privileged to be given the rare opportunity to see local family life. We arrived at the school to find the children involved in a "field day" involving races in preparation for a regional event. Because of this the children were not in uniform but instead wore regular clothing and sandals. All of the races were run barefoot. The singing and dancing was such fun to watch, with the kids eagerly posing for our cameras. Most of the songs were cheerleading songs in a call and response format. The children's voices were so clear and melodic, their smiles so infectious and their shy, pleasant nature so enjoyable.

Touring the classrooms we were introduced to the basic opportunity that the school system had to offer the students. The secretary told us about the lack of educational supplies so we took the opportunity to help them through a small donation.

The home/compound that we visited was a shock. The cleanliness of the straw and mud buildings was  such a pleasant surprise. The entire compound was contained within a privacy screen of six foot high grass fence, containing several small buildings. The buildings included two for sleeping ( the children in one, parents in another), a kitchen and a spare building for visitors. Imagine our surprise to look inside the parents hut and see a TV!

The photos below include some taken on an evening boat ride on the Chobe River, Botswana.as well as scenes from Okavango Region.

                                                  Half Collared Kingfisher

                                      Hitching a ride on a hippo

                                                Such a toothy grin

                                               Chobe Safari Lodge taken from the riverboat

                                                         African Robin

One of the many family villages of the Lozi tribe that we saw on our drive through the Caprivi Strip

                             School children walking home from school

                           Our tent on the edge of the Okavango River. 

                                   The dining and reception lodge

            Michael, our host for the tour shows us the cultural drums at the school

                                  The schoolchildren cheering on runners

                The children were happy to pose for pictures and give "high fives"

Michael invited us into his family compound and was so proud to introduce his beautiful children

          The children sleep in this house while the parents sleep in a separate house

                                                  The guest house

          Happy hour on the deck of the floating tent...we decided on the dry land tent!!!

                                       Dinner time and the travellers are ravenous!