Jungle Canoe Ride

My image of Africa was formed early in childhood thanks to Disneyland’s jungle ride. Up to now, the Africa we’ve been traveling through has been mostly desert and savannah. The time’s they are a changin’. We camped yesterday at the Delta Dawn lodge on the edge of the Okavango river delta in Botswana. The campsite was set on the edge of the water among lush green vegetation, palm trees, and insects so large that we mistook them for small dogs. We took a canoe trip among the delta for several hours. The delta is not a traditional lake. Thick water bamboo grows over 10ft high and families of water lilies hug the bamboo. Narrow waterways spread out like a spiderweb across the bamboo and are used by hippos and other delta animals to get around. Each time we went around a corner the guide peeked his head up and grimaced. Hippos kill more people every year than all other animals combined. We arrived at a small island and for some exploring. The grimace on the guides face got a little more grim. The island is a local hippo joint. Apparently hippos like to mark their territory by pooping all over and this island was covered. Our instructions were to be very quiet and be ready to run to safety at any moment. “Run to safety” was a euphemism for finding the nearest climbable tree and scrambling up it. When one of the guys pointed out that he was in sandals and that he wouldn’t be able to climb a tree, the guide replied that he’s seen old women in dressed climb up trees while being chased by hippos.

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