At ten thirty, our mini-plane landed, and we were flying over the Kalahari once again. From this small height, the desert looked like an endless ocean. I would never have thought that the Kalahari was so beautiful. The flat and completely level surface was covered with golden-green blankets of savanna, through which the red patterns of sand dunes and light blue lakes emerged.
The plane flew at an altitude of no more than 500 meters above the ground, avoiding powerful rain clouds. It was very amusing to observe what was happening. The clouds hung isolated and were scattered across the entire visible space. Before us was a picture of heavenly irrigation. Each cloud, from time to time, as if pressing a button, showered the earthly spaces with abundant rain.
As soon as the life-giving moisture poured from the heavens, the surface of the Kalahari transformed before our eyes. Grasses appeared, dried lakes filled with water, attracting flocks of birds and animals...
The further north we flew, the greener the Kalahari became. Soon the golden tones completely disappeared from the surface of the earth. In their place came the colors of malachite and emerald.
The winding arms of the bays sank into the greenery of the reed plants. We were at the borders of the greatest delta on the planet, created by the Okavango River, named after the Kovanago tribe living in northern Namibia.
The river is born in the highlands of Angola and flows, against logic, eastward, away from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. In the mountains of Angola, during the usual monsoon period for those latitudes, a lot of moisture accumulates, and the Okavango reliably carries it to the delta, traveling one and a half thousand kilometers. Near the village of Seronga, the river gives its precious moisture to a labyrinth of channels, forming a wide delta that resembles a fan, a world of overgrown papyrus arms, swamps, and sandy islands.
The vast continental delta expands and contracts with the pulse of the March floods. When the water rises in the river, it immediately affects the entire delta. The water in the channels begins to rise and floods the surrounding plains. Breaking through the walls of papyrus, the streams flow onto the flood meadows, cutting off islands with palm trees from the land, and merge into a blue mosaic of lakes.
Due to the flat nature of the terrain and the width of the delta, the river flows very slowly — at a speed of up to one kilometer per day. The greedy sands of the Kalahari pounce on the life-giving stream of moisture. But before sacrificing itself to the desert, the Okavango floods, forming the largest inland delta in the world. The face of the delta is constantly changing. And the reason for this is the river itself and its inhabitants. Termites build islands, and hippos carve channels.
Through these channels, rare visitors to these places make their way through the reed thickets. The only means of transportation are native narrow boats carved from tree trunks. These boats are called "mokola."
...Our dock - Pom-Pom camp is located in the very heart of the Okavango. After settling into the hotel, we hurry to the afternoon safari.
Geographically, we are still in the Kalahari, but here nothing reminds us of the great desert. We are surrounded by luxurious savanna. Around us is lush vegetation, with huge baobabs and tall dry acacias stretching their branches. In short, a fairy-tale forest, magical colors, and exotic animals.
All night long, hippos walked past the tent, grunting. God knows what they had in mind. At times, the rain poured down like from a bucket. There was no light, and the darkest thoughts crept into my head. At dawn, the rain had subsided and only occasionally drizzled timidly.
Dressed in rain ponchos, we get into the car and head to the lagoon's shore. We have an excursion through the channels of the Okavango. To jump ahead, I will say that I named this unusual excursion "A Journey through the Swamp of Tales." And this is not a product of my romantic imagination, but the most real reality.
Having boarded the mokola, we set off. The mokola, skillfully steered by a skinny black guide, glided over the clear water, slipped into the reed thickets, rounded mossy islands and snags. There was complete silence. No splashing waves, no noise from the gliding mokola, no rustling sounds. The water, filtered by the reed thickets, was crystal clear and drinkable. And in general, everything happening around looked fairy-tale-like and very amusing. The mokola slowly and silently glided between huge water lilies. Water lilies, blooming after their night’s sleep, presented their tender petals to the morning light. The misty veil dispersed, revealing a herd of antelopes.
The light rain continued, making photography very difficult. It was quite inconvenient to have an umbrella in one hand and a camera in the other. Many swamp inhabitants were nowhere to be seen. Apparently, the rain was not the best time for them to stroll. It was easier for them to wait for better times. We did not have that opportunity. And so we continued to float among the water lilies and unusual plants... So, it turns out, swamps can also be fairy-tale-like.
That same day after noon, we set off on a wonderful safari in an open vehicle. The nature of the delta was significantly different from the center of the Kalahari. Green wet forests, mighty baobabs, and sequoias formed a purely African landscape. Herds of antelopes, springboks, oryxes, and impalas filled this fairy-tale forest with life.
Most of the delta is covered with dense thickets of reeds, dominated by papyrus. Dwarf geese nest here, which, by the way, feed on water lilies. This marshy environment is ideal for various animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and some species of antelopes, among which the sitatunga is the most notable. The delta serves as a refuge for many red goats. There are at least twenty thousand of them in the local pastures.
In the lower reaches of the delta, reeds give way to thorny thickets of acacias and flood meadows, which attract migrating herds of steppe animals - zebras, buffalo, elephants, and antelopes. Following them come the predators - lions, leopards, and hyenas.
In the evening, there was a wonderful dinner and a small concert by the hotel staff and representatives of the local Tswana and Bayeyo tribes. At night, the Swamp of Tales was filled with anxious sounds: the moan of a lonely hyena, the growls of lions, the piercing barks of sitatunga antelopes, and the crackling sound of an owl's hoot. Again, there was no light, and hippos roamed and grunted around the camp. Here it is, the "classics" of Africa!
In the morning, it was raining again. Nevertheless, we set off on a walking tour. Anticipating another encounter with real Africa, I was in a good mood. However, it soon dissipated. And not at all because it was raining.
We had a very strict guide. It all started when he lined up all the participants of the trip, about ten of us. Unfolding his rifle and standing before the line, he explained the rules of conduct while walking through the forest for a long time: do not leave the line, do not talk, do not make unnecessary movements, do not smoke, and so on. After walking literally two hundred meters from the car and seeing a pile of dung, the strict guide began to tell us in detail about the lives of animals, what they eat, drink, and suggested guessing to whom the dung belonged based on its appearance.
The second stop occurred another 200 meters later. Now the guide discovered a fresh lion track and talked for a long time about the migration of animals and their lives in the ecological environment. All this happened under a drizzling rain and under the watchful eye of his rifle. In conclusion, he said that a lion was lurking somewhere nearby, so we had to return to the car.
In short, the excursion was a failure. Therefore, upon returning to Pom-Pom, we gladly left it, compensating for our disappointment with the enjoyment of a wonderful flight on a mini-plane over the Okavango delta.
Our pilot, a very pleasant person, flew the plane at an altitude of one hundred meters. It was very easy to see the animals and all the features of the terrain: animal trails, watering holes, and the animals themselves... In short, the flight was magical. After circling over the lagoon, the plane set course for the northernmost part of Botswana, to the town of Kazane, the last stop on our journey.
The town of Kazane is quite small. It is hardly visible under the green dense cover of the jungle. Leaving us at the airport, the plane, loading a couple of new tourists, soared into the sky and soon disappeared behind the tops of mighty trees. And we continue our journey by car, which takes us to the camp. The sandy roads, like sunset ribbons, have fallen from the heavens. One of them leads to the tourist complex "Elephant Valley Lodge," which means "Cabin in the Valley of Elephants." The lodge is hidden deep in the jungle. And, surprisingly, there is electricity and Internet here.
The first thing that caught my eye was the blooming acacias of a light pink color. A few kilometers from here lies the border of the Chobe National Park, often referred to as the "Empire of Elephants." According to our guide, this is probably the largest elephant habitat in the world. Migrating herds number about 120,000 heads.
But it's better to see once than hear a hundred times. We go on safari like seasoned experts: glancing around, assessing the prospects for shooting. And there, by a small lake, is a picture worthy of attention. A pair of giraffes, one of which, widely spreading its front legs in a split, lowers its head to drink directly from the lake. The pose is not quite decent. But what to do, otherwise, you can't reach the life-saving moisture.
Leaving the giraffes to do their gymnastics, we move on. After a slight ascent, the road, slipping out of the embrace of the jungle, emerged into an open space overgrown with tall grasses. A huge solitary elephant, unhurriedly shifting from foot to foot, was walking towards us. The driver stopped the car and turned off the engine, signaling that we should observe in silence. The gigantic animal continued to walk straight towards us. It had a thoughtful look, and it seemed that it mistook our car for a large dried-up log or a termite mound. A couple of meters away, to avoid a collision, the elephant turned right and, almost touching the car, stomped past.
When I was working on this book, I came across information that there are forty or even seventy thousand elephants living in Chobe National Park. I did not delve into where the truth lies. The main thing is that they exist, their numbers are increasing, and they feel great here.
Here is an entry in my diary, made from various reference materials before the trip to Botswana.
Chobe Park is located in the northwest of Botswana, in the area of the African Four Corners. Here, the borders of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe converge.
Immediately after the park was established in 1931, hunting was banned in the vast territory around the Chobe River. Currently, it is divided into several areas. Serondela, with its lush plains and dense forests, through which the Chobe River flows. Buffaloes and elephants come here to drink. The Savuti marsh area is located in the western part of the park. The marsh is all that remains of a lake that lost its water tributaries due to ancient tectonic shifts. The savanna in this part of the park is full of elephants, antelopes, zebras, and other herbivores, as well as hyenas, cheetahs, and lions. In the northeastern part of the park lies the Linyanti marsh, which borders the river of the same name. The landscape here consists of flood meadows with lush vegetation. There are quite a few leopards, antelopes, lions, wild dogs, and hippos. And elephants are simply countless.
The excursion through Chobe Park continued. Soon the road descended to the riverbank, and we saw a striking contrast. The opposite bank, belonging to Namibia, was covered with an endless golden steppe. The view was simply breathtaking.
"Chobe" is not just about elephants. Hippos and buffaloes, giraffes and warthogs, many species of antelopes and zebras happily use the park's services...
On our way back to the camp, a small incident occurred. Right in front of the car, a large elephant began to cross the road. The car, of course, stopped, yielding the right of way. Such are the park's rules - animals have priority. Nevertheless, something displeased the young elephant following behind, and it slammed its trunk onto the car's hood with force. It became quite serious. While the elephant prepared for a second attempt to attack, the ranger, turning on the headlights and engine, dashed to the side. Several elephants, emerging from the jungle, froze in thought, assessing the situation. Realizing, apparently, that they were not in danger, they continued their evening stroll.
In short, the safari turned out splendidly. We returned to the camp when night had already fallen over the jungle.
The morning safari on the Chobe River turned out to be even more thrilling. The motorized flat-bottomed boat, despite the noise of the engine, crept up on the resting hippos in shallow water. For ten minutes, we admired the games of these huge yawning animals, trying to capture a good shot. We floated to the shore, piled high with motionless crocodiles. An incredible number of animals and birds. And all this is not in a movie, but right next to us. This is their world, and we are guests here.
We sailed to a group of small islands that elephants come to from the shore. It turns out that these islands have some salt, and elephants eat it, snacking on juicy grass and reeds. We enjoyed watching the bathing elephants for a long time. These gigantic animals jumped into the depths, swam, raising their trunks like periscopes, splashed water on each other, muttered about something, and, lining up in a row, trudged through the deep water to their shore.
It was time for us to return as well. We headed back along the shore of Namibia. Huge plantations of water lilies covered the coastal area. Slipping into the very heart of this endless water garden, the boat drifted. Surrounded by river beauties, we stayed there for a few minutes. The mood was simply wonderful. Time stood still. It was pure bliss around, and you were in it.
In the evening, there was dinner by the campfire on the open veranda. In the jungle, cicadas buzzed, frogs sang, and elephants and giraffes moved toward a small lake right in front of us. That was the last day in Botswana.
Kyrgyzstan - Botswana: Tourist Parallels
Traveling around the world is not easy for a Kyrgyz. Firstly, there are the airlines. There are not many options. There are only three main ones - through Moscow with Aeroflot, through Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, and through London with British Airways. I want to note that all flights take place deep at night. Connections are also very inconvenient, usually from 10 to 14 hours. There are also options to fly from Almaty. But that is only as a last resort. After all, to get to the southern capital of Kazakhstan, you have to travel almost three hundred kilometers. The second problem is visas. While preparing for the African trip, we could not find out in Bishkek whether a visa was needed for Botswana or not. Neither our Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Internet could provide an answer to this question. There was no Botswana embassy in Astana or even in Moscow. An inquiry to the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs also went unanswered, as Kyrgyzstan was not listed among the countries recognized by Botswana.
To jump ahead, I will say that in reality, everything turned out to be much simpler. Our guide, who met us in South Africa, took our passports and arranged the visa for Botswana within one day. The same was true in Zambia: pay fifty bucks, and there are no problems.
I mention this because it has been twenty years since the USSR collapsed and Kyrgyzstan became an independent state, yet many countries in Africa have not even heard of it. The sight of our passport often caused bewilderment. As soon as it fell into the hands of a border guard, he would go somewhere, consult with someone, and only then stamp the visa. And I suspect this was only because almost all the pages in the passport were stamped with visas from various countries, and it was simply inconvenient to appear ignorant.
However, let's return to the journey. It took place in February 2010. The expedition consisted of members of the Bishkek Travelers Club. We are going to South Africa. We are going to see South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana, their modern culture, learn about history, and immerse ourselves in the wild nature of the Black Continent.
Among other things, as a tourism specialist, I am interested in issues related to its organization and development. For this reason, in this digression, I will not talk about the natural beauties and exciting adventures that were plentiful over the three weeks. I will touch only on tourism issues, as what I saw amazed me, evoked delight, and healthy envy. I will try to explain why.
Recently, a tourism boom has emerged and continues in Africa, driven by an influx of European and American visitors. Tourists come to Africa not to familiarize themselves with its cities or swim in the Indian Ocean. Ninety percent come to visit the famous African national parks. It is noteworthy that the tourism boom has only affected those African countries where large areas of pristine landscapes have remained untouched. Botswana is one of those countries.
Usually, for most tourists, the word "park" conjures up an image of a well-groomed, cultivated piece of land where every tree is accounted for and where the ranger knows exactly which of the numbered trees a squirrel lives in. In present-day Botswana, parks and reserves occupy almost half of the country's territory. And these are not closed and fenced-off spaces. The parks of Botswana have conditional boundaries. The idea behind creating the parks is to keep their inhabitants and the entire ecosystem in a primitive natural state, allowing animals to feel completely free.
So, the tourism business, set in motion by large American and British companies in backward Botswana, has created a miracle.
Its area is 582,000 square kilometers, almost twice that of Kyrgyzstan. Most of it is occupied by the Kalahari Desert. The population of the country is about two million people. The main resources are diamond mining and tourism.
In the vast territory of Botswana, in its most remote corners, lodges have been built - small camps that harmonize completely with nature in their architecture. The lodges provide all the conditions necessary for a full-fledged rest according to the highest international standards. The lodges operate on an all-inclusive basis. Tourists usually spend two to three days in each lodge. Safaris are conducted in the morning and evening for four hours in comfortable high-clearance vehicles, open for observation and photography. Every hour and a half, there is a stop for a picnic with drinks and snacks.
The lack of roads and the inaccessibility of areas have not hindered the development of tourism. Today, the tourism industry has a significant fleet of mini-planes based in the town of Maun, where most foreign tourists initially arrive.
They immediately transfer to mini-planes that take them to the lodges according to the program options. Thus, all the wonders of Botswana can be seen in a week or two, flying from one area to another depending on interests and desires. This "small aviation" operates as a single organism, precisely according to the schedule and the time requested by the tourist. You can travel alone, as a couple, or in a group - it doesn't matter. In any case, the tourist will have a personal plane, a safari vehicle, a comfortable room, and a very warm welcome.
Looking at all this wonder, I pondered tourism in Kyrgyzstan. Here, I think, Botswana is a backward country, yet how well they managed to organize things!
The territory of Kyrgyzstan is somewhat similar to that of Botswana. True, instead of deserts, there are mountains. But that is even more interesting. More perceivable beauty, diversity of forms, extremes, wild nature...
Botswana has focused on wildlife and figured out how to showcase it to the world for money. And it turned out magnificently! Unfortunately, we do not have such a rich animal world. But we have an abundance of landscapes: glaciers, mountains, deserts, quirky lakes, cliffs, waterfalls, rare and very specific forms of relief, such as syrts, badlands, and others. By using small aviation, it would also be possible to make all this a part of international tourism. However, implementing such a project on our own is unrealistic. Something can only be done if there is interest from foreign investors.
I have already mentioned the visas that can be obtained upon arrival in Botswana without any particular problems. I will add to this the high service standards, the genuine kindness and hospitality of the local population, and the ability to pay for services with a credit card... These seem like simple and natural manifestations, but for us, they are still unattainable. Some African countries have gained popularity also because they offer the opportunity to purchase land and property regardless of the buyer's nationality and citizenship.
For now, however, our passport evokes, to put it mildly, exotic surprise on distant tourist routes.