Sometimes your trunk gets so heavy that you just have to prop it up with your trunk. We got back to the lodge and were treated to some complementary massages. Then we relaxed in the tent until 4PM afternoon game drive. There was a constant parade of elephants going by the tent. We thought that perhaps there might be mating as one male was clearly ready for action. Alas it was not his day. Once we were back on the trails, we were treated to a group of elephants crossing a dry river bed. Part of an old tusk was in that area and I asked LG about it. She said that the tusks are removed from carcasses to keep them out of the illegal ivory trade. But that the carcasses are left undisturbed until the predators and scavengers have had their fill. The early drive was the time for the birds! Leslie's parents were avid birders and we have been inspired to see the birds where ever we roam. I will list their names along with their pictures. Most notable was the Kori bustard. It is the national bird of Botswana and it is a very big bird. It can be 4.5 feet tall and weigh almost 40 pounds. Take that tom turkey! LG stopped to show us some rock paintings made by the Bushmen or Saan People. 85% of them are now settled in villages. The paintings were 3000 years old and were made by mixing iron oxide with plant sap and using that as the paint. These nomads used to have a wide range of territory but now have been settled into villages in the Kalahari. We next came upon a very small Dikdik antelope. It was no bigger than a medium sized dog, this little guy was very skittish. Continuing on we saw a few deep depressions in the ground that had been dug out by elephants. They were looking for mineral rich soil to eat. Calcium and salt are the most important. These holes can also be used to make mud to spread on their bodies and will eventually become a waterhole after much use. An anti-poaching patrol came on through, made up of Army Men. We finished off this drive by stopping at a very popular waterhole. Here we saw four female lionesses and one immature male lion lounging. They perked up quickly when the scent of impala reached them. One took cover behind a termite mound but the male stayed in open sight and the impala got spooked. The impala made a coughing / barking sound to alert the herd. We had a gin and tonic and headed back. During dinner we saw at least 70 elephants come in for a drink. Groups of 6 to 10 would emerge from the trees, get a drink and then head off down river.
The pool deck. The elephants congregate behind me
Bar and lounge up the steps and to the left
Off in this direction is our lodge
A Gembok cucumber. It grows on the tiny vine, not on the bush
Flowers everywhere
Our tent is #10
Outdoor seating area
Our entryway
The tent flaps on the wall open up for light and for a blast of hot air
The mosquito netting over our beds
What I see out outside
Look close at the lead elephant he has one thing on his mind
Back out into the bush to see one of the many violet backed starling
Crimson Breasted Shrike
This elephant tusk was too weathered to remove by the anti poaching teams
We saw several elephant bone yards
Picking up speed on the downhill
A cute little guy!
Helmeted Guinea fowl slow enough for a photo
Namaqua dove was very small
A close up of the lilac-breasted roller
And his cool tail
Burchell's Sandgrouse or a banded sandgrouse
The national bird Kori Bustard
Big and Tall
Spotted Thick-Knee
This one was possibly sitting on a nest
Red Crested Korhaan
A short scramble over rocks to get to the paintings
Impala, Elephant and Roan Antelope depictions
The smallest of the antelope that we saw
Out of focus but a good illustration of their horns
A mineral rich area that elephants dig up to eat
Anti Poaching teams on Patrol
The matriarch lioness basking in the magic hour light of sunset
The immature male, duhhh.
Ready to stalk some impala if only the male would get out of the way
No hunting as the impala is spooked
We three girls would just love to hunt
but the impala have all just run off
It is getting late, time for a sundowner drink
The moon is coming up and is almost full
The hunt is off so time to take a walk
The impala have returned but are on the watch
Gin and tonic before heading back
My G-&-T is gone already
The sunset lingered on
These elephants will eventually come down to the waterhole.
