Friday, 31 January 2020 - Botswana
We also saw zebras, giraffes and wildebeests. The zebra is the national animal of Botswana, it’s in their coat of arms. Then we headed back to where the other guide, Julius was waiting with our packed lunches. Unfortunately there was no food for the guides and I thought this was not very nice. We all gave them some of our food so that we could all eat together.
And then Carla the drama queen insisted she left some sunglasses behind and now it was missing, and she kept questioning poor Julius, to me it sounded like she was accusing him of stealing which I really didn’t like. What else can you infer from “you were the only one here and now it’s gone”? She went on and on until Emanuel, who had a bag with him, asked her to search it. I really felt very bad for him. The thing is, there is absolutely no place to hide it IF Julius did take it. He didn’t have any bag with him, nothing on his clothes, and the mokoro is an open boat. Anyway I really didn’t think they took it.
It occurred to me how dangerous it really was walking in the delta with dangerous animals around especially the sneaky buffaloes hiding in the bushes. Lions and leopards too but they were most probably asleep as they hunt at night. And we were totally dependent on our guides to see some animals but at the same time, to keep us safe. For a while our very lives were in their hands. And then to think that they stole sunglasses??? Doesn’t fit psychologically but who will listen to me?
I told Carla that it was only sunglasses after all and she could buy a new pair but then she went on about how they were special edition glasses and she couldn’t get the same one anymore bla bla bla and it really pissed me off because it is a luxury that she could afford whereas the guides could barely afford necessities. I told her that she shouldn’t accuse without evidence and she apologised to Julius but I think the damage had already been done. So the situation was quite tense and uncomfortable on the way back but I tried to lighten it by joking and chatting with Emanuel. I really felt so bad for them. By the way, all the information here about the animals and plants in the delta came from Emanuel, so knowledgable he is 😍!
Then back in the mokoro to go back to the poling station. There Jack and Carla filled out some kind of report about the missing sunglasses. I think this would get the guides into some kind of trouble I guess but what can I do. It’s out of my hands. Back on the safari but this time I refused to sit right at the back so I asked the driver whether I could sit in front with him. He is a bubbly man named Julius as well and very talkative so we chatted about him setting up his own tour company, the delta and the lack of rain, life in Botswana and many other things. Most importantly, less bumpier for me and easier to get in and out 😁.
Then back at the drop off point to wait for Clever and Taro. Jack and Carla bought beers for themselves as well as for Jette and I; guilty consciences perhaps? Then back to the lodge where I washed my clothes and my hair. On the river and in the delta we were in wide open spaces exposed directly to the sun so sticky, sweaty and burnt again I guess.
Then dinner, I went early to the restaurant to have a beer (St Louis, of course 😁) and Clever and Taro were both there and I ended up telling them the incident about Carla. I know it’s not my story to tell and it could be considered gossip but I just felt so bad for the guides that I wanted them to have a voice because Carla would of course tell it from her point of view and the guides were not there to defend themselves, were they? But to my surprise she didn’t say anything to Clever and Taro so now I’m wondering whether I did the right thing after all.
For dinner I had pan-fried bream, a fresh water fish from the Thamalakane River, a tributary of the Okavango River.
If only the damn sunglasses would turn up somewhere!
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