We go for a few days (& three nights) into the Okavango delta. The park is seperated from the outside world by a Buffalo-fence and despite it's name it looks small and very fragile. Immediately after passing it we encounter the first game: ostriches ! In this area it is allowed to sit on top of the truck and we have a marvellous view over there, even when there are not much animals around..

In the park a group of Boswana people is waiting for us . They will navigate the Mokoro's. Simply put, a mokoro is just a hollow tree in the water. It is propelled by a Botswanian with a long stick, a pool. So our Botswana friends are 'the polers'. After lunch  we sit two by two in the mokoro's for an adventurous journey.

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On the bottom of the mokoro they put straw and on top of it the Drifter's black matrass (offcourse). Some mokoro's are so deep in the water that the passengers get totally soaked. We don't have this problem, but the mokoro leakes from two holes and our pooler (a young girl named Jelly)  has a busy job pooling and removing all the water. Now we understand the use of the straw! Jelly doesn't speak english and panics when she sees eliphants! When they are very nearby (20 meters) she trembles so hard the mokoro almost capsizes! Well, it just adds to the basic feeling of the safari.

It is wonderful to float between the reed , we see waterlillies  and other undefined plants . You can't look far because of the high papyrusses , but we sitting down (and Jelly standing up) can see the eliphants quit good. . 

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We stop for a short swim in the shallow water. Chris tries to pool by himself . When we are back in the mokoro's some people see almost immediately a snake in the water. Well, they didn't bite! In the mean time the truck went for the next camping spot .

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We try the bush douche for the first time. It was refreshing, but only Raphael follows our example. That night the poolers also stay in the camp. Near the campfire it becomes a party with bushmill booze, cigars and later on a songfestival with the national anthems. We get the polers to sing their anthem also. They sing a song from which we can only remember the words 'O Botswana'. Afterwards it appears it isn't the real anthem, maybe the local Okavango song? 

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Next morning we leave early for the second mokoro cruise. This time we go to a hippo-pool. After a short walk we climb on a termite hill  . We see some movement in a pool nearby. The polers try to wake up the animals . It results in a few ears and eyes in the water  , and a single hippo-backside . For a first hippo encounter it is not bad. The way back in the mokoro to the camp is much quicker then the way there. Now you notice how fast the current in the water really is. 

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After lunch we leave the polers. Only the chief-poler, Lucas, and the kitchen help  stay. Lucas will be our guide for the time we are in the delta and will guide us during the bushwalks. We are obliged by law to take a kitchen help with us. At first it seemed somewhat overdone, but afterwards we would like to have him longer with us. It was very pleasant not to wash the dishes and clean up the camp.