Tuesday, July 16, 2013 – Chobe National Park

On this morning’s game drive we saw the usual kudus, zebras, giraffes, guinea fowl, impalas, baboons, elephants, etc, and saw an African Fish Eagle, including one landing on her nest. We also saw Sable antelopes, cape buffalo, more of the lilac-breasted rollers, Kori Bustards, Coqui Francolins, a nesting pair of Brown Snake Eagles, and monkeys. We also saw a family group of hippos very high in the dry ridge overlooking the Chobe flood plain. That was surprising, since they need to spend much of their time submerged in order to protect their skin.
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what bird?

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fresh lion tracks over last night's tire tracks

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kudu

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guinea fowl

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impala

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giraffe

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baboons

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fish eagle coming into its nest

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baboon tribe with babies

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impala

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this baby male baboon lets it all hang out

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cape buffalo and guinea fowl

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our tour leader Abi Nyoni, Judith Blecha, cook _, and Marilyn Herel at our morning tea break

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Guide Moses, Judith Blecha, guide Metz, Marilyn Herel at our morning tea break

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herd of impala browse near the
Chobe flood plain

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monkey

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termite mound: because of uneven drying due to sun and wind, in this part of Africa the mounds always point to the northwest

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lilac-breasted roller

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giraffe

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cape buffalo

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secretary bird

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zebras

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Brown Snake Eagle female and male

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lilac breasted roller

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guinea fowl

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kudu

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guinea fowl

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a tired Arthur sits on a
low tree limb

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monkey

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coqui francolin

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more monkey

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elephant

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Mud baths protect the skin and get rid of the insects
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kudu

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cape buffalo

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hippos

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elephants crossing our road

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giraffes

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kudu

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swallows over the flood plain

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the Chobe River flood plain looking towards a narrow strip of Namibia

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swallows?

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path to our cabin at Chobe

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kudu

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Late that afternoon we were given a talk about Botswana from Junior, one of our game drive guides. We were also invited to partake of a local dish for an appetizer — sautéed mopane worms. Arthur and Janet ate one. I did not. I am told that it had a very earthy taste. Incidentally, mopane worms become beautiful emperor moths.





our cabin overlooking the gully

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Junior gives a talk to us about Botswana

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swallows?

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Janet Shi bravely eats a Mopani worm as an "adventure" appetizer

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Mopani worm (really a caterpillar) which turns into an Emperor moth

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swallows?

A gorgeous sunset, where we saw the evening star (venus?)
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sunset with the evening star (Venus?) over the Chobe River flood plain

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swallows?

That night we were given a farewell traditional dinner and Bonno, our host, and his wife put on a skit of a husband coming home to his wife for dinner in a traditional rural village. There was also much singing and dancing. We were supposed to reciprocate, and luckily Laura Westray, Arthur Kay, and Winston Padgett were able to come up with some nice songs, and Arthur and I gave some jokes.
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A short part of the Farewell song

interiors of our cabin at Chobe

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