September 7-22, 1999
Note: This article appeared in National Geographic "Connections" donor newsletter in February 2000
Have you ever dreamed of stepping through the yellow border into the pages of the National Geographic Magazine? Thanks to the Grosvenor Council, thirteen of its members did just that. It was September 7th and spring in the Okavango Delta of Botswana when we set out on our journey. We came from Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Washington and Texas. We came to learn more about our world and to have fun. As you would expect on a trip sponsored by National Geographic, every detail was planned and executed to perfection, enabling us to do both.
We met our fellow travelers at dinner in the lovely Michelangelo Hotel in Johannesburg, where we spent our first two nights. The hotel was romantic and elegant, definitely worthy of its name. Following a delicious five course meal, during which we all got acquainted, we were briefed by our South African guide, Lex Hes, on our itinerary for the next two weeks.
We would begin by spending the next day with paleoanthropologist, Lee Berger, exploring his fossil sites and visiting his laboratory. Then on to three different bush camps in Botswana, ending our journey in Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls. We had no idea that what we were about to experience would give us new perspectives, new insights, and forever change the way we viewed our world.
The next morning after a buffet breakfast in the hotel, we headed for Grand Central Airport to meet our helicopters — five of them, Bell 407s in an array of bright colors. Lee was in the lead helicopter with voice communication to the others. He gave us a fly over tour of digs at Swartkrans and Sterkfontein before landing at Drimolen, where we received a field briefing and a site tour. We found the workers there excited about an early morning discovery of a fossil baby tooth over one million years old. Their excitement was contagious.
Our next stop was a private game preserve where its owner, John Nash, greeted us and led us to another excavation site, Gladysvale. There we entered a cave and descended about 50 meters. Its walls were filled with fossilized bone fragments from both animals and humans, dating back over three million years. Lee turned off the lights, and we paused for a moment in the total darkness of the cave to feel our link with humanity and all that came before us. It was a moment we'll long remember.
Our helicopters next deposited us at the top of a crest of the Magaliesberg Mountain range for a lovely picnic lunch overlooking a magnificent waterfall. Then on to Lee's laboratory at the Medical School of Witwaterstrand University, where he opened his hominid vault and shared with us a major new find that will be highlighted in the May 2000 issue of National Geographic Magazine. (Sorry folks, since you couldn't join us, you'll have to wait.)
We ended our day at the beautiful stud farm of Mary Slack, where we were treated to a traditional South African sundowner in the company of local officials and paleontologists. What a day! We had seen and learned so much, and yet our African experience had just begun.
The next morning brought a 6:30 a.m. departure for Johannesburg Airport and a two hour flight across the Kalahari Desert to Maun, Botswana. Here we met Chris Johns, a National Geographic photographer, who would be with us throughout the trip, then boarded three small planes for a thirty minute flight to Mombo Camp. The flight provided the first look at what was to be our home for the next seven days — the Okavango Delta, with its sand, blue and green water and remarkable vegetation. From the air we spotted giraffes, hippos, elephants, wildebeest — a preview of things to come.
We were met with warm greetings at Mombo Camp — cool face cloths to remove the dust and passion fruit cocktails to quench the thirst. We were briefed on camp rules:
• Bathrooms are attached to the tent, but open to the outside. So don't leave anything in the "loo" or the monkeys will steal it.
• Lock the tent zippers with coiled wire as baboons have learned to unzip the tents.
• Wild animals wander freely throughout the camp at all times of the day and night. So don't go out of your tents, once you're tucked in for the night, as you might encounter a hungry predator.
• Tents are equipped with a deafening whistle for summoning emergency assistance. If in doubt about its use remember " a lion at the window is an experience; a lion in the tent is an emergency."
It was clear, we had entered another world.
After a delicious lunch, we were off in three open Land Rovers to explore our new world. That afternoon we encountered giraffes, impala, wildebeest, wart hogs, zebras and ostriches. There was a feeling of awe in seeing the animals so close around us. We were amazed at their accessibility and their total disregard of our vehicles. Our highlight that afternoon was a female cheetah and her five month old cub — feeding, playing and posing for us for nearly an hour until sunset. As the sun went down, an incredible ball of fire amid the acacia, baobab and palm trees, we toasted our arrival to Botswana and all that was to come.
Back at camp we were greeted with moist towels to remove the dust and an elegant dinner, complete with a mellow South African wine. We shared our stories of the day, around the campfire, until time to retire to our tents.
Our tents were delightful with lovely furnishings, comfortable beds and plenty of hot water. Everything ran on solar power, so conservation was the key. We slept well and arose early to see our first sunrise over the Okavango Delta.
Today we fell into a routine that we would follow throughout our days in the bush. We would rise before dawn to the beat of drums, make our way down the path from our tent to the thatched lodge, enjoy coffee and muffins before a roaring fire, and then set off to see the sun rise and watch the animals as they began their day. We would stay in the bush until about 11:00 a.m., enjoying mid-morning coffee in our Land Rovers. We were always greeted by the staff upon our return to camp, with damp towels to wash up, and then treated to an elaborate buffet brunch.
Following our feast, we would return to our tents to read, write, wash our hair or snooze. Three o'clock was tea time, heralded by the now familiar beat of drums. After tea we would board Land Rovers for our afternoon game drive, returning around 7:00 p.m. The drums beat again at 8:00 when dinner was served around a beautifully appointed table — always by candlelight and always romantic. This was the time when we shared our stories of the day. Each of the three Land Rovers had different tales to tell and each vied for the day's most remarkable experience. The competition was fierce!
Each day we would learn from Lex Hes, Chris Johns and our extremely knowledgeable guides about the animals that we observed — how they communicate; relate to each other; have families; nurture, protect and teach their young; prey upon each other; and live each day for survival. And we learned that, while there, we were guests in their home and that as long as we did not intrude upon their lives, we were welcome and we were safe.
We stayed five days in Mombo Camp, one of the best game-viewing venues in all of Africa. Because we had time and accessibility, we were able to listen and watch as the animals went about their daily routines. Each had a daily job, and that job was survival — survival of the individual and survival of the species. Each must find a supply of food, which often meant making a kill, all the while remaining alert to avoid becoming the meal of a prey. And each must nurture, teach and protect its young to ensure the ultimate survival of the species.
We were privileged to witness so many of the dramas that unfolded each day in the Okavango Delta:
A herd of 300 to 400 cape buffalo in a stand-off with five lions. Vultures fighting for position on a cheetah kill.
A three year old leopard high in a tree, seated beside her dinner — an impala.
Wild dogs playing with their pups, preparing to hunt, spotting an impala, a high speed chase, the impala flying through the air for ten yards at a height of five feet, the wild dogs lose, regroup and resume the hunt.
A male and female lion at the height of their mating cycle. A pair of courting ostriches.
Hyena pups at play.
Hippos displaying their strength by baring their teeth.
Millions of red billed quelea arriving in waves to nest for the night.
A crocodile capturing a baboon.
Elephants helping their babies across a river — and life goes on day after day.
Perhaps the most dramatic and poignant of our sightings was the birth of a giraffe. One of our Land Rovers had the infinitely rare and remarkably fortunate experience to arrive on the scene of a giraffe giving birth. As they approached a large herd of giraffes, Lex, our incredible South African wild game expert, spotted what he thought was a small hoof dangling beneath a female giraffe. Upon his instruction, the vehicle returned to the scene, and there five of us watched in awe as the baby appeared. He was on his feet and walking within 70 minutes of birth. He tried several times to run, falling flat on his face, as he was encouraged by his mother and another female. A young giraffe, just slightly older than the newborn, ran around in circles to show the new arrival what to do. It was imperative that the newborn soon be up and on the run, for as long as he lay there, he was easy prey. He made it! Another amazing story in the rhythm of life in the Okavango Delta.
From Mombo Camp we boarded small planes for a ten minute flight across the Okavango Delta at 500 feet. We landed at the most remote location of our journey, right beside a village of thatched huts and friendly natives. We walked a short distance, then boarded power boats for a 15 minute ride to Jedibe Camp. Again we were greeted with tropical fruit drinks and cool cloths. Jedibe is a water camp, so all of our camp excursions would be by boat or by foot. Monkeys and bushbucks roamed the camp for our entertainment, often grazing just beside our open bathroom. Our schedule was much the same.
Early the next morning, we saw the sunrise and the Okavango Delta through the eyes of a crocodile, as we traveled in mokoros — two person dugout canoes. We sat at water level and were propelled by a poler who stood in the rear of the boat. We hiked on an island and learned about plants used by the natives for medicines. We found new and different birds, adding to our sightings of over 160 species to date.
After two days at Jedibe, we boarded small planes for a 35 minute flight to our final camp, King's Pool. Below we glimpsed a changing terrain with little water and herds of cape buffalo and elephants. We were greeted by land rovers and taken to camp for cool cloths and cool fruit drinks. We found that our tents had wooden decks overlooking the waters of the Linyanti River where hippos and crocodiles sunned and played throughout the day. Baboons were in the trees and elephant herds roamed through the camp. The night sounds were incredible. Our last night at King's Pool we took a boat trip down the Linyanti, toasted the sunset, searched for night animals, and some of us "stepped" into Namibia.
On our last morning, we had an early game drive, during which one vehicle was charged by an elephant. The alertness of the guide saved the day. (Bob Lasher was in this vehicle, so you might ask him to elaborate.)
On to Victoria Falls, where we spent our final two days exploring nature trails, sightseeing and basking in the mist and rainbows of one of the world's great wonders. We viewed the falls from all angles, including from above, in a helicopter. We lounged in the sun and sipped tea on the terrace of the grand Victoria Falls Hotel. At night we toasted our arrival to Zimbabwe and dined on crocodile, kudu, impala and ostrich. Our final dinner was at Boma, a restaurant with tribal dancing and fabulous African food in a jungle-like setting. We toasted Lex Hes and Chris Johns for giving us an amazing two weeks.
In the morning we boarded our South African flight for Johannesburg, then on to Cape Town, Miami and our home cities throughout the U.S. It was hard to say goodbye — to our new and special friends, to the animals that we had learned to know and love, and to Africa. It was, indeed, another world — a world that left us with a new perspective and some valuable insight.
We had come with individual expectations — some to photograph the animals, some to learn more about animal behavior, some to study the birds. The interactions this created opened new worlds for us all. We all learned enthusiastically about each bird species (198 in all ) that Paul Johnson logged in. We helped him search, and we delighted in each new find. Those of us who weren't so handy with a camera, learned from those who were. And as questions were asked about the daily life of each animal, we all joined in with our own thoughts and observations — prompting more questions.
I'm convinced that the experts that accompanied us were the best in the business. Lex Hes offered us a wonderful sense of humor, an easy-going style, and a lifetime of knowledge. He was articulate and passionate about his work, and he instilled passion in each of us. Chris Johns provided a wealth of resource both in his extensive knowledge of the camera and in his understanding of the world that we explored. Chris was a great teacher, a lot of fun, and he would be my bet in any contest to get the best shot.
What did we learn? We learned that every living thing is connected in the web of life — that every creature from the termite to the elephant plays a vital role in a much larger plan. We learned that no living creature is randomly put together — that each one is uniquely designed for the role that it plays. We learned that animals develop relationships that recognize and play to the strengths of species other than their own. And most importantly, we learned that we have a responsibility to preserve this fragile balance of nature and to protect and develop the habitats in which it can thrive.
Thank you, National Geographic, for taking us through the yellow border. You forever changed our lives.
by Carole Young
See
some pictures An album of photographs by Jim Young. If
you would like to purchase any of the photographs on the web site, I may be
reached by email at jim@margategroup.com
or by phone at 214-763-6249.
email: jim@margategroup.com