January14-16, 2016 – ADVENTURE AFRICA – CHOBE TO THE KALAHARI DESERT,BOTSWANA

I think Ernest Hemingway said it best – “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and I was not happy.”

And so began another perfect day for us in Africa!

Day 10

After a final early morning game drive in Chobe, we were transferred to the Kasane airport for our flight to Deception Valley in the Kalahari Desert (not really a desert in technical terms but close enough for us). We met George, our pilot, and jumped into the Cessna for our 1 hour/40 minute flight. George warned us it might be bumpy and said there were plenty of bags in case! Fortunately, for all of us, we were all good in spite of the bumps. We landed on an airstrip that seemed to be the middle of nowhere and began what was to be two of the most magical days of my life. I think it’s safe to say this blew the lid right off my bucket list.

Jacob, who turned out to be our guide, host, you name it, picked us up in his trusty ’86 Toyota Land Cruiser and we headed to Deception Valley Lodge which is owned and managed by his family.

Deception Valley Lodge is like a mirage in the middle of the desert. It was rustic and elegant at the same time. Our “room” was spectacular – complete with a sitting area.

Many of the people working at the lodge are descendants of the nomadic hunter gatherers (also referred to as Bushmen). We had a real treat on the first night. We went into the bush with Xumsha and Xamse, who wore their traditional clothing and, with their weapons and tools, demonstrated many of the bushmans’ hunting and survival skills that had been passed down through generations. It was really interesting and they were extremely entertaining. Jacob translated for us but we could understand most of what they were saying just through their actions.

I’m sure Nike would love to get a patent on these swanky kudu skin shoes.

And yes, you can actually start a fire by rubbing two sticks together! Jim is bringing home two of the sticks but I’m thinking we will have to keep some matches handy just in case!

On the way back to the lodge, we found an African Wild Cat. Our little Lola at home is a descendent of these cats (and sometimes just as wild).

We came back for a wonderful meal that included eland stew. The chef at the lodge is a lovely and talented woman named Nishka. She is a trained chef and every meal we had tasted and looked like something you would see in a 5 star restaurant. What made it even more amazing is the fact that she was working with very limited resources in middle of the Kalahari! Just a snack…..

DAY 11

Before we even left the property, Xumsha (now our tracker) and Jacob noticed lion prints in the sand and we started following the prints to find the lions. Xumsha got off his jump seat and walked in front while we followed in the jeep. Unlike in a national park, Jacob was able to take the jeep through anything and we went through absolutely EVERYTHING – talk about an African Massage! At one point we got stuck but in about 10 minutes, they had us out and back on the “road”.

We tracked the lions for 2 hrs and 45 minutes and the whole time, that Bruce Cockburn song, “I wonder where the lions are….” kept running through my head. It was unbelievable to watch Xumsha and Jacob at work. We would come to an area with tracks and they would know how many lions had been there, when they had been there and what they were doing while they were there! Even when we lost the tracks for a short time, Xumsha was able to find them again using his instincts and knowledge of the bush.

Jacob told us that Africans always believe there is something better around the next corner and that’s where they get their resilience from. On that note, we went around many corners and he was right – here is what we finally found!

And this.

The rest of the day was more of the same – more great food, lots of wildlife, great conversations and excellent company. Aside from a great Italian couple we spent time with, here are a few other visitors at the Lodge. The giraffes are so beautiful and graceful!