After an incredible experience in the delta, including numerous sightings and two near death experiences we arrived in Chobe where we quickly informed our guide he had his work cut out to top what we’d just experienced.  He didn’t seem worried.

We shared our guide and vehicle with a brother and sister (in their forties) from Israel, who’d brought their parents over to go to. 90th in Cape Town. The siblings were lovely and the parents…..the parents made you realise that stereotypes exist for a reason. It certainly made it a bit awkward for James to order bacon at breakfast, but Lea had no qualms when talking about Perth finally opening shops on Sundays, because what backwards place would ever shut things down for a day over the weekend!?

The sister did question our guide on why they bothered having artificial borders separating the countries, what’s the difference anyway? Why not just have one big country called Africa?? Why can’t everybody just get along!!!??? Did we mention where they were from? I think she might have been high on soda stream……

Anyway borders were the least of our troubles. The father didn’t even know what country were in…which may help to explain that when less than two metres away from a real, live lion he decided to start growling at the thing!!! Not only that, after being told off for attempting to kill us all, he started clapping at them, BECAUSE HE “JUST WANTED THEM TO LOOK AT ME!!!” Then…then the Mother’s phone started ringing…after a few rings, and several glares from the lions she decided to get it out of her bag….no, not to turn it off, but to pass it around, still ringing, to see if anyone wanted to speak to this potential murderer of 7. Oy vey!

Right, moving on eh? Because I don’t think we did stereotypes any good either. Being the only ones drinking and sitting around the fire at night again. Even our house cleaner left us a note to PLEASE drink more water after cleaning up all the empty mini-gin and Amaretto bottles.

We had a truly special time at Chobe. The lodge was pure luxury, looking over the spectacular Chobe river, we had our first outdoor shower of the trip, Eric spoiled us / got us smashed every meal, the staff organised a bath covered in bubbles and flowers with Champagne to be ready when we returned from one of our sunset cruises for our…honeymoon, we ate Impala, kudu and crocodile, my girl got use of her whole face back, we watched a troop of traveling dancers and, obviously, we saw more lions.

Not only did we see the lions, but we saw them eating a buffalo, then later we saw a jackal come in for a taste, then we saw the vultures circle and pick the bones, then that night we came back to see the clean white bones, then the next day we came back to see nothing. A ginormous animal completely gone within 24 hours. It was such a ridiculous experience, that on our return it even had the Israeli father comment, “when’s lunch?” And the mother, “not so much with the bumps next time…”

We also saw a bazillion elephants, which included a parade of elephant, a dazzle of zebra and a journey of giraffe all together in the one shot and watched a hundred year storm roll in over the river, so big that not guests or staff managed to sleep…except us, thanks to Eric. I’ll let the photos do the rest and just stick to international diplomacy.

Thank you Botswana, we’ll be back. But now, it’s off to Zim!