WORLD TATTOO TRAVELER (Bill Passman): BOTSWANA

January 5-8th

Everyone on the tour is doing a 2 night/ 3 day camping trip to the Okavango Delta in dugout canoes except for Amy and myself. Amy has been sick and the trip did not appeal to me at all especially since we were not going to see many animals on the trip. The Delta is very similar to our marshes in southern LA. Plus it is the rainy season and being cold and wet with no bathrooms and eating cold food the entire time did not seem like much fun. Decided to make a vacation out of this time and Amy and I laid by the pool and took advantage of the restaurant and bar.

I hope to be able to take a 45 minute plane ride ($90) over the Delta to take pictures and get an overall view but it is the slow season and no groups flying now and 1 person on the plane is $450. Will keep trying

January 5, 2013

We left Chobe National Park at 6 am and drove until 3 pm nonstop except for 30 minute lunch break to Maun, the staging point for the Okavango Delta. Since the truck is not crowded we were able to stretch out and catch a few winks. Seat belts are necessary because if the truck hits a large bump in the road it could bounce you into the ceiling. I actually saw one of the girls bounce so high that she almost hit the ceiling. Aly is our guide and JB is the truck driver. Everyone on this trip is from England except David who is Canadian, Amy who is Aussie and myself. Most overland truck companies are British for some reason. It is one of the cheapest ways to travel in Africa. Our campsite here for the next 4 days is at Sedia Hotel and we have access to the pool, bar and restaurant.

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK SAFARI