Botswana
2003 – An African Experience
(Versions published
on Nature Photographers Network and
Outdoor Photography Magazine)
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trip to Botswana had long been on my most wanted list ever since
I first saw Frans Lanting’s groundbreaking book Okavango
– A Lost Eden. We did not know what to expect, other than
the experience would contrast our previous African tours. This
time we would be really out there, living in the bush, both
day and night with our home being a small, but secure dome tent.
Civilization is a long way from here and it can take some getting
used to. |
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The
first night at camp in the Nxai Pan National Park was filled
with apprehension and exhilaration. Familiar noises of traffic
and airplanes were replaced with an eerie silence, punctuated
by the calling jackal and groaning lion and later in the early
morning, the haunting hoot of a nearby white faced owl. Sleep
was not easy - We lay there listening to everything, yet nothing. |
The
three days of viewing were clean, only baked and cracked salt
pan, acacia and the baobabs marking the edge of the pan, to
restrict the view from horizon to horizon. You can feel very
small in a place like this. A pumped waterhole provided a focus
for much of the viewing, as a small family of lion had made
this their main hunting ground. We were privileged to witness
the entire predator-prey spectacle of cubs being brought in,
being left safely to watch several failed hunts before a springbok
was successfully brought down, only to be unceremoniously stolen
by a rogue male. |
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The
edge of light, morning and evening proved to be spectacular,
the harshness of the daylight giving way to gentle pinks, then
deep oranges as the dust filtered the warm toned evening light.
Giraffe, ostrich and elephant provided dramatic silhouettes
against the setting sun. How quickly the sun seemed to set,
before quickly dipping below the horizon and desaturating the
landscape. A cue to return to a welcoming camp, with blazing
fire and excellent hot food. Stories around the campfire were
of the encounters of the day springbok, impala, zebra, lion,
jackal, bat eared fox, elephant, ostrich, giraffe and how we
seemed to be part of the whole scene. |
A
drive and small plane trip brought us to Shakawe, the main town
of the Panhandle region of the delta and a very different landscape,
dominated by the Okavango river with its tall stands of papyrus.
Pied kingfishers were as common as Magpies and Malachite Kingfishers
like little jewels of colour perched in the margins. Anhinga,
Herons, Bee-eaters and Storks make this region a paradise for
birders and photographers alike. A good boat-hand ensured we
could achieve approach distances, of just a few metres without
causing undue stress. Crocodiles are a common resident and were
often spotted basking, but were less easy to get close to, apart
from the one we startled which nearly hit the front of the 4
seater boat in its escape. Well we wanted up close encounters!!
The luxurious Xaro lodge provided a two day opportunity to recharge
human batteries, take a bitingly hot shower and meeting other
fellow safari companions on other tours. |
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A
return flight to Moremi Game Reserve ended at Bodumatau “Setswana
name meaning 'where the lion roars'”. Camping on the margins
of a crocodile infested pool with a deafening hippo serenade,
the splashing of late evening drinking elephants and a midnight
encounter with a hyena are experiences not quickly forgotten.
Day encounters brought us face to face with lions and until
you have seen them at close quarters, it is difficult to appreciate
their full size. They are justifiably King of Beasts. |
Our
guide, Ewan, had a sixth sense, a deft perception of where to
be and when, as time after time he brought us to waterholes
just before lions came to hunt, or hundreds of elephants emerged
from the bush to drink throwing plumes of dust into the air.
He tracked down a lion kill by spotting the ‘observing’
vultures and was able to relocate a female cheetah from the
evening before. You begin to learn the signs and sounds which
bring you ‘at one’ with the environment. Nature
still surprised us though when a hundred strong herd of hippo,
startled by the noise of the Land Rover, sped for the water.
A camera set to 1/20 second on TV mode, brought spectacular
abstract resulting images.
A
second base camp, at Dombo Hippo pool, was set up on a promontory
and the choirs of hippo and elephant seemed to echo from every
direction. We even began to recognise individual hippo voices.
The Mopani woodland here was a mixture of succulent canopy with
an understory of skeletal trees, evidence of the destruction
caused by the elephant population. There were areas of grassland,
interspersed with pans and the River Kwai ensures that year
round, many areas are evergreen. The range of habitats gives
a wider range of game, waterbuck, red lechwe, springbok, elephant,
giraffe and hippo. |
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This
region is also noted for its large numbers of lions which we
were fortunate to enjoy one evening when we came upon a group
resting by the River Kwai. The cheetah and leopard populations
appear to be struggling as a result of the lions success, so
I was rather overcome when groups of twittering birds and chattering
monkeys suggested a kill had been made nearby. Time spent in
the area revealed a leopard who was not at all happy with our
presence so we withdrew for the day. Ewan was determined to
relocate her again the following day and after much searching
she appeared through the Lions Tail scrub in typical cat stalking
pose. An ambition fulfilled for me until I noticed that I had
moved the control dial on my camera to f20. On the back of the
camera the image looked sharp but it wasn’t until I downloaded
back at home I could see the shutter speed had been 1/100 and
the image stablizer had done its job. I had an image to be proud
of.With a single night left in the bush as we sat around fire
to the gentle ‘plink, plink’ concerto performed
by the diminutive reed frogs, I wondered if the hustle, bustle
and noise of Johannesburg would feel like a culture shock. It
certainly was! |
Our
tour had been arranged with Masson
Safaris who offer scheduled and tailor made tour options.
The guides were very experienced with an interest in photography,
so were able to consider the best viewpoints and lighting conditions
when positioning the vehicle. I must also add they were exceptionally
helpful at the booking stage, helping with flight arrangements
and answered the many questions I had before we made out trip.
The camp was kept impeccable and the food was outstanding. I
have already recommended Massons
to several friends and would commend them to you. |
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Justify
every piece of photographic equipment. I took 28-135mmIS lens,
which was hardly used, and shot mostly with the 100-400mmIS
lens on a D60 body though a 300mmf2.8 with convertors would
be a more powerful tool. Dust is a real issue and a paint brush
and dust blower are essential tools– a paper clip would
also have been helpful to hang torch from in tent whilst cleaning
the gear each evening. A DC invertor allowed the Land Rover
to be a source of power for recharging sets of batteries and
the digital wallet. I took three 512Mb cards which were downloaded
after each game drive and a Microdrive was taken as backup but
this proved unreliable and I would advise against using them.
I would suggest you calculate how many downloads can be accomplished
on one set of batteries if you do not have alternative power
sources. An angle-finder was useful to allow the camera to be
placed on a beanbag on the side of the Land Rover. I took a
monopod and found it an encumbrance for boat and vehicle photography
and would leave it at home for future trips. Veronica Roodte’s
map of Moremi can be bought in Maun and is a very worthwhile
investment as it contains bird and animal lists and advice for
visitors. Although August is the low season for Malaria, there
were mosquitos and there is a risk, albeit small, so precautions
should be observed. |
Botswana
is a destination you should definitely consider as an alternative
to the Serengeti, Kruger or the South African National Parks.
You will not be disappointed.
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