What do I do when I’m not nurturing the set of abs I’m slowly developing from riding 6 to 7 horses a day? (A 2-Pac is definitely on the cards if I keep this up). To be honest it has become quite difficult to imagine a day without horses but they do happen here from time to time. In fact just a few days ago was the first full 24 hours in over a month that I didn’t at least sit on a horse – and even more surprisingly, I didn’t put on a pair of boots! My activities remained flip-flop friendly without any big toe-crushing hooves in sight – quite the luxury.
I spent the morning nipping into the ‘bustling hubub’ and ”modern gateway to the Delta’ – Maun – which boasts the busiest airport in Southern Africa. In reality I stepped foot into the hot, dusty oven that makes up the town. However, you don’t have to look hard to find several gems dotted between the donkey carts and its hard to deny that the place has character. I headed in with Robyn’s sister Karen, and her husband Mac, who were helping to hold the fort whilst the Foots were visiting the UK.
I was armed with a shopping list that could substitute for a short novel from the guys at the stables and strict instructions on the right type of meat I needed to get to make biltong. The detailed brief I received before I left enlightened me on several other products that I’d never heard of – 12L of Oros?!
Shopping done and the midday heat well and truly on its way, we headed to the Okavango River Lodge for some lunch and a gin and tonic by the river (got to keep the malaria at bay somehow). We met up with some other friends and passed the daily ‘sloth period’, from 12 – 2 when it is far too hot to do anything energetic, in the shade and watching a hippo meander along the river.
Having got carried away at the lodge we hurried home as heaven forbid we were late to spend more time relaxing by the river. This time getting up close and personal – by boat. We chugged along the river, sipping drinks and watching fish eagles flying low over the water as the sun sank in the sky. Bliss. At least it was a beautiful, calm moment of tranquility until I heard Karen shout ‘s*** its a croc, s*** its a croc” and my head whipped round to see what looked like a series of ripples heading for the boat. The two of us jumped back in panic only to be told by a rather exasperated and laughing Mac that it was only the current on some reeds under the water. Luckily that was the extent of our animal dramas that night and no hippos needed dodging!
Hopping back onto land just before dark there was just time to take the dogs for a quick walk. Keeping a careful eye out for Colin.