From one terrain to another

After another delicious chocolate muffin for breakfast (for me anyway), we went out on a truncated game drive. 7:30 to 10:15 we searched for new species and cats, but luck was not on our side this morning. We saw, the now typical, zebra, impala and elephants with some more warthogs and dwarf mongoose for good measure. We said goodbye to Sello. (tip: $20/person/day is standard for the guide. We gave $10/person/day for rest of staff).
By 10:40 we were on the 12 seater plane, headed for Eagle Island, another Belmond resort in the Kalahari desert of Botswana.
Eagle Island Lodge is in the center of the Okavango Delta where the mighty Okavango River drains into the Kalahari. The Lodge was recently remodeled and is stunning! Our tent has a plunge pool (the water is too cold for me though), an indoor and outdoor shower, real windows and a view to rival any! The channels of water up to our deck are an easy path for any hippo, and there is evidence of elephant throughout the lodge grounds. While relaxing on our deck, I heard bleating and found a baby bush buck right next to our tent.
We went on a sunset barge trip with our guide, Onx. He is actually the Belmond environmental manager and is in charge of all the safaris and guides for the 3 Belmond camps. He was mom and dad's guide 3.5 years ago when they were here and loved him. Mom requested he guide us which he agreed to do, even though he doesn't guide anymore.
We saw a few elephant and hippo. It's unbelievable how fast hippos can move in the water! The sunset was beautiful.
Now dinner at the lodge and then our escort back to the tent to relax before a full day tomorrow. 😊En savoir plus