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| Hippos across from Machaba Camp |
I wake to the
sound of honking hippos just outside our tent at Machaba tented camp along the
Khwai River. We are housed in the honeymoon suite (at the far end of the line
of luxury tents) across from a sandy beach perfect for hippo sunbathing during
the day and all out hippo wars at night. They honk and water splashes about as
they jockey for position in the river at night. In the darkness they also
leave the water coming on land near our tent to graze. When we walk to
breakfast in the morning we see many hippos spoor (foot prints) along our path
to the central dining tent. They were as close as they sounded!
We’ve spent the
last two weekends at luxury tented lodges that far exceed our ability to afford
them, part of my life as an occasional 1% interloper. We’re offered
accommodation and food in exchange for staff training and star shows that Paul provides. As a sociologist, it’s a fascinating glimpse into a world we could
never afford.
Typically the
accommodations are stunning. Luxury tents are populated with comfortable beds
and warm duvets for cold African winter nights. This past weekend our evening
“turn down” service including placing two hot water bottles (which I
affectionately call “bush babies”) in our beds so they were nice and toasty
warm. Separated into two canopied four poster twin beds, Paul donated his to me
and I had four very toasty “bush babies” in bed with me to keep me warm for the
night. Lined up end to end on one side of the bed I had shoulder to toe comfort
for the cold African winter night.
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| Machaba Bathroom |
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| Machaba Honeymoon Suite |
Décor varies
widely from bright and airy ivory colored tents at Machaba to dark woods, fancy
Persian rugs and a more formal style found at Jack’s camp. Even the toilet
would more aptly be called a “throne” at Jack’s with wooden arm rests and brass
pull down cord from the elevated toilet tank. The outdoor showers are one of my
favorite features of these camps. There’s nothing like the sun in your face and
a slight breeze while showering (mid-afternoon is the best time in winter so
it’s not too cold).
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| Jack's Camp Inside Tent |
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| Jack's Camp Outside Tent |
Food at both
places was outstanding and I marvel at the ability to serve Kingclip (an
Atlantic fish) in the middle of the desert and the balsamic reduction on the
beef filet steak one night at Machaba was something to write home about.
Of course, in
addition to the luxury accommodations and excellent food, what people come to
Botswana for are the beautiful landscapes and animal encounters. One of the
high points of the Machaba weekend was visiting the hyena den near camp that
has a new litter of cubs (or is it pups?). We visited here several times last
July to watch a young family and it is now re-populated with a new mom hyena
and her five little ones, just a couple of months old. As we watch at dusk they
emerge from their underground den and frolic around the area – the larger ones
nursing from mom while the smaller ones play off to the side. When the two
littlest ones approach for their share the mom rolls on to her belly or pushes
them away with her nose, thus preventing them from feeding. The sad truth regarding
hyena cubs is that the “runt(s)” are often ignored, pushed off or killed by
their mother or siblings so that the stronger and more viable ones will survive
– can anyone say “sibling rivalry”? I think I’ve mentioned that Africa is not
for sissies. 
The highlight
of this past weekend was the meerkat encounter we had outside of Jack’s camp. I
had read about this group of meerkats that had been “habituated” to humans
(they live in the wild but are accustomed to being around people). There’s
actually a staff person at the camp that spends each and every day with several
meerkat families in the area so they continue to be comfortable with people.
For days before we leave for the trip I have been quietly chanting, “Meerkats,
meerkats, meerkats” hoping that we’d have an opportunity to meet them. We ask
around a bit when we arrive hoping that someone will tell us precisely where
they are so we can go meet them while we’re out mapping the area but
we keep getting vague answers like, “They’re just out the back of camp.” Or, “We’re short guides today but we’ll see if we can arrange
something.” On our last evening as we’re driving back from Chapman’s baobabs
headed towards camp to set up the telescope for the final star show, I’ve
pretty much given up on seeing the meerkats when…I see him, a man walking alone
in the bush. “It’s him,” I say, “the meerkat guy.”
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| Chapman's Baobab |
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| Meerkat on my head! |
Despite that
we’ll be late for setting up the telescope if we stop, Paul pulls over (there
are advantages to his poor timing and routinely being late). We slowly approach
the meerkat guy who is cautious about who we are and why we are there (there
are very few “self-drives” and most clients arrive with camp guides). We
explain and he warms up instantly. He begins to tell us all about the four
meerkat families in the area that he works with (it was like a real life
meerkat manor!). He tells me where to sit if I want them to visit me and very
soon after I do, one is on his way over. I’m instructed to lean forward and when
I do I feel the tiniest of weight from his feet as he scampers up my back
towards my head. I reach to hand Paul my camera (he has been filming with this
new GoPro) and in the confusion the meerkat takes a quick look at the
surrounding bush and then makes an even faster retreat. Fortunately we managed
to salvage one kind of funny picture off the GoPro. We almost completely missed
it! I wonder how the 1% reacts to little creatures crawling on them…
Fortunately, I’m only an interloper so, I LOVED it!!!
