Enter Botswana’s Okavango Delta & Tsodilo Mountains

Either reading or traveling, body and soul, one must be on the road...

The books on the bedside table have long been piled up into a "hill" , I still haven’t finished reading the book I’ve opened for a long time. Living in a foreign country, my heart is always agitated by the noisy life. Either reading or traveling, body and soul, one must be on the road. So in the name of work, I set foot on the Okavango Delta, the northernmost region of Botswana, in the crisp autumn weather of May in Africa.

Departing from Gaborone, the capital, we passed through the desert town of Ghanzi, 800 kilometers away in the afternoon, and settled in the water town of Maun in the evening. We arrived at this destination at noon the next day. The end point of the journey is the impoverished town of Shakawe, a total distance of 1,300 kilometers. I have been in Botswana for three years. I have been to Francistown, the easternmost city of the country, to Kasane, a small town in the northeast, and lived in Palapye, a small town in the central and eastern parts of Botswana. I also lived in Maun, a small town in the north. I have traveled, but the only area I have never set foot on is the mysterious western desert area. This trip will traverse the entire western part of the country and reach the far north. We put our bags on our backs, full of expectations, and set off to the place where the sun rises.

Departure point: Gaborone, the capital of Botswana

The African autumn in May is crisp and windy. Turn on the cheerful music that you have downloaded in advance, adjust your seats, fasten your seat belts, and drive on the sparsely populated African roads. Another car of my colleague drove in front, and I followed closely behind. When the car drove out of Gaborone, the capital, the endless golden African savannah came into view. The windows were slightly open, and the fresh air rushed into my nostrils. If I hadn't driven, I would have closed my eyes and been intoxicated in this world of autumn wind. The car was running on a straight road at a speed of 160, and the song "Run" suddenly sounded in my ears. The autumn wind slowly rippled the golden wheat waves on the grassland outside the window. I couldn't help but howl along with the dynamic song. At that time, that scene will be unforgettable for the rest of my life!

The straight highway, the golden waves of wheat, the endless African savannah

Just when I was ups and downs, singing loudly and indulging in the wind-like freedom, suddenly the car of my colleague in front of me rolled up. I thought it was dust caused by the roaring cars. Unexpectedly, I found that my colleague slowly and "calmly" parked the car in the designated parking and rest area not far in front of the road. I followed him and stopped the car. I thought they were going to relieve themselves, but when I saw them taking out the jack from the trunk, I realized: I wiped it, and the tire got flat~. The spare tire of the Q7 is a small tire, which can only be used temporarily and needs to be inflated on site. Fortunately, it is fully equipped. With the concerted efforts of the three people, the car was able to get back on the road. Looking at the time, it turned out that this pause actually took nearly two hours. The Q7 equipped with a temporary spare tire lost its former "gloriousness" when running, and its butt twisted, which made me laugh as I followed closely behind. I drove slowly to the small village of Kang, looking for new tires, but to no avail. Continue on to the desert town of Ghanzi.

Pulling over to the side of the road, changing tires...

If you still remember Xia Yuhe by the Daming Lake, then you must still remember the group of people who stayed away from each other in the movie "God is also Crazy" Bushman, the most primitive social civilization of the indigenous Bushmen. The small town of Ghanzi is the area where this group of Bushmen live. It is the filming location of this film and the entrance to the Kalahari, the second largest desert in Africa. The small town of Ghanzi is located on the edge of the desert, with no rivers or lakes. It is dry all year round and sparsely populated. However, a large number of travelers from all over the world gather here every year to transfer supplies, either to explore the Bushmen or to explore the Kalahari Desert. This seemingly abandoned town suddenly became bustling with traffic. It was around three o'clock in the afternoon. I was in a hurry to get on my way, but I didn't want to watch. I looked for a new fetus, but to no avail. Continue walking through the desert area and arrive at the water town of Maun.

The entrance town of Kalahari, the second largest desert in Africa - Ghanzi

The place where the Bushmen live in the movie "God Is Crazy"

(Today’s Bushmen are different people. They no longer simply hunt for a living, but do what tourists like and start tour guides and other service industries)

You can see them everywhere White travelers

When it comes to Maun, few people will know it, but when it comes to the Okavango Delta, people who know Africa will definitely think of Africa’s few animal and bird paradises. Maun is the entrance to this vast green water animal paradise. Just looking at the hordes of whites and Japanese in the streets and alleys of Maun is enough to explain Maun’s tourist prosperity.

The Okavango Delta is located in northern Botswana. It is a lush tropical swamp surrounded by the Kalahari Desert grasslands. It is recognized as one of the largest inland deltas in the world and the largest and most scenic in Africa. The most beautiful oasis, covering an area of ??about 15,000 square kilometers, is formed by the annual floods of the Okavango River. It is surrounded by the Kalahari Desert and has a rare desert wetland scenery in the world. The delta is lush with vegetation and home to a wide variety of wild animals. It has long been known as one of the best protected areas for pristine ecology on the planet.

The entrance town of Okavango Delta-Maun

Deep in the Okavango Delta-Mokoro canoe

Go down the river with the local guide Guide Swimming (I was scared at this time, there are crocodiles at any time)

Very close to the sky

Holding on to my tired body, I was about to reach the stop. While sleeping in Ma Wen, a policeman suddenly rushed out from the roadside, stopped his colleague's car to the side of the road, and happily informed his colleague with his sinful smile: Your car is speeding. Maybe it was dark, or maybe I was busy on the road, but I didn’t notice the 80 speed limit sign. I was driving about 100KM/H at that time. The colleague got out of the car, walked to the policeman in charge, and secretly stuffed 100 pula (approximately RMB 70). The policeman calmly handed the colleague's driver's license back to him, showing his white teeth in his peripheral vision. , the white is piercing to the eyes. When we arrived at Maun, it was already dark. Expecting that the tire shop was closed, they went straight to the Lodge they had booked in advance. After settling their luggage, the three of them went to Nando’s and wolfed down their food to fill their bellies. It was late at night, and when I returned to the Lodge, I was tired from the journey and suddenly felt sleepy. I wanted to turn on the computer and do some work and then have a full sleep, but the result was that the wireless network was not working. Due to work needs, I have to check emails online. I guessed that the Lodge stopped using the Wi-Fi at night because of the high Internet fee, so I argued with the front desk clerk for a long time, and ended up feeling unhappy and helpless.

I planted this tree, I drove this road, if you want to pass by, I will leave money to buy the road

Nando's Chicken

The next day, early morning , packed our luggage, successfully installed the tires, and set foot on Shakawe, the destination town of this trip. The small town of Shakawe, the northernmost village in Botswana, is located at the uppermost reaches of the Okavango Delta and lives along the Okavango River. The Okavango River has been described as "the river that will never find the ocean." Every year, rainwater from the Angola highlands gathers to form a raging torrent, which is carried by the Okavango River and pours into the delta. They spread out in all directions, forming tens of thousands of waterways and lagoons over more than 20,000 square kilometers of land. The scenery in the small town of Shakawe is quieter and more beautiful than Maun. However, what is incongruous with such a fairyland, and even completely different, is the poverty and backwardness of the local residents. Because it is located in the northernmost part of the country, infrastructure such as roads and electricity is extremely weak. The small thatched cottages along the road, the 350 kilometers of bumpy roads to get here, and even the shyness and novelty shown by the villagers when they see us "foreigners" are enough to illustrate this place. of poverty and poverty. Capable residents go to larger towns or even cities to make a living, while most of those who stay at home are left-behind elderly people and children, as well as young cowherds who are willing to spend their entire lives. Sitting in a place with such beautiful tourist scenery, the residents are suffering from hunger and poverty. As the saying goes, "If you want to get rich, build roads first." The local government should reflect on this. I have tried to think that perhaps it is precisely because of the backwardness here that this land still retains the beautiful paradise that nature has given to humans.

The bumpy road to Shakawe

The final stop, Shakawe

Simple villagers

After driving through the impoverished villages on the outskirts of Shakawe and along the rugged sandy land for about fifteen minutes, we finally found the hotel we had booked in advance, Shakawe Lodge, a hotel tucked away on the secluded Okavango River. Enjoy the seclusion of nature in peace and quiet. Like many lodges deep in the Okavango Delta of Maun, this is a high-end luxury African lodge run by white South Africans. Living close to mountains and rivers, each room is carefully designed and bathed in the fragrance of birds and flowers from 360 degrees. No matter it is early morning or evening, you can always see the cute little squirrels looking for food under the trees, the hippos yawning in the river with their big mouths open, and the elephants leisurely enjoying the delicious and juicy river grass. If I were purely on vacation, I would definitely leave myself to this world of millions of things: lying quietly on a rocking chair by the river, warmly close to the soft sunshine, picking up my favorite book, and making a cup of sweet wine. coffee, feel the breeze blowing on your face, and listen to the gurgling river. Sometimes I think about what the ancients said: "Don't be surprised by favor or disgrace, watch the flowers blooming and falling in front of the court; stay or leave without care, watch the clouds roll and relax in the sky." This is the realm.

A place very close to the sky

A place very close to the sky

A private island in the middle of the river - where the president flies for weekend vacations

Visit the middle of the river

Colorful creatures ~

The creatures living by the river

The creatures living by the river

The lazy hippos

The Lodge living by the river

The African Wilderness Lodge

The sun is shining brightly in front of the house~ < /p>

The facilities in the house are complete and comfortable (the bed is very, very comfortable)

Lodge lounge

People who go back and forth between the lobby and the room at night Trail

(I was surfing the Internet in the lobby at night, and in the dark I heard the cooing hippopotamus landing not far away, and quickly ran back to the room)

50 kilometers away from Shakawe There is a mountain. Although there are no old monks or young monks telling stories on the mountain, it is endowed with gods because of the petrification left by the ancients more than 3,000 years ago. The name of the mountain is Tsodilo Hill. You also have to pass through rugged sandy land to see the "true face of Mount Lushan". Tsodilo Hill is known as the "Louvre of the Desert" and is one of the most concentrated rock art sites in the world. Its exposed rock formations have shown traces of human stay and habitation for thousands of years, leaving behind a wealth of outstanding rock art. Archaeological discoveries in this area chronologically record human activities and environmental changes for at least 100,000 years, witnessing the continuous stay and residence of human society here for thousands of years. Most of the petroglyphs were chosen to be painted on high, inaccessible cliffs overlooking the region. It is a symbol of power that can control the sky and the world and protect life on earth. Almost all rock paintings are intentionally created and have their own meaning.

Most of the rock paintings are carved on mountain walls or rocks with stone tools. The pigments are made from limestone soil mixed with animal blood, animal fat, bone marrow, milk and protein. It is painted on the cave wall. Despite millions of years of natural weathering, its natural color still maintains its original simplicity. The contents of the rock paintings mainly include animal patterns such as cows, sheep, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, etc. that are common here. The lifelike patterns have been baptized by wind and rain for thousands of years and are still clearly visible to people today, making people feel admired and mysterious. People can explore the hunting life and religious rituals of the Bushmen in ancient times. The rock paintings also record the various rituals and celebrations experienced by the people living here from birth to death, including birth, adulthood, courtship, marriage, coronation, sacrifices in the four seasons, exorcisms and funerals. The oldest rock paintings are 28,000 years old. The preservation of these rock paintings also leaves precious records of the ancient culture and life of Africans. In 2001, the World Heritage Committee included it in the World Heritage List as a cultural heritage.

Rugged sandy road

Murals on high rocks

Murals on rocks< /p>

The product of nature: the map of Africa

The African version of a trip here

The tour guide is explaining the toys of the ancients more than 3,000 years ago

The cave where ancient people lived more than 3,000 years ago

(The top of the cave is black, the result of smoke)

The majestic baobab tree

The wild boar's nest

The mountain water and the trickling stream

The squirrel is bowing to you

< p> Mountainside overlooking the land of Africa

Hello, Namibia~

A few days in a hurry After returning to the capital during the trip, I reflected on what I had done, encountered, learned, and heard in the past few days, and I summed it up in one word: Tired! Tired from rushing, tired from being restless. Tired on the way, happy in my heart.

Enter Botswana and feel the collision of nature and soul.

The road is far away, I have been on the road...

Botswana-Africa

A flower in the desert~