The delta trip began with an hour-or-so-long jeep ride to the delta.  There was a bit of confusion and waiting around as other groups were returning to shore and polers (those local men and women with excellent balance who pushed the mokoros along with poles deep into the delta) were shuffling people and belongings.  Our poler was Liba.  He liked to stay out in front, and knowing there were hippos and crocs throughout the delta, and that the low, slender mokoros, carved from the sausage tree are quite susceptible to being turned over, was somewhat unnerving.  Liba and the others spoke mostly Setswana among themselves, and were shy..or at least not overly outgoing.  They did know the area and its plants, animals and stories, and if you listened and asked, the information was there.

We set up camp and got ready to head out on a late-afternoon game walk.  Groups of 5 or so head out, and though we didn’t see many (any) animals, we did learn about some plants and trees, and heard a couple of stories.  The best was about why  the hippo came to spread his dung.  Here’s the story as told on a forum on one of the Southern Africa National Parks website’s forums, though the tale we were told substituted man for “the Creator.”  It was also added that this having to prove themselves all the time is why the angry hippos still kick over mokoros when they have the opportunity.  It is apparently a story common to many tribes in Africa, but that started as a bushman’s tale.