Today we spend most of the day getting from Cape Town to Camp Okevango in the Okevango Delta . First we take a scheduled flight to Maun, Botswana and the transfer to a charter flight to our camp.
our charter flight was a helicopter, a surprise for Max, who happily serves as co-pilot, flying us over the Okavango Delta, with elephants visible below.
We are greeted by a group of staff members singing a welcome to us. 
We are shown to our room, which is lovely and nicely appointed. There appears to be rather too much walking for me, but we asked, and they were able to provide a wheelchair, which made getting around much more feasible for me. 
I was struck by the reeds and their reflection, so I’ve included a few reed photos. 
Dinner was served at a long table with all the guests, probably about 25 to 30. Prior to dinner we were again serenaded and witnessed some drumming and dancing by staff members. We were seated with two retired physicians
The Republic of Botswana is located in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming
independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. It has held free and fair democratic elections since its independence.
Geographically the country is flat and up to 70% of Botswana is covered by the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. 17% of the country’s land surface is protected as national parks or reserves, creating a true wilderness lying under spectacular blue skies stretching from horizon to horizon and offering a variety of magnificent flora and fauna. Moremi Game Reserve is on tribally-owned land, with a wide range of animals, bird life, water and desert.
As old as time, the seasonal flood from the Angola Highlands is the heartbeat of Botswana. Seeping along the panhandle and into the largest inland delta system in the world, the water creates a uniquely beautiful National Heritage Site, the incoming tide of life bringing with it birth, transformation and replenishment. These ancient, cyclical changes provide an exceptional safari experience and the area supports vast herds of elephant, buffalo and hippo, as well as numerous antelope, giraffe, zebra and the ever present predators.
From March the waters spread outward, reaching the inner delta by June and peaking in July and August. The inbound flow creates a buzz of energy as it spans out towards Maun, the country as a whole conscious of the gift the waters bring, and caught up in the primordial movement. Depending on nature’s temperamental dictates, the flood levels vary each year, never under the control of humankind. This makes it difficult to assess what will happen in the upcoming season: the Delta may swell up to 3 times its size. Under natural forces, the face of the earth renews itself, the landscape of channels, grasslands, reed islands and lagoons burst with life and vitality.
In the heart of the Kalahari Basin, in the north of Botswana lies a natural phenomenon of outstanding beauty – the Okavango Delta. The largest inland delta in the world, the Okavango Delta is the most unexpected wonder – water
present in a desert. The broad Okavango River sinks into the dry sands of the Kalahari Desert, creating a lush and waterlogged oasis with crystal clear lagoons and channels, reeded islands, and fertile floodplains. Dubbed “the river
that never finds the sea”, this magical oasis spreads over almost 6,000 square miles and yet is so fragile that, if itwere denied water for even a decade, it would revert to a semi-desert. Because the Okavango is seasonally flooded during the dry season and the plants and animals have adjusted their movements and biological cycles with the rains and flooding, it has been described by (UNESCO) as an exceptional example of the interaction between climate, hydrological and biological processes. The delta became the 1000th site to be inscribed in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, and is one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders, a list that includes amongst others, such as Mount Kilimanjaro, the Nile River, the Sahara Desert, and the Red Sea.
The Okavango Delta is the main source of water for a million people and is one of the most biodiverse places inAfrica. It supports the world’s largest remaining elephant population as well as lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hundreds of species of birds, and much more.
