Trip to Chobe

In the car

Last week we went to Chobe National Park in north-eastern Botswana. It was a hekuva long car ride (11 hours). There was a 60 mile section full of vicious man-eating potholes. Dad almost wrecked the car and was more stressed out than usual, due to the car being a rental and the fact that we had to get there before nightfall. You musn't drive at night because animals will lie on the road, which is warmer at night than the surrounding land.

On our trip we drove across the Tropic of Capricorn. This is the furthest point south in the southern hemisphere where the sun can be exactly overhead at noon (90 degrees) on the summer solstice.

The Tropic of Capricorn

Our campsite

We camped at a lodge in the town near Chobe called Kasane. There were lots of animals. Wild monkeys ran all over the place. Also I saw a croc in the Chobe river. There were hippos too. We went on a game drive and saw giraffes, elephants, baboons, impala (what's that?), kudu (huh?!?), and African buffalos. The monkeys were kinda weird. When they stand up they are about 18 inches tall. They weigh about 8 pounds. We also saw the sable antelope. While I was on a river safari I saw an Elephant writhing in a puddle of mud. At first I thought It was having a seizure or heat stroke or something but then I found out that was how they bathe. The mud also suffocates any parasites on the elephant's skin. We also saw warthogs roaming the streets of Kasane. They are the size of a large dog but they can weigh over 200 pounds.

 Giraffes

 African elephants crossing in front of the Landrover

Black sable antelope

 Baby baboon

Fish eagle eating a dead fish

Impala

African Buffalo

A pod of hippos in the Chobe River

An angry hippo!

Croc on the bank of the Chobe River

Croc waiting for dinner!

Baby elephant

Elephant rolling in the mud

Elephant crossing the Chobe River into Namibia

Elephant entering Namibia

Lilac Breasted Roller (Botswana's national bird, which has the colors of the flag)

Carmine bee-eater

Tree full of carmine bee-eaters

Vervet monkey

Vervet monkey

Ostriches on the way back to Gaborone

Warthogs