We spend a lot of our time driving in a dry riverbed looking to spot animal tracks. The rivers are mostly dry this time of year, but there is evidence of high water flow when they are flowing. The water flow cannot be sustained throughout the year since the water is supplied from another area with higher rainfall.
The black sand in the bed is a remnant of lava flow (I asked 😊) from who-knows how many years ago. Botswana does not have any active or dormant volcanoes, so it is more likely soil that was brought down by the river. It has a larger grain than the general soil texture anywhere else in the areas where we have been driving.
I have been taking particular note of the smells as we are on the game drives. The soil when the tyres of the vehicle break the surface, the wild sage (in abundance!) that grows in certain areas and of course, the distinctive smell of fresh elephant dung.
What is also noticeable is the way the temperature varies as we go up and down hills and valleys. It is too warm during the day, but at night, the differences are easy to detect.
Here are some more pictures of our trip. Enjoy!
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| Our outdoor bathroom |
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| The shower, no roof! |
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| Yep, it's a bucket! |
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| Sorry, I forgot its name |
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| Bushbuck female - Francois took the pic with my camera |
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| Some of our fellow Mashatu visitors |
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| Another bird 😳 |
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| Eland Bull - they are shy and difficult to photograph |
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| Old leopard female - she had been injured in her right eye - the rangers guess her age to be about 15 years |
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| Banded mongoose family - running all over the place! |
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| In the riverbed. Even the pro takes pics with his cell phone upon occasion 😝 |
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| Zebra - always a good model 😎 |
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