We wake up in a Jager haze at 7 to get ready for the mokoro trip up the Delta. Pounding instant coffee like it was Tombob’s jager. A bus swings in and we load up. Groggy AF. There is a Dutch couple on our bus that are super nice. They’re from Den Haag.
The van zips us over to a spot by the river with a dock and some speed boats lashed up. There are 13 Spaniards singing ballads at the top of their lungs. Holy shit.
Boats are cruising passed
Another van rolls up and there’s enough to fill the boats now.
This dude is a good driver. He’s full bore ripping it up the river and cornering hard. Wake spraying out, this is great. There are some wild horses walking in the Delta. Possibly crocodiles on the far bank? Fish Eagles in the trees. The Jagover is receding.
We get dropped off about a half hour up the delta and there is a flotilla of mokoro lined up on the banks. Traditionally I think mokoro are carved out of tree trunks but these ones look like fiberglass.
We’re introduced to our guides for the day, an interesting pair of hardened bush type guy and a woman larger than him with a pretty floral dress. “I am KK, and this is my associate”, I don’t think she speaks English but we gather her name is BT. KK and BT, let’s do it. Mark and Jamie get in with KK and Peter and I saddle up with BT and we’re off
They use a long pole with a flat round end to push us through the shallow waters by the reeds. Wonderful day for it and the soothing cadence of their poles through the water and our mokoro swoosh over the river is super relaxing. The Mokoro is comfortable and we just lay back and enjoy the sights and sounds.
My first ASMR video!
KK points to a break in the fence where Elephants crashed through, “This leads to cattle coming in and spreading foot and mouth disease.” We’ve been through multiple check points on the roads already, must be a serious problem. There’s an elephant nearby dusting itself off. Putting dirt on it’s back w his trunk.
KK lifts up his pole and glides over a series of fish nets. He bends down, “Tilapia. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, eating well tonight.”
It’s a peaceful ride and the reflection off the calm waters of the delta is wonderful.
We catch up to the Dutch couple that were in our van. They’re watching 2 hippos from a patch of reeds. They’re pretty close too. Just about 30 feet. They’re bobbing up and down, blowing water out of their noses and wiggling their ears when they come up for air. We pull up beside them. Ahhh should we be this close?
Den Haag Girl gets a little scared when one goes down for a few minutes, “Where’d it go? Is it gonna come up right next to us, ohhhh.” KK whispers “One time I had kids in the boat and there were two fucking right in front of them. Lots of noise”, he uses his hands to make the universal sign for sex and we’re hush laughing. Seriously though, where’d that hippo go? We’re a little too close for comfort.
KK and BT back us away and we take off down the delta again.
This is a great way to spend the day. It’s mega chill. KK is a good guide and continues to tell stories and offer info throughout. He tells us that one time on an overnight bush walk he saw two hippos fight each other to the death in a pool right in front of them. “Very vicious. They are not nice animals.”
We get to an area that is more land and less delta. KK and BT ramp us right up onto the shore and pull the Mokoros up. “Pee break?”, “This is where we will go on our bush walk”, “There’s a bush walk?”, “Yes, yes, follow me. Pee if you want to.” Everyone looks at each other slightly wide-eyed. Nobody knew. Alrighty, let’s just go on a bush walk then.