Week 98: On the Banks of the Zambezi

I spent my week in the northern part of Botswana catching up with friends, trying Elephant biltong (jerky), and watching the sunset over the banks of the Zambezi River. It turns out Elephant meat tastes like grass and far more delicious was the “We Carrot About You” cake that my friends made to continue the birthday celebrations. My mittens of last week were replaced by bare feet in the sand of the Zambezi river as we spent a few days on an island in Zambia where I became aquatinted with the calls of Hippos and how to use my core strength to not tip the mokoro boat we road in to get there. Mokoro boats look similar to canoes, except the bottom is flat, they are made from a hollowed out tree, and only one-person paddles while standing in the back. I have been intrigued by these boats and eager to ride in one, until I sat down and noticed just how close I was to crocodile infested water… Antoine, the man paddling the mokoro and taking us to the island seemed unconcerned, I on the other hand was reminded of when I learned to drive and how I had a bad habit of overcorrecting the steering wheel as this time I kept throwing my weight from side to side, rocking the boat far more than was necessary. As it turns out everyone seemed to be more comfortable in the water then I was as I saw even the Elephants enjoy a good swim!