Botswana Okavango Delta 博兹瓦纳奥卡万戈 12/2019 Stop 20 站

Confronted by an elephant in Okavango Delta 在奥卡万戈沼泽地受大象挡住前路

12-13/12/2018. The Chobe River safari ended past 7 p.m.. At 9 p.m., I was again on a night bus on my way to Maun, Botswana, arriving early in the morning.

I spent the day lazing around the campsite. The next day, I joined other tourists and set off for the canoe site in the Okavango Delta after a short drive. From there, we launched three canoes, each paddled by a guide, to see this delta area. For once, no engine noise, just the sound of canoes cutting through water and the occasional birds fluttering away. Cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze, calm water, swaying reeds, with the water lilies that adorn it, the world outside was kept well outside.

After a few hours of gliding through this vast and quiet expanse of the delta, we finally came ashore an island. The guide leader then led us on a bushwalk in search of wild animals, leaving two of them behind to guard our lunch boxes. We knew these beasts lurked somewhere but none of us want to betray our gallantry. Armed with only my legs, how was I going to outrun these guys and the animals, if I am accosted? I really did not understand this concept of walking in the wild with no protection except kung fu. I felt like a bait.

As quiet as it was, this could be a disquieting place. Some of the deadliest creatures roamed here—lions, crocs, hippos, elephants. From afar, we watched hippos snorkeling in the water. Some of us actually dipped into the water. The guides assured us the crocs were probably having their siesta at this time of the day. I did not like the look of this. The water here was waist-deep, the color very sinister. It was neither transparent nor murky, like red tea without milk. The reeds grew over the water by a foot or two. Honestly, I couldn’t see what skulked above it or below it. We could not run, nor could we hide. We were as good as dead meat in their habitat.

We came across elephants lunching along the waterway and looking on edge. One did get annoyed and flapped his ears time and again and threatened to charge, causing us to frantically back-paddle on a few occasions. The guides tried to shoo them off by making noises with their punting sticks, hurling water bottles and dry mud at them as a gentle persuasion to back off. When they continued to obstruct our way, the guides sent my canoe on a desperate mission. I was given a lighter and some dry newspaper, and my paddler drove me to a spot as near to the elephant as possible. I then lit up the dry reed to send it cracking. I have never been so heroic, rescuing my team so they could go home. But I was caught red-handed, in a video, by my teammates, setting fire in a national reserve.

I saw the animals; I sensed the dangers. But I remember most the peacefulness and quietness of this world. Apart from us as intruders, there was no sign of any human activities. When I am tired of this world and its machinations, I recoil to this world. It will remain a most exclusive place in my memory.

12-13/12/2018乔贝河猎游晚上七点结束，九点我又搭上大巴到马恩 (Maun), 凌晨抵达。

第一天就在营地无所事事，多日的跋涉，今天停电休工。

第二天，吉普车把我们载到不远的独木舟停靠点，出发探险奥卡万戈三角洲(Okavango Delta)。三小舟一行八人兵分三舟出发。这回没引擎声，只有小舟划水前进的声音，偶尔鸟儿插翅而飞，蔚蓝天空没一丝白云，清风阵阵，静如镜面的水，微风中婀娜多姿摇摆的芦苇和给她锦上添花的荷花，外界被拒门外，这是世外的世界。

划行一阵后一个导游带领我们五人陆上树丛徒步寻找林中猛兽，留下两位看管我们的午餐盒。这可是河马，狮子，大象，鳄鱼横行霸道的地方。我们都在办公室活得不耐烦，偏向虎山行。同行的几位还在水里游泳戏水，导游保证鳄鱼都在午睡。

遥望一群河马在水里降温。这些大家伙情绪不稳定，敬而远之。几次碰上水道边大象吃草喝水，导游出招驱赶，可是最后碰到一只毛躁家伙挡住去路，越赶他越毛，导游大喊大闹，扔水瓶，这大家伙就是不让步，更恼羞成怒，屡次威胁冲击。我们胆小如鼠，仓急后退，谁说大象怕老鼠。最后导游指定我的小舟划到大象附近，给我一个打火机和些报纸，我就这情况下在这保护区里纵火。他们我们之间没隔离，三尺深的水，茂密的芦苇，如这些家伙向我们冲击，拔腿跑还是拼命划都逃不出这些家伙掌心。我的英勇，成功使大家回到营地。

这是我享受过最宁静的世界。除闯入的游客，这里没丝毫人迹，远在天边，或近在眼前，就只自然。无论世界上演那闹剧，我会永远思念，感受这一天的安宁。