Mokoros – Blogs from Betty's Bay

Deep sand demands your full attention – keep the momentum going throughout …

Domestic animals roam freely along the road and there are no fences.

… or a pride of lazy lions after a kill …

… we reach our open campsite on the banks of a tributary to the Khwai river. Open – yes, open; no fences and the hippo pool is just around the corner … and the trees are difficult to climb …

The next morning we pick up hyena and leopard spoors – silent visitors of the night. Not so silent were the mighty hippopotamoi … they stepped out when night had fallen, feeding on the sweet green juicy river grasses on the swampy borders while you lie awake, listening to their grinding crunching wallowing, heart-stoppingly near to your tent, a sheet of canvas away … hippos are well known to be short tempered, easily turning into tempestuous beasts when disturbed at mealtimes …

The next morning Mokoros arrive, steered by young people from nearby villages.

At the Hippo pool. Somewhere in the background on the river bank a crocodile is lurking, invisible to the unsuspecting eye.

The Mokoros, tree dug-outs originally, are a means of transport for the local population. To stake tourists along the quieter waterways, has become an additional income generator. The modern Mokoro is made of fibre glass and their owners are proudly showing off their skills in keeping their wobbly crafts in balanced motion. This is your moment of feigning pluckiness in an environment that is not without concealed danger while to all appearances leisurely drifting among beds of waterlilies.