So this is it, the camp of all camps, the one not to be missed in Botswana. The place where we would assuredly see all of the ‘Big 5’ and then some. The place where we would spend our last 3 nights - Mombo.

Everything about our first hours at Mombo felt welcoming. We were served a welcome drink, an incredibly refreshing passionfruit slushie with green tea and mint - I had two. Then we were welcomed by a parade of elephants splashing in the marsh smack in front of the railing on the deck. You could have reached out to touch them, they were that close. There was (a business of) monkeys sitting on the bridge leading to our tent, and once inside, a beaded rhino artfully decorated the top of our duvet.

We relaxed in our ‘Out of Africa’ style tent. It was rustic, authentic, and had some very luxurious accents. There was a wraparound porch overlooking the marsh where you could sit in khaki folding chairs and have a cigarette (there was an old engraved ashtray on the table) and ponder nature. We spent our first few hours sitting there, sans cigarettes, being entertained by four separate groups of mother and baby elephants that cruised by. It was funny how the baby elephants, getting used to the power of their limbs, would deliberately kick up as much water as they could manage. They happily splished and splashed their way along, just like a 5 year old kid would.

After dinner we were escortedto our tent and in the front tree was an Owl eating a fish. Apparently seeing a Fishing Owl is rare, so when word got out we had many visiting photographers. I saw it again the following day sleeping in a tree above our outdoor shower.

Our guide, OB was the embodiment of enthusiasm and was a joy to spend time with. He’s probably seen these animals hundreds, thousands of times and yet, every time he spotted something, it was as if he had just discovered them for the first time. I asked him what OB was short for? (I needed to shake the image of a tampon manufacturer), and he told me his full name was Obonye Kamela. We had one other guide, at Abu campwhose name was BT, I asked him his full name as well. I wrote it down because it was the longest name I had ever heard: Batsholelwang Mothakola. Wow. Thankfully they make it easy one you by using initials.

Our afternoon drive was filled with sightings - warthogs, elephants galore, wildebeest, zebras, and giraffes. When we happened upon a male Impala with (a herd of) females OB shouted “Guys, Guys, Look - He’s a rich man…look at all the ladies he has!” While we watched ‘the rich man’ chase various females about. OB told us facts about how an Impalas marks their territory by releasing their scent on wild sage, which is so strong that it's hard for the cats to pick up the smell. He told us how a Python can actually eat an Impala - horns and all. He even saw a picture of the horns outline within the pythons stomach. And, he tells us, pythons are good luck.

The ladies....I think the rich man chased a lady right out of my frame.

As we watched (a journey of) giraffes, I gushed about how graceful they were. OB used that as a segue to a story about how Giraffes will fight to the death. They straddle out their front legs so they can anchor lower to the ground, then they swing their long necks back and forth to gain momentum so they can head-butt their opponent. They wont stop until their horns are broken, their faces are bloody and one of them is dead. Thats worse to visualize than the Python story.

We got a call from another Mombo Jeep that they had spotted the prized leopard, the second of our Big 5 sightings. The first Big 5 animal was were the elephant. Most camps have a rule that you can't have more than three jeeps at a time watching the animals. At Mombo it felt like they had a one Jeep policy. We seemed to always have some private time to watch without the competing engines. The leopard was mesmerizing with its gorgeous spotted and stripped coat. It was also a true entertainer. It circled wide around our jeep and then came closer, at one point walking straight at me. I almost dropped my iPhone on its head taking a photo. Then she turned and hopped up on a faded fallen tree branch, crossed her paws, yawned and squinted into the pink and gold sunset. It was as if she was a trained performer.

OB gives us plenty of time to take photographs, and told us a story about a Leopard who killed a Baboon and then took care of her babies for three days. “What happened after the three days?” I asked. He shrugged and said matter-of-factly “Then he ate them.”

“OB, are there any GOOD animal stories?” I asked. “Yeah Yeah, sure there are.” He took a few minutes to think of one. Then he said ‘Well, sometimes, a Wild Dog will regurgitate into a Jackels mouth, and that equals a kindness.” I laughed. The guides have probably seen so many crazy animal situations, and wanted to do something to help, but the policy of all of the camps is not to interfere in nature.

Sunset. I took these shots right after one another.

Our morning drive started with breakfast in the dining area on the deck. One of the waitresses was patting her heart as if to calm it, and we asked if she was okay. Yes, she said, but she had just come out of the loo (British for bathroom) and a Leopard crossed in front of her and gave her a huge surprise. Breakfast was at a long bar-like table facing the marsh. I don’t know if they did that so we could all slowly awaken before anyone actually got a look at our 5am selves, or if they were orienting us to the rising sun and potential animal sightings. I personally was just glad it was dark-ish and that i could sit on the end.

We saw Cape Buffalo (that makes 3 of the Big 5), hyenas, zebras, Impalas and then got radioed that another Jeep had found the MaRiRi pride of lions (now 4 of the Big 5). When we arrived at their spot, OB exclaimed “Guys, Guys, look at them, they are all fully loaded!” motioning to their distended bellies, probably filled with some other animal. It was incredible how close you could get to them. We drove around them, taking photos from every imaginable angle.

There were four lioness, three cubs and two males. “Not two males!” OB said “One male and one hermaphrodite. MaRiRi is a lioness but has a mane like a male.” My jaw dropped. Was. Not. Expecting. That. Instead of actually voicing the questions that were occurring in my head, (Like Just a Mane? or How do you get close enough to see that it is, in fact, a hermaphrodite?), I decided I had to look that one up as soon as I had an internet connection.

Sure enough, according to National Geographic, its a genetic anomaly in the Mombo area. In addition to being a great spotter, OB was a collector of bizarre animal facts and stories. I appreciated that more than he could ever know. We headed back to camp for lunch and a siesta, and we got in a few more leopard sightings - a Leopard Tortoise, and yesterdays entertainer Leopard.

On the afternoon drive we were accompanied by a cute New York NewIy Wed couple.They were fun and also really enjoyed the personality that is OB. Since they had just arrived they were excited to see the elephants, giraffes, impalas and hyenas, which truly are, no matter how many you see, always a treat. We decided to visit a marshy riverside area and ended up perpendicular to a hippo. He was obviously surprised and not happy to see us.

OB tried to drive closer but the hippo came toward us in a threatening way. We were in the middle of a field on the edge of a seasonal lake. The hippo made a run for it and charged ahead toward the water. OB took up the challenge by spinning the Jeep around and racing to the the other side of the brush that separated us from the Hippo. He was hoping to catch up with him on the other side, before he entered the river. In my gut, I knew we were taking perfectly with the speed of the Hippo. The Newly Wed Wife also knew it. “OB! we’re going to run right into him!” “Are you worried Deb?” he asked “Yes!” I said as we rounded the corner, and there we were, with the Hippo right in front of us. OB put the Jeep in reverse and started wildly honking the horn. The hippo stood his ground for a minute then opened his 5 foot tall jaws, shook his head wildly, roared and then made a thundering beeline. You can't imagine how fast they can run carrying all that weight. He disappeared under the water, and suddenly roared up again, baring his teeth and then sank under for good. It was terrifying! So terrifying that not one of us caught it on film. As we drove away OB asked if I was really worried, “Weren’t you?” I asked.

As we started back for camp, OB laughed and said in his typical fashion “Guys, Guys - that was a real mind blow!” I would have to agree.

As we’ve gone from camp to camp I’ve noticed the size of the camera lenses have grown from no lenses (aka my iphone) to lengths of almost 2 feet. One guy had to buy an extra seat on the puddle jumper just for his camera equipment.

At dinner we were seated at a long table on the deck under the stars and over the floodplains, next to an english couple who had visited the camp more than twenty times. He introduced himself in the absolutely lowest human tone imaginable. He had a British accent and he used a funny conspiratorial tone, like he was telling me classified information. Each word was a long exhale. He happened to be said man with the 2 foot camera lens. The lens is so long, he explained, that he needed two hands to twist all the sections. This prompted me to ask if he was a photographer?

“No,” he paused long enough for me to think it was a one-word answer.

“I’m a,” pause, “doc” exhale “tor,” pause, “asthma, really.”

This was going be a long meal. Thankfully because of their twenty odd visits, all of the staff kept stopping by to welcome them back, so their really wasn’t any attempt to have an actual conversation.

At the other end of the table were six Englishmen and their wives who were boisterous, witty, chatty and sharing ice rattled glasses of scotch and vintage wines. Good ol’ boys and their gals who, when it would have been legal, might have loved to take out their rifles and bring back one of the Big 5 as a trophy for their country manors. The term ‘Big 5’ was given to the 5 hardest animals to hunt on foot back in the day. We had the great fortune to have seen 4 out of the 5 during our stay at Mombo. We had one chance left on our way to the airstrip, but word was that no one had spotted a Rhino in months. So I’m counting that Hippo encounter in my ‘Big 5.’

“What’s the best place you’ve ever been?” Is a question I often get. I have never been able to answer this without asking a few other questions to qualify my answer. What type of destination? a beach, a city? or for what type of experience? epicurean, cultural, relaxation? I can’t single out any one locale because so many places are amazing in their own way. But now I have a definitive answer. Out of every country, city or island we have visited, and there have been more than a few, Safari in Botswana, well probably Safari anywhere, is above and beyond.

Which leads me to a very necessary Thank You to Carol Oken. Without her experience and guidance an adventure like this would never have been possible. She thoughtfully created, planned and strategized our itinerary by taking all of our wants, needs and concerns in mind. The trip was paced perfectly and the camps she chose gave us 4 spectacular and varied views into south african safari style. If you are thinking about going anywhere in Africa - she's your gal!

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