BACK ON DRY LAND AND OFF TO THE BUSH

The next day, it was back to dry land through the same means as we arrived in the Delta, although reverse order (obviously). Back in our camp, we were treated to an amazing local dinner – a stew cooked in a big cast iron, pot bellied pot type thing with potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice and veggies – and dancing by the locals. The dancing was a bit awkward. Basically, the entire town turned our, babies included, with a couple of drunk buddies on the drums who pounded away while the women folk, and a few courageous men, danced out two by two and did a little shake. One was apparently so excited to come out and do the dancing that she forgot to take her blue rollers our of her hair.

All cozy in our little tents, we had quite a surprise that night when we felt drops coming through our back screen and moments later a flash of lightening following by thunder. It took a few seconds to click and then Jules and I were up and out hammering down the fly sheet in an effort to keep dry. This, of course, was also the night following a big laundry day and as we climbed back into the tent, we though, hmmm, might want to get the laundry down, and off we stumbled to retrieve our clothes before they received a second washing. Didn’t help much that my glasses were back in the tent and after walking about 30 feet it clicked that well, I could not see much of anything but large objects, one of which could very likely be one of the hippos that wandered through the camp on a regular basis. The thunder was one of the most amazing things I think I have ever heard. It really was “rolling thunder” and started way off in the distance slowly getting louder until it sounded like it was right on top of the tents. Now it is easy to understand how someone came up with that description.