Most memorable experience
My husband and I were staying at Namushasha River Lodge, which is situated in the north-east of Namibia by the Kwando River, bordering Botswana. One morning we took a river cruise with the local guide, who showed us how to make waterlily necklaces and hats. Traditionally the necklaces are for the ladies and the hats are for the men. In the afternoon we went out with the manager of the lodge for a sunset cruise. We found a massive herd of elephants that was standing close to the riverbank. The manager turned the boat engine off, and we started drifting towards the bank. The elephants moved towards us and eyed us suspiciously, but of course, there was one mischievous bull elephant lurking around the bush. As we drifted even closer, the bull elephant started approaching us; and because we were sitting fairly low in the boat, we were on the same level as the riverbank and staring straight at the bull’s feet. The boat drifted closer, the bull came closer, and by this time I could have reached out and tickled his feet (if I’d really wanted to). The bull started to move closer still, and by this time he was right on the edge of the bank trying to get into the river! It felt like he wanted to join us in the boat – he kept on moving his front leg, as if trying to say, ‘Hey you, come here!’ My courage finally broke and I almost ended up on the manager’s lap, which he didn’t like very much. He started the engine and he took us back to the lodge, leaving the mischievous bull to come to the realisation that he couldn’t join the cruise!