Good things come to those who wait.

As I wait in Joburg for the long awaited day of my departure to arrive, I think back on the last two weeks of preparation and excitement for my great adventure. When hearing about the almost unbelievable chance of going to the Okavango Delta, I was filled with the kind of excitement that keeps you awake at night. For the first week, the lack of sleep pales in comparison to the expectation of going to and living in such a magnificently beautiful part of the world as the delta. However, going on my second week of not being able to sleep until 2 or 3 am in the morning, the frustration and lack of sleep are beginning to catch up on me. Despite the weeks delay on our much-anticipated departure, excitement of things to come has not yet dwindled. While I have not been able to reach my ultimate destination I have been able to spend a week with my much loved aunt and uncle and spent time with friends.

While visiting two such friends, Alastair and Gen, at their flat in Sandton they told me that I definitely needed a knife to go into the bush. While I like to think of myself as a fearless adventurer, I will admit that I wouldn’t mind something of sorts with which to at least dull the fear in my mind. The chances of it actually being used to kill a venomous snake that I might find in my bed or guaranteeing my survival in the wildness if lost, are however slim. My exuberant friends referred me to a particular shop in Sandton Centre, which boasted every possible weapon, as well as a genuine suit of armour for R46,000. While browsing through the shop, I found myself imagining unsheathing Crocodile Dunee’s knife from a thigh holster to discourage whatever menace threatened my existence (if your imagination cannot go to these lengths please watch Lara Croft – Tomb Raider for inspiration). Yes while sporting a rather wild imagination, I was instead dissuaded by the price tags attached to the selection of Crocodile Dundee knives, that they did in fact have displayed, rather than by reality. After traveling through all sorts of wild and fanciful worlds and adventures, which the assortment of swords and armaments conjured, I was able to select a rather practical foldaway stainless steel knife. While not able to defend me from a prowling lion or enraged buffalo that I might encounter in the delta, I am sure it will prove useful in other areas. All I’m missing now is a flint according to the infamous survival fundi, Bear Grylls.
This first blog, of hopefully more exciting ones to come, might prove to be more useful in preventing my boredom rather than entertaining readers. However, I guarantee that those to follow will indeed contain adventures and hopefully a good few photos too. I hope to be able to leave Joburg soon and embark on my much-anticipated experience in the wilds of the Okavango Delta.