One morning quite early, we set out in our mokoro for quiet ride through the delta.

In a mokoro (plural mekoro) you are poled through the shallow delta by men who have been doing this since they were little boys.  It's a very smooth motion and they can go very fast when they need too.  They often go twenty miles or more to town.  Mekoro are usually made from a hollowed out log, but these are fiberglass reproductions which are longer lasting and safer for guests.  We went right over the reeds, often following paths made by hippos or elephants.

We didn't see a lot of wildlife except for birds.  This tiny malachite kingfisher was like a jewel among the reeds.

 

We stopped by a lovely little island and took about an hour's hike.

 

Frank learned about elephant dung and Marge learned about strangler fig trees.

And I learned that the water lily is white to attract the bees to pollinate it and then turns purple so the bees know it's been done.

What a lovely way to spend a morning.