5 Weirdest Sights I saw in Southern Africa

1) In Chobe Park in Botswana, a male baboon ran across the road in front of our vehicle pursuing a fleeing female baboon. He grabbed her, copulated with her with the speed of the shifty and ran off, leaving his bewildered victim sitting in the middle of the road. The crime was so swift that many in the van missed it.

2) On the way to Kruger Park in South Africa, in the middle of absolutely nowhere with no houses in sight, we saw two small children standing on the side of the road. One was dressed in a bright blue track suit and the other in red track suit. They didn't seem in the least distressed, just completely alone.

3) The toilet we were expected to use in Zambia. My uncle was in the process of constructing a fishing lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River. The position was glorious and overwhelmingly beautiful so the toilet was constructed to take advantage of the view. It was a three-sided, thatched palace with a toilet of sorts perched over the deepest and smelliest hole I had ever seen. If you timed your longest sitting of the day at sunset or sunrise, you were privileged to Paradise on Earth as the brilliant red sky turned the river to rose wine. The only problem was the passing traffic of hippos, crocodiles and fishermen.

4) In South Africa, not far from the Botswana border, we saw a woman strolling across a vast field with a wooden hippo balanced on her head. Most people ignored it but I couldn't help but wonder as to the purpose of her stroll and the role of the hippo.

5) The toilet (yes, there is a slight theme here) we were expected to use on an island in the Okavango Delta. It was a hole in the ground with some wickedly devised wooden construction laid on top to prevent animals from falling inside. But what about us falling inside as we manoeuvred our feet into position for accurate aim? This toilet was about thirty meters from camp in the middle of a path which led out into the wilderness. We wondered if the lions and hyenas simply knew it was our toilet and didn't approach out of respect?