“I only have 700 pula” Husband pleaded with the traffic cop. He had been caught speeding. Not the best start to Christmas Eve but we were almost at our destination the Okovango River Lodge.

It really didn’t feel like Christmas Eve!  It was hot, dry and dusty, there was no frost, no Christmas decorations, no visiting family, no wrapping up in hats or scarves. To be honest I was missing home but determined to make this a Christmas to remember!

We hadn’t been able to book a room for the night and originally planned on camping but we were shattered and really want a room for Christmas. On arrival we begged the manager for a room.. any room. In the end we checked into a small double room and squashed the boys airbeds on the floor either side. There wasn’t much floor space left (in fact Middle Mans feet were in a cupboard) for Santa to leave the presents. But it was not a tent! It had a bathroom, a roof, a bed, a fan and a small table to put the Christmas tree on. 🙂

It was not the 6 foot real tree I was used to but the boys were just as excited to decorate the 2ft silver tinsel monstrosity as they had been any tree in the past. Seeing them beam proudly as they stood next to the tree I realised I had everything I needed to make this Christmas special.

 

With the room set up the boys headed off to the pool, whilst Mrs Clause got on with  wrapping up the presents. Despite the fact it was over 34 degrees I was finally feeling christmasy. I sat on the bed listening to Christmas carols, wrapping the presents in snow flake wrapping paper, dreaming of the boys faces in the morning. I joined the boys at the pool where we relaxed and enjoyed rest of our warm Christmas Eve.

As promised we ate at the bar for dinner and discussed what we should do tomorrow. “We will open our presents mummy” said Middle Man in a tone that implied I was stupid. Where as Lego Man looked seriously at me and in a worried voice questions… “Mummy will Santa know where we are?”. One phone call to Santa later Lego Man was reassured that Santa knew how to find us and that he knew he must be careful of the lions.

Husband and I really wanted to see the Okavango Delta but it was a few hours drive. We had had enough of driving and were pretty sure the boys wouldn’t want to sit quietly looking for animals all Christmas day. There was the option of a helicopter flight… but after a phone call it was apparent they didn’t want our custom on Christmas day, the cost quoted was ridiculous! Finally we agreed on a seanic flight in a 5 seater plane over the delta first thing in the morning. To say husband was excited would be an understatement.

Later with the boys finally asleep Husband and I enjoyed a rum outside our little cabin eagerly anticipating our first African Christmas.