OKAVANGO ECHOES

One Okavango evening, at the luxury Khwai River lodge, a young well-bred English pilot of good character and eloquent public-school accent and I had too much to drink.

- JEFFERY KEMPSON

THE PERSONABLE KENYA EXPAT couple who managed the lodge Mr Derek Bentley, a superb host, together with his wife, Cordon Bleu Chef, Pamela, were entertaining at the bar.

During this period two of our four Esquire Botswana Airways Aero Commander 500s were based at Khwai River lodge to operate the local Lindblad tours contract.

My companion pilot Rodney and I had imbibed excessive numbers of freshly concocted White Lady cocktails and then, by way of a nightcap, Mine Host Derek created a variation of a Brandy Alexander, which he named The Esquire Whore.

This liquid creation was very smooth, though potent, and of such superior quality that we persuaded Derek to mix more.

During this increasingly jocular evening one of the American guests asked me, “What would happen if we are attacked by a wild animal at night, and you need to casevac us to Johannesburg, and the pilots are all drunk?”

Even though it was not strictly true, I replied that our aircraft insurance policy precluded us taking off or landing at night at Khwai as there was no flarepath for night flying. On occasion we had to casevac out in an emergency using Land Rovers positioned at each end of the runway to line up on. I also said that we pilots tended not to drink before 5.00 pm so guests should be careful on late afternoon safaris not to provoke the wildlife.

I related an incident about a local mixed-race professional hunter who introduced himself to his American clients by saying, “Hello, I’m Willy Phillips, your off-white hunter.”

My anecdote caused considerable mirth so encouraged, I related a particularly memorable Khwai story about how I had flown the President, Sir Seretse Khama, his bodyguard, Churchill, and their entourage to Khwai. After dinner His Excellency and retinue were reclining in chairs around the campfire, together with the lodge owner, and others.