Cody and Dave take on the role of two fishermen stranded in Botswana's Okavango Delta after a hippo attack destroys their boat. The first priority is to get out of the dangerous marsh to the largest, highest piece of dry land. As usual, wading in wild water -- here dominated by sharp-edged hippo grass -- is not desert-loving Cody's prime terrain.
Image Credit: DCL
Getting some elevation on the first dry spot with trees they can reach, Cody and Dave use this vantage point to scan for an even bigger expanse of land that has a better chance of providing survival necessities.
Image Credit: DCL
Because hippos come up on dry land at night to feed, rule number one in hippo country is to pick a roost well above ground. As a an additional defense, Dave made the fire earlier in the day using a magnifying lens from binoculars left behind for them.
Image Credit: DCL
Wading out of the marsh at half a mile an hour will take far too long and pose too many dangers from hippos and crocs. Even though he doesn't get much practice building boats in his native Arizona, Cody takes the lead on using bulrush, wire grass and fan palm to build a primitive raft that will float them down the river.
Image Credit: DCL
At their second camp, Dave keeps watch with three fires he set up in a triangle pattern to serve double duty as a predator deterrent and as a clear search and rescue signal should anyone be looking.
Image Credit: DCL
Dave digs out the tortoise that he pit baked overnight at their second camp. The meat and innards turn out to be a bit strange for Cody, but Dave will almost never turn down animal protein.
Image Credit: DCL
The duo heads out on Cody's grass raft that he christens "River Horse." The craft does the job, carrying them down river to a remote hunting lodge while avoiding any run-ins with territorial hippos.
Image Credit: DCL
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