The Big Trip-Paris, Africa, London: Etosha, Elephants, Zebras and Lions

Well, here I am in Etosha National Park. Getting here was one long ride. We started out from the Vingerklip Lodge at around 8 AM. We back tracked to see the Petrified Forest and the petroglyphs from 6000 Petrified Forest and the petroglyphs from 6000 years ago. Both were very interesting and well worth the trip. It was quite a walk up and down the mountain to see the petroglyphs but they were in great condition. From here we drove 4 1/2 hours to the Etosha Safari Camp.

The place is pretty basic. I am sharing a room with a few small ants. They do not take up much room. The bed is comfortable and there is hot water in the morning for a shower. I have a little porch to sit out on and I am pretty comfortable. Dinner was a buffet with game on the menu. I went vegetarian. Here in Etosha, you see springbok on plains, in the bush, at the watering holes and on the menu. We got here just in time for dinner. After dinner, in the outdoor courtyard, they had a duo plying. They were 3 local men from the Damara tribe and they played local music. They were great.

This morning we were off at 6:30 AM. I still prefer an open vehicle but there is something to be said for a van with heat. It was much different and easier entering the park than Kruger. There was almost no one in the park. We drove for about 20 minutes when we saw a bus stopped. Right on the side of the road was 6 lions. Some were sitting, some lying down and one was walking around. They really mugged it up for the cameras. We watched them for about a ½ hour and then we moved on. We saw giraffes, jackels, zebras and herds of wildebeest. At 11 AM we returned to the lodge for lunch and a rest.

The afternoon viewing was not as good. We checked water holes and other places were leopards and rhino hang. We did not see one. We did see an aardwolf. I had never seen this before. Johann was pretty disappointed but Fran and I were very happy. We saw a new lizard and saw so many beautiful birds. As the park closed at sunset, I watched the sunset on our way out of the park. Dinner and local music rounded off the day.

9:50 to bed. Another day in Etosha tomorrow.

Early up again, we were off in the park by 7:00AM. It was very quiet in the park, Even the animals weren’t out. We went to several waterholes with no results. Finally we came upon a herd of elephants bathing. It was fantastic. Big ones and little ones were bathing themselves in muddy water. They were spraying water everywhere. It was quite a sight.

Moving on, we began seeing more activity. There was water in the Pan, which is the large central part of Etosha. It was a lake at one time and now it only has water during the rainy season. Due to flooding there was still water. Wildebeests, zebra, kudu, impala, springbok and giraffe were all getting water. We found a hole with a herd of giraffe drinking water. It was fun to watch the giraffe fix their legs so they did not fall over while drinking. We really did not see anything new. I did get some great pictures of a dik-dik and the watering hole pictures are great. Johann was getting frustrated, so without seeing rhino, leopards or cheetahs, we left the park. I enjoyed the park. I think another day would have done it. I really liked the Etosha Safari Camp lodge that we stayed at. The people were very nice and the rooms were comfortable.

Tonight we are at the Ghaub Farm. It is a really beautiful place. The people are friendly. Once again, Bambi was on the menu so I went for the chicken. After dinner the restaurant staff sang some local songs. They were great. It got very cold so early to bed.
This morning, Fran and I did some hiking (hiking of course is relative). It was really nice to do before we took the long trek back to Windhoek. On the way back we stopped and did some shopping at an African market, visited friends of Johann and visited a termite hill. It was a fairly leisurely ride.
We are now back in Windhoek. We have parted with Johann and tomorrow morning we head to the desert- Soussuvlei. Hopefully I will have communication tomorrow night. Until then.