We have ground to a bit of a halt in our travels but Etosha National Park in Namibia is a good place to do that. It would feel just like being on holiday if there were not so many jobs for Chris to do on the Enterprise and he cannot relax.
We awoke really early (3.30am) at the Police Station on Tuesday and set off at first light with a clear gold and blue sky preceding the sunrise. The only stop en route was to buy bread and water (not our sole diet!) and we were still feeling jumpy about security. We were at the park gates by 8.30 and immediately there were animals: wildebeest, ostrich, Cape foxes and many birds including the colorful Rollers, Saddle-billed cranes, a helmeted guinea fowl and a Tawny Eagle banking mid-air to catch a small bird. I was also excited by the hundreds of small green frogs which Chris found tedious. Etosha means 'Great white place' and the salt pan is mostly dry except after heavy rains. We have had no rain since Monday night. The Pan is not the only habitat and we have spent the past 2 nights at one of the several Camping and Chalet sites in the Park. We were told by a French lady travelling the other way that Halili is the best.
The first morning we stopped to have breakfast beside the shore of the Pan and we learned from a passerby that elephants had been seen at Onkoshi. When we arrived there we discovered that this camp is the most exclusive, frequented by those with a lot to spend. We were told that a big herd of elephant had been there the day before but not seen that morning. I did however see a large elephant backside disappearing into the bush and we also saw our first giraffe close by. We were beginning to flag a little when we reached Namutoni Camp where we had to pay the Park entry fee at 2pm.
The afternoon was a harder drive on corrugated roads but we were buoyed up by seeing lots more animals: Burchell's zebra, a female and calf Kudu, some Springbok, more giraffe and lots and lots of Blackfaced Impala, which are so lovely and stand in and alongside the road without fear. We were very weary when we reached Halili for the night. The first thing, after a nice cup of tea, was for Chris to find firewood for and light the barbecue then to visit the nearby Meringa Waterhole. Apart from the beautiful sunset over the water there were no animals to see. It was suggested we come back later but by the time Chris had cooked a chicken and garlic bread in the dark and we had eaten we were ready for bed at 9.15. Not a bad length of day for a couple of old codgers.
Yesterday we set off at 7am for an area of park where a French lady told us they had seen lions. We intended to be back at the waterhole before 10.00 but we saw our own lions on the way. There were Impala nearby which were on the alert. Our morning's sightings included Gemsbok, a long black snake, a group of Banded Mongoose, tree squirrels, Kori Bustards, a Red crested Korean plus most of the first day's animals and birds. No elephant.
We spent the rest of the day here at Halili. I had 2 swims in the large swimming pool and did a second lot of hand washing in hot water, almost a week's washing up and we had hot showers. Chris always has many essential jobs to keep him busy. With electricity on site we have had the a/c on as it has been up to nearly 40C in the sun.
I cooked the meal inside using ingredients (in order of acquisition) from Norway, Morocco (potatoes), Ghana, Gabon, Angola and Namibia!
At 8.40pm we walked up to view the waterhole and met some people returning. They had seen nothing but joked the white rhino was due at 9pm. Imagine our delight when it appeared at the floodlit pool dead on cue. We must have watched it and filmed it for an hour or so until it disappeared back int the bush. Truly magical, under a cloudless sky full of stars.
We awoke really early (3.30am) at the Police Station on Tuesday and set off at first light with a clear gold and blue sky preceding the sunrise. The only stop en route was to buy bread and water (not our sole diet!) and we were still feeling jumpy about security. We were at the park gates by 8.30 and immediately there were animals: wildebeest, ostrich, Cape foxes and many birds including the colorful Rollers, Saddle-billed cranes, a helmeted guinea fowl and a Tawny Eagle banking mid-air to catch a small bird. I was also excited by the hundreds of small green frogs which Chris found tedious. Etosha means 'Great white place' and the salt pan is mostly dry except after heavy rains. We have had no rain since Monday night. The Pan is not the only habitat and we have spent the past 2 nights at one of the several Camping and Chalet sites in the Park. We were told by a French lady travelling the other way that Halili is the best.
The first morning we stopped to have breakfast beside the shore of the Pan and we learned from a passerby that elephants had been seen at Onkoshi. When we arrived there we discovered that this camp is the most exclusive, frequented by those with a lot to spend. We were told that a big herd of elephant had been there the day before but not seen that morning. I did however see a large elephant backside disappearing into the bush and we also saw our first giraffe close by. We were beginning to flag a little when we reached Namutoni Camp where we had to pay the Park entry fee at 2pm.
The afternoon was a harder drive on corrugated roads but we were buoyed up by seeing lots more animals: Burchell's zebra, a female and calf Kudu, some Springbok, more giraffe and lots and lots of Blackfaced Impala, which are so lovely and stand in and alongside the road without fear. We were very weary when we reached Halili for the night. The first thing, after a nice cup of tea, was for Chris to find firewood for and light the barbecue then to visit the nearby Meringa Waterhole. Apart from the beautiful sunset over the water there were no animals to see. It was suggested we come back later but by the time Chris had cooked a chicken and garlic bread in the dark and we had eaten we were ready for bed at 9.15. Not a bad length of day for a couple of old codgers.
Yesterday we set off at 7am for an area of park where a French lady told us they had seen lions. We intended to be back at the waterhole before 10.00 but we saw our own lions on the way. There were Impala nearby which were on the alert. Our morning's sightings included Gemsbok, a long black snake, a group of Banded Mongoose, tree squirrels, Kori Bustards, a Red crested Korean plus most of the first day's animals and birds. No elephant.
We spent the rest of the day here at Halili. I had 2 swims in the large swimming pool and did a second lot of hand washing in hot water, almost a week's washing up and we had hot showers. Chris always has many essential jobs to keep him busy. With electricity on site we have had the a/c on as it has been up to nearly 40C in the sun.
I cooked the meal inside using ingredients (in order of acquisition) from Norway, Morocco (potatoes), Ghana, Gabon, Angola and Namibia!
At 8.40pm we walked up to view the waterhole and met some people returning. They had seen nothing but joked the white rhino was due at 9pm. Imagine our delight when it appeared at the floodlit pool dead on cue. We must have watched it and filmed it for an hour or so until it disappeared back int the bush. Truly magical, under a cloudless sky full of stars.
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