April 30

Etosha NP,  camp  to Okaukujejo camp

This day started at dawn, when Irene went over to the water hole to see which animals might be there.  The waterhole is a safe place at Halali camp where visitors can sit in a sort of blind, called a 'bird hide' in the UK, to watch birds and animals without disturbing them.  This viewing area is quite big, with benches that could comfortably seat dozens of humans watching wildlife.  The great variety of expensive camera equipment far outnumbers the animal species that can be viewed at any one time so if animals are scarce there's still  plenty of photographic equipment to oogle! 

Elephant scat at the water hole indicated we had slept through some potentially interesting viewing.  But in the early morning light the only creatures that visited the wiser hole were about 40 crowned guinea fowl.  

After a simple breakfast of granola, fruit and yoghurt we set off for our next 75 km safari expedition from camp to camp.  The day was hot and hazy, breezy and dusty.  The sun felt intense.  We drove south along the gravel road to a waterhole, places sometimes empty, sometimes teeming with life.  This was the later. By the end of an hour we had probably seen perhaps 1000 animals, and even if most were the delightful springboks, and the zebras who made up more than half, it was a great start.  To date we have hardly missed any of the antelope that we had scarcely heard of just months ago.   We've had enough Wildebeasts, to see the variation in them, watched the stately Oryx with its meter long horns, seen so many impala that we ignore them despite their near perfection, had 

More viewers arrived; we moved off.  A tawny eagle on top a tree attracted us to a side loop, and just then Devon spotted one lion, then a second.  Soon they were close enough that we kept one hand on the window switch, but it was mid morning, so they were more interested in shade and sleep than us.  Again, more viewers came by and we left the lions to them.  Within a few kilometers we found three cars on the side of the road with passengers all looking out.  Tis time it was a whole pride: two large males, three females, two young cubs and now wee cub - all in the shade of the only tree.  

Our morning continued as the previous two, with many stops to view wildlife.  By noon we were hot and satisfied, so we headed to our next camp, called Kaukuejo.  The water hole at this camp is larger and more open than the camp at Halali, and seems to be more active with animals through the day.  On our arrival we saw giraffes and zebras as well as various antelopes.  

After a lunch picnic at our rather hot and dusty campsite we headed over to relax in the shade by the pool.  Charlotte and Devon went swimming.  Our silly of us to neglect to bring our swim suits as it would have been great to have a refreshing dip.  

Dinner was another delicious feast created by Charlotte and Devon.  Afterwards we walked to the waterhole to observe the action.  A rhino wandered over to drink, slowly dipping and sipping multiple times, all very much in slow motion.  Charlotte and Devon stayed later and saw some lions chase a prey.  Later the elephants came....

Irene

Sent from my ipad....Oops, did auto - complete create strange words?

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