This natural wonderland that wraps around the enormous Etosha salt pan is astounding! The landscape is blindingly white on the salt flats, and lusciously green in the reserves surrounding them. Easy-to-drive roads zig zag through the park where there are more animals than you could ever dare to hope for.
On our first drive we came across the rare sight of a Mozambique spitting cobra and a mongoose sizing each other up in the middle of the road. No fight ensued - and all bets were off as to who the winner would be if it had - but they danced around each other for a long time before calling off the clash. The cobra stood a half metre high, flat-headed and intimidating the whole time, always facing the circling mongoose. When the confrontation was over the cobra disappeared into the roadside grass in a flash and it was scary to see just how camouflaged they can become in an instant.
We returned back to camp on a high after seeing huge herds of zebra and springbok. We spotted a giraffe doing it's comical side-splits as it drank water, and even saw ZaZu from the Lion King perched in a bush flanked by a caravan of giraffes crossing the plains. Our first game drive had been a success and we were rather chuffed already with Etosha National Park. It was back to our fancy campsite to digest it all.
Now, when it comes to amenities Etosha has it all. This is the home of "glamping" - big shower and toilet blocks, shops, restaurants, even towers with lookouts and fenced off perimeters. In the Serengeti its pot-holed roads and a single squat toilet for the hoards sharing an open campsite that animals freely walk through. Both are valid but vastly different safari experiences. I did it in a nice order to truly appreciate the competitive luxury that is Etosha, and Namibia in general.
That evening a stunning rainbow backlit our tents. As we enjoyed a huge Brie (like a supersized BBQ where the enormous steaks literally hang over each side of your plate) we were rather content. Unfortunately our bliss was briefly interrupted by a group of stupid campers nearby who insisted on feeding the jackals despite warning from other camper. Like dingos in Australia, predatory dogs should be left wild, and as much as we explained that feeding wild animals desensitises their proximity to humans, and that the next campers in their spot might have a baby who'd easily become the jackals next meal, these arrogant people proceeded to wave at us as they threw leftovers at the hovering beasts. Just an example of frustrating stupidity.
The Etosha campsites are known for their lively wateringholes which sit just metres from the perimeter of the campsite in designated quiet zones. Seating is provided and many stories about about what's been seen by campers who kept vigil all night. While our trip proved uneventful the anticipation was exciting enough, and we consoled ourselves with the news the next night's hole was famous for it's activity.
So we were up early the next morning and it was off for another game drove. Not before a few girls found scorpions under their tents when they packed them up though. Eeek!
We'd barely hit the road, but were already thinking it seemed like a slower day, when we drove right up on no less than 11... yes ... 11 lions sunning themselves beside the road. It was breathtaking to see these majestic beasts heaving and lethargic after a recent feed. The babies stayed close to the mum, and we were amused by one lion who literally looked drunk as he stumbled along. We were assured he was a fit creature an most likely had a dead or something.
Later we can across another pride of lions barely 50 meters from a large sign that read "please stay in your car". A woman was leaning on this sign taking photos of the 5 lions. I guess she was assuming there weren't 6...
Love to my little lion at home!
Xxx
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