A Jolly Good Trip

From the Ombinda Lodge in Outjo, we drove north towards Namibia’s grandest park, Etosha. Also called the “Great White Place of Dry Water”, it is 23, 175 sq km and is filled with some of the most impressive flora and fauna of any place in all of Africa. Etosha protects 114 mammal species, 380 bird species, 110 reptiles, 16 amphibians, one fish species, and countless insects (well-represented in our washroom!). With rainfall varying between 300 and 500 mm per annum, the park is also home to 800 different plant species.

After entering the park, we began encountering wildlife immediately. Herds of zebra, springbok, gemsbok (oryx), a few giraffes, and a lone warthog were some of our first animals we spotted close to the roadway in just the first 10 minutes The speed limit was posted at 60 km/hr and it wasn’t long before the paved road turned to gravel. We drove for 2 hours before arriving at the Halali Rest Camp (private room, with bath, fridge, and private patio for $80/night). The Park has 3 different camps and we chose this one because it was central and apparently had the best wildlife-viewing waterhole.

After checking in at the camp, we relaxed with a pint of Windoek and some lunch. From 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., we sat quietly with the rest of the game viewers down at the watering hole. Initially, a small herd of Red Hartebeest were quenching their thirst but it wasn’t long before they were pushed out by the subtle arrival of a rare Black Rhino. We watched the rhino (which is actually grey) for about an hour before he left. At one point, he did challenge and snort towards the viewers. Our viewing platform was about 50 metres from the watering hole. The Black Rhino are supposed to have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

After about an hour, the lone male left the scene and not long after, a Black Rhino mother and her calf (? not sure if you call the young a calf or not), arrived tentatively. They shared the water hole with countless birds swooping down, as well as Blue-headed Guinea Fowl, and towards dark; bats. As we continued to watch (and spray mosquito repellent), a different lone male black rhino arrived. He inspected and nudged the little rhino for about 20 minutes before going off on his own.

We had an early night with the plan to awake early and check out the watering hole. We were down there by 6:30 a.m and watched a large herd of Blackfaced Impalas grazing on the tasty grass around the watering hole. After a half hour with no change, we decided to drive around the dirt roads looking for more wildlife. We spotted a few Blackbacked Jackals playing in the distance in the field, a Spotted Hyaena stalking a large group of Springbok, the world’s heaviest bird – the Kori Bustard, a herd of Blue Wildabeest, and a Banded Mongoose.

Since we booked a night safari from 8 – 11 p.m, we decided to go to the watering hole from 6 – 7 before dinner. On arrival, there were a lot of hartebeest present, but were very disappointed to learn that just a half hour prior, there were 4 elephants playing and trumpeting in the watering hole. Fred had his heart set of seeing elephants in the park, but due to a lot of rain they had the week before, they have not had to come to the watering holes as they could find water elsewhere in the park. Maybe we would see them yet

We went on our night safari with another couple from Angola. While enroute to the watering hole, we came across a couple of Spotted Owls, Hares, and countless Spotted Hyaenas. With all the hyaenas present, the guide figured there must be a kill around. He shone the infrared light around the perimeter of the watering hole and sure enough, 3 male lions were laying in the grass. Because they weren’t sitting upright in the hunting position, he figured they were full and satisfied. Hyaenas are also scavengers and will eat the leftover bones. Amazingly, the guide said he heard heavy footfalls, and sure enough, he shone his light in the distance and located a black rhino. He said they will sometimes circle the watering hole 5 times before finally heading down for a drink. The rhino sure kept his distance from the lions who I don’t think saw his presence.

We made it back to camp by 11 p.m. It is interesting to note that you cannot get out of your car while travelling around the dirt road and you cannot leave the park before sunrise and you have to be in by sunset. The camp has a large fence around the perimeter and a very large swimming pool, snack bar, restaurant, and small gift shop (no internet!). There spotted several Tree and Ground Squirrels around the camp, as well as some HUGE insects (praying mantes type grasshoppers/walking sticks).

Our third day in the park was a two hour drive to exit the park and head north to the town of Rundu (on the border with Angola). We stopped to view some amazing birds, a herd of wildebeest, more giraffe, zebras, and Steenbok.

Although Etosha National Park is host to the “Big 5” (Lion, Leopard, Water Buffalo, Elephant, and Black Rhino), we were only fortunate enough to see the Lions and Black Rhino. But with Botswana, Kruger, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda ahead of us, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities for the rest!

As I type this blog on my laptop, we are driving 6 hours to Rundu. We just passed the sign that indicates 100 km left. The speedometer reads 120 km/hr (driving at 110 didn’t last long…but the roads are paved, flat and straight with hardly any traffic in sight). The odometer will top 5,000 km, and soon we’ll be in need of an oil change.

We just passed a Kavango rural village where their huts are made from mud and sticks and gardens and small farm animals surround their fenced-in property. In Namibia, most still live in homesteads and lead typical village lives. They have a strong kinship and extended families all live in the same community and are presided over by an elected headman. They subside on small stock-farming of cattle or goats. There is a small dirt road on either side of the paved road for horse-drawn transportation and moving their cattle/goat herds. 5

We decided to call yesterday a recommended lodge (N’Kwazi), but they have no riverside huts available, so we’ll wing it, as usual. Might try to cross the Okavango River into Angola if we can and check it out.

Well, my battery is running out so I better sign off. I probably won’t be writing another blog until next year (ha – 2 days away!). Which also reminds me, January 1st is our 16th Wedding Anniversary. How time flies!

Hope you all have a healthy, rewarding and fun-filled new year!

Lisa n Fred

We had a very early morning, December 24th, as we were awoken at 5 a.m for our 4 x 4 tour to the famous sand dunes of Sossusvlei. We were accompanied by another couple from Austria who were as happy to be away from a northern hemisphere Christmas as we were. Since we both had just 2 WD vehicles, some of the area would have been inaccessible so we decided to relax and be shown around by an experienced Namibian guide from the lodge.

After entering the Namib-Naukluft Park entrance, we travelled several kilometres before stopping to photograph the first of many reddish-coloured, quartz sand dunes. The guide dug a hole in the sand around what he determined to be an underground spider’s web. Sure enough, deep down he located the jelly-like substance web and even further down, scooped up a white spider (forget its name). Fred was keen to hold it in his hand but the Austrians and I were content to keep our hands away from it.

We continued down the paved road to “Dune 45” which is aptly named because it is 45 km from Sesriem (park entrance) and 45 dunes from Sossusvlei. Our guide asked us if we were interested in climbing a dune and after getting a positive confirmation, gave us the option of climbing Dune 45 or Big Daddy. He advised that Dune 45 is very popular to climb since it is the most accessible from the road and is 150m. Big Daddy, on the other hand, was much more challenging and less touristy. The reason – it is the highest dune in the world at 325 metres.

Feeling up to the challenge, our guide dropped us off and pointed to where we would begin our ascent. Our 30 year old Austrian passengers opted out, saying they were the “cafe” types. I told them I thought everyone is Austria were mountain climbers and Fred told her he wanted to hear her yodel at the top. After a good laugh, they indicated they were from the metropolitan city of Vienna, not the alps.

We began our walk to Big Daddy at 8 a.m with a small water bottle each. We saw a group of about 12 already half way up, as well as one other couple making the climb. Once we hit the start of the dune, we were surprised with how loose and deep the sand was to walk up. Unfortunately, I forgot to get my heavy duty sandals out of the trunk and was attempting the climb with my open-toed croc sandals. I got just two minutes into the climb when the strap on my sandal broke because of the deep sand. I ended up just taking both sandals off and walking barefoot.

After an hour of tough slogging, Fred and I made it to the top of Big Daddy. Our guide had caught up to us (after dropping the Austrians off to see Dead Vlei) and was handy to take a few photographs for us. I also brought Flat Stanley with me and got some great shots of him on top of the dune. It was a very impressive view of the surrounding red dunes in the early morning light. This area is a large ephemeral pan containing dunes that tower 200 metres above the valley floor and more than 300 metres over the underlying strata. The Sossusvlei sandy area is 300km long and 150km wide and contains the world’s highest and oldest dunes.

From the top, it was a very steep and quick descent to the bottom. What took us so long to climb up, only took us 5 minutes to climb down. With each step deep into the sand, we could hear a roaring sound as a result of air being pressed out of the interstices between the sand granules. Once at the bottom, we entered “Dead Vlei”, an extremely dry open area containing several blackened trees which have been dead for 500 years. They used to receive water from the river but it dried up as a result of a sand dune blocking it and diverting the river.

On our walk (a km or so) in the hot sun back to the 4 x 4, I had to put my sandals back on sice it was now about 10 am and the sand was scortching hot and burning my feet. We met the Austrian couple relaxing by the jeep under a shade tree and then drove to a picnic area to enjoy a champagne breakfast complete with cereal, ham, cheese, bread, and other snacks. After a Christmas Eve toast, we were back in the jeep for a quick tour of the 2km-long and 30m-deep Sesriem Canyon.

We returned back to the lodge at about 1 pm and wasted no time changing into our swimsuits and diving into the refreshing pool at the Desert Homestead Lodge. We enjoyed a warm bottle of Pinotage that we have been carrying us with us since South Africa, then headed up to the lodge for a roast chicken Christmas Eve dinner ($13 US each).

I spoke with Ian, the temporary manager and horse guide, about possibly joining him for an early Christmas morning ride through the desert. He was very agreeable and we were to set off prior to sunrise.

I woke up several times that evening, looking out the open, french doors into the starry sky . . . visioning Santa and his sleigh over the Namibian desert 🙂

Ian and I rode off around 6 a.m and since we both took challenging mounts, the photos are limited. The sun rising over the desert mountains was surreal. We did happen to spot some bat-eared foxes in the distance which took off when they saw us. I couldn’t have had a better Christmas morning!

Once back at the lodge, Fred had just awoken and we went for an early morning breakfast and departed for Namibia’s third largest city, Swakopmund. The Austrians, who had spent a week there, advised us it was full of tourists and we’d be hard pressed to find accommodation. After a gruelling, 6 hour drive on all dirt roads, complete with lots of washboards, we arrived to the city on Christmas Day. Half way there, we had passed a sign indicating the Tropic Of Capricorn.

Also on our travels, we had an animal from the mongoose family, as well as the deer family, cross the road in front of us. We also drove through some scenic mountain passes.

Looking almost like a ghost town, we checked half a dozen lodgings being told everywhere was fully booked before finally finding the “Swakopmund Inn” ($70 US/night for a tiny room with 2 twin beds and no private bath, but a decent breakfast). We booked for two nights and went out and enjoyed a terrific Italian pizza and beer for our Christmas dinner followed by Christmas drink at their outdoor bar.

Skydiving has always been on my “Do Before I Die” list and I could think of no better place than to skydive over the sand dunes and the Skeleton Coast. I inquired with the manager who had herself done it and survived to tell the tale. I told her I was interested and would love to do it the following day. She immediately called the company and I was scheduled to be picked up at 10. She asked me if I had noticed the two men sitting at the bar earlier and I hadn’t. She advised that those were the two guys I would be diving with…..

As Fred and I sat outside playing a game of Skip-Bo, I kept thinking about the two guys drinking at the bar, celebrating Christmas Day with several brewskies. After having read about all the drinking and driving and intoxication in Namibia, I started to second guess whether diving at 10 in the morning after a holiday was such a good idea….. As I sat there playing cards and enjoying my own drink, I could just imagine getting into the vehicle to drive to the air strip smelling booze on these guys. At that point, it would be too late! Since it was tandem-diving, I could just imagine that guy’s breath breathing down my neck. So, before the game of Skip Bo was over, I asked the manager to call the guys back and advise them I was backing out!

Hopefully, I’ll get another opportunity somewhere, sometime, in the future.

Since I now wasn’t going skydiving, I asked Fred what adreniline acitivty he wanted to do the following day. His reply, “Find a laundromat.”

So that’s what we did. We dropped off practically all our clothes and I headed to the only wi-fi spot we could find in a cafe inside the mall downtown. 4 hours later, I had uploaded 4 blogs and answered all my emails. We enjoyed a couple of pints afterwards at a downtown happening bar called Rafters, then went for an Italian dinner at Napoletana’s, followed by a movie in English, Quantum of Solace (007).

After another early breakfast, Fred and I decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Swakopmund and head north towards Etosha. I made a quick stop into a shoe store where they had the same Croc sandals and I replaced my others. As I write this blog, we are cruising north to stay in the town of Outjo and are travelling along a straight green-grassy stretch where we have seen several “Caution Warthog” signs. Outjo is where our guide Alex from Desert Lodge grew up and he told me about all the poisonous Mumba snakes around there….and about a German tourist lady who had left her guesthouse door open and a Mumba crawled under her covers with her – she got bit in the cheek when she rolled over. Luckily, she went immediately to the manager who took her to the hospital and she survived).

Just so you know, I WILL be closing our door tonight!

Pleasant dreams,

Lisa n Fred

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