As promised our day started bright (maybe not so bright as it was before sunrise) but definitely early! Dan and I went down to the main lodge where we had our breakfast and then boarded the safari truck (3 tier) to head out on our morning’s adventure. This one came with a special treat of blankets! Mornings are cold (16C) and when you are traveling in an open vehicle it gets very chilly!

We got to the gate about 5-10 minutes before it opened, and were let in a ew minutes earlier than the posted time.

Inside the gate our driver, Johannes, took down the wind screen and began driving to the grasslands part of the park. The scenery was beautiful! We were on the hunt for a “big cat” this am, with a wish list of a Rhino as well. We drove plenty of grasslands to try to see a lion, cheetah or leopard after a kill.

2 hours of plains driving and the only hint of a big cat that we found was an injured zebra. Actually, we also saw a small herd of elephants including a baby ( maybe a 1 year old or less).

Then all of a sudden our guide drove like crazy ( understand the maximum speed int he park is 60KPH. ( I’m sure he kept it at that) we eventually came to a water hole that had several vehicles looking on. And there she was, a magnificent leopard having her morning drink.

After that, we took a leisurely drive back along the plains and bush route, and came upon a Rhino enjoying some browsing (when they eat the trees leaves)… it was pretty shy, but we did manage to snap some pictures.

After that it was time for a rest break (you are not allowed out of your cars in Etosha unless it’s an emergency), and from there we headed to the Chudop watering hole for coffee and snacks where we watched the wildlife come and go. We finally drove close to the pan on our way out, seeing zebras feeding on the grass close to the water’s edge. Our guide said it was the first time in his life that he has seen standing water here…the last time was 2011. I guess it really was a successful rainy season. A lovely was to end our morning safari.

We arrived back at the lodge around 11:45 am just in time for a quick refresh and then some lunch. I’ve had some questions about the food here…what are the differences etc. Over the last few days we have sampled delicious smoked Zebra Carpacio, smoked game sausage, grilled Wildebeest etc. ALL the food has been outstanding. The lodges that we have been staying at have their own gardens for salad stuff, and so eating salads is fine. The water throughout the country is drinkable, but we have steered towards bottled water just out of caution. Here are a few pics of the food’s we’ve enjoyed! Tonight is a traditional Brai, a local BBQ of sorts.

After lunch we had a rest back at our tent and then we headed out to Chudop waterhole one last time before sunset. We weren’t disappointed! Tonight brought a menagerie of animals including a herd of wildebeest, zebras and black faced Antelope. The biggest thrill was a herd of extremely cautious giraffes (7 in total) that approached the waterhole to drink. When the giraffe drinks it must splay its legs to get its neck down low enough for the water. In this vulnerable position a lion can take it down by knocking it over and going for the neck and head. When standing giraffes have incredible defense mechanisms with their hind legs kicking…plus the fact that’s it’s so tall it’s even hard to attack its belly. Our guide told us that it is rare to see lions take down a giraffe unless there is a large number of lions that need feeding.

Well we left the park by 6, about half an hour before closing. Another wonderful day exploring this exciting park. (Although I didn’t get to see the Lesser Flamingo’s who come to breed here from Walvis Bay.!). I guess I’ll need to come back to Namibia!

Well, it’s time to wind this blog up. Tomorrow is a long drive back to the capital of Windhoek where we will drop off our car and have an evening int he city before our flight the next day to Cape Town.

Have a wonderful day! Chat with you soon!