Namibia
I arrived in Windhoek after a 24 hour bus ride from Johannesburg which was 12 hours after i returned from a 4 day safari so I was a little shell shocked on arrival!
The hostel I stayed in was called the Cardboard Box and it was from there I booked a 3 day trip to Etosha National Park. The one thing I noticed instantly in Namibia was although there was still the traditional villages around there was much fewer poor people. I liked Windhoek, ok its just another city but the people were friendly and there was enough to do to keep me occupied (as well as lots and lots of biltong)
When I travelled with Matt from Capetown to Johannesburg the first comment he made about me was on day two when we were clearing out the car and he said 'you and your eating habits'!!
We had a few drinks one night and Matt was talking about me to some girls he was chatting up and gestured towards me and said (quite seriously) 'all she needs is 2 cows and a gallon of tea a day to keep her happy' - referring to the biltong of course but the girls looked a little puzzled!
Etosha National Park was quite simply WONDERFUL!!
We arrived late in the evening and went for a game drive and saw giraffe and warthogs (who always look so indignant!) and then we set up camp by a water hole that was floodlit and watched the comings and goings of the animals.
The next day was another game drive and we arrived at a huge waterhole to see literally hundreds of animals, giraffes drinking at the edge, antelope chasing each other, zebras walking in the waterhole next to the giraffes and the whole image was mirrored perfectly on the water.
In total that day we saw over 100 giraffes and 50 or more elephants. The best elephant sighting we had was when we stopped for lunch at a huge water hole and saw a huge heard drinking. Its interesting to see how much animals play in the wild - something you simply don't see in a zoo! There is also a very strict pecking order at the water hole, most small animals will drink at the same time but the zebras and giraffes are above that in pecking order and everyone moves out of the water and waits when the elephants come to drink.
Another interesting fact was the rhinos. In Kruger we saw a white rhino with a baby (who was having great fun chasing impala much to the annoyance of the impala and the mother rhino as every time she turned around he was off again). Unfortunately him chasing impala was as about effective as dogs that chase seagulls and it looked similar to that - as well as being very funny as he rushed after them on his little wrinkled legs!
The baby white rhino walks in front of the mother and in Etosha we saw black rhino and the baby was following mother. It was explained to us that the black rhino leads by example whereas the white rhino lets the baby learn from its mistakes.
After we left the water hole in Etosha we drove next to the salt pans that cover 25% of Etosha Park and we narrowly escaped being squished by an elephant who charged us as we got too close without realising it!
As soon as I can I will upload my pictures from Etosha, there was literally hundreds of animals all over the place!
The guide we had was really good (as in Kruger) and he told us some interesting stories.
The impala are known as the local fast food as they are on every corner in the park, they are the main food of the predators - AND they have an M shape on their bum - not quite the golden arches but close enough!
The water buck has a curious marking on its back end that looks like it has sat on a freshly painted toilet seat. The guide Tim told us that it was because when Noah let the water buck into the ark he forgot to put a 'wet paint' sign on the toilet door and the water buck sat on the toilet and got that mark!
As for the wildebeest I was told that it was put together from the remains that god was left with once he had finished making all the other animals - as it really is a really ugly animal!
I spent a morning riding in the Namibian desert hills outside Windhoek and spotted dassie and dic dic and impala and eland before I headed off on another trip! The problem with Namibia and Botswana is that it is difficult to get around independently and when I added up the cost it was going to be more than going on an organised trip and as much as I HATE being organised I gritted my teeth and booked an 8 day delta and falls trip and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!!
I will post that trip in a separate blog as in 8 days we did so much, from Namibia to Botswana and the Ocavango Delta and then back into Namibia and along the Caprivi strip and then back into Botswana and the Chobe National Park and then across to Zambia and the mighty 'smoke that thunders' or in English 'The Victoria falls'
I arrived in Windhoek after a 24 hour bus ride from Johannesburg which was 12 hours after i returned from a 4 day safari so I was a little shell shocked on arrival!
The hostel I stayed in was called the Cardboard Box and it was from there I booked a 3 day trip to Etosha National Park. The one thing I noticed instantly in Namibia was although there was still the traditional villages around there was much fewer poor people. I liked Windhoek, ok its just another city but the people were friendly and there was enough to do to keep me occupied (as well as lots and lots of biltong)
When I travelled with Matt from Capetown to Johannesburg the first comment he made about me was on day two when we were clearing out the car and he said 'you and your eating habits'!!
We had a few drinks one night and Matt was talking about me to some girls he was chatting up and gestured towards me and said (quite seriously) 'all she needs is 2 cows and a gallon of tea a day to keep her happy' - referring to the biltong of course but the girls looked a little puzzled!
Etosha National Park was quite simply WONDERFUL!!
We arrived late in the evening and went for a game drive and saw giraffe and warthogs (who always look so indignant!) and then we set up camp by a water hole that was floodlit and watched the comings and goings of the animals.
The next day was another game drive and we arrived at a huge waterhole to see literally hundreds of animals, giraffes drinking at the edge, antelope chasing each other, zebras walking in the waterhole next to the giraffes and the whole image was mirrored perfectly on the water.
In total that day we saw over 100 giraffes and 50 or more elephants. The best elephant sighting we had was when we stopped for lunch at a huge water hole and saw a huge heard drinking. Its interesting to see how much animals play in the wild - something you simply don't see in a zoo! There is also a very strict pecking order at the water hole, most small animals will drink at the same time but the zebras and giraffes are above that in pecking order and everyone moves out of the water and waits when the elephants come to drink.
Another interesting fact was the rhinos. In Kruger we saw a white rhino with a baby (who was having great fun chasing impala much to the annoyance of the impala and the mother rhino as every time she turned around he was off again). Unfortunately him chasing impala was as about effective as dogs that chase seagulls and it looked similar to that - as well as being very funny as he rushed after them on his little wrinkled legs!
The baby white rhino walks in front of the mother and in Etosha we saw black rhino and the baby was following mother. It was explained to us that the black rhino leads by example whereas the white rhino lets the baby learn from its mistakes.
After we left the water hole in Etosha we drove next to the salt pans that cover 25% of Etosha Park and we narrowly escaped being squished by an elephant who charged us as we got too close without realising it!
As soon as I can I will upload my pictures from Etosha, there was literally hundreds of animals all over the place!
The guide we had was really good (as in Kruger) and he told us some interesting stories.
The impala are known as the local fast food as they are on every corner in the park, they are the main food of the predators - AND they have an M shape on their bum - not quite the golden arches but close enough!
The water buck has a curious marking on its back end that looks like it has sat on a freshly painted toilet seat. The guide Tim told us that it was because when Noah let the water buck into the ark he forgot to put a 'wet paint' sign on the toilet door and the water buck sat on the toilet and got that mark!
As for the wildebeest I was told that it was put together from the remains that god was left with once he had finished making all the other animals - as it really is a really ugly animal!
I spent a morning riding in the Namibian desert hills outside Windhoek and spotted dassie and dic dic and impala and eland before I headed off on another trip! The problem with Namibia and Botswana is that it is difficult to get around independently and when I added up the cost it was going to be more than going on an organised trip and as much as I HATE being organised I gritted my teeth and booked an 8 day delta and falls trip and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!!
I will post that trip in a separate blog as in 8 days we did so much, from Namibia to Botswana and the Ocavango Delta and then back into Namibia and along the Caprivi strip and then back into Botswana and the Chobe National Park and then across to Zambia and the mighty 'smoke that thunders' or in English 'The Victoria falls'
posted by Amy | 5:55 AM
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