5 September

No problems with honey badgers at all last night.

Instead, two black rhinos visited the waterhole and fought and sprayed their urine – though the outcome was unclear.

Today was quite amazing. On the route from Halali to Namutoni we stopped off at a bunch of waterholes. Initially we had no luck finding much exciting, so took a toilet break where we met a Dutch/South African man with a lot of experience and he told some stories from some of the places we are still headed (in Botswana). After driving on we found his jeep at the side of the road and pulled over to see why. Sure enough, looking in the side mirror there was a leopard standing in the grass. This is incredibly lucky as they are super stealthy predators with almost perfect camouflage. It appeared to be stalking a group of impala but gave up after a few minutes, heading off in a new direction.

 Hopes high we continued on to Springbokfontein – a place not really renowned for anything, but instead found a lion and 3 lionesses hiding in the grass about a kilometer upwind from a herd of about 200 wildebeest. It was incredible watching them maneuver into position in the long grass; they fanned out and lay low ahead of the herd and waited in the midday heat. After watching the herd move painstakingly towards them for a few hours, it became obvious that the bright sun had revealed the lions and the herd stopped far out of their range.

We received a tip from another traveller that a lion pride was feeding on a carcass somewhere a few hours east. By the time we arrived however all that was left was the spine, and the vultures were refreshing themselves in the water. At least we got a good glimpse at the lions resting under a tree with 6 or so cubs.

We also visited a few waterholes with a reputation for animals, but all were strangely empty.

Today we also explored the Etosha pan – the gigantic dried up lake (visible from space) that creates the soil conditions which make the park special. We drove out a few hundred meters onto the cracked surface and were surprised to find a few puddle of water, and that my feet would sink into the pan. Imagine our greater surprise then, after driving a few hours east along its edge, when blue water filled its surface and reminded us of the ocean.

A few other things:

Etosha is quite amazing, and we share the campsite with people who have come from all over the world.

The campsites are within larger compounds which include restaurants, chalets and swimming pools. There are three – Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni, and they are all completely fenced.

It is illegal to be inside the park after sunset or before sunrise, and on the compound gate are large clocks to remind you when they close.

For those who didn’t know; we are sleeping in a tent that is attached to the top of our 4x4 and can be folded up every morning and unfolded in the evenings. Keeps us safe from animals, and comfortably off the gravel ground.