and some mud caked white elephants.
Bored, we head back down to check out the waterhole at Gemsbokvlakte. Well who knew, another "geoff unusual(tm)" - its a 5 car viewing situation, a male lion eating its morning springbok.
(heads ups - if you see >4 stationary vehicles on the skyline then get over there pronto something is going down for sure.)
good stuff, how does Geoff arrange this stuff to happen for us?
Back for bacon, I mean breakfast, and a quick re-pack and check-out before we embark for our 160km journey across the southern edge of the Etosha pan to our destination, Netumi. Halfway along we start to explore all available waterholes, dry or not, and do really enjoy Goff's favourite tree, really.
An un-memorable lunch at Halali (nice enough place btw, public nudity not prohibited) and then it's on to Namutoni.
The landscape is changed, there are lots of short trees, there looks to be vegetation. There is a surfeit of giraffes, like a lot. Dallying we visit a waterhole just shy of the hotel which is differentiated by an island of lush green reeds. Semi submerged we find an elephant doing its best to clear the island of vegetation. But hotel rooms sound good, we leave.
We check in to Namutoni Camp, and this previous colonial fortification reveals itself to be a totally cool hotel.
Not quite as swish as last night at "bacon central", aka Okaukuejo, but very very nice. (Actually i prefer this camp now)
Never missing a beat Geoff has us out on a pre sunset drive around dik-dik trail. No dik-dik (small, no tiny, deer, really) but instead, industrial quantities of giraffe. The place looks like a line up of cranes at a container dock. Seriously, 21 giraffe! We could have Oakland harbour humming.
Giraffes do not get arthiritis, apparently.
Anyway, trying to squeeze the last minutes of daylight away from a bar and targeted to more useful things we did a bonus loop back to the natural water hole where the elephant had previously been gorging on giant reeds. But now the elephants are gone and a pride of lion are performing -ok, sleeping. Then we notice the two delinquent teenage lion cubs have somehow landed on the island of reed. (Elephant scarred but not destroyed and yes apparently, cats swim)
This then turned in to an exciting juggle of whether we can wait long enough for the cubs to leave (swim?) from the island or would we collect the heavy fine incurred by failing to get back to the hotel before the gates close at sunset.
We won.
Dinner in the fort courtyard was considerably enhanced by a nicely chilled bottle of SA chardonnay. Unfortunately my dining companions chose not to share in the fun.
I look forward to the bacon in the morning.
Final pre-sleep thought, the international mix is at the same ratio but apparently the really really cheap tours don't make it here. The human water hole is a delight to behold.
I'm worried, tonight I find out Geoff went to an English public school. (bet it was a direct grant)
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Location:Namutoni Camp, Namibia
