NAMIBIA – Country number 10 – NAMIBIA

12/13 MAY 2011
NAMIBIA – Country number 10 – NAMIBIA
Get to Windhoek only to leave it again
WINDHOEK AND ETOSHA Alas no elephants

Standing at Chameleon’s reception, I ‘check in’ to a tent as the dorms are full. I take it for one night as I plan on heading southwest to Swakopmund to explore the Namibian dunes from there. I’m told that is a trip leaving today at midday, visiting Etosha National Park for 2 nights, then a night at Swakopmund then onto the Namib dunes for 2 more nights. Yes, they’ll take a credit card to pay for it, so 15 minutes later I’m booked in, leaving me to chill by their swimming pool trying to gather my senses after two long days of travelling to get here. It seems odd not to be unpacking and exploring Windhoek but I always knew I would have to ‘tour’ here in Namibia at some time and why not today? Why not indeed? The timing was perfect and as it turned out I was the only tourist for this trip – my fellow passengers are Chris and Kaash, two travel agents from South Africa along with 2 Chameleon employees, Deidra and Inga. This is a new tour that combines two popular destinations and this is the maiden tour so are led by Chameleon’s proprietor, Jacqui (originally from Griffith, NSW) and our driver was the very patient Franz. Etosha is reputed to be one of the world’s greatest spots for wildlife viewing, Swakopmund is described as being more german than Germany and a destination for extreme sports enthusiasts and the Namib-Naukluft Park covers more than 23,000 sq km of arid and semi-arid land that includes Sossusvlei’s sea of dunes. And all in 6 days!
I try to remember names whilst being driven safely out of Windhoek (nice change to the usual rally driving)and we head north towards Etosha NP in a very comfortable truck. We stop briefly at Otjiwarongo where Jacqui warns us to close all windows and leave bags under the seats before leaving the truck. Now this truck has big windows but you would have to be at least 6 foot tall to reach the top of the window, let alone get in but I remind myself that security is a big issue here in Southern Africa but I do wonder if the fear feeds upon itself somewhat.

Etosha Pan

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with L

Meals on wheels!

A real live zebra crossing

My first foray into a supermarket to spend Namibian dollars was a real treat – not since leaving Oz in December 2010 have I seen such a range of foods under one roof. Ready made salads! A liquor department! A bakery with wholemeal and grain breads along with pastries and buns! And aisles and aisles of food. I lash out and buy a half dozen each of both Namibian branded beers – Tefal and Windhoek just because there is a esky onboard the truck to chill them. Luxury or what? After my shopping thrill, we’re on our way again arriving at Etosha Village not long after sundown. Our accommodation on this tour are lodges so I have a safari style standing’ tent complete with heating, an ensuite including an open air shower (fantastic) and a luxurious bed complete with white linen. Then we are served a magnificent bbq dinner prepared by Jacqui and Franz on the Braai. Fresh salad, vegetables then there is dessert – banana, cream and biscuit crumbs. Mmmm I head to bed sated thinking that only two nights ago I was sweating up north and now I’m sleeping under a doona in the desert down south. And there is the luxury of being a guided trip with all thinking and planning being done for me from where we were going to what I will eat. I slept so well that night that I didn’t hear lions roaring or jackals howling (surprised?).
Early 5.30am start next morning with tea and ‘rusks’ – just like we used to feed to teething babies but these come in flavours! Odd but filling we’re promised brunch within Etosha National Park. Our truck is first at the gates for sunrise and in we go all eager to “spot wildlife’. Now to facilitate this our truck has a roof that raises up so we can stand on the seats for great wildlife spotting .Jacqui was our expert (I’m enjoying this brain dead experience now) and Chris was also very ‘eagle eyed’. We see giraffes and zebras, along with many birds indigenous to this area. We check out numerous waterholes but it seems that the animals are all staying in bed this morning. We stop at a gated car park for a yummy 2 course breakfast (I’m loving this tour) and then head on around the park again with Jacqui valiantly spotting anything that moves for us. We lunch at Halali and check out its waterhole, then it’s off to see the famous Etosha Pan – but after the very heavy rains Namibia has received we are unable to walk onto the pan :-(  But our still cameras click away at the distant phenomenon while Jacqui recounts its many facts, figures and qualities. More driving to return back to Okaukuejo to leave the park before sunset. Dinner tonight is the lodge’s buffet, which includes choices of bbq’ed game (farmed), like Kudu, sprinkbok etc: I tried the zebra but others said the sprigbok was delicious. lol Another early start today back at Etosha again and we see LIONS – 3 lazy lionesses to be exact. Soon enough we are joined by many other tour coaches and trucks who all jostle to give their patrons a view - one woman wants to hang out of the truck and is cautioned by her guide that “Madam, they are wild animals” and she counters this with “but I can’t see them”!! We keep wishing to see elephants throughout the morning BUT we do spot a Rhino, a dead snake and more birds together with ostrich, impala, hartebeest, warthog, squirrels, jackals, wildebeest, gemsbok, sprinbok, kudu, eland and a chameleon in course of our time here. Another great brunch then a long drive south to Swakopmund, to stay at the Dunedin Star which is more than comfortable.


FACT: For you I will summarise – Etosha means Great White Place of Dry Water, and the Etosha Pan is a saline desert that covers nearly 5000 sq km or 21% of Etosha National Park’s total 22,912 sq kms. The surrounding landscapes support 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 16 reptile and amphibian species, one fish species and of course countless insects including the beloved fly and ant! I would have liked to have seen an elephant though!