Etosha...

***Sorry the posts haven't been up to date, finding usable internet in Ethiopia is a bit difficult. Etosha and Namibia seem a world away now, but I'll keep faithfully posting this journal.***

Day 12

Last night at the campsite we had a truly special moment that I would classify as another 'Viva Africa'. A group of local women came to our fire and serenaded us with African songs. How to describe them; filled with energy and happiness the songs were distinctly African.

We arrived in the Etosha pan today after a short stop-off at a petrified forest. There we saw all manner of lizards and 60 - 80 million-year-old spruce. For some weird reason I had it in my head that the trees would be standing. They weren't and I was a little disappointed.

As soon as we arrived in Etosha with its flat grasslands and abundance of trees we saw animals. First came a herd of Zebra.

Next we saw 3 giraffes munching away at foliage. It is a truly bizarre and beautiful animal. It was at that moment, while taking pictures of the gangly, other-worldly animal, that Kapuscinski's words rang true for me. Africa really is a universe unto itself. As a continent with a name it exists only in our minds.

Soon we're going for an afternoon game drive. I really hope to see some big cats.

Day 13

Last night and today has been all about the animals. We had our first game drive last night and we weren't disappointed.

Oryx and Springbok abounded in the brush. Black-faced impala and a pair of black-backed jackals also made an appearance. Herds of zebra mosied around. At one waterhole, 3 female lions and six cubs played. It was great to see the big cats. Wilderbeests were also here and there.

The real treat came as we drove back to the resort. A huge, old elephant lumbered with a lightning storm as a back-drop.

We had a jackal prowling our camp during dinnertime and later in the evening at the floodlit waterhole I watched a black rhino have a mexican stand-off with 6 giraffe.

We began our drive early today and were rewarded with 2 male lions at a waterhole with a jackal picking at remains off to the side. We saw an abundance of birdlife and 4 more lions later on.

Later we saw a herd of zebra intermingling with a herd of elephants. Earlier in the morning at the floodlit waterhole we watched 4 elephants drinking. Eventually we came to plains shared by zebra, oryx, springbok, wilderbeest, and giraffe.

The floodlit waterholes and the mingling of African giants lumbering about give a real Jurassic park feel to things. You really haven't seen these animals until you've seen them in the wild.

With the elephants, lions, and rhino I've now seen 3 of the big five. My fingers are crossed for a leopard. We're going on another game drive in an hour or so. Etosha definately makes the top three experiences of this tour. The wildlife is just another facet of the place's beauty that I am just coming to grasp.

Day 14

Well, it was a million to one shot but somehow it worked out. We set off last night in search of a leopard. After a while of driving and seeing the illusive and tiny dik-dik deer we came across the wretched stink of a rotting impala carcass in a tree. Then there it was.

A stunningly beautiful African leopard lay resting beneath the tree. For a while there was just the whirring and clicking of cameras. To our surprise, the leopard posed for pictures before moving to the other side of the truck for more pictures. I consider myself quite blessed to bear witness to such a majestic big cat.

We came back to our camp to wart-hogs and jackals prowling our campsite. In Etosha, everything goes by the animals' rules.

As we left today we saw 8 more lions bringing the 2 and a half day total to 23. The last we saw was a group of four juvenile males just lounging amongst a group of springbok.

We drove south through the well-treed bushland before entering the low mountain ranges around the capital of Windhoek ("Vindhook"). It's a pretty city filled with greenery and dotted with the electric purple of the jacaranda trees.

Tonight I say farewell to the group and tomorrow it's off to the Zebra River Lodge and the life of luxury after roughing it for so long.