Finding the Big Five!

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Namibia is a country of great contrasts and wonderful tourist attractions. Situated in West Africa and bordering South Africa, Angola and Botswana, the country of wide open spaces is home to two million people. Famous for the Namib desert including the awe inspiring sand dunes of Sossusvlei, Namibia also features Etosha National Park, one of the most famous game reserves in Africa. I began my visit by flying into the capital Windhoek from Cape Town, and was immediately struck by a sense of vastness on arrival at the airport. What's the John Dory with that, I mean this airport is in the middle of nowhere!

So anyways I piled into a taxi, dear reader, and my man thundered along the savannah for 50 kilometres before we arrived in Windhoek, and I felt like the safari had already begun! I checked into the hostel, got settled and later on met some lively characters at the hostel bar. Bright and early next morning I was introduced to our safari group, and we got to meet our guide Chico from Chameleon safaris. We piled into the truck and Chico drove north for the day, arriving at Etosha National Park in the late afternoon to set up our tents for the first night camping under the stars. I was paired up with a german adventurer, and we became tent mates for the rest of the safari. Fences surrounding the camp keep the animals out, with the exception of the pesky jackals! After dinner we headed down to the water hole to see the wild animals come out warily for a drink in complete, jittery silence, and this includes the predators. We saw heaps of game at the waterhole, including a rhino who decided to have a bath, there were giraffes hovering at the edge of the area, we were lucky to see a pack of hyenas, and also a lioness came down for a quick drink before she was roused away from the water hole by the rhino.

We spent three days of our safari in Etosha and quickly fell into a routine. The group rose early each morning to assist our guide Chico with the preparation of the meal, then packed our tents before heading off with the roof of the truck popped up for a day of animal spotting in the park. At the end of an eventful day in the bush we arrived at the next camp by a water hole before sunset. The safari was a wonderful experience, and going on an African safari is a must for any animal lover.

On the fourth day we drove east into the Kalahari desert where we stayed in a Bushman camp near the tiny town of Tskumwe. We had an excellent night camping out with the Kalahari bushmen. After setting up our tents on we set off on a trek through the scrub with our English speaking Bushman guide; who showed us how to search for food and water, and how to light a fire by vigorously rubbing sticks together. Then we went back to the village where the Bushmen sang and danced for us around the fire, and we shared a roast. We had an unforgettable experience out in the Kalahari desert with the Bushmen, and this unique privilege is something I'll always cherish. The Bushmen were up early the next morning to see us off in the truck, and the stopover gave us a brief insight into the traditional lifestyle of these unique people with their amazing clicking language. I recommend taking the time to watch the hilarious African film "The Gods must be crazy" featuring Kalahari bushmen characters.

Our last safari stop in Namibia was Mahango Game Reserve in the Caprivi strip. We saw herds of elephants wandering along the savannah and again set up camp out in the bush. By now the group was right into the swing of things, getting on famously and madly capturing images of game in this beautiful land as we looked forward to the rest of our safari. Namibia is a beautiful, wide open country with plenty to offer tourists who love nature, wildlife and a relaxed atmosphere. Before arriving in Windhoek I had limited knowledge of Namibia but there is one thing I've learnt from my trip, basically all of you should be here now!

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet." Plato

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Giraffe in Etosha National Park
Beautiful sky and bush complete the picture

Chameleon safari team
A great group of people sharing wonderful experiences

Kalahari mini-bushmen
Gorgeous little kids at the bushman village in the Kalahari desert

Lioness at dusk
Looking very well fed and rather ominous. Lions are generally unfazed by trucks but if you make a sudden move their eyes will lock on to you with malevolent intent