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ANTELOPE
Animals in the game reserves are often in large groups.AFRICA - OUR CARAVAN CONTINUES
Of course, I knew Africa was vast, but our daily travel confused me. There were no street signs and few cities or towns. We drove for days on unimproved roads, mere sandy tracks. Our trip could be an episode of "Where's Waldo?" or "Where in Africa is Carmen Sandiego?" I was surprised by the constantly changing terrain. There were game drives through Etosha National Park in Namibia. Herds of animals grazed the flat, grassy plain. Then, huge granite domes rose out of the desert at Spitskoppe. We watched a dramatic sunset on a walk to Sossusvlei over the world's highest sand dunes. And we even visited the wild and rocky shore of the South Atlantic.
During our two days in Etosha, we stayed in a campground with a floodlit waterhole where the animals come in at night to drink. Of course, I could not see the big cats because I don't see well at night, and they slink around the edges of the lit area and blend in with the vegetation.
One of the more comical moments of the long hours of driving was Hubert's repetitive comments about Springbok. He loved
HELLO ZEBRA
When I started to review my photos, I learned often the bus was in the wrong position for a great photo. saying the word over and over again. He thought he was being amusing. Very proud that he had eaten a Springbok steak, he was delighted when we finally passed a small herd of these tiny antelope. Only two to three feet tall, they can make multiple leaps six feet into the air from a standstill. Called pronking, it was a startling sight. It looked like they launched off a trampoline. I really wish I had gotten a video of them. My mouth dropped open in amazement when we caught sight of them springing through the veldt, and then, in a heartbeat, they were beyond the range for photographs.
For a second time, Hubert is ill. He has a wretched cold. There is some worry about malaria or COVID-19, so the Big Red Bus took him to a clinic to be safe. I asked to go with him since my shoulder is still so darn painful. The rest of the group were going shopping in the little town.
What an experience! The Clinic was a desk in a small room in a hospital building. There were a few supplies on one shelf on the wall. The attendant was a
IMPALA ANTELOPE
Even the inside of the ear of one of these appears striped. male nurse who took our temperatures and blood pressure. He looked into Hubert's throat and declared him clear of malaria and Covid. He then listened to my symptoms and said he could give me an injection in my butt. I asked what he would inject, and he said, "ibuprofen." I said, "No, thanks. I am already taking Meloxicam, a heavy-duty ibuprofen, and acetaminophen." It makes me glad that I live in a country where health care is a given, at least for those who can afford it. We waited outside for Edwin to return to pick us up. It was a lovely sunny day, and I decided to do Tai Chi for some exercise. Suddenly, a young man, a porter from the hospital, stood next to me. He learned Tai Chi from the internet, so we did it together. I recited the 24 poses and told him what our teacher had said about each one. We had a pleasant conversation about his life and his hopes and expectations. Too soon, Edwin arrived. He bought water for both Hubert and me.
We picked up the others near a market and proceeded to a nearby trailhead for a 3-mile hike in
ETOSHA CAMPGROUNDS
Sometimes we set up camp and then went back out for a sunset tour. the heat of the day to see the White Lady of Brandberg. I struggled to keep up but finally joined our group surrounding our young guide, taking photos of The White Lady. This pictograph or rock art of the San tribe (Bushman) was excavated in 1929, and the most significant human figure has now been identified as male. It dates back at least 2000 years. The drawings cover a large wall and are quite extensive. Some historians believe the art was part of a road map designating direction, providing a resting place, or simply blessing travelers. There is some fascinating information about Bushman rock art and trance culture online. Returning to the Red Bus, we drove to the White Lady Lodge, another sandy campground. As usual, we hoped there would be a swimming pool for the teenagers and a working Wi-Fi for the rest of us. Both have been in short supply.
As I diver, I was especially excited to see Cape Cross. The next day, the bus just pulled off the road, and we disembarked; I thought it was a bathroom break. Instead, as far as I could see, seals completely covered the sand. Seeing all those Cape
FAUNA
I often forget to photograph the terrain, which is so different than my country. seals in one place was unexpected and astonishing. Our guides said there were three to four thousand seals, but according to the internet, are 200,000 seals or more during mating season. Some travelers found the smell overpowering, but I loved the whole experience. It just smelled like the ocean to me. The seals (I initially thought they were sea lions because they had ears) were in family groups, each with one enormous male and a harem of females with pups. The pups were so cute. While papas lolled in the sun, the moms also tried to get some rest, but the pups were full of life and energy. A young family female often watched a roving youngster to ensure it didn't trespass into the wrong family group. A raised boardwalk gave tourists a safe place to observe the constantly shifting colony. Getting to the steps was scary; I kept as far away from the seals as possible. The seal colony extended almost as far as you could see in both directions. And for once, I didn't want to dive in the ocean. The water positively teemed with frolicking seals playing on the rocks in the crashing surf or adult seals
WATCHING
I couldn't find an identification.
I thought this was an owl. I spent some time looking for identification and realized it could be a hawk or something else...Sorry.
hunting for food in deeper waters. Everywhere you looked, there were seals.
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