Truck Trip - Etosha National Park

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Etosha National Park is 20,000sq km and is our first game viewing location. There is only one main road through the park and a few detours, so we can take a game drive in the truck. Luckily I still have my African Wildlife guide book in order to clear up a dispute about how in the UK we call a mongoose a meerkat. Many of the truck haven't seen any game before so are excited about the impala, but the best spot is a black rhino very close to our camp site. We manage to see it very close up and it stays about for quite a while. At camp we set up as normal and are told there is a water hole visible from the camp site. There are some exclusive chalets behind some fencing then it opens out into an amazing sight. There are benches arranged around a low stone wall, luckily this is followed by some electric fencing albeit low as well, then there are elephants, zebra and a rhino all drinking as the sun sets behind them. Absolutely breath taking and amazingly so close to our tents. We visit this watering hole numerous times over our stay as it's also flood lit at night. Nik and Ben stay up late and see lions drinking, although this not confirmed and just fuels romantic rumours instead. We are told not to sleep at the watering hole as tourists have been eaten by lions as they slept!!! The wall is quite low, and the jackals have no problem getting into the camp site, they are everywhere at night.
The next day we game drive at the crack of dawn to another camp towards the middle of the park, not so lucky on this drive, but we do see some scavengers eating a recent kill. The animals are less active in the midday heat so we get a few hours off for challenges by the pool and ice creams. The game drive back to our camp is much more successful, we see a pride of lions lazing in the sun. One gets active and stalks a few springbok, but eventually can't be bothered. We have left it late so then have to race back to be in camp before sunset and lock out! A shame to leave Etosha and the amazing watering hole, it was better than TV any day!

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