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Published: March 20th 2015
Etosha, or Great White Place in the Herero language is a 120km long dry lake, now a salt pan that makes up part of the Kalahari basin.
The drive from Windhoek is long and arduous, unimaginably hot, dry, dusty. Others snooze, I sit nose to window fascinated by the sheer expanse of land, the monotony suddenly broken by brilliant yellow carpets of flowers or bold, boastful, impossibly phallic giant termite mounds.
Namutoni, first camp just outside the park, like so much of the local culture around here bears the scars of the German war and occupation. In the park is a wonderful flood lit water hole fed by a natural spring, that evening approaching it I see a plaque, the water hole is named for chief Nehale, the head of the Wambo people who were driven off the land by the Germans. While tourists sip their cocktails and marvel at the wildlife I stand amongst them, a tourist also, and say a silent prayer for the displaced people the world over....but yet the setting is magical, wonderful
Like a blanket flung over the land night falls.
After an all but sleepless night, as lions roared, and some
unknown night bird exercised it's ample lungs, even before first light we are up, breaking camp, packing the truck. The first blush of morning finds us at the gates of Etosha National Park for our very first Etosha game drive!
Now going on a game drive is not exactly like going to a zoo. You basically lurch along in some form of truck-like vehicle for hour after hour scanning the bush, flats, road, near and far distance for sights of extremely well camouflaged animal life.
It's hot it's dusty and it's exhausting, not for the non engaged participant.
The pay off however is so fulfilling and invigorating that once you sit and observe the magnificent animals in their natural habitat you know you have been gifted, your life that much richer because you have shared with them a breeze, a bath of sunlight,a moment in time.., the world in it's purest form., untoutched, unchanged....as it was.
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