Etosha National Park - Day 2

Elephant

I got up at 5:30, had breakfast and we were on the road by 7:00 a.m.  Today we head deeper into Etosha National Park.  Man, talk about animals!  The park is just teeming with all kinds of animals.  We passed several watering holes enroute to the east part of Etosha.  We stopped at the Etosha Salt Pan for some photo ops.  At one watering hole we spotted a huge herd of elephants.  Janet said that it was the largest herd of elephants that she’d ever seen in Etosha.

I must say that driving through Etosha is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.  The number and variety of animals you constantly see is absolutely mind-boggling.  It’s hard to imagine that such a place exists.  We arrived at the east campground (don’t recall the name at the moment) at about 3:00 p.m. and set up camp.  I and others arranged to take a night safari for this evening.  Supper was served at around 6:00.  Our breakfasts, lunches and dinners have been fabulous and have left us not wanting for more.  The food is purchased at local markets and stores as we travel, so everything is fresh.

Zebra

At 8:00 p.m. we headed to our departure point for the Night Safari where we were loaded into two safari vehicles.  The gates to the campground were opened and off we went.  The gates to the campgrounds are manned continuously and are normally open during the daylight hours, but are closed at night lest some lion were to wander into the grounds.

The campgrounds in Etosha are like prisons.  They are all walled with fences made of stone, wire and wood.  The campgrounds are located near watering holes so lookouts are provided near the water holes where campers merely walk and observe the animals coming and going.  In Etosha, the animals run wild and the people are in pens!

Wildebeest

The night safari consists of driving around parts of Etosha (near the campgrounds) with spotlights blazing.  Once again, animals, animals, animals!  But really, we are on the lookout for the special ones, namely, lions and rhino - both of which we found.  Unfortunately, night safaris are not great for photography, but are taken primarily for the experience.  We got back at 11:00 p.m.

One of many watering holes

Etosha Salt Pan

That’s it folks … off to bed.