Birthday in Etosha

On Thursday, after breakfast, we headed straight to Etosha. The park is about the size of Hesse and consists mostly of the so-called 'Etosha Pan', a huge but very shallow lake that only holds water for about 2 months during the rainy season. But that's only if it rains a lot! In 2011, during my first visit, it was such a year. We couldn't see from one shore to the other because the pan was full of water. However, we could observe flamingos. In 2018, I was there at the same time, but it was a very poor rainy season and the pan was empty. The same thing this time. But since I'm here in the dry season, it's no wonder! 😉
Since it's only about a 1½ hour drive from Outjo to Etosha, I arrived at Okaukuejo, my accommodation for the first night in Etosha, before lunch. My hut wasn't ready yet, so I used the time to go to the waterhole. But there were 'only' springboks, oryxes, and zebras to see. 'Only' because you can see them all quite often in Namibia and especially in Etosha! I stopped counting at springbok number 3,285,862! 😅
After I could finally check into my hut, I put on my swimming trunks and jumped into the pool with an outside temperature of 34°C! (Mind you, Southern Hemisphere = winter currently! 😅) Then another visit to the waterhole before dinner and boom, this time there was an elephant! I was able to take really nice pictures with my SLR camera! After dinner, we went to the waterhole again in the dark, and this time we had a full program! 3 elephants, a rhinoceros, and a group of giraffes! Jackpot! 😁 Unfortunately, it was already too dark and the rhinoceros and giraffes were too far away for good pictures, but you can still see everything!
The next morning, after breakfast, I went straight on my birthday game drive towards Onkoshi, my second accommodation in Etosha. Because you sometimes turn off and drive around here and there to catch potential animals, it takes the whole day for about 200 km. At first, there wasn't much to see, except, of course, springboks! 🙈😅 But then suddenly, behind a bush right next to the road, an elephant appeared, happily munching on it! I almost drove past it because I didn't see it behind its bush at first! So I put it in reverse, backed up, stopped, turned off the engine and music, and took photos. Suddenly, a few meters further back, 2 more elephants appeared, heading straight for the road. Both stopped only about 10 meters in front of me on the road and turned towards me. The first elephant started moving towards me. The car behind me already put it in reverse and started backing up. But I had turned off the engine. SHIT! Mistake! Since elephants can sometimes get aggressive when something suddenly changes in a situation, like starting an engine for example, it wouldn't have been a good idea to start the engine now! So stay calm, don't do anything, and wait to see what happens! About 2 meters in front of my car, the elephant then turned towards the bush and disappeared into it! PHew, lucky! 😅 But the 2nd elephant was still on the road and now also started moving towards me! I thought to myself, okay, if he simply follows the other elephant, then he will also turn off in front of my car and disappear into the bushes! And that's exactly what happened! 😅 The 3rd elephant continued munching on its bush, so I dared to start the engine again and continue driving.
Since I was already running late by now, I hurried a little from now on and didn't turn off here and there to look for animals anymore. Shortly before Onkoshi, there were 2 elephants standing on the road again. This time I saw them in time, stopped, and left the engine running. 😄 They stood there for a while and then disappeared with a sound. Not even 100 meters further, I could already see the huts of Onkoshi. The entire lodge is protected from the animals on high stilts.
As soon as I entered my hut, I opened the curtains to let some light in and boom, the next herd of elephants passed right in front of my window! 😁 Quickly went out, took a few more photos! Unpacking the camera takes too long, the phone has to do! But they were close enough for nice cellphone pictures too! 😃
For dinner, there was a 3-course menu, and since it was my birthday, there was a little surprise waiting for me on the edge of the plate! 😊
I spent the rest of the evening relaxed in my hut!
The next day, I was supposed to continue to Divundu to the Popa Falls at the entrance to the Caprivi Strip. But first, things turned out differently and second, than you think! 😅 But more on that in the next blog! 😉