This weekend we drove far up north to Etosha National Park, which is a massive wildlife park. Etosha expands for 22,270 square kilometers. That is about the size of New Jersey, and we drove across the entire park! Etosha is exceptionally beautiful. There are huge rock mountains, grasslands, and a massive salt pan called The Etosha Pan. The scenery is almost indescribable and the pictures do not bare it justice.
Thursday, January 16th:
Today, we left our home in Windhoek early in the morning and began our drive to the north. After about a two hour drive we stopped in Okahanja. Here there is a massive vendor market for Namibian goods and crafts. We only had thirty minutes to "look around" because we will be back on Monday to buy. Amy and I decided to buddy up and walk around the market with just the two of us. Actually, we were taken from vendor to vendor. As soon as we left one vendor another one would direct our paths into their. I saw so many beautiful things that I couldn't wait to buy but it would be very impractical if I bought something on the first day of our trip when were definitely coming back. It's just hard when the vendors start guilt tripping you. Some how I managed to leave the market on time and without an purchases, but I definitely promised several people I would be back. That might had been a mistake... So we got back into the bus and drove further until it was time for lunch. Our wonderful tour guide, Uuanee, made us a delicious homemade lunch! Chicken, meatballs, potato salad, and bread! Back on the road. Next stop Africats. Africats is a rehabilitation for African big cats like lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Mostly cheetahs and lions because leopards are more aggressive and territory (new info I learned). This organization will pick up cats that are being a burden, give them a full medical exam, and then either send them back into the wild (protected game reserve) or keep them for rehabilitation. We didn't get to see any lions but we came feet away from cheetahs! Seriously, wow what an experience to get to seem them so close up. After Africats, we headed a few miles down the road to a rehabilitation center for birds. I got to hold an owl! and we saw a pangolin, which is somewhat like a "artichoke armadillos".
Friday, January 17th
Our hotel for the night, I mean our camp/tent for the night, is INCREDIBLE. We actually have a fancy room tent. Its just like a hotel room but the walls are screens, like a beautiful safari net. We have a mosquito net around our bed, a waterfall shower, and the tent is like the middle of the woods. After we settled in a little bit in our hotel, we drove into Etosha for a few hours to see if we could find some animals roaming. We saw some hyenas, a mongoose, plenty of giraffes, zebras, and flamingos. We also saw an elephant and a lioness!
Saturday, January 18th
This morning we packed up and left our beautiful tent hotel rooms and ventured into Etosha for an entire day of driving and wildlife sighting. We entered the park from the East gates and drove westward across the entire park. We will be stayed Okaukuejo camp which is in the middle of park. Again, these rooms were beautiful and our room was near the waterhole. At night you can sit out and watch the animals come to the waterhole to drink! We first saw a rhino and then a few hours later we saw four lionesses come a drink! Anyways, we spent the day in a lava hot bus driving through the park to find animals. We saw lots of giraffes, wildebeest, warthogs, and zebras. But we also saw an elephant in the distance, and best of all... we saw two lions! A male and a female. They honestly walked right past the van, maybe ten feet away!!!
Monday, January 19th
Finally we made it out of the park! It was beautiful and we saw so many animals, but man was it hot. We started our journey home, back to Windhoek. We stop back at the market to buy different things, and oh goodness did I buy somethings! I came home with three or four bags worth of stuff. I just couldn't help myself! Anyways, we made it home nice and safely and began preparing ourselves for the first day of teaching.
Our hotel for the night, I mean our camp/tent for the night, is INCREDIBLE. We actually have a fancy room tent. Its just like a hotel room but the walls are screens, like a beautiful safari net. We have a mosquito net around our bed, a waterfall shower, and the tent is like the middle of the woods. After we settled in a little bit in our hotel, we drove into Etosha for a few hours to see if we could find some animals roaming. We saw some hyenas, a mongoose, plenty of giraffes, zebras, and flamingos. We also saw an elephant and a lioness!
Saturday, January 18th
This morning we packed up and left our beautiful tent hotel rooms and ventured into Etosha for an entire day of driving and wildlife sighting. We entered the park from the East gates and drove westward across the entire park. We will be stayed Okaukuejo camp which is in the middle of park. Again, these rooms were beautiful and our room was near the waterhole. At night you can sit out and watch the animals come to the waterhole to drink! We first saw a rhino and then a few hours later we saw four lionesses come a drink! Anyways, we spent the day in a lava hot bus driving through the park to find animals. We saw lots of giraffes, wildebeest, warthogs, and zebras. But we also saw an elephant in the distance, and best of all... we saw two lions! A male and a female. They honestly walked right past the van, maybe ten feet away!!!
Sunday, January 18th
Today we left our hotel and headed further west towards the other end of the park. This drive was not as good as yesterday in terms of wildlife seeing. It was also pretty bad because three people were very sick and it was the hottest day so far. It was such a relief when we got to our camp. Stayed in the park again, but at a very luxurious hotel called Dolomite. I guess one of the seasons of the Bachelor was filmed here. We had little hut like rooms that were a serious quarter mile or so walk to the main part of the hotel. Our rooms over looked the park. It was exactly what you imagine the African wilderness to look like. Just indescribable. And the sunset was probably the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen!!!
Monday, January 19th
Finally we made it out of the park! It was beautiful and we saw so many animals, but man was it hot. We started our journey home, back to Windhoek. We stop back at the market to buy different things, and oh goodness did I buy somethings! I came home with three or four bags worth of stuff. I just couldn't help myself! Anyways, we made it home nice and safely and began preparing ourselves for the first day of teaching.
