Holiday in Namibia (7): Etosha National Park
On Monday, we left Twyfelfontein Country Lodge at 8.30 am. We were on our way north-east to Etosha National Park but we had a number of stops along the way.
Very soon we halted at the Petrified Forest. Of course, it did not look like a forest because all the tree trunks and bits were on the ground and petrified wood looks and feels like rock. A local guide took us for a short walk and we were told that the site was 280 million years old but only discovered in modern times in 1940.
The next stop was to look at something very different: tall termite mounds that are constructed by thousands of termites in around two years. All these were white, but further along there were mounds that were the more usual rust-red.
For once on the road, we did not have to eat on the coach. Instead we halted at a very small town called Oujo (‘o’ in the Bantu language signifies place). Here, at a bakery, I sat and ate spinach, feta & bacon pancake followed by a chocolate sundae. The establishment’s WiFi had as its password “orderfoodfirst”. After the experience of Twyfelfontein, it was a thrill to have access to free and fast broadband for a while.
When we reached the Etosha National Park, we entered on the south-west through Anderson (one ‘s’) Gate, named after the Swedish explorer Charles Andersson (two ‘s’s) who used the area in the 1850s for game hunting. We made a very quick stop at the Ombika Waterhole, just inside the park, before driving round to our accommodation at Okaukeujo where, while waiting for our room allocation, we observed zebras at the Okaukeujo Waterhole. At 4.30 pm, we tumbled into our allocated chalets.
Etosha is one of the oldest and best national parks in all of Africa. It was proclaimed in 1907. It is vast: some 8,600 sq miles (over 22,000 sq kms) or about the size of Wales or half the size of Switzerland. The defining feature of the park is the huge Etosha Pan – the name means ‘great white place’ – which appears to be the remnant of a large inland lake. This is roughly 68 miles (110 kms) from east to west and 37 miles (60 kms) from north to south.
Etosha is so special because of the concentration of over 30 waterholes that occur around the southern edges of the saline pan. Some are natural but many are artificial. All these waterholes attract large quantities of game which are enticed by the water and the salt that they need. So, whereas in other African safari parks, one drives around looking for animals, here one waits at the waterholes for the animals to come to you.
That evening at Okaukeujo, our driver/guide Carlos revealed a third skill in his portfolio when he cooked us all a traditional ‘braai’ dinner. This was done on an outdoor furnace and consisted of southern lamb, springbok sausage, and chilly-marinated kudo together with potato salad and specially prepared and baked bread. It was just delicious.
Afterwards we returned to the observation area of the waterhole which is illuminated at night and famously attracts the black rhino. At first, half a dozen giraffes were there to drink. Then slowly one rhino after another – we spotted four – took over the waterhole,
This was all very exciting but, once I left the observation area, I became totally lost searching for my chalet. This resort is much larger than any of the others where we have stayed, the lighting is absolutely minimal and, if there are any signs at all pointing to chalet numbers, I never saw them.
I wandered round and round with light from my iPhone but got nowhere. After about a quarter of an hour of increasing desperation, I saw a lit building, found a staff member, and he eventually located my chalet. Whew – I would not have wanted to spent the night under the stars.