Namibia 2023

 Our hotel: https://www.etoshanationalpark.org/accommodation/outside/toshari-lodge After settling in, it was time for our first afternoon game drive to Etosha. This is Anderson Gate: When we arrived, it was a bit early for the wildlife to be out and about. Our first job was for our guide to register at  Okaukuejo, a rather large resort which caters for campers, and has lodges and a (floodlit at night) waterhole which has a 24/7 webcam, internet permitting. https://www.youtube.com/@nwr-namibia After many complaints about the state of the lavatories (the whole area could do with a long, hard look from maintenance) we set off in search of wildlife.  Here is a sample: Plains zebra stallion. Springbok Sociable weavers' nest Blue wildebeest bull Kudu cow and calf 3 southern giraffes Oryx - probably a bull Waterhole with small elephant breeding herd Bull elephant Spotted hyaena African sunset Note: birds on Burd Nurd page.

 And a more than discernible change in temperature/humidity.  But first, a shipwreck and a skellington on the skellington coast:  Damaraland has a chequered history, most recently as a result of Namibia's having been part of apartheid South Africa when Damaraland was a bantustan.  It has played host to humanity for at least 6000 years, as evidenced by the extraordinary collection of rock art at Twyfelfontein. There are 2,500 drawings over 30 sites. Any comment I might make would be superfluous.  I was rather sceptical about The Damara Living Museum . I was wrong. The presenter was extremely entertaining and informative and I learnt a lot about Damara culture. (There were skulls, too. Sorry for lack of pics, but they were attached to people.) A game instead of war - played only by chiefs (or a chief and a tour guide) The compulsory dance including tourists.   Finally the petrified forest. By this point, I had wilted. Fossilized tree trunks, 280m years old. ...

 Still no hot water. Off to Walvis Bay, well wrapped up in several layers. Unfortunately I forgot about wind burn and came off the boat looking not unlike a very ripe tomato. The pelicans and seals in the Bay have been habituated to the tourist boats, which they beg a lift/fish from.  Once the circus was over, we got some great wildlife sightings: Bottle nosed dolphins One of the cape fur seal colonies Mainly Cape cormorants - but more on the burd nurd page Haviside's dolphin - only found in open water/the Benguela current. We were fed royally (can't beat a fresh oyster) and the bubbles seemed bottomless - though I'm sure the sun was still well below the yardarm. Back into port and our next adventure - which was rather not what I was expecting!  So, a 4x4 dune drive.   One of Namibia's principle exports is salt - not for your table, for the roads. So, when your road is salted in winter you are driving on a bit of Namibia! Where the dunes meet the sea. People see...

 Back on the road to Swakopmund. Apparently it's compulsory to stop at Solitaire (think Soledad but much smaller and hotter) for coffee and the 'famous apple pie'. This appears to have become famous because the owner said that it is - excellent bit of marketing.  This bug had taken up residence in the ladies: Next stop - an imaginary line on the planet: Onwards to Walvis Bay and The Lagoon - home to both Great and Lesser  flamingoes And a grey heron: Swakopmund presented an accommodation problem. We had all had emails telling us that our hotel had been upgraded (Yay!) but our guide had not had this information. Cue much toing and froing and reorganising till the upgrade was confirmed. In my case, said upgrade included a room sans hot water and a supremely indifferent staff.