We finally figured out how to pack up the tent without the need to reroll 4 sleeping bags so made a quick getaway and were on the lion hunt by 7.15am. We made detours via all the waterholes en route to Von Lindequist Gate and saw herds of wildebeest, zebra, springbok and not sure if 6 giraffe count as a herd but that’s the most we had seen together. The Etosha pans were full of water so looked as if we were on an island with blue water as far as the eye could see…no need for the animals to go via the waterholes for a drink, as there was water everywhere. According to the guard on duty, I am the only Bermudian to have ever gone to Etosha…doubtful but we’ll take it for our story!
We decided to do a big day of driving and head to Botswana and then have two nights at Shakawe Fishing Lodge to recharge the batteries. The main road to Rundu looks as if it had been drawn with a ruler on the map. Despite being without a single bend, it was an incredible drive with the Owambo Region on the left and Kavango Region on the right. The village houses in these regions are all made of sticks with thatch roofs and clusters of them enclosed in a stick-fenced area. We passed lots of women en route to waterholes laden with buckets on their heads or strapped to backs of bikes. We saw the traditional oxen with sleds, kids herding cattle, riding donkeys and playing with a frame of a bicycle or a bicycle wheel. Just such a simple existence from the outside but the sense of community everywhere you looked. Groups of people were always found in the shade under the trees together– ladies braiding hair and men chatting.
We had our first “vet crossing fence” experience, as meat cannot be taken from North to South in Botswana. Strangely now that I think of it we crossed this fence in Namibia and weren’t traveling from North to South at the time…who knows…anyway despite the signs of no meat or plant products to cross the fence we were summoned through with a fridge of wors, chops and veggies.
The last 20km to the Botswana border takes you through the Mahango Game Reserve. Within minutes, we saw zebra, impala, kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope and 6 elephants. We arrive with an hour and 5 minutes to spare at the Border before closing to find out there is an hour time difference so make it in the nick of time and manage to sneak in the wors, which was relocated to under my seat! A South African cannot chance good wors going to waste!
We arrived in darkness at Shakawe Fishing Lodge to the noise of hippos grunting and only in the morning were able to see that hippos have been in the area…maybe not last night but an intimidating sight and sound to see only darkness and hear them so close by. We awakened to stunning views of the Okavango River and enjoyed a morning boat trip to see the baking crocodiles waiting to warm up, river monitors, the rare sighting of a setonga and unbelievable variety of birdlife. What an absolutely blissful place for our day of rest.
We are now in darkness at camp and can hear the hippos grunting and blowing in the water. A startling noise that reminds you this is the wild of Africa. In between the hippo grunts we have the reminder of Bermuda with the night sounds of the frogs and crickets. The potjie is on the fire so the makings for a great night at camp. We were awoken a few times in the nights by what sounded like hippo grunts right outside of the tent. We felt protected on the roof in our tent!
The owners have 2 tame cheetahs at the house that we were able to pet. They both made a beeline for Deon and started licking his legs profusely with their raspy sandpaper like tongues. Think he’s minus a few hairs! Their fur is very course…not at all what I’d expect, as it looks so sleek and silky in the photos. On the way out, we observed the cheetah being shooed out of the house! Not too many have a cheetah for a household pet!
