Out third morning in Etosha we did another morning game drive and then it was time to set out. Over the next two days we were supposed to drive all the way across the Caprivi strip, a tiny narrow panhandle-like piece of Namibia that runs along all of Botswana. This is an over 600 mile drive, that takes longer than what you’d expect, since you need to constantly slow down for goats, cattle, and other random things crossing the road.
We fully expected this to be a two day slog, but it ended up being a really nice drive in the end. We drove through tons of small Namibian villages and it was fascinating to see how people lived out here in the real, untouristy, Namibia. Most villages were comprised of a mix of wooden huts with thatched roofs or small corrugated tin homes. Sometimes, you’d see more affluent areas where houses were larger and made of concrete. Goats and cattle wandered freely from place to place, totally not fenced in. Kids ran around in large groups, playing by the side of the road and waving to our car as we went by.
We spent the night in Rundu to break up the journey. Another night camping, and we grilled some meats that we bought from the lodge. It’s kinda crazy how used to all of this we are now. At first, I was so nervous even driving our massive vehicle. All the crazy compartments were confusing. Figuring out how to set up the tent on our roof, or inflate/deflate our tires depending on what type of road we were traversing was tricky. But now, we are totally comfortable with it all. We can set up camp (and break it down) in no time flat. I have no issues driving the car, even on all the crazy sandy/rutted/gravel roads. It’s all become second nature.
After the two day drive, we finally cross the border and say good bye to Namibia. We had such a fantastic time there. I knew virtually nothing about this place just two months ago, and am so glad that we decided to come here. Such a special place. And apparently, I just checked, it turns out this is the 50th country I’ve been to!
So here we are in Botswana! Our first stop is staying in Mwandi View next to the famous Chobe park. We’re staying in nice looking tented accommodations. The place is so nice. It also has. Watering hole out front and animals wander in to drink. During our first dinner, I walk outside and there are like 25 hippos just hanging around outside drinking. Eventually, a ton of elephants walk in and there is a big confrontation. Finally, the elephants scare away the hippos, who stand some yards away looking pissed off. The room we are staying in looks out into the wilderness. Sometimes you see 30-40 baboons scamper by. Other times elephants. At night, you hear elephants trumpeting, weird growling noises, and all sorts of other crazy animal sounds.
The next day we got up early, before dark as usual, super early. Our plan was to go back to the last waterhole from the day before to watch the sunrise. The day before, that place was blowing up with wildlife… too many zebras to count, tons of Springbok, and an elephant. So we were excited to see what it looked like first thing in the morning.
We drive out there and… nothing. Literally not a single animal. Not even an antelope which you see absolutely everywhere in the park. Disappointed, we drove off. Oh well, given how amazing and plentiful the wildlife was yesterday, maybe today would just be low key. That’s how Safari goes. It’s not a zoo. The animals are unpredictable. One day you see a waterhole teeming with various animals, and another day you just see a wet patch of dirt with nothing there. But we were wrong. It definitely wasn’t going to be a low key day.
After a quick stop for breakfast, we drove out again. Within minutes, we see a massive rhino running through the bush in our direction. It’s weird to describe this giant hulking animal as graceful, but it was kind of mesmerizing watching it run. When it saw us, it paused, stopped for a while, and then slowly crossed the street close to our car. We’d seen a bunch of rhinos last few days in the dark by the floodlit watering holes at camp, but seeing this rhino out in the open in broad daylight was extra special.
We drove a bit further and saw a cluster of cars on the side of the road, which meant there would be something good to see there. We pull over, scanning the horizon. Just bush. We keep looking, both through binoculars and without. Finally, we spot them. Way in the distance, you can barely see two lion heads popping out over the shrubbery. The lions were so far away that we could barely see them, even knowing exactly where they were, but it was still thrilling. Then, they got up and started walking. It wasn’t just two. There were 4 female lions and two cubs! They walked around for a bit and then headed for the road in our direction. They came up to 10 feet away from the car and just stared at us. It was insane how close they were. Another incredible encounter for the day.
At another watering hole, we see a ton of elephants. Apparently it was bath time as the elephants were frolicking and rolling in the mud with each other. It was a ridiculously cute sight. Little baby elephants all muddy and rolling around. Adorbs.
Later in the day, as we are driving, we see a car pulled over. With it being only one car, it’s hard to gauge what this means. Could be a rare animal sighting. Could be someone new to the park stopping to look at a springbok. Could be someone pulled over to have a snack or look at the map. We stop anyway, and then see a cheetah walking through the bush. Wow! There is a lot of variance in the amount of animals here. Antelope, zebra, and wildebeest are literally everywhere. Elephants are pretty common. Giraffe and ostriches are a little more uncommon. Lions are pretty rare. And cheetahs are very rare. The odds of seeing one are pretty low, and most people never see on while in the park. So we felt so insanely lucky! And then, a cub crawled out behind her. Holy shit!! We’re totally stunned. Such beautiful cats too!
Afterwards we drove around some more and headed back to camp, totally in awe of the day we just had. At camp, we cooked up a delicious pasta dinner and crashed out.
Our first full day in Etosha was fucking incredible. We jump in our car and start driving around the park. Most people that come here usually book game drives with a guide, but self driving gave us the freedom to do whatever we wanted. We could choose where we wanted to go, how long we wanted to stay at each stop, and where to view animals from. It was an amazing experience to just drive around the park, searching for animals on our own. We saw tons of Springbok, zebras, wildebeest, kudu, and ostriches. The amount of wildlife in the park is insane. The park has tons of watering holes and each one will have various animals coming in to quench their thirst. What you can see is totally random as it depends on what animals might be cruising through, and when you are there. You may have just missed some lions a few minutes ago, or you may have shown up at the perfect time.
After a long day of driving, we stopped for the night at our next campsite. We went swimming in the pool, and it was kind of crazy to think that here we were, swimming in a swimming pool in the middle of Namibia, in a park filled with lions, elephants, and whatever else. At night, we went to the night waterhole at camp. Very soon, a bunch elephants came in, and then later several rhinos including some youngsters. After some time, the young rhinos started play fighting, and we got to see them snorting and running at each other. It’s fascinating because each waterhole has a hierarchy. The zebras and gemsbok won’t approach if there are elephants around, or at the very least approach super cautiously, constantly peering around while they drink. It was tough to tell who was at the top of the hierarchy though. At one point, a big elephant wandered through a few rhinos, sending them running. But then later, a rhino charged towards a family of elephants and the entire herd of elephants ran off. Such fascinating dynamics.
On our last morning in Spitzkoppe, we got up super early and went to go climb Bushman’s Paradise, another area with ancient rock art. The only way to go is with a guide, and while we climbed, our guide told us about his life there. It was really sad to hear about how global warming had more or less destroyed their way of life. Many people there used to farm cattle, but for years now all the water has dried up, and now they can barely keep chickens alive. But luckily, tourism has helped their struggling village and much of the town’s revenue now comes from tourists, and many of the locals work as guides etc.
Afterwards, we had yet another 5ish hour drive to our next destination, Etosha. We’ve gotten more or less used to driving 5 or so hours regularly on the rugged Namibian roads. On the way, we stopped for gas. Here you don’t pump your own gas. The attendant pumped the gas to the point that it was overflowing. Gas was literally gushing out of the gas hole and spilling all over the ground. When we asked about this, he claimed that this was perfectly normal and that land cruisers always do this. We mentioned that we’ve never had this happen in our 5 days here, but he just kept arguing. This whole time, more and more gas is just pouring out of our car. Wtf?! He finally tells us to put the gas cap on, but even this doesn’t help, and more gas is spilling out around the gas cap’s seal. Call me crazy, but having gas pout of of your car, all over the side for like 5 minutes straight doesn’t sound entirely safe or normal, but the guy insisted it was fine.
Anyways, we continue our drive to Etosha park. Etosha park is one of the most famous national parks in Southern Africa, just filled with a ridiculous amount of wildlife. As we are driving into the park, we are not like 10 minutes deep, and an elephant comes out of the bush and onto the road. Then another, and another, and some more including a baby elephant. We drive a few minutes further and see a couple giraffes, just nonchalantly chomping on trees. Wow, we hadn’t even gotten to our campsite and already the wildlife was unreal.
We camped in Okuakuejo, Etosha’s southern campsite. After quickly setting up camp and making grilled sausage and pepper/onions for dinner, we headed to the watering hole. Each camp in Etosha has watering holes that are floodlit at night. you can just hang out and watch, and animals will wander in to drink. We sat down, wondering if we’d see anything. Just minutes later a huge elephant comes in. Wow… we were mesmerized watching it hang out and chug water. After a while, the elephant left, and a rhino comes in. Then a few more rhinos including a baby. Some time passes and like 12 giraffes come close to the watering hole. They approached cautiously, and stood a bit away, waiting their turn. Soon a bunch of elephants showed up to drink, also including a couple baby elephants. We couldn’t believe how much wildlife was there just coming and going. Incredible. Eventually, we had to pry ourselves away and walked back to our campsite. As we got ready for bed, we could see the gleaming eyes of jackals running around camp, staying just out of the light and looking for scraps.
We spent the morning in Swakopmund, a quirky town on the Namibian coast. The town looks more like a German village than anything you’d see in Namibia. We handed over our land cruiser to get it checked out after the whole crazy tire incident, and in the meantime just wandered around town and checked out the beach. Then, more grocery shopping, and we’re back on the road again. We took the road up the coast, an eerie foggy drive. This area, and especially farther north (Skeleton Coast) is known for having lots of shipwrecks and we stopped to check out the slowly decaying carcass of a ship.
Our next stop was Spitzkoppe. A rocky mountainous region, this place had the most incredible rock formations. It reminded me a lot of something you’d see in Utah or Arizona maybe. We took lots of photos, but the photos don’t really do it justice at all. We spent all day climbing various rocks and taking in the scenery. This place is also known for its ancient rock paintings. Bushmen painted these somewhere between 2000 an 4000 years ago, which is just mind. Boggling to think about.
We also finally had our first bbq while we were there. Grilled steaks and baked potatoes. Super tasty and it was fun building a fire making things feel much more like camping.
The next day was another early morning, waking up at 5am. Our agency had given us the option of doing a hot air balloon ride this morning. I am not a heights person. Usually, anything that involves flying/heights (helicopter rides, skydiving, etc etc), I opt out of, but Yana was really excited to do it, so we went for it.
We arrived in pitch black, and they drove us out to the launch pad. Lots of people running around, working on 4 baskets with giant propane canisters and various cables. I eyed them nervously… I hope they know what they are doing. Eventually, they tip the baskets on their sides and start inflating the balloons. These things were massive and took ages to slowly fill with air. Finally, they were ready. We climbed aboard and were given instructions on what we need to do for landing, including the “sports” landing in which case the basket tips over and we need to cling for dear life. Wonderful.
And then… we’re off. Not gonna lie, the first 20 minutes were horrible. I was pretty terrified, and instantly regretting my decision. humans aren’t meant to be in the air. WTF was I doing up here. I should have sat this one out. But, after the first 20 minutes, I got more comfortable and was ok with it. The scenery was insane. The views from the top of the giant dune the day before now seemed like nothing compared to the insane panoramas from high in the air. The ride wasn’t what I expected. I thought hot air balloon rides involved just going up real high and sitting there looking down. But we actually travelled sideways, going deeper and deeper into the desert, seeing different things as we went along, and they would raise and lower the balloon from time to time.
The guy flying our balloon was fascinating. He had arrived in Namibia 30 years ago and there had been literally zero tourism here. When he had suggested opening up a lodge, people thought he was crazy. Tourists? In the middle of nowhere Namibia? Impossible. But he stuck to it. Initially his lodge received 2 or 3 guests a week. And then, over the years it took off. He watched this desolate end of the world place blossom into a popular adventure destination, and eventually he started his ballooning company.
After an hour of flying, we landed safely on the ground with no need for a sports landing. They had set up a bunch of tables with a big buffet lunch and champagne. It felt so surreal to be out there, nothing but desert as far as the eye could see, and here we are drinking champagne and dining. Magical. After some time, a couple jackals came running by, curious about the activity around. They circled nearby before running off, disappearing into the nothingness.
In the end, super glad I had decided to go for it. The balloon adventure was amazing. We then got in our trusty ride, and drove to our next destination, 5 hours away. The Namibian roads are “interesting”. Mostly unpaved. You’re driving on gravel. sometimes fairly smooth, and other times bumpy as hell. I’m constantly looking out for and trying to stick w/ tire tracks left behind by other vehicles, ever alert, ever vigilant. We drive through more breathtaking scenery. Every few hours it changes to something new. Such a beautiful country. Namibia is one of the most sparely inhabited countries in the world. In an area the size of California, Oregon, and Washington combined, there are only 3 million people. During our 5 hour drive, we passed through *one* “town”. And by town, I mean a tiny rest stop w/ just a few buildings. Other than that, it was just nothingness. So crazy. Even in the most remote places back home, like deep in Nevada etc, you’ll pass small towns at least every 30 minutes. But here, it’s just empty.
Eventually, we arrived to the coast. Massive dunes again, this time covered in eerie fog right up against the ocean. We checked in, went out to dinner, and then got to spend the night in an actual bed for the first time in days. Yay!
Sossusvlei is one of the top 2 most visited places in Namibia. It’s a massive national park in the desert, filled with huge sand dunes. We got up at 6am, groggy and tired, and headed out to watch the sunrise. We drove out through the desert, where everything is barren except for a few small shrubs here and there, trying desperately to cling to life. How can anything survive out here? And then, in the distance, we see two ostriches strolling through the emptiness. Wow. Unreal.
Eventually, the emptiness of desert, becomes sandy, and then the dunes start. We climb a giant dune (which is super hard because walking through sand is slow and exhausting, but doing it uphill is even worse) and sit down, gasping for breath. The views from the top are absolutely nuts. The dunes are this magical orange hue, and when the sun finally comes out, everything just looks magical. We sit there for a long time, utterly blown away by it all.
Eventually, we scamper down and start driving to the next spot. There is a place here called Deadvlei. This is an ancient lakebed that has dried up. The trees that lived here all died 900 years ago, but because it is so dry there, they haven’t decomposed, and just remain there, skeletons of the past. It’s an otherworldly sight. These dead trees in the white ground, with the giant orange dunes behind them. We wandered around, totally mesmerized and taking a zillion photos, unable to stop.
Eventually, we came back to camp. Later that night, we tried to start a fire to cook our dinner. The fire looked like it was starting ok, but then fizzled out. Dammit. We were too tired from our early wake up to deal with it. We gave up and ate in the camp cafeteria instead. I had Gemsbok for dinner. Tasted super good. Eventually, we go back to our campsite… only to find that our fire had somehow sprung back to life and was fully going. Wtf!! Are you kidding me? But we’d already eaten, so we put it out and went to bed.
After a short flight, we arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The next morning, we come out of our hotel to see that our Land Cruiser was delivered. Holy shit! I guess I didn’t fully realize how hardcore this thing was going to be. This wasn’t just some little safari jeep… with its tent roof racks, gear compartments, gasoline jugs, and all of the equipment, this thing looked fucking insane.
The guy gave us a 2 hour run down on how everything worked. How to set up the tent on the roof, how to operate the tire compressor, fridge, tire differentials, various compartments, how to change a tire, how to use the big jack and sand ladders to get it unstuck if need be, the satellite phone for emergencies, etc etc. It was information overload, and I hoped that we’d be able to remember it all.
Eventually, we are all set, and hopped in to take off. Driving this beast was… daunting. It was a huge vehicle. I was driving on the left side of the road. And driving stick with my left hand which I’ve never done. I cautiously drove the few blocks we needed to get to the grocery store, feeling super nervous every step of the way. We did our grocery shopping at a giant supermarket, which was also confusing. But really, that’s often what I love about traveling, all the new and whacky experiences.
Finally, we were off. We had a 5 hour drive ahead of us. The scenery we drove through was incredible. Felt like we were on another planet. Soon, the paved road turned to gravel, which made driving more difficult and bumpy. And then, just a measily 2 hours into our 21 day driving adventure, our tire blew out. Fuck.
We pull over to the side of the road to assess the damage. The tire is shredded to bits. Luckily the vehicle has not just one but two spares. Ok, time to change a tire. I look under the car trying to recall where I was supposed to place the tire jack. Fuck, with the 2 hour lecture of stuff, I had forgotten this one critical part. So, I place the jack where I think it should go, and start jacking it. After a while, the car looks higher, but the wheel itself hasn’t budged. Maybe the jack is in the wrong spot?? I lower the whole thing and start over. After a while I am tired and dirty and it doesn’t feel like any progress has been made. Shit. Now what?
For some stupid reason, Verizon doesn’t work in this country, so my phone is useless. The agency had given us a local SIM card which we had put in Yana’s phone, but it turns out there was no credits on it, so our attempts to call for help on her phone didn’t work either. Finally we try the satellite phone. Again and again it just says “network error”. So here we are. Over a hundred miles from the nearest town, in the middle of absolute nowhere, and no way to get help. We did have a fully loaded Land Cruiser with a roof tent, so worst case scenario, we could just spend the night there as a last resort, but really hoped to not have to do that.
Well, there was “the big jack”. The big jack was for getting the car out of deep sand, and the guide had specifically told us not to use it for changing tires because it wasn’t that stable. But, desperate times and all, so we get this beast of a jack out. We start jacking the car up, and things look ok… until the whole thing lurches to the side, almost tumbling off. Ugh. We lower the jack, reposition and start over. This time we manage to raise the car high enough to get the wheel off the ground. We pry the wheel off, but the tread had completely come off the tire and had somehow lodged itself around the axel. We pulled and yanked, but couldn’t get it to budge. Plus, given the shaky jack, we were too scared to really get under there to try to disentangle it.
Luckily, a bit later we see a car driving down the road and were able to flag it down. Soon another car passed by and also stopped. They joined forces and were able to jack the car up and pry this damn tire tread off. We couldn’t believe it, we were so thrilled. But then the guy says that there is some weird issue w/ the brake release. He’s worried about it rubbing on the wheel. What happens if it does? Well, he says, it can get hot enough to catch fire. Uhhh… what?! He advises us to drive 10km and feel the brake inside the wheel. If it feels hot, we’d have to drive the car for 10km at a time, letting it cool down before continuing. We thank him profusely for the help. We get back in the car feeling rattled. We drive 10km. We feel the brake and it feels fine. We drive another 10km, and again it’s fine. I guess we’re ok?? But damn, that was rough.
At this point, we had spent 2.5 hours dealing with this and its getting late. We need to get to camp since there are no towns between here and there. Rule #1 that we had read again and again and again…. Never drive in Namibia after dark. There are no lights, visibility is shit, and there are bound to be animals in the road. But we have no choice at this point. We drive on.
Soon its dark. We’re driving down bumpy dusty roads. At times we have to slow to a crawl due to dust storms. Two Springbok bounce across the road. Later, we have to brake as a hyena scurries past. It really hits me how crazy this is. Here we are, driving through the middle of nowhere Africa, dodging antelope and hyenas. It just feels unreal.
Eventually, we make it to the campsite. There are strict rules and the guard tells us he can’t let us in after dark… but eventually takes pity on us after we tell him about the tire etc and lets us in. We make our way to our spot and have our very very well deserved beers. We eat and then set up our rooftop tent.
On our way back to our campsite from the bathrooms, a large Gemsbok is blocking our path. We hadn’t expected wildlife literally in the campsite. Uhhh… what do we do? It seemed harmless… but it’s also a 500 pound antelope with massive horns. We stand there for a while feeling unsure, but eventually the Gemsbok gallops away. Later that night, we see a jackal run across the path. Crazy.
Eventually, we crawl up to our rooftop tent to go to sleep. It’s been an eventful first day in Namibia. We fall asleep to the high pitched yelping of jackals in the night…
