Day 12 Wednesday 13th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

We were once again woken early at 03h00 by the sound of two lions roaring, literally just on the otherside of the perimeter fence. It is amazing how loud it sounds in the dead of the night. Amanda and Frank took a blanket and went down to the waterhole hoping to see them come down and drink. Sadly, after 45 minutes of freezing and waiting we went back to sleep!

Jimmy, Cas, Richard, Karen, Brian, Gail and Sarah-Jo all took the drive up north to Halali  in order to see what we now hear is  a completely unusual phenomenon. It is reported that the pan has not been flooded for over 100 years. Those that went up, came home reporting the most magnificent site. The sky line and the flooded pan were separated by finite lines of blue. This then contrasted with the whites and browns of the surrounding landscape. Karen said it was amazing to see herds of elephant on the edge of this magnificent ‘inland sea’.  Flamingos and pelicans that are not common at this time of the year can be found on huge flocks in the pan waters. Most people that visit the Etosha pan or remember it as a stark dusty white basin, and not the beautifully blue expansive mass of water.

The ever eager Sanders’ smsed that they had found 11 lions at a waterhole not far from our campsite. Those of us that had a more leisurely start to the morning raced up to join them. The huge pride sat at the waterhole dozing lazily in the sun while preventing  herds of zebran and springbok from coming any closer to the water. Some of the buck came within 20 meters of the lions only to be startled and withdraw again; a wonderful sighting.

By late afternoon when we returned the lions were still there and probably saving energy for a hunt later that evening.

We returned to the camp site to hear Jimmy speak of a wonderful landscapes he plans to paint depicting the wonderful flooded Etosha pan.