Niall's Travel Blog

The Road to Etosha

From Spitzkoppe we started heading towards Etosha stopping first at the coast for a swim in the sea (the last time I'll see oceans until the Indian Ocean at Tanzania). On the beach we see three youths walk towards something, take turns to whip it for about five minutes and then walk away. Once they're gone we discover a seal, thankfully long dead but quite a disturbing scene all the same.

At every petrol station we stop at we are subjected to a barrage of gemstone traders who tell you they are selling precious stones from the local mountain ranges but they are actually fake imports from the United States! One group, once they see we have no interest, return to their dice game trying to multiply their day's takings.

As dusk approaches, we see a family of eight elephants drinking from a waterhole about thirty metres from the highway. It's a fantastic sight watching them pick up dust with their trunks and pour it over themselves and rolling around on the ground. A jeep approaches from behind us beeping and flashing his lights so we move off. About 400m up the road he pulls alongside us and claps his hands as if praying and says: "Did you not see the elephants? Look, we love you but these are wild animals - while you are looking one will come creeping around the other side and attack - you won't even have time to start the engine". With this not too subtle warning we move on and get to a camping site a few hours after dark.

posted by Niall at 2:27 p.m.