It was a good but also disappoing week. Last Monday I had been to Grootfontein. Again. Another try to prolong my visa for Namibia. My current one expires on the 17th and it´s time to find out where I will be in two weeks’ time. As the work visa did not really work out, I now decided to rather try an extension for a tourist visa as this seemed to be approved quite easy.
I already left Okaukuejo on Saturday morning. The distance to Grootfontein can be done in about 4 to 5 hours, but I pretty much enjoy the route through the park and rather took it slow and used the time to stop here and there and watch the animals. And again, I was not disappointed but gifted with loads of beautiful sightings!
The route often leads along the pan, which is fascinating as ever, and a detour to the Lookout point is definitely worth it.
I especially enjoyed the “White Elephants”. The grey colour of their skin does not differ from other elephants, but the mud close to the pan is turned silverish-white-greenish due to the salty soil and also the green-algae that is able to grow there. It is a very special experience to see these white giants.
I stayed the first night in Namutoni, the eastern camp, and at one of the waterholes in the area, I was gifted with the cutest Spotted hyena faces I have ever seen. There must have been a kill somewhere as a lot of the adults were strolling around already late afternoon while they usually come out at night or at least close to sunset. I discovered their den underneath a tree and these shy youngsters were curiously trying to find out what I wanted. Especially interesting was to see the difference between the different ages. Cubs are born with a black coat that start to lighten after about 3 weeks and for the first days they are usually kept away from the clan. When they get older but are still small and vulnerable, a “baby-sitter” will stay with them while the adults go to hunt ❤️
Most of the Sunday I spent around Namutoni. Had not explored this area too much so it was a good opportunity. Found some big and small birds, the sweet Damara dik-diks, some sparring Giraffes, and more Hyenas.
It is not a secret that some Cheetahs are regularly spotted in this area but so far, I had not seen any. Fortunately, I heard some other tourists saying to a guide that they had just seen them at Fisher´s pan so I turned the car to have a look and luckily came just in time to see them playing before they started walking off deeper into the pan where it was hard to see them.
The night from Sunday to Monday I had booked into a accommodation just outside Tsumeb. Funny enough the people that run it know my boss from Otjiwarongo, the lady worked with him a couple of years ago. It seems that Namibia is extremely small, everybody knows everybody, it´s ridiculous!
The tent I stayed in was amazing and reminded me to the time of the Field Guide Course. It brought back nice but also painful memories but all-over I pretty enjoyed the evening here. I had an outside shower and kitchen, a braii area, a lovely interior, and a nearly perfect view. A beautiful spot to relax the mind. Only the Christmas decoration was a bit irritating 😊
The next day I woke up at sunrise and after a good cup of coffee, I left with mixed feelings towards Grootfontein. The queue at Home Affairs was acceptable and while the application itself went surprisingly fast, I afterwards had to wait for the result for another two hours. But that did not went as expected and left me speechless … I was told that the maximum extension I will get will be to the end of the month. Thirteen more days! The officer explained that they “now allow tourists that got stuck here to return home to their country and families”. WHAT? WHY? I do not WANT to go home! I mean, it is a nice gesture, but Namibia’s economy is down, and every tourist counts, isn´t it? And for me there is no need to leave neither do I want to! I did not understand but there was no chance to change his mind, so I left, disappointed and frustrated.
There were a lot of thoughts and emotions on my way back to the park. A lack of understanding, sadness, and disappointment. As I was not sure if I have the opportunity again, I stopped at Oshikoto lake on my way back. At least a bit of sightseeing which I had not done so far and for sure a nice place to let go, breathe, and simply enjoy the moment for a second.
Back in the Etosha, I had not too much time for a lot of stops but still tried to inhale every kilometre of the road, and every plant and animal that I saw. I enjoyed the route from the East to the West as with my visa expiring in three weeks, it could be the last time I drove them for a while.
Although I was already late, I definitely had to stop for this one:
This giraffe gave me a fright! I was slowly driving past it when her weird behaviour made me hit the brakes. Her neck straight up in the air, her mouth opening and closing, saliva dribbling out … my first thought was that something got stuck in her throat. My mind went nuts. Did one of the thorny acacia branches get stuck in its throat? What if she choked or suffocated? How would you apply first aid on a giraffe? Heimlich maneuver could be a bit tricky and the next veterinary is a bit far away …
While I still tried to figure out what was going on, I noticed something coming out of the mouth but before I could have a better look, it was disappeared again and the giraffe went back to her performance. It looked a bit like false teeth 😊
Was that a bone? Some more minutes later I got the answer. Yes, it was a bone, looked like a piece of spine or so.
| Osteophagia Giraffes are explicitly browsers and feed on leaves above the level of other browsers but are known to practice osteophagia (bone chewing), especially in during winter or the dry season, to add trace elements, such as calcium and phosphorus to their vegetarian diet. |
What a relief that I did not have to watch this beautiful animal suffocate! Although, I am not sure if that bone is meant to go down easily. I keep fingers crossed for the giraffe. How awkward would that be for a vegetarian to survive the lions but die of a bone?
Definitely one of highlights was the Aardwolf! These mostly nocturnal, rare and shy animals are not seen regularly which made it very special. As I was driving towards the sun which was already low to the ground, I did not immediately noticed it. First I thought it was a Jackal but with the big ears and the sloping back it looked more like a hyena, but too small for one. Before I could have a closer look, it ran into the grass where I could hardly see it. But still … amazing!
Last thing I saw that day was this Black rhino. I must confess I had been a bit above the speed limit as it was getting quite late and must have frightend it. I just saw it once I had passed it and gave me a surprised (or annoyed) snort. Sorry buddy, didn´t mean to scare you!
These days out in the park were exciting and amazing. Nature is a healer but it also showed me that I am not ready to leave. Not yet. But time will tell if Frankfurt has me back in October or if I will be blessed to stay for a bit longer.
Good night,
Sininho
Sininho´s World 
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