Fort Namutoni.........Near east gate. entrance Etosha. park

this is wednesday april,27 Rosemary had set her clock wrong and it said it was friday. sometimes being on these safaris is like being on Piers , you just cannot figure out what day it is.

We usually are up with "dawn chorus" breakfast by 0700 bar bills paid, etc and on the road by 0800

we drove another 350 kilometres stopping along the way  We got tothis old German fort builft sat the turn of the century after being destroyed by a lot of African tribesmen,  itmis now a tourist camp.  the rooms are simple, butnrecently they upgraded the bathrooms. so there is deep tub with four showers pelting intto it.  there is a small emclave with an out door shower. slated fences divide up,the place and 

there are longmpaths  leading the various sections.

 agter being deetroyed 

etosha park. namibia. april 29

There was no internet at the first spot we stayed inthe Etosha Park.  We stayed. in an old German Fort

this park is wonderful , a huge area reserved for the wild life .  I regret not having a better camera with me because some of the places have been spectacularly photogenic.

For dinner last night we had Kudu,  another succulent meat.   The night. efore we had tough wild steak.

the places all are comfortable. but some are more so than others.

We get up at 0530 for an early morning game drive...the first early morning we ALMOST sW a leopard, we sW a brief glimpse of his tail.

There are wonderful nests of the weaver birds....some like a huge apartment complex and others individual ones hanging like small lanterns from the trees.

We did see masses of giraffe, zebra,two rhino, some elephants,kudu,spring bok, hartbeast, wildebeast,jackel,ostrich, impala tawny eagle, falcon, a python wrapped around a tree branch over a waterhole....i did take a photo but you have to let your imagination play ablarge part.

lots of warthog, guinea fowl   hornbills(a bird), a goshawk, buzzards. and then more more elephants.   Personally I could watch a herd of Elephants all day.

We were a particularly lucky is morning, a groups of about 9 elephants came to a huge sand pit, this pit was being excavated for road maintenance, But formghe Es it is heaven.   There was young male who was rejected by the group     After a while a young male is shoved out of the group ...he has to find his own "harem". or fight the present bull, which upon looking at the bull youncannot imagine it happening.

But this young elephant trailed along behind.say 200 meters....if he got closer they ran at him.

We are now back in this huge camp, I stayed here before, tnere is a wonderful viewing area. and chairs and   

bleachers. I have been here before...Okauhuejo Rest camp

at  water hole. very stinky

namibia

We arrived here last night in pouring rain...were left off in the middle of. the field and had to walk quite a long way...flights from Dubai to Jburg was 9 hours and then a mad dash to the windhoek flight 40 minutes to clear passport controland security..just got the gate as theywere doing last call. 

but unfortunately my suitcase went missing!!!!!!

the boutique hotel we stayed at last night was charming.  breakfast a feast of wonderfulfruit and yoghurt. 

Our group consists of 3 couples belgium and two australians and us. oue driver is a Namibian named Lawrence. 

we drive four hundred and more ks the highlight of the day was the Cheetah Conservancy foundation.  the girl who told us all abour the cheetas was fromCalgary Alberta ...she had just finished her degree in 

envirnmental etc she wanted to work with Cheetahs and wrote to this organization and was hired. 

This farm also raises Anatolian Shepherd Dogs...they train them to relate to the sheep and goats

the cheetah is often falsely accused of eating the local farmers animals.  so these dogs are sold to,them at a nominal price..they have sold over 800 of these protective dogs.  these dogs are very protective of his family which for the dog means goats or sheep or cattle

the Cheetah is fed meat on the bone ...usually horse or donkey.  They are fed inlarge metal bowls the

as they usually eat fromthe centre of their prey. and refuse tomeat meat thrown onthe ground.

We are at a lodge inthe middle of no where and my bag is not here!!!! 

thenlodgemis called Frans Indongo lodge.  named after its founder

last day in Dubai. 24 April

some of these old looking buildings are not old But rather are made to look old

can u see the desert

Well it seems the majority of visitors come here to shop.  So we went to The Dubai Mall.   We were fortunate to be in a hotel with a free shuttle bus to some of the 50 or 60 malls.  The Dubai Mall is near tne bur j khadilph. tallest. buildi g..We went up to the 125  floor. for 80 drahmin. we also bought entrance to the acquarium 

if we had wished to go to the 145.   floor the total cost would. 500  AED..diivide it rougly by 3

after the joys of height we went for coffee and were lucky enough to see the Dancing Waters.

The Acquarium. was inspirational.  W made friends with a guide who liked us and kept showing us special things like the Target Fish who can SPIT 30 feet"this captures bugs.

she put up bugs on  airborne fans and the fish shot st it u til the bugs fell into the water

They actually have an Australian sea going Croc. a d his mate...huge and rather terrifying.

They have four small adorable Otters. from India

We cMe home and went swimming inthe Persian Gulf!

just some photos of the Mosque

Rosemary and I went out for Emiratee food...ate over looking the sands and the night sea.  Our waitress came from Nairobi.  the receptionist from Morroco..a waiter from Nepal. Food delicious 

appi. lamb and rice balls..with salads and dips

then R had Veg pie...old fashioned peas carrots. in cream sauce with mashed potatoes..surprising!

i had Fouga. very well spiced rice with shrimps with sweet/hot sauce

w

wonderful place to rollerskate