Fall Forward, Springbök (8/19)

As we said goodbye to Okakuejo, zebra stripes glistened in the sunrise-lit waterhole.

At breakfast, Anne mapped out a course of seven more hot spots to visit in our 100km journey across Etosha Park today.

We passed yet another lion, patiently waiting in the grass,

and a giraffe munching on some leaves.

At one waterhole, a kudu anxiously peered at us,

while two zebra were smooching.

Along the roadside, a zebra wife was whispering not-so-sweet somethings into her mate’s ear,

while a zebra who had lost his stripes

stood out in the crowd.

As we headed east, we hung out at a waterhole surrounded and reflected with spots and

stripes. While on the side-street to Kleine Namutoni (little Namutoni), we followed a parade of elephants down to the watering hole. They were having more fun than two-year-old toddlers in a splash pool.

If not for the $500 per person fine and automatic park ejection, we might have been tempted to join in the fun, but had to settle for photos and videos instead.

Speaking of water, the heavy rains from earlier in the year had turned many of the dry salt pans into lakes, now teeming with large flocks of pink flamingos, terns, and other waders (ask Josh if you want more details).

Our last stop in the park was the Namutomi lodge, where we recycled at the human watering hole before making our way to the lookout for Anne’s 10^th and final water hole. Intently gazing at the few springbok scattered around the pond, Dan didn’t notice the large boulder in his path, and took a tumble, scraping up his shin and knee, apparently intentionally to toughen him up for being thrown from horses in the Okavango Delta.

Eventually, we made our way to the park exit at around 5pm, where the gate attendant informed us that we had exceeded our permit by 2 hours, and would have to return to Namutomi and buy another day’s permit. Lieutenant Dan used his well-honed negotiating skills and sympathy for his wounds and she granted us an exemption.

Shortly before dusk, we arrived at the luxurious Mushara Outpost, our final home together, greeted by the friendly staff and a welcome drink. After showering, we chatted around the campfire with a South African lawyer and his wife, before dining on the best meal of the trip--fish for the ladies and "Alas-Poor-Oryx" for da' geyz.