Up again BEFORE the crack of dawn to meet our guide, Victor, for a sunrise game drive through the western end of Etosha Park. Our shortened night’s sleep was quickly rewarded, as we passed a mommy and baby rhino (with a face that ONLY a mother could love), just before an aging male lion approached our Land Rover and crossed in front of us.
Victor introduced us to a bevvy of birdies hovering about, but you’ll have to ask Nancy, because I was busy scanning the landscape for something bigger than a breadbox.
We passed a curious ostrich, before watching a male giraffe put a new female acquaintance to the sniff test, looking for some serious necking.
Unfortunately, she gave him the cold shoulder and left him hanging. Then, in the distance, we noticed some movement behind a small tree—a small family of lions was moving about. Through the binoculars, we saw red-–all over the lioness’s face. Upon further magnification, 3 zebra hooves were detected sticking up, bobbing, and framing a lion’s head. Apparently, breakfast was a fresh Carpaccio of striped ass today, which had a couple of jackals waiting for leftovers in a near frenzy nearby.
After lunch, we gazed at oryx and zebra congregating at the waterhole before we embarked on a late afternoon game drive with our friend Victor.
Alas, Victor’s pm drive was not quite so Victorious
(maybe, with this Victor, we got spoiled), as we drove between water holes and saw mostly trees, with an occasional lilac breasted roller,
warthog, oryx, or mongoose. It was so slow that at one point, Victor spent 10 minutes marveling at a ground squirrel he had spotted. Eventually, we landed at a watering hole where admired an elephant and a rhino, up close and personal.
Back at the lodge, we reflected on the zebra stripes and giraffe spots in the water hole as the sun set.
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