Namibia -- Part 2

After such a peaceful two days at Guma Camp, we were sad to leave Botswana, especially knowing that we were driving to our final night on safari. We left early in the morning to cross back in to Namibia. Again, the border crossing was a breeze, and we were on our way back to Mahango Game Reserve to do a morning game drive. We didn’t see any large animals, but saw a good amount of sable antelopes, springboeks, zebras, monkeys and warthogs.

The heat really got to all of us today. At one point, no one on the van could keep their eyes open except for Chad, who was watching a movie on his iPod. The rest of us were sleeping in weird positions, sweating in the extreme heat. I was scared out of my nap when Martin slammed on the brakes and screamed, “Elephant!!!” I cannot imagine the look on my face as I jumped out of my curled-up position on my seat, clutched the seat in front of me with both hands and braced for impact. Apparently the giraffe incident is still taking its toll on me, as I thought we were about to hit an elephant. Fortunately that wasn’t the case; Martin was merely pointing out a few elephants on the side of the road to us.

We pulled into Nambwa Camp in the late afternoon. Nambwa is a wild park with no fences, overlooking the Mashi River. Prior to setting up our tents, Martin had a talk with us to let us know about the animals we might see at camp that night…elephants, hippo, leopards and lions, among others. Everyone had been giving me a good amount of friendly teasing with regards to my nervousness about the animals at night. I was happy to see that it was everyone ELSE who recommended that we set up our tents on the game-viewing platforms, which were about 12 ft. up in the trees, instead of on the ground. I guess I was not the only one who had been nervous…just the most vocal!

It sounded like a great idea, until we noticed that our platform was in a “good” leopard tree…lots of shade, strong tree limbs with appropriate angles for bringing prey and lounging. When I asked Martin about it, though, he told me, as usual, “DON’T worry, Madame Jacki. The leopards will not bother you.” Ok, then. I noted that he did not deny that this was a good leopard tree. We did all say that we wanted to see a leopard so that we could cross the “big five” off our list, but this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

We had a great dinner prepared by Franc. Since he is in training, I think he was making an attempt at proving himself and he surely did! He presented us with a huge feast…pork chops, squash filled with corn, rice, baked beans and a delicious salad with feta. These men can cook! All the weight Matt and I thought we lost in Asia was definitely put back on (and then some, I think!) while we were on safari. We may have been “roughing it” in terms of accommodations, but certainly not with regards to food.

After dinner, we all enjoyed a few cocktails, took a “last night” video to interview our new friends, played desert island discs, talked about favorite movies and books, and just enjoyed each others’ company again before climbing up to our tents. We had a great night’s sleep, complete with the night sounds of the nearby animals, but no close encounters.

Tomorrow we’ll part ways with the Danes, Martin and Franc as our safari ends and we spend a few days in Livingstone.

Botswana

Getting through the Namibia and Botswana border crossings was insane…like nothing I’ve ever seen! All 10 of us were through both borders, which were about two minutes apart from each other, in less than 20 minutes. We were the only people going out and coming in. I’ve never gone through customs anywhere that quickly!

Once we were about 10km from Guma Camp, we had to switch vehicles. Since it was a deep sand road into the camp, we needed to transfer into a huge 4-wheel drive truck that was open air. It was really neat, but very bumpy. We all agreed we were happy we had been in our beloved, if smashed up, van the whole time. We had each bought treats at the local markets for the village kids we saw along the way. Matt felt certain that the best gift for all the kids was sweets, so he and I were continually handing out lollipops, which were a big hit. On the way into camp, though, three young boys came over to our truck. Ristele gave them each a ballpoint pen. The look on the third boy’s face brought tears to my eyes. You would’ve thought she had given him the most exciting toy known to man; he was so ecstatic over his new treasure. Again, it puts everything in perspective.

We arrived at camp in the early afternoon and set up our tents in the heat of the day. I’m not sure what I expected from Botswana. I remember Aunt MaryAnn was so excited that we were going to Botswana, and she was right to be. It was so amazingly beautiful there, very serene and peaceful. We spent the first few hours just relaxing on the deck, overlooking the Okavango Delta, drinking some Windhoek Draught. Almost immediately we saw some crocs in the delta. (Thanks for the binoculars, Dad! They are really coming in handy!) The breeze off the water was perfect, so we hung out there until dinner time (about six hours…and many beers), just writing our Namibia blog and talking with Chad and Bev. We actually ate dinner at a table…with lights! It made for a real family atmosphere with our fellow travelers and, as usual, Martin and Franc cooked up a storm.

The next morning, Martin surprised us with pancakes! We were so excited! Then we got on a motorboat and took it about half an hour out to Mokoro Island, where Matt and I climbed into a Mokoro with our poler, Sparks. A Mokoro is a dug-out canoe, traditionally wooden. Our modern version was made of fiberglass, so we were a bit disappointed at first…until we saw some of the authentic ones. They didn’t look exactly intact or entirely safe, so we happily got into the fiberglass version.

We really enjoyed seeing the delta from this perspective, gliding through channels of trees, papyrus and lily pads, and viewing birds and the environment at eye level. We didn’t see any hippo or crocs up close, which was probably a good thing with us in the tiny boats. We heard a lot of hippo, though, so we knew they were close. Often it sounded like they were just on the other side of the papyrus. We stopped for a game walk, but unfortunately didn’t see any animals. It was still great knowing they are all around, seeing their tracks and observing the fire burning to preserve the ecosystem. We got back in our mokoro and went to a different island to enjoy the sandwiches we made that morning. At that point our guides informed us that they were taking us to a spot on the delta where we could safely swim. I was a little skeptical, but Matt did a backflip right in; no fear of any wildlife for him…or any of our traveling partners! After lunch, our polers took us back to the motorboat, where we enjoyed a quicker ride through the channels, seeing eagles and other exotic birds, as well as evidence that a croc had just left.

Another deck session ensued back at Guma. We were so happy to be spending two nights here and, most importantly, not having to take down and set up our tents for a day! Guma Camp was truly a beautiful and relaxing time. We had another great dinner, followed by hours of great conversation and many cocktails with Chad, Bev, Nomi and Hans. We had a lot of laughs and felt really grateful again that we were paired with such a fantastic group. Each of us is so different, which makes the discussions very interesting! Tomorrow we are back to Namibia for the final night of our safari. We’ll be sad to say goodbye.

Namibia

After the Khan Al-Khalil night bazaar, we were back at the Cairo airport to continue on to southern Africa. The boarding process was infuriatingly slow and, once onboard, there was essentially a party on the plane, as the losing South African team from the FIFA tournament was in the cabin. They were screaming, laughing, hollering, etc. So loud. I was upset since we needed to get some rest on the overnight trip but, thankfully, the bucket of beers (and then some) that we drank at Stiletto on the Nile did their job, and Matt and I each slept about six hours of the eight hour flight.

We arrived in Johannesburg, changed our money over and sat down for a bite to eat during our layover. We’d hoped to charge the laptop and camera batteries while we were there, so we switched tables while we were ordering to be close to an outlet. Unfortunately our converter wasn’t compliant, so that idea didn’t work out. We had a great lunch and, as we stood up to head to our gate, panic hit me. My camera bag was gone. Matt later told me that my face had gone immediately gray. He kept trying to reassure me and I couldn’t believe he was being so calm. It finally occurred to me that he wasn’t connecting the fact that my camera bag is also my “purse”, and my credit and debit cards were in there. I was more concerned about those than the camera, since each night we’ve been moving all our pictures onto the new hard drive we bought (already filled 32GB prior to the safari!!). After about five minutes and three jerks at the bar telling us no one found anything (without asking their co-workers or checking the lost and found), one of the waiters came running up to us and said, “It’s your lucky day.” Apparently we had left it at the original table. Matt hugged the surprised man. Had he known the cards were in there, he probably would have kissed him, too.

Flying into Namibia after the quick flight was really beautiful. The terrain is so different than anything we’ve seen here. Definitely the desert, it kind of reminded us of Joshua Tree, with different plants, of course. Landing was bittersweet. We are insanely excited about our safari, but so sad that this is the final leg of our trip. No time or excuses to be negative, though! We shared a shuttle with a Namibian couple on the way to our guest house in Windhoek, who reminded us to keep in mind that the animals on safari are truly wild. This only elevated our anticipation.

After checking in, we decided to go into town. We were a bit disappointed, though, when we found out that Windhoek isn’t a very safe city. Apparently you shouldn’t walk around after 5pm and even the taxis are suspect. We read a news bulletin and saw many signs around the guest house warning of rapes and muggings at knifepoint. We had the guest house call us a reputable cab and went over to Joe’s Beer House, where they have various game on the menu, to make the most of our one night in Windhoek.

We set up our safari through Mango Safaris (thanks again, Shelly and Nate!). The next morning, our guide, Martin, picked us up for our 8-day journey. We were paired with a great group – Chad and Beverly, an English couple; Hans and Nomi, a Danish couple; their daughters, Simone and Ristele (aged 17 and 12); and Franc, who is Martin’s right-hand man. We stopped at a local supermarket on the way to camp to pick up supplies for the next two nights, and stopped for lunch along the way. I’d been a little nervous about the food since it’s all prepared by Martin and Franc at camp, but there was plenty for me to make myself happy. There was some pink-ish cold-cut/loaf-type of thing, which I steered clear of. We had become fast friends with Chad and Bev, and she assured me, “It’s lovely. It’s beef with olives in it.” Obviously Bev didn’t know me well enough yet, as neither the fact that it’s beef (pink beef, no less), nor the fact that olives were embedded in it, nor the fact that the suffix was “wurst”, were even remotely appealing to me. I opted for cheese, fresh rolls, cucumber, tomatoes and Greek salad dressing. Essentially a Greek salad sandwich, which was delicious.

We continued on to Etosha, Namibia’s largest national park. Even though we weren’t doing an official “game drive” on our way to camp, in the first 15 minutes inside the park we saw elephants, giraffe, kudus, impalas and jackals roaming in the wild. It was amazing.

We pulled up to Okaukuejo Rest Camp and were pleasantly surprised! Matt, Chad and Bev said they thought we’d be roughing it but that, instead, we were in luxury. I don’t think “luxury” is exactly the word I would use, but it was leaps and bounds above my expectations. Dinner prepared by Martin and Franc was fabulous – pasta; spinach with mushrooms, onions and potatoes – we all ate huge portions. We had several beers with Chad and Bev, and then walked over to the watering hole to see what we could in terms of wildlife. We were in shock. White rhinos, endangered black rhinos, elephants, jackals, various birds…it was unbelievable to watch all the animals interact among their herds, just hanging out, grazing on some plants, drinking water, bathing themselves. We were awestruck, but even more so when we heard a rumbling roar in the night. The elephants stood dead in their tracks. The rhinos’ tails went up, and they stared and snorted. And then, two lions gracefully walked the perimeter of the bush, making their presence known and reminding everyone who is king. Absolutely amazing.

I was a bit nervous about going to sleep, as Martin told us that we would see jackals on the way to the toilet in the middle of the night. Um…what? I was expecting to see animals from our vehicle, not outside my tent! I always wake up at least once per night to use the restroom! Especially after a few (too many) beers! Martin assured me that they would run away when they saw me, but I was not convinced. Of course, midway through I woke up and there was no going back to sleep, so I put on my “brave” hat and grabbed our “security blanket” (the SAIC flashlight…who knew it would come in so handy?!). Fortunately, I made it to the bathroom and back to my tent without seeing ANY animals. I was, of course, running the whole time.

We celebrated Matt’s 32^nd birthday the next day with two half-day game drives. We didn’t think we could top what we had seen the night before. Boy, were we wrong! We saw literally hundreds of animals – more kudus, impalas, springboeks, giraffe, lions, jackals, zebras, you name it. I’ve seen zebras at zoos, but to see them in person, running through the land, they are stunningly beautiful. Possibly my favorite, but all the animals are so unique it’s hard to choose. We stopped at the Etosha pan, a vast salty desert – all bright white as far as you can see.

We really thought we were interacting with the animals. Until we came to a watering hole with three elephants. They were hanging out, drinking, bathing. Suddenly, two of them starting making their elephant noises at each other. We wondered if they were going to fight, but they didn’t. One of the others walked away and we were still distracted by the possibility of the first two going at it. Then we realized the one who had walked away was standing about 20 feet from our vehicle. It was a giant bull and we were all in shock, excited to get some great pictures. We realized the importance of the situation, though, when Martin loudly whispered, “Nobody jump. Nobody move.” We didn’t. It was intense. He just stood there staring at us for what seemed an eternity, and then calmly walked away. Crazy!

By the end of the drive, Matt said he had been pondering all his birthdays and had to say this was the best one yet. The celebration continued when we when we got to camp, though. We had a few beers at the Oboma Bush Bar. Serious. How funny is that?! Obama Bush. Love it. Then, after dinner, the two young Danes sang “Happy Birthday” to Matt in Danish. Martin followed by singing it in an African tribal language, complete with clicking noises. So awesome. Matt was really touched, and the lamb dinner prepared by Franc and Martin was certainly more exotic than anything I would have prepared back home in Encinitas.

The next morning, we drove past a tree and saw the remnants of a leopard meal – a springboek carcass hanging in a tree. Every morsel of meat had been removed from the carcass. It was unbelievable. We hoped to catch a glimpse of the leopard itself, but it was probably far gone, digesting the meal.

Just when we thought nothing could be crazier than what we had seen the day before, we were in for quite a surprise. Previously, everyone agreed that Martin was driving much faster than the posted speed limit, be it 60km or 100km. However, we had gotten used to it by then. I apologize in advance for my language, but there is no other way for me to express the feeling I experienced. Just as we were about 500m from exiting the park, WE FUCKING HIT A GIRAFFE. I don’t mean that we saw a group of giraffe. I mean that we were speeding along and Martin slammed on the brakes, the van started skidding, the Danes screamed, and we fucking HIT a giraffe. It was running out of the bush, crossing the road just as we were approaching. I saw it try to jump out of the way, but we still hit it. The image of beautiful dark brown and gold giraffe print pressed against the windshield is something I will never forget. We are very lucky Martin braked and that the giraffe jumped, because while the windshield shattered, it didn’t break all the way through, and, most importantly, the giraffe remained OUTSIDE the van. The poor thing ran off on three good legs and one obviously mangled leg. Surely it was a feast for at least one lion that night. Obviously, we were all shaken up, but the accident definitely bonded us all. So traumatizing. In our safari welcome kit, it was clear that this is Africa and we should expect the unexpected, like warthogs invading our camp, etc. But, we had never imagined this in our wildest nightmares. When we stopped for gas, Hans ran in and bought a round of hard cider for all and we toasted to our safety. Even though it was just 9am, we all needed that.

We then stopped at the supermarket to get supplies for the next night. Unfortunately it turns out that alcohol is not sold on Saturdays and Sundays (despite having just purchased cider at a gas station). After the giraffe experience, we were on a mission and at the next stop, Matt ran out of the van and spoke to a man named “Shorty” (at the suggestion of another employee in the store), who agreed to sell him a couple six packs. Thank God! Franc taped up the windshield with clear tape – you will not believe it when you see the pictures – and we soldiered on with the same van to Roy’s camp, where we went to visit a local bushman village. We walked through the bush with a native guide, learning about hunting, the vegetation, seeing their huts. It is unbelievable and very humbling to see how these people live in modern times. Afterwards we were treated to six songs by the tribeswomen, which was incredible. We all slept well and that night and Matt said a special prayer for the giraffe.

Most of the next day was spent driving to the Okavango River. It was unbelievable how much the terrain changed in the 400km we drove. Our site at Ngepi Camp was on the river, under beautiful trees. Everything was so green and lush. There was even some moisture in the air! We got to camp early, so we had plenty of time for visiting the swimming area (which was an approximately 20’ x 20’ section of the river, fenced off so the crocs and hippos can’t get in) and enjoying some beer and wine on the river banks, watching the hippos. Everyone had a blast and was in great spirits.

Over dinner, Martin warned us that since we were camping on the river, we needed to beware of hippos AT CAMP! He told us that we needn’t worry…hippos are vegetarians. But, Hans quickly reminded us that hippos kill the most humans each year of any animals in Africa. I was very nervous, but Martin said, “If you hear someone walking outside and your partner is in your tent, stay in your tent and keep your head down.” Ok, then. I had read that on some nights we would camp without gates and that it was “exhilarating”. Um…hardly.

Of course I woke up for my nightly trip to the toilet. Matt was asleep next to me and it was completely silent. Except for the slow, heavy steps right outside our tent. I was pretty much freaking the hell out. I laid there for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably about a half hour as the steps moved from our tent around to Chad and Bev’s. I don’t think I have ever been so terrified. I didn’t even wake up Matt for fear that he would be in a half-sleep and be loud and draw attention to us. I had already devised my emergency plan. I would wake Matt up, tell him to follow me and run to the van and up onto its roof. Wow, I was really losing it. Fortunately, Matt rolled over and must have felt the tension in the tent. He said, “Are you ok?” I whispered, “Be quiet. There’s an animal outside.” He heard it as well, and we listened together for probably another 20 minutes, when Matt determined it had gone back to the water. He did a quick peek outside using the SAIC light (again – what a lifesaver!) and decided there were no animals (at least in sight…we could hear the hippos in the water). We made a beeline for the toilet which, of course, was the one that’s been the furthest from our sites yet, relieved ourselves and bolted back to our tent. We both had weird dreams the rest of the night, but at least we were alive and able to get some sleep!

We woke up, loaded our camp gear and headed to Mahango Game Reserve for breakfast, where we saw monkeys, more hippos and birds, then drove to the Namibian border. We’ll spend the next two nights in Botswana. With only a few nights left, we’re hoping to see the elusive leopard, the last of the “big five” we need to see. The big five are the African animals that cannot be killed by another animal (except one of their own) when full-grown. So far, we’ve seen the other four – elephant, lion, rhino and water buffalo. Wish us luck!

Cairo - Part 2

We arrived in Cairo at noon or so on 10/6. Our trusty cab driver Yasser, who we met earlier in the week, was a little late, but he made it. Good thing he recognized us…I had an Egyptian call him for us (for some reason this airport terminal has no pay phones), who told him I had a blue shirt on…but it was yellow!?!?!?

We dropped our bags at the hotel, and set out for Wadi Degla Reserve…reserve being the operative word, as we didn’t convey this to Yasser, and it took quite some time, and the help of many random Egyptians, to find the place. Once we did, boy, was it worth it. The reserve is a rift, maybe more of a valley, that was a lake bed years ago, but bone dry at this point. The scenery is spectacular. Something like the Grand Canyon, however on a MUCH smaller scale. The reserve closes at sunset, so we only had about 2.5 hours, however we managed to hike to the 5K mark and back.

Right about when we got back in the taxi, the sunset had the sky on fire. A Cairo sunset is really something to see. Just a big ball of fire peeking through the haze, blowing up the sky. We picked up some good old American food, McD’s (we had not eaten since that morning in Sharm…comfort food was warranted), and then headed to the Cairo Tower, suggested by Yasser. It did not disappoint. The night time views of Cairo from the top were amazing. We took some pics, watched the boat traffic on the Nile, and then left the tower for our hotel.

We stayed in an area called Dokki. I don’t know much about it, but it was similar to Hillcrest with regard to the people. Quite surprising, but a very low key place. It’s worth noting that never once, at any time in Cairo, did Jack or I not feel safe. Sure, the traffic is stupid, and the Muslim influence is everywhere, but the majority of the Egyptians we met absolutely went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We will definitely be back to Cairo again, the hospitality is very welcoming.

We walked around Dokki that evening, looking for a place to have a beer and watch the Cairo/Costa Rica soccer match (Egypt is hosting the FIFA 2009 20 and under world cup). We found no alcohol at all, only a couple of hookah bars that were major sausage fests. No thanks. So we hit the hotel bar, which consisted of 3 or 4 of the hotel staff watching the game on a 13" television from the 80s. It was amusing. We were beat, so after just one beer, we called it a night.

We ate breakfast quickly the next morning, at the hotel buffet which wasn’t that bad (keep in mind that our room cost only $40 or so), and then were picked up by Yasser to see the Pyramids in Giza. We left early to beat the heat – which we did – but beating the crowds really made it worthwhile. Apparently a co-op similar to that witnessed in Thailand and Cambodia exists in Egypt. Yasser brought us to his friend who insisted he had the best deal for seeing all the sights in Giza, and that we would pay much more by entering on our own. Well, we didn’t fall for his BS, and thankfully so. We saw it all…9 pyramids, the sphinx, numerous tombs, etc…for $12 each. That jackass wanted $36 each. Strike one for Yasser.

The pyramids were everything we had hoped for and more. I hope the pictures do them justice. Being there so early really paid off. By 10 AM, it was not possible to take a ground level picture without other tourists infringing. It is absolutely amazing, however at the same time, a major tourist trap.
Once we had our fill, we proceeded to head to the Citadel, or so we thought. Yasser unexpectedly took us to the Papyrus ‘Museum’. Yeah, it is interesting to see how the ancient Egyptians used this plant to make art, but it was clear we were there for the sole purpose of dropping our money on cheese souvenirs. Strike two. We listened to the guide, then bailed. I mean it’s nice art, but if you know me, all that stuff is crap. If you really desire to purchase it, you can find it on the internet.

The Citadel was enjoyable…a few mosques, a couple of museums…within a walled section of Islamic Cairo. We checked out the military museum, which was interesting, but I was most caught up with the staff, who outnumbered the visitors like 20-1. Further, at least 50% of the exhibits were roped off and not available for viewing. Oh well. The restaurant at the Citadel had pizza, and I am glad we tried it, because it was fantastic.
Apparently, there are a lot of Italians in Cairo. Not surprising, considering the number of Fiats on the road, but they brought their cuisine as well.

The next stop was Al Azhar, a lush park within Islamic Cario. Much to my surprise, Cairo is quite green with vegetation in certain areas, and this park in particular is beautiful. As you can imagine with Muslim being the way here, Jacki was the only woman without a Muslim head/face wrap, and because of this, she was the focal point of many stares. But this didn’t ruin her day. We had a lot of fun with it, in a PC manner of course.

Our next stop was the Nile for a Faluka ride. A Faluka is a boat. Yasser had been telling us that we could have a fish dinner on a Faluka, which sounded great. So we were off, experiencing the traffic of Cairo once again, which is a sight for anyone to see. I think Jack posted on this already, but seriously, it is nuts. Similar to the madness we observed in Bangkok, however, it all seems to work.

About 40 minutes into the ride, and 20 minutes or so after passing over the Nile, Jack and I started to wonder WTF was up. Yasser reassured us we were headed to the Falukas, which eased our moods. It wasn’t until after we were on the outskirts of Giza, no other tourists in sight, when we stopped at what looked like the Pequannock River. Clearly Yasser’s friend had a boat, and that is where we ended up. He wanted some ludicrous amount of $$ for the ride – we could have paid less for a formal dinner cruise on the Nile. We agreed to a ride with no dinner and for half the time (1 hour vs 2 hours), however after about 5 minutes or so, when the river wasn’t looking any better, we’d had enough. The guy driving the boat – who did not speak English – reluctantly took us back to the river bank. Yasser was very frustrated, clearly embarrassed in front of his friends, but we were over it. We had made it clear earlier that we wanted to take a ride near Cairo and Zamalek, not in Bumblefuck. He claimed that we had agreed to working with his friend earlier, which was not the case. Jack had pointed out the specific area where we wanted to be earlier in the day. Strike three – but we still needed a ride back to Cairo. It’s really a shame that it came to this with Yasser, considering that the day before, he was extremely accommodating, and asked for pretty much nothing – although we tipped him big.

Yasser made it easy on us. He threw the BS flag and told us he had some kind of personal problem to deal with, so we had him drop us off at the Sheraton, which we remembered was right on the Nile in a good spot. Note to the drinkers who plan to visit Cairo – alcohol is scarce, the restaurants do not serve it, however all of the western hotels do, and the prices are reasonable, so head there when you feel yourself getting thirsty. We dropped our bags with the bell guy, who was very cool, considering we hadn’t even stayed there, and then hit the pub for beers. Afterward, we went to a bar/lounge that the Sheraton advertised, although it wasn’t clear if it was affiliated with the hotel. What was clear, was that the place absolutely rocked. Our table was on the Nile, they had beer, and the food was amazing. Some Italian, some Egyptian, and top notch staff, I am talking 6 star. And it was hardly expensive…I think it was about $75 for a shared app, entrees and 3 beers each (big beers). Jack had been really down about the Faluka debacle, and this was just what we needed to get us going again.

At this point, it was getting pretty late, and our flight to Johannesburg was fast approaching. So we grabbed our bags from the Sheraton and jumped in a taxi, with one quick stop to make at the Khan Al-Khalil Bazaar. We had literally no time, but our driver was a man on a mission, and somehow made it happen – we had about 10 minutes to pick up souvenirs, and we found exactly what we were looking for. Next time, we need to make it there for a few hours, it is definitely something to see. If you can handle all the touts.

Next stop – Namibia!