Week Two: Namibia

Greetings from Botswana! We crossed the border into Botswana this morning, and the border patrols are so casual compared to the States. We also had to cross a foot and mouth disease checkpoint where we had to carry a pair of shoes and wear a pair and rub them both in some kind of solution. I have 3 other pairs in my pack, guess they aren't worried about the diseases I might have on those shoes!
Cheetah Park and Etosha National Park were awesome. They are rehabilitating wild cheetahs at the park. We went on a ride in the back of a truck (wide open!) where they fed the cheetahs donkey meat. It was awesome because the cats all got really aggressive and fought for the meat. I took what the group has voted a 'national geographic worthy' picture of a cheetah jumping in the air for the meat, but I can't upload pictures from the internet cafe today unfortunately! Next time!
In Etosha, we saw a bunch of giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, warthogs, springbok, oryx, kudu...the list goes on and on! 5 lions over the course of two days. Highlights of the game drive: a zebra stampede and a pair of lions mating. It appears that I seem to move animals to mate - they've done it everywhere I have been so far! ;)
Here's a little bit about a typical day on the trek. We get up anywhere between 4:45 and 6:00 AM. Breakfast is typically cereal and fried eggs. We are on the truck (fits 30, we picked up two more people so we're full!) for about 4-5 hours a day heading to our next destination. I read, listen to music, sleep and watch the beautiful landscapes pass us by. My favorite times on the truck are when we slam on the brakes because a herd of cows, donkeys or goats (not sheep - I know the difference!) are running across the street. Most of the roads in Namibia were not paved, they've been good in Botswana and were in South Africa. Made for a bumpy few hours! Depending on when we arrive at the next campground, we'll either eat lunch there or stop on the side of the road for a picnic. Lots of veggies, sandwiches, pasta salads, fruit - much better than I had anticipated. At the campground, I usually go for a hike exploring what's around and get organized. It gets dark at about 5:30 here, so we start a campfire and then all sit around together and drink. I've become a big fan of boxed wine because it travels well and it's South African wine, so much better than what you get at home. We tell stories, laugh and try to figure out where we're going the next day. Dinner usually consists of some kind of veggie, meat and a starch. The trek has well exceeded my expectations!
Time has slowed significantly for me and I think no more than about 12 hours ahead anymore! It's a wonderful feeling...my only stress is what to wear the next morning! I think I'd also like to retract my statement about not being able to survive camping. I actually am really liking it. I like the simplicity of carrying everything I need in one bag and not knowing what the next place I'll sleep will look like. Trine and I are masters at setting up the tent. We time ourselves and have cut our time from 5:35 to 3:52 seconds. Talk about improvements in efficiency! I have forgotten what it's like to wear make up. Contrary to what a lot of you might think, I am showering daily.
The weather is crazy here. I've never been in anything like it. It gets down to the 30's and 40's as soon as the sun goes down, and pushes up into the upper 80's and 90's about an hour after the sun comes up. Makes dressing each morning a real challenge! Thank goodness I bought the 20 degree sleeping bag, I've been plenty warm each night! My malaria meds have made me extremely sensitive to the sun, so I'm wearing a lot of sunscreen - sun is hot so near the Tropic of Capricorn!
Tomorrow we head into the Okavango Delta for two nights of game hunting in wooden canoes with the locals and bush camping (no showers or toilets for two nights!). Then, we're off to the Chobe National Park where we'll see a lot more game. I finally feel like I've gotten to Africa! It was such a great feeling to see an elephant, giraffe, zebra and lion in the wild for the first time...almost surreal.
Having a blast..thinking of all of you often! Thanks for the comments to the blog! It's great to hear from you. Will write after Chobe!