Namibia. Part I: Etosha National Park

Namibia has always been a place I wanted to visit, however, it never really placed high on my list of priority exotic countries. I saw it as a location that would always be there, right next door, so to speak, and I can go whenever I wanted. A backup option, if you will.

As the time neared where I plan my trip home to see my family and friends, "Nambia" as Trump famously said, finally got her chance to impress. The time to run around in her ancient Namib Desert and to enjoy her legendary sunsets has arrived. Who knew that the girl next door would be so damn charming and would be the one who knocks your socks off? Here commences the story of 7 people, 4 000km, lots of sand and one unforgettable road trip.

Part I: Etosha National Park

Since I was born and raised in South Africa, going on safari was never really a big deal for me. Every time I visited the zoo, I’d skip the Africa exhibit, because who wants to see an elephant or a zebra for the 900th time? Giraffes and Kudus to me were like sheep and cows were to someone who grew up on a farm. Granted these wild animals weren’t scattered everywhere and domesticated like farm cattle are but they were still pretty common for me growing up. A luxury of being a child from Africa, I suppose.

So, I was never overjoyed at the thought of going on safari, which meant my husband had to dig deep into his charm reservoir to convince me to spend half a week at Etosha National Park. All I can say is that puppy dog eyes are still as effective as they've ever been because we included a visit to the wildlife national park at the beginning of our trip.

The park, 22,270 square kilometers has hundreds of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, including several threatened and endangered species such as the black rhinoceros. It also boasts a huge saltpan which some say is the size of Belgium and it only covers 23% of the Park – do the math on this one yourself.

On the first day, we joined a Dutch family in a guided full-day safari. Our guide was a well of information and taught us several interesting facts but most importantly how to spot the difference between males and females of various species. How to identify the gender of a giraffe will remain to be one of my favorite new party tricks.

We were scouting wildlife and learning interesting fun facts for over 10 hours on that day. We were fortunate to have seen many gazelles, predators, and birds. We also spent a good part of the afternoon chasing down leads on rhinos in the area, but alas, they remained too stealthy to find. 

Being chauffeured around with a wise guide and delicious lunch was a fun experience, however, the real game changer came the next day when we ventured into the park with our own car. We decided when and where we wanted to go and boy was it worth it!

We spent most of the morning looking for rhinos but we found the most amazing experience of all. The previous day our guide told us a huge misconception people have is that there’s no life on the saltpan, which makes sense seeing as there’s no water and it has pretty inhospitable living conditions. However, he said that a lot of animals actually do live on the pan when they migrate west. We were very fortunate to have experienced this the very next day. My husband and I decided to explore the other less frequented part of the park. If the crowd goes right, take a quick jolt left, right? We drove for quite some time to a waterhole, not knowing if we would find anything. Once we arrived, we barely stopped the car when the most exciting spectacle appeared, almost like it just fell from the sky.

Without warning, we were suddenly surrounded by hoards of animals. Wildebeest were chasing each other past the front of our car, Zebras were galloping behind us, Springbok were tiptoeing on our right and Giraffes were strolling leisurely in front of us. We were fenced in by hundreds of different animals all playfully making their way to the waterhole perched on the edge of the saltpan. They were aware of our presence, but they also didn't show much interest in us, like they knew we were too much in awe of the moment to be any kind of threat. I was dumbstruck.  Absolutely and utterly amazed by how these animals gracefully made their way past us and each other toward the water. They were harmoniously co-existing and playfully socializing with each other. I have never witnessed anything so majestic in my life. I was turned right then and there. A converted safari lover.  

After the animals finished drinking and playing, some made their way across the pan while others dispersed into the distance. Once the scene was clear it felt like it never happened. It all occurred so fast, yet it also felt like time stood still while we witnessed the whole scene. It seemed like time froze when the animals surrounded our little grey car. Time seemed to have moved so slowly it felt like I could count the Zebra's eyelashes when she walked past my window.

It's been 2 months since that experience and I must say, all I have to do is quickly bring up the images and I'm right back there - entranced and in awe of those graceful and powerful animals. I felt humbled and giddy. Like I've been given an exclusive gift, witnessing this primal and stunning display of nature. The fact that I was born where these animals exist, to able to say that we share the same home made me proud and feel incredibly fortunate. 

Next up I venture further into Namibia to where the Atlantic meets the desert, to a gem of a town locked in by restricted zones filled with diamonds and to the world's oldest desert.