Es-via, Neinke, and we cousins left Ongwediva about four o'clock the morning of July 12th, Neinke to get to her new job, the rest of us to go to the Van der Merwes' ranch. We spent the day at Etosha National Park, where there was great excitement whenever a new animal was spotted. One of the first animals we saw was a little deer called a "dik-dik," which is a rare sight, as we understand. We had "breakfast" about ten, and did the dishes at this sink.
A silver-backed jackal. I love his markings.
Hartebeast(?) in the foreground and kudu. There were other kinds of deer\antelope too, so I am mixed up on all their names.
This is one kind of antelope the name of whichI am not mixed up on! This is a springbok, a common sight in Africa. Even though there are many of them, I still think they're beautiful.
A giraffe we saw come and drink at a waterhole.
This pair of ostriches had about twenty chicks with them.That was a sight to see!
People are not supposed to get out of the vehicle, so this is how the boys got pictures of a rhino lying in the grass. Amongst our group, we know several different languages, and we used them to try to get Mr. Rhino up, but to no avail. At least we saw him.
In the evening we sat at this waterhole a while, watching wildlife come and drink.
We enjoyed watching this elephant drink and splash around in the water.
The sunset that evening. This was at another waterhole where we got to see a mother rhino and calf. That was special. They were coming very slowly and it was past time to leave, so we didn't see them come drink, but we got to see them and the boys got pictures. So we had to be satisfied with that.
At lunch the next day, it was breezy, so the boys came up with a windbreak to shield the propane flame.
This is a hill we hiked that afternoon.
The view of Hardap Dam from the top.
The other hikers on top.
Somebody else was wanting a picture of the hikers, and this is what Es-via and Ezra did. They were great pals.
Because there was not enough room in the front of the Land Cruiser, two people had to sit in the back. This is Nathaniel and Ezra trying to escape from the sun by hiding under a blanket.
This is the shop of a gemstone collector in South Africa, where we stopped on our way. The proprietor collects gemstones from all over Africa. This is a checkerboard he made from gemstones.
Trees and elephant made of gemstones.
Gemstone lamp.
His display case. The man showed the boys his diamond blade that he cuts gems with, and the sander that makes them smooth. We girls were cold, so we sat in the vehicle where it was warmer.
That about sums up the highlights of our trip back to Ladybrand. The next posts are about our time there.
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