Namibia, part II

[The_Norwegian]

Erindi. (picture heavy, be warned)

 

04.30 we were packed and ready to drive the long jorney northbound to Erindi, with the first hours with gravel roads before getting onto the blacktop the last remainig hours. Namibia is a large country, and the all the driving on a actionpacked tour like this in a landy defender is not for the comfort-minded traveller ? But hey, we`re not here for the comfort, we`re here for the safari-experience!

The last 45 minutes or so into Erindi itself is gravel again, but by then at least I was so excited to be back there and was almost shaking in anticipation of what the reserve would have to show met his year! Checking in, signing the no resposability waiver, and getting settled in the room was a breeze, and it was a happy safarigoer that could turn on the AC, take a shower, get into new clothes and have a coke from the minibar while sitting outside watching an elephant mudbathing itself. This for me, was when the trip really hit the ground running ?

 

Would my dream of the elusive spotted cat come true this year, or would I end up with a valid reason to come back next year? What about the lions, would they put on a show this year like last time, showing us how a real hunter operates? There was many questions in my head, but no matter what, my motto is I am not dissapointed by what I don`t see, I am excited with whatever mother nature chooses to show me! As last year, we got a vehicle for ourselfes, and we also got our favourite guide from last year, Fn, he is the kind that does that little extra for his guests, as well as being very knowledgeable, and I think he had as much fun as us driving around, both when just bumbling about, and the accational «ferrari-safari». Unlike last year when the drought had taken its toll on the nature, it was a joy to be in a green, lush enviroment, it was very very beautiful, the smells, the sounds. The animals were in a total different state of mind it seemed this time around, as to last year when they had to feed them to keep them alive. Of course it meant a little more driving to find the animals, but i enjoyed it very very much, and could easily stayed an extra day or two ? Ok, enough talk, picturetime perhaps? 

 

 

[xelas]

Picture heavy indeed ... but when photos are excellent then it does not mind! Some very new and unusual viewpoints to wildlife photography here. Great work, @The_Norwegian.

[PeterHG]

Picture time indeed, @The_Norwegian . Great set of photos!

[The_Norwegian]

Thank you, I`m glad you liked the pictures :-) 

[Atravelynn]

Your brown hyena is most impressive!  Landscapes show your very artistic eye and the  great light helped you out.  Page 2 continues with your quality shots.   Mother Nature "chose to show you" great stuff and you managed to capture it.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Atravelynn

[Dave Williams]

@The_Norwegian Looks like you lost the will to continue yet again! A shame because I really love reading your reports and enjoying the photos.

 

[Atravelynn]

You must be spending time on all your photos.    You present an artistic angle on them!

[The_Norwegian]

Well, somehow i got sidetracked by a whole lot of things, and time goes by faster then a hunting cheetah. But the beauti of this, the internetforums, is that it`s never to late to pick up where one left off :-) I have the trip relatively fresh in mind, and also as there has been some time since the trip, I have edited more pictures then i had just after the trip, you know how it is, when looking through the pictures for the xxx.th time, one always find something new worthy of a closer look!

 

I warn you yet again, there will be a whole lot of pictures from this point on ;-) We started our Etosha-experience, as the last time, in Namutoni, then Halali and finished up at Okaukuejo, so no surprises there! I have to say that after this second trip, the Halali-camp is where i really would love to stay the longest. I find the surrounding area and the variation of vegetation to be particulary nice as well as the birdlife in camp, and this time I had really really high hopes to spot a spotted cat, as did our guide who worked very hard as he had me nagging about it the year before also :-D But no such luck, those elusive leopards eluded us this time also, but i got my first etosha cheetah-sighting! Mother with three cubs, but they were very skittish of something and didn`t provide much opportunities for photographing them. But lions galore as from halali to okaukuejo, with the latter delivering more lions on three days then one can dream to hope for, give or take 50 lions in a matter of days, even our guide Walter said he couldn`t remember seeing so many lions in that short time in his 22 years of guiding in Etosha. So, the trip was yet again a success, with new awesome memories, more pictures, although not as many as the first time. I made sure to put my camera down every once in a while this time, it is really nice to just take it all in without the camera :-) Ok, enough talk, picturetime!

 

 

Edited July 20, 2018 by The_Norwegian

[The_Norwegian]

I had originally booked a couple of extra days after the rest of the gruop had left were i planned to visit the Naankuse-place, and had some plans to come home with some cool caracal-pictures, but as the trip ot closer to the end I decided to cancel the booking and go home togheter with the rest, so the little "surprise" i had planned for the final installment didn`t materialize. 

 

This year I had in fact no trip to Africa planned, as I was to go to Kgalagadi amongst others in march, but as it turns out.. Well.. guess what :-D i will turn 40 in november, and safe to say I`m getting myself an epic gift ;-) And if this trip don`t produce any spots, I will be more then surprised. 

[The_Norwegian]

A few extra pictures that have been edited after the original posting! All the pictures on this trip was taken with either the D500 or the D7500, and those have the same sensor, i found that to be a great combo. Easy to use, one of them a litte easier then the other if you are just starting out, and reasonably lightweight. 

[Ginny]

Amazing photos!

 

Ginny

[The_Norwegian]

3 hours ago, Ginny said:

Amazing photos!

 

Ginny

 Thank you very much for those kind words