A couple more days at Etendeka, mountain hikes in the mornings and game drives in the afternoon. We saw another larger pride of lions and the rare black rhino, albeit at quite a distance.
On from there we headed north east to Etosha. On the first evening in the lodge it was surprisingly cold, it has been the only time our fellow diners were in ski wear, including the ear warmers, they were obviously better prepared then us.  They all must have researched Namibia better, we just thought Africa it will be quite warm. Nice to be in the quieter, restricted western part of Etosha first, spent the second night in the middle closer to the pan. Saw masses of wild life, many elephants, the black rhino at the floodlit waterhole.  At one water hole literally hundreds, probably a thousand, zebra, although the big cats eluded us. It was warming up again too.

Leaving Etosha we headed east again towards the Botswanan border, a distance of 297 miles on roads that could be described as interesting. The border is close to the Kalahari and is the area the indigenous Bush people have been allowed to settle and live their lives in the traditional manner if they wish.. There has been some intermarriage but lovely to see the golden faces with high cheekbones, almost reminiscent of the Mongolians. We stayed on their land that evening in the shadow of an enormous Boab tree, no facilities but charming although pleased we didn't hear the hyena in the night when we were shown their tracks the following morning.

A short journey to the border, which was just a couple of huts, and then into Botswana, another long drive, 230 miles, where the already interesting gravel road became more of a cart track, it really feels as though we have got away from the tourist routes and the adventure steps up a notch.. Drove to the lodge by the Okavango river and this morning have been on a boat ride wonderful birds, bee eaters, kingfishers and fish eagles to mention only a few. And of course enormous crocodiles who all took to the water towards us as we passed.

 It is so different from Namibia, green and with water which means bugs too so the malarial tablets have to be started. Its also getting a lot hotter, a more humid heat than even the hot days in the desert.