upon leaving Bagatelle game lodge we decided to take an alternate scenic route via Olliphant river (well beside a dry river bed and a lot of the time in the dried up river bed!). a good route and mid afternoon arrived at Mata Mata, a Transfrontier game reserve in South Africa. We were camping and I have never been so cold, it is dry here and the taste of dust is in your throat but the weather has mainly been the bright cold reminiscent of ski ing. Saw a lot of game, herds of springbok and wilder-beast, ostrich, jackals, kudo and oryx but unfortunately the black maned Kalahari lion escaped us.

PHOTO Kalahari bushmen taking us to their village.

Moved back to Namibia and camped overnight not as cold in a superb bush camp with only one loo and a shower activated by lighting a fire behind it but the scenery was stunning, quiver trees amid dolomire rocks resembling a lost city. Only one other couple in the camp.
The next day, the opposite accommodation, a luxury chalet room as part of a lodge overlooking the fish river canyon. Superb views and at dark (which is 6pm here) the stars can be seen from the room. A mixture of nationalities but the majority of the 6 couples here are South African. Had a walk along the ridge for a way and the following day took a Jeep into the canyon right down to the small water pools remaining with their cat fish. it hasn't rained here this year so everything very dry.

that is up to date as on the 3rd September and hoping for internet access soon.