In Namibia, Etosha is a must. All travelers pass through it. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the world, which extends around a pan, a gigantic dried-up body of water of nearly 5,000 km². A clayey and salty land of white color, occupied by a lake a few thousand years ago. In this park as large as three French departments, flourishes a rich protected fauna: lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, but also large kudus, sprinboks, oryx, wildebeest and many others. Animals live in freedom, evolve, multiply and die, often very old when the law of nature does not decide otherwise.
Unlike the Serengeti or Ngorongoro in Tanzania, entrance fees to national parks in Namibia are not outrageous. You can easily spend several days there without emptying your bank account.
We trade our motorcycles for a 4×4 and find Anna and Damien, our travel companions we met in Sossusvlei. Program for the day: arm yourself with patience, open your eyes wide, take out your binoculars. We turn our heads to the right, to the left, for hours. Elephants, giraffes and zebras are the most present around us. Not ten minutes go by without coming across them. We also see the ugly marabout or the curious sagittarian messenger, with his punk crest. And a lot of dick dick, a tiny antelope that makes everyone gaga. And of course a multitude of birds perched in the acacias: the park is said to be home to more than 300 species!
On this arid southern land, one might think that life has no place. And yet, here is all the magic of Namibia, of its geographical, geological and biological diversity: there are underground springs which form natural bodies of water on the surface, more or less abundant depending on the rainy season, and where the animals come together to the delight of the paparazzi stashed in their jeep. We would like to be in their place rather than stuck in a car without the right to get out.
We experience moments of comical adrenaline, when several 4x4s clump together in the same place, perhaps announcing the presence of a big cat. We believe in it, we sweat with excitement, we wait… But at midday, under a crushing sun, it is more difficult to observe a lion or a leopard than to look for a needle in a haystack. These predators are very good at blending into the background – and above all, sleeping in the shade.
The haphazard
In front of our camp inside the park, an artificial body of water has been set up, attracting many animals seeking to quench their thirst – a famous waterhole. At nightfall, we decide to go to the front row. Approaching, a hum of thousands of birds resounds. A great ballet of tiny birds unfolds above the water point. Incredible spectacle of beauty and noise.
In the middle of this singing cloud, a rhino slowly tries to go drink but seems totally frightened by the waltz of the birds. Unreal. He saw his Hitchcockian thrill in the savannah. “Patience and length of time do more than strength or rage.” For a good hour, we are speechless from the bleachers.
After celebrating this day full of emotions around a barbecue under a starry sky, we should sleep to be ready at dawn to go back on the lookout. But how to go to sleep in such a place? How many people spend sleepless nights in Etosha? We decide to return to the stands. Large projectors illuminate the body of water and we attend an augmented reality cinema session.
Wildlife lives at night and parades before our eyes. Rhinoceros and hyenas are soon chased from the picture by three lionesses who come to scatter around the water, right at the stroke of midnight. In front of us. Behind the frail stone wall that separates us from the body of water. We all whisper the same word: “Unbelievable !” And we keep our eyes wide open listening to the deafening silence that rules the great African spaces.
Sleeping in our small tent, in the camp located a few hundred meters behind the low wall, and knowing that, technically, an animal can climb on the other side makes the experience exhilarating. Goosebumps, at night, two in a tent, I love it. Chills of desert, loneliness and wild life.
Which country ! Namibia offers us real emotional roller coasters. An atypical piece of Africa. Hard, dry, uninhabited and desolate, of absolute beauty, with the ocher dunes of the Namib desert and the powerful Atlantic coasts. Full of life unheard of in the wild plains of Etosha National Park.
We had never seen three lionesses laying down the law in the middle of the night. Which class ! A blend of confidence and elegance. The magic of Etosha is there: a gigantic natural space where animals rule the roost. What a privilege to be there! I promise myself to always remember my luck, that night in Etosha, the joy of being free to admire the beauty of the world. Maybe when I’m very old, I’ll stay quiet behind the wheel of a jeep, so I can come back here, tirelessly. During weeks. Months. To contemplate the life of Etosha.