May Chang 4/27/23 May Chang 4/27/23

Etosha National Park

The animal post you’ve been waiting for! A dazzle of zebras, a tower of giraffes, a herd of impala (antelope), a crash of rhinos, a coalition of male lions. I had a bit of trouble with the Wi-Fi here so there are lots of photos but little text (not that you need it anyways as the photos speak for themselves! Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it for a better viewing experience.)

Below are animals stopping by the watering hole during the evening of our first night in Etosha National Park in Namibia. The watering hole was right next to our campsite and it was amazing. We were lucky enough to see black rhinos, which are an endangered species.

One of the highlights during our day game drive was seeing all kinds of animals mingle together at the local watering hole (there’s a theme here). During the day animals will amble over to the watering hole to cool off in the hot weather. I loved watching the giraffes steadily walk over and then awkwardly bend down to drink.

One of the best experiences in Etosha was the night game drive. Our guide was such a badass! She had a keen eye and was able to spot animals in the dark. It was quite impressive how she could simultaneously drive (manual/stick, with one hand!) and search for animals with a red flashlight in her other hand.

The use of red light at night is preferred since it’s less harsh, but it does impact the photos - you’ll see some red animals! . We stumbled upon a coalition of male lions, which was amazing!

May Chang 4/24/23 May Chang 4/24/23

Deserts and Dunes from dawn til dusk

This entire day in the southern Namib Desert (Namib-Naukluft National Park) was a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to visit Sossusvlei, Dune 45, and Deadvlei for several years, after a friend showed me photos of his visit. You’ll see why the stunning landscape piqued my interest!

Sossusvlei

Sunrise at Dune 45

The sand from the dunes is ferrous (iron) so the colors are absolutely incredible. The sand turns into a vivid orange during sunrise and then a softer orange/brown during the daytime.

Dune 45

We climbed to the top of Dune 45 (the dunes are numbered and only a few are accessible to tourists) to watch the sunrise. It was much easier to walk in bare feet and wonderful to feel the sand beneath my feet.

Thank you Hana, for my croissant sweatshirt!

So incredibly content to be here!

Nicko cooked us french toast for breakfast after our sunrise at Dune 45!

Big Daddy

The second dune I climbed was “Big Daddy”, which is three times higher than Dune 45. The top of the dune had incredible views of Sossusvlei

Sweaty but happy at the top of Big Daddy

The view from Big Daddy dune

I laughed in disbelief when Victor (our trip guide) said the best way down the dune was the run down the dune - but it was! And it was exhilarating. This is me pointing to where I ran down from.

Our ride to get to Big Daddy dune

Deadvlei

Another dream come true! This area is famous for its dead skeleton trees, which are scorched black due to the desert sun. The trees are believed to be 800-1000 years old. The starkness of the trees against the jeweled-tone blue sky and orange sand is stunning.

The desert night sky

No words. Being able to see the Milky Way every night has been incredible. Looking up gives me such a strong feeling of wonder and joy and gratitude to be alive and living.