Tues. May 28th ‘24
Before moving north I have selected a visit to Namibia’s first World Heritage site awarded in 2007, Twyfelfontein rock art. Looking back at our blog of May 15th 2013 I see that we visited the rock art at White Lady Lodge, which we opted against going to yesterday. So good call to visit a different site this time. Twyfelfontein is not far from our lodge so we were able to visit before it got too hot. However, before we can enjoy ourselves we need to see if we can get the puncture repaired. Luckily there is a garage at Twyfelfontein lodge almost en route. The garage staff are lovely and fix our tyre straight away. Whilst we wait, we entertain ourselves with photographing these hornbills.
The name Twyfelfontein means ‘doubtful fountain’ as the water bore hole here is not reliable. There are some 2,000 plus rock engravings estimated to be 6,000 years old, but no one knows for sure as it is hard to age sandstone carvings. Our guided tour took us to about half a dozen different areas of rock and we were shown various different animals. I was taken with the engraving of the ostrich with four heads. This made more sense once we received the explanation that it depicted the different positions of the neck and head depending on whether feeding or surveying its surroundings etc. Another showed a lion with human hands, depicting a human turning into a lion. The surface of the sandstone is scratched away to make the engravings. There are also some paintings on the rocks.
Today’s driving is quite different to the nightmare of yesterday’s full on “African Massage”. The road heads up to a higher plain and is undulating with deep troughs where rain has forged a river over the road, followed by blind peaks. I see a 30 sign and joke is that the speed limit or a speed be aspire to? I then have great fun trying to adjust speed and gears. Mungo is not known for his acceleration, so approach the steep up hill too slow and you will keep changing down as the slope and ruts cause momentum to be lost. However the blind peaks need caution as anything could be over the top!! Only once did I get it completely wrong and crawl the last bit in first gear.
Once we turned off the main road (aka motorway width dirt road) we were on the track leading to Etendeka Mountain Camp where we are staying for two nights. We have been advised it is part of the game drive route in the Etendeka concession area so we may see some animals. Mungo takes it all in his stride along the narrow, rocky track but he doesn’t break a sweat or ask for the 4wd to be engaged. Past the airstrip the road improves and soon the tents and lodge come into sight. There are ten tents making up the camp and we are the only guests. It is a beautiful place and it turns out that we have picked a quiet time to visit as it is usually much busier.
After checking in we have an hour to relax before tea and cake, which is to be followed by a Sundowner scenic drive. We are going to be spoilt here. Erwin our driver and guide helps us into an open sided safari truck and we each have a row of three seats to ourselves. The scenery is amazing but all the animals are still hiding in the shade from the heat of the day. I get excited when I spot a zebra through the trees and this is quickly followed by a dozen or so more at the water hole just round the corner. We spent a while just watching them before it was time to start heading to our Sundowner spot.
Suddenly, Dave exclaims “cat” as he sees a small cat dive off to the left. Erwin stops and gets out his binoculars. From behind a tree, on the far side of a dip, a cheetah rambles into view and two cubs scamper close to mum. Sunset is classic time for cheetahs to go hunting and Dave manages to grab a single shot with his long lens before the family disappear from sight. Cheetahs are not often spotted here so we were very lucky. So, Dave wins on the animal I Spy tonight as we chat about what we have seen over a Sundowner, still surveying the bushes in case the cheetahs come back into sight.