Linyanti times three

Wednesday we had a final game drive with Max and Ona before an early lunch and flight to Linyanti. 

Ona had hopes we would see the lionesses and cubs with a kill, but it was not to be. We found their tracks but no sign of them. We also found a male lion’s tracks but he was hiding too. 

In addition to the Lion tracks, we saw hyena and leopard tracks, including a set of tracks our guides pronounced “very interesting”. Possibly they said it was a very large hyena.  Early in the drive we saw a young male giraffe and an older giraffe with a bad leg at a water hole. 

As we drove east, the sun was rising and looked like a red rubber ball. All around it, the sky glowed.  We saw another giraffe and 4 male impalas. We came upon 2 male kudu, which Max proclaimed “big boys”. We then saw a pregnant steenbock and a solo giraffe munching a treetop. Usually the giraffes are camouflaged making a less than ideal photo, but this one was clearly visible. 

We saw a Purple roller who Ona thought must be nesting as it was fighting a hornbill. Ona pointed out some dwarf mongoose and called them the world’s smallest carnivores. They eat insects and small snakes. We saw more steenbock and a vulture roosting on a dead tree. Per Ona, if you see one on a live tree, you should investigate as they much prefer the dead trees. We saw a number of Elephants, including one carrying a big stick in his mouth. 

A Violet eared waxbill took off too soon to see. Ona said he would keep an eye out for this very colorful bird. On our way back to camp, we saw several kudu drinking at a water hole. 

We had an hour to pack and then we had lunch. We were given a singing send-off by some Hyena Pan staff. Even though we left for the airport early, and Max drove like a bat out of hell, we still were not at the airstrip by 12:45, leading to some stress for Sue. But the plane waited for us, and we had it to ourselves for the 25 minute flight to Linyanti. 

We deplaned and there were 2 camp vehicles waiting for us. One took our luggage, and Ona (who had been so excited to get to drive again) drove us to camp. On the drive we noticed the change in vegetation. Linyanti is named for the Linyanti River, and the Linyanti tented camp sits on the bank of the river. Namibia is on the other side of the River. There are lush green areas even though it is the dry winter season. More trees appear to have leaves than in the other areas. There are still plenty of trees and bushes with few if any foliage. When the rains arrive, some areas will be fully filled in with green, while right now, we can see into and through the rows of bushes. 

The camp itself is steps from the water. A resident one-tusked elephant, also named Linyanti, frequently visits the main area, and we must walk with staff or Ona at night. Hippos love the setting and we can hear their noisy grazing at night. Sue saw a large crocodile slither into the water from her tent. 

When we drove up the staff had gathered and greeted us with a song, cold wet washcloths (it was 97 degrees and humid), and a cold drink. We learned that our schedule would be the same as at Hyena Pan. Wake-up call at 5 am, breakfast at 5:30 and leave by 6 am for the morning game drive. Return around 11 for lunch and then siesta till 4 pm tea. Leave for the evening game drive at 4:30and return around 7 or 7:30 for dinner. 

We had time for an evening game drive on Wednesday and we saw many giraffes, red lechwe and impala. There was a hippo grazing outside the water and a herd of buffalo. We saw the boundary with Chobe National Park. Ona pointed out where there is a Namibian military base with an anti-poaching squad. Poachers may be shot on sight. Even with that penalty, some people are so desperate, they still engage in it. 

We saw warthogs and the hamerkop bird, who builds a huge nest, which Ona also pointed out. We saw a pair of wattled cranes. 

Back at camp we had a delicious fish curry with couscous for dinner. They served Waterford wine which is the vineyard we visited with Samo in South Africa. As Ona walked us back to our tents, he shone his flashlight on a hippo in the channel. He reminded us not to walk out alone. We agreed that our experience at Linyanti camp in the Linyanti concession with Linyanti the elephant was going to be very special.