Day 14 - Mahango Daiquiri

14:30
I sleep well. despite waking a few times during the night thinking something alive is inside the mossie net with me. The net is a bit shit. Whichever way I pull it, it won’t completely enclose me. As a result, I’m hyper-alert to anything close by. I wake at least three times in a bit of paddy, thinking something’s about to nibble on my nethers.

I wake for the last time at 06:15, feeling like I’ve rested well. I spring up (sort of) to make coffee. I’m *hopefully* going on a morning game drive at 07:30, but it does depend whether anyone else has signed up for it. I pitch up at the reception area at 07:15, and it transpires that no, no-one else wants to go. As a result, I head off on a self-drive game drive to the same park - Mahango. It’s small - only 244 km2, but apparently teeming with wildlife. The next 5 hours are deeply joyful. I spend almost an hour with a huge herd of elephant, watching the social interactions of these beautiful creatures. A few times, I have to start the truck to reverse backwards to keep out of their way. It’s a sensational way to spend time. I also get my first spot of a cape buffalo, albeit at quite a distance. Oh, and some warthog! These grumpy little cousins of the pig are always great fun to hang around with.

I’m back at Ngepi around 12:30, and am more than ready for an ice cold Savanna. So I have 3. The feel of the camp is so cool. Everyone is on exactly the right kind of go-slow. I ease into a comfy chair, and read my book a while.

I’m also VERY hungry, and a ham + cheese toastie sees me right. The food and Savanna combo makes me think of a nap. So….

19:00
Had a turbo-luxe nap in the hammock. It is HOT today. At one point in the truck, the temperature reads 42C. WAY too hot to be inside my hut, but on the riverdeck, there’s a gentle breeze that makes nap feasible. I doze for maybe 45 minutes. I spend some time catching up with folks at home, journalling - you know, all the super critical afternoon activities. I catch up with my good friend Sander at the bar, and he tells me to sack off the river cruise, and to head up to Bwabwata instead. I mentioned to him seeing these great plains across the river from Mahango earlier, and apparently that’s Bwabwata. I spend a wonderful 90 minutes cruising around the park. I don’t actually see much wildlife, but I’m struck by just how enjoyable I find the experience of driving through the African bush. The wildlife I see is a bonus, but it’s not critical to my enjoyment of the time.

I can’t entirely remember whether dinner at Ngepi is at 19:00 or 19:30 - so assume it’s the earlier. As I drive out of the park, I look over the river, and realise that my hut is visible on the far bank of the Cubango River.

Back at Ngepi, it’s sundowner time. A super cold Savanna is my friend. I settle into a comfy seat with a pre-prandial, and to read some book.

21:30
Dinner was lovely. Some sort of chicken stew, hot with chilli and black pepper. Served with a simple pilaf rice and some roasted vegetables. Yum. The set dinner menu comes with a dessert - something new to me, called Malva Pudding. It’s sort of a steamed sponge pudding, flavoured with cinnamon and apricots. Super tasty.

I briefly consider a post-prandial, but I’m tired. I have a brief read in my hammock, before turning in for hopefully a long and successful sleep.Read more