From one camp to another
Excitement right at the start
It was past 10am when we started from Okaukeujo towards Namutoni with a list of waterholes we wanted to stop at along the way. We had to reach Namutoni camp by 6:30pm. As had become a practice for us on this trip, we planned a lunch on the go from our collection of dry snacks we were carrying with us.
Our drive started on a dramatic note. A few kilometres from the camp we came across an elephant standing in the middle of the road blocking traffic. We stopped too and IB got his photo equipment ready. The elephant had its trunk inside the hood of one of the cars coming from the opposite direction. It sniffed for a minute and then turned and walked to the car right in front of us and started exploring under the canvas covering at the top with its trunk.
Scary developments
Things got a bit serious after a while as our friendly elephant seemed to start getting a bit aggressive. He went around the car sniffing and then started pushing at the car with its ears flared out. It seemed like it was trying to scare the riders. We start absolutely still, though IB kept his phone video recording on. There was palpable tension in the air now. Then as the elephant moved to the front, the driver of the car reversed the car and moved away. The elephant showed his displeasure at this turn by making a loud trumoeting noise and started giving chase.
As the elephant started running after the moving car, I sat frozen at the wheel because we were the first car in the elephant’s path. We were within easy reach of his trunk, when he suddenly stopped short, and veered off the road into the shrubs. We let out our breaths, I wiped dry my clammy hands, got my foot firmly on the accelerator and started moving again. The elephant was still standing at the roadside munching on the shrubs as we drove away.
This unexpected elephant encounter raised our guard, so we became extra careful around elephants for the rest of our trip.
Zebras zebras everywhere
The main arterial road through the park, even though gravel, was pretty smooth but the paths leading to the various waterholes were quite literally dirt tracks. After about half an hour of driving away from the elephant scare we turned right into one such dirt track. This path led to the waterholes of Gemsbokvlakte, Olifantsbad and Aus.
Along the way we had to stop to give way to the biggest herd of zebras, hundreds of them in varying sizes, who were on a march. It took more than fifteen minutes for the whole group to pass and we could move again! But then this was Etosha where animals reigned supreme.
The young follows the adults 
A family with a young
Walking alone 
A Close Couple
Next three waterholes
A giraffe clan greeted us at Gemsbokvlakte, while a lone tusker was having a drink at Oliphantsbad when we reached. We followed its movements from a safe distance, as it left the waterhole and strode across very purposefully towards its next destination, which turned out to be the nearby waterhole of Aus. We left it to its drinking spree and moved on to join back the main road again.
Oliphantsbad 
From one waterhole to next
Along the Etosha Pan
The view to our left changed from scrubland to the vast shimmering plain of the Etosha pan. One heartbeast couple were crossing the open plains at a leisurely peaceful pace, which told us that there were no predators nearby in this point of time. This was our first viewing of the animal in this trip, so we concluded that there were less of them in Etosha.
Heartbeast couple at the Etosha Pan 
Closer look at the heartbeast
More giraffe cam our way, as the shadows lengthened and the day started coming to an end, one was even grazing on the grass instead of eating the leaves from the tall trees. That was the only time that I had ever seen a giraffe feeding with its head bowed.
Suddenly, there was a movement in the bushes and a small antelope came into view. It turned to look at us and then hid in the bushes again. I manged to get one clear shot of the what I realised was a dik dik, one of the smallest antelopes in the world.
Next, we saw a group of black backed jackals having their evening meal at a carcass. Newer ones came to join in the feast, they first tried to make friends with those already in the dinner group. They were given a chance at the food only after they had been accepted into the group.
Sunset and after
And then we were at the Namutoni camp, where another glorious sunset awaited us.
A few minutes before we entered the camp boundary we had crossed a group of three elephants standing at the roadside. As we watched the setting sun from the ramparts of the fort we saw the same three elephants moving towards Namutoni klein the waterhole at the camp.
Once the sun had hidden itself behind the horizon we made our way to the waterhole and sure enough they were there. One of the elephants was already at its drink while the other two were making their way up. We stayed there for a good twenty minutes watching the trio having their fill in the fading light of the day and then made our way to our chalet.
We had heard that not many animals visited this particular waterhole, so we considered ourselves lucky that we came across the visiting elephants.
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