Etosha

     We've spent a lot of time in the vans over the past several days (with some unavoidable motion sickness!), but it has been well worth it.  We left Swakopmund early Saturday morning to drive to Etosha National Park.  Lunch at a bakery cafe in Outjo included a surprise birthday cake for Samantha and then on to Etosha.  A conservation scientist (Claudine Cloete) gave us an introduction to the park and we were ready for wildlife.  Although it was a bit hard to hop back into the vans, our evening game ride was fantastic - elephants, giraffes, zebras, springbok, oryx (gemsbok), black faced impala, jackets, dik dik, wildebeest, and a kori bustard (a large bird).   Our very late dinner was a traditional braii dinner with  chicken and beef (and a few vegetarian hot dogs/sausages) grilled over wood fire coals, along with grilled corn on the cob and small gem squashes.  Rhinos at the watering hole at the resort were a good ending to the day.
      I must say a bit about our accommodations, both at Okuakuejo and Namutoni resorts - so luxurious, and therefore a bit disconcerting.  The rooms were all doubles, although you can get larger bungalows that are suites and have more beds.  Comfortable beds (with mosquito netting), fluffy towels, small bottles of shampoo, lotion, shower gel, and natural mosquito repellant.   Hot breakfast included.  Not too expensive for an American, but certainly out of reach for most Namibians.  The tourists are mainly white, from Namibia, South Africa, and all over the world.  The workers are all black Namibians.  The economic divide is made visible here, if you pay attention.
      On Sunday we traveled from west to east across the park and while there were long stretches where we didn't see much, we saw some fantastic sights, including a whole herd of elephants with babies, moms, and dads.  We saw many of the same animals as the day before, but added kudu, eland, secretary bird,  a rhino close up, ostriches, and, best of all, four cheetahs (maybe mom and 3 teens?)!  As Maya said, she could even get good pictures using her phone camera!  After another talk by a game warden, we settled into Namutoni resort, took advantage of the pool, and called it a day.
     We did, however, have an evening group session where we probed questions of environmental justice.  This is a concept new to many of the students.  Environmental justice issues are issues of disproportionate impacts - certain groups bearing more of the negatives and fewer of the positives - and of lack of meaningful participation of all stakeholders.   Climate change is one environmental justice issue we've encountered here in Namibia.  This country produces a small portion of greenhouse gasses, but rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns are having and will have a big impact on this already hot and dry country.   The formation of national parks, where hunting and other land uses are no longer allowed, is another form of environmental injustice, because it can take away the traditional livelihood of indigenous peoples.  Two groups affected by the formation of Etosha are the Hai//om ( the '//' stands for a type of click in their language) and the Herero.  The Hai//om were hunters of wildlife and the Herero were herders of cattle in the western part of what is now the park.   One can now call them "conservation refugees."    As usual there are no easy answers, but it's important to understand the trade offs being made.
     A long drive on Monday brought us back to CGE House in Windhoek in time for a late lunch and loads of laundry.  Now on to Cape Town!   Our flight leaves around 4:30 today.