Cheetas and Wahoo, The Leopard

Wayne, today owner of Okonjima reserve, found barely born leopard almost seventeen years ago. He safed his life as he would become easy prey. They lived, ate and sleeped together for two years. Wayne suddenly got sick and had to go to hospital. When he got back, leopard was not comfortable with his presence anymore, so they couldn't live together anymore. Leopard became a bit aggresive towards people as it should be. Since then they've been separated but leopard lives in big reserve now, owned by Wayne. Leopard's name is Wahoo and he is a beautiful animal.

I found this reserve coincidentally on the way south to WIndhoek. I just wanted to see some cheetas. More about Okonjima reserve and Africat foundation here.

Otjiwarongo

Okonjima reserve

Comfortable Chilala camping site

Barely visible cheetah

Wahoo the Leopard

Wahoo the model

Wahoo in action

Photo history of Wahoo

At Africat centre

Brigitte driving us back

Biggest bird can't fly

Warthog in Okahandja

Arriving to Windhoek

The Document Warehouse, 
a place to see

Greetings to Bushmen in Tsumkwe

Cold starry night in Namibia. Back of the truck. Above well known Southern Cross, on the right moving bush and on the left lying Ryno, around 50 years old bushman (maybe 35 or 40, he doesn't know his age). We are driving back home through Kalahari desert, twelve people in one huge Ford jeep with american plates. Seven people are sitting in front in a double cabin and five lying on the open back. Going back after visiting three villages in 150 km range from Omatako to Tsumkwe. Ovi is chief of Cristian mission near Omatako in Kalahari. He, his son Dani, his wife and his daughter are from Romania and are helping Bushmen (San people) for last four years, providing them education, food and cloths. They work together with volunteers (young christians) who mostly come from Romania, but also from Ukraine, Finland and other countries.

I beleive everything happens with a reason. One day before, I was standing on the crossroad to Tsumkwe, next to my motorbike. I was trying to decide whether to go to Tsumkwe or north. I knew it is 300 kms till there and there is no petrol station on the way. Just gravel road and maybe some bushmen village next to the road. I had full tank of gasoline plus two litres in a bottle but maybe still not enough to get there. I said f... it, I go and I will start rescuing the problem when it comes to me. After 150 kms of gravel road I arrived to the sign for Omatako. I stopped and there I saw a jeep full of people. I asked them where they go and if I can go with them. I parked my motorbike and we left for Tsumkwe for two days. "If you don't try, you will never know", like my friend Kelvin from Zimbabwe says in his poem. :)

Some problems if you live in Kalahari iclude: lack of water, food and education or better self-management. There is plenty of TB (tuberculosis) as people are sleeping practically on the ground and that is not good for their lungs. Kalahari New Hope from Romania tries to help San people on the field with all above.

When we were watching sinchronized old Jesus Christ movie together with bushmen under the stars, I noticed my name translated to bushmen language. It was Mataluza, haha. :)

Road to Tsumkwe in
Kalahari desert, Namibia,
near Botswana, 260 km in front

Place where I stopped
and met people who brought me
to bushmen village

Leaving Omatako village
behind

Arriving to bushmen village
next to the road

Waiting for speech
and translation

Our tents
next to the village

Typical hairdress of 
everybody there

Fun fun fun

Learning songs in Romanian
and Bushmen language

Typical bedroom. That´s 
how they catch tuberculosis.

Translator Ryno, friend of 
late Nixau who acted Xi in 
Gods Must Be Crazy movie

After pulling out the tooth

Food

Food

Truck

Translator Ryno

New cloths for children

New cloths

Driving to Nyae Nyae Pans
in Namibia, near Botswana

Making fire to cook
next to dry lake Nyae Nyae

FIRE

Sunday morning at KNH centre
near Omatako in Namibia

Etosha and camping next to the road

It was already dark yesterday when Alfred drove me with safari company's jeep to the neighbouring lodge to withdraw money from my maestro card. That was the only way how to pay my safari trip to Etosha as I don't carry so much cash in my pocket everyday here in Africa. You know, 'they' might rob you. :)

Alfred is 34 and is a safari guide. He was born in Etosha. His mother and his sister still live here, his father runs a cattle and goat farm 80 kms away.

As Alfred noticed I will do camping and as he knew I cant do it close to the lodge, he told me his uncle is camping nearby. He's name is Boy and is a road worker. They are camping with other road workers just 20 kms away, next to the road of course. It was dark night already when I found the workers. They were sitting around the fire. I said hello and told them that Alfred is my friend. They welcomed me to stay with them. I pitched my tent, put my Chalaka can into the fire and we had a nice little chat about life and lots of laughs.

Later during the night I watched namibian stars again and listened to some music from my iphone. In early morning (4am) it is getting pretty chilly outhere, anyway it's winter time here in Namibia. :) One hour before sunrise I've heard one of the workers came out of the tent and I saw he started a fire. Thank you man, it was freezing already. :) Brand new day in front of me, what a feeling! :)

Btw.

Etosha is 100 and some years old national park. I call it big zoo as it is big as my country Slovenia. They don't let motorbikers in so I had to find another solution how to get in. I did it with a neighbouring lodge's safari drive. 

Inside of the park I saw many very loud cars and trucks (more than on the main road), packed with tourists, some of them equipped like Rambos with all those huge almost one meter long photo objectives. Animals don't even pay attention to cars and people anymore. We saw girrafes, elephants, zebras, kudus, springboks, rabbits, you name it. 

My impression about national (game) parks in Africa again and again repeats. I mean I like the idea of national parks in general, how it was at the beginning. But how it turned out after so many years, I don't like national parks anymore. It's turning to another big industry, destroying more than rescuing. It's similar than charity with no idea if it helps or spoils.

Milk at petrol station in Oshivelo

Drinking up the Oshivelo
cattle milk

Turn to Etosha park

Alfred driving

View from our safari vehicle

Somebody's sleeping

Morning next to the road

Hansie, Rice, Oupit, Rubben 

& Boy

With Rice & Oupit

Oupit, me, Rubben & Boy

Position of my tent

'Rice' with my guitalele
in the morning

Tsumeb town

It looks meteorites fall down 
often around here

Slowly turning right

What a start of a day! I woke up this morning in my tent pitched next to Kunene river the night before. No signs of crocodiles's visits overnight. So everything fine. I drank my coffee together with two couples from South Africa which actually brought me to this amazing place. Two brothers (around age 42 plus/minus 20 - that's our joke:) ) and two wifes, all from South Africa. We had a great fun last night, also with my guitalele (little guitar-ukulele) which is traveling with me on motorbike and entertaining people here and there.

Anyway, I started my engine and after 50m I felt to sand and dust. Karel helped me to pick up my bike. Not even 300 metres later I felt again, this time to rocks. Karel and his brother helped me to pick up my bike. I drove 500 metres further to reach more normal road. I stopped my bike and stepped to puff adder. Yes, the snake! But little one, just 20 cms, but pretty hectic reaction from her. The brothers explained me it was some Horned or something-adder which is very very poisenous. What a start of the day. :)

Geograpchical description:
After reaching Namibian-Angola border at Epupa Falls there was no way further up for me. I slowly turned right if you look on the big map of Africa. My way was to Kunene river lodge and from there to Ruacana falls / dam. Falls are of course dry because of the dam. Damn. The road from Ruacana led me to the town of Oshikati, which was 170 kms east. I am staying here in Oshikati for the second day.

Himbas, bike and dust

Camping next to Kunene river

Dusty and bomb proof engine

Ouchh on the steep uphill

Steep downhill

Direction of Ruacana falls,
next to Angola border

Big plant provides 80 pct of
Namibia electricity

Where meteorite hit the ground
three days ago. That was close.