Hello Class: Ready for another adventure? Today we explored Dinosaur Footprints. As we entered the Dino Tracking area I thought we were in the midst of a Jurassic Park Expedition! We passed the Mount Etjo Camping grounds-yes, people really do camp in Africa, although today I didn't see any takers. My awesome private guide, Filippi (we call him Flippi) and I climbed a very large red rock mountain to get to the tracks. It was quite a hike and my trekking poles came in handy. We had an amazing view of the mountains and valleys as we gazed down.
Such a beautiful place! Once there, we saw several fossilized dinosaur tracks identified by archeologists to be from a 9 foot dinosaur, who used his two back feet to move around. He was a Saurichnium Damarense and a herbivore. On the way back we saw a Leopard Tortoise. He was moving so fast (to get away from me, most likely) I couldn't snap a picture. So, Flippy took my picture as I held him up. Based on his markings, we determined he was pretty old and a male (they have a concave inner shell and a bigger tail). There is a reason why I was holding him away from me because I think he was a little scared-you will notice the water spot by my shoe! :)
The food here is wonderful! So far we have eaten Gemsbok, Eland, Wildebeest, leg of Impala and (sorry, I didn't know until after I ate it) a Giraffe marinara sauce that was very good. The cook is a wonderful baker too. We have had an assortment of cakes, after dinner desserts and homemade donuts this morning.
Yum! Yum!
I have seen many more wild animals. The other night we saw two little honey badgers (Mom and baby) in the road. The mom was really squealing at the baby (probably telling him to get out of the road!). Today we saw two little Dik Diks (the smallest of the African antelopes) on our way to the mountain.
Mr. Janes' Safari Tip of the Day: Yesterday they were out hunting and the guide saw a
Boomslang Tree Snake. You might want to look that up. He was on the ground and then moved up a tree. My husband didn't see it. They are very dangerous and are considered a immunotoxin.
Always look up and down when out in the African bush and be aware of your environment.
Next I will tell you about Rhino Tracking and what happens when you take a tangle with a bush! Until then.......
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