Out at first light today after a quiet night at camp. Even sleeping with my good ear up, I couldn’t hear a thing during the night. Not even a cricket or a breath of wind to rustle the tent fabric. Very tranquil. The moon is almost full (a Buck Moon I’m told), and the camp and surrounding cliffs have been bathed in moon light all night. No torches needed. 

It was nice driving away as the sun came up. Good light and the feeling that a new chapter of the travels was beginning.

There aren’t many tarmac roads in Namibia. There’s one going east to west, from Windhoek to Swakopmund and another heading north to the Etosha Pan, which after the bumpy exit from Spitzkoppe, felt like smooth relief. It literally is a straight line. 

For quite a few kilometres, the land had been completely burnt by wild fires. When we were sat on top of the Madonna a few weeks back, we could see smoke clouds on the horizon that looked like wild fires – this must have been it. A huge area had been destroyed, and it looked like only the tarmac road had stopped it spreading further. 

We stopped as soon as we could to check the air in the tyres, then again in Omaruru for diesel, where a woman walked past seemingly unaware that she had a parcel casually balanced on her head.

All this was followed by a surprisingly good coffee break at Otjiwarongo, where a TV screen showed us that the Commonwealth Games was on in rainy Glasgow. It’s been ages since we’ve seen the news or any updates from the ‘outside world’ and it’s kind of nice not knowing what’s going on! There was also a very well stocked supermarket that was better stocked than most UK ones. Very odd. 

The final stretch of the journey has got us to within striking distance of the Etosha Pan National Park Gate. We’re staying the night at a camp called the Etosha Trading Post, where we have the luxury of hot showers at our camp and running water – a real treat after five days in the desert. 

There is a small waterhole opposite our tent, but so far nothing on note has appeared. However the noise from the frogs is quite incredible! A complete contrast from the silence of last night! Nice to watch the moon rise…