Day 08: CKGR: Xade – Sun Pan

During the night we hear an elephant trumpeting, an antelope roaring and a lion roaring – yes, actually, the ranger at reception asks us about it in the morning. Everything feels loud and close, but none of the animals can be seen on the game camera. We took it with us this time.

Before breakfast we are visited by an elephant. He stands about 30 m away and watches us preparing our food. After a while he decides to walk past us in a wide arc.

And finally we get the fantastically bright red-bellied shrike on camera, whose sound is a bit reminiscent of a games console.

At the beginning the track is sandy, although not soft and deep. In the so-called pans, the dry riverbeds and lakes, it is easier to drive, except in the rainy season when large vehicles were on the road and left deep ruts. The worst are the sandy bumps, which make the chassis suspension rock – we end up creeping along at 10 km/h at times... The landscape is not very varied: dry bushes, dry trees, dry grass. Nevertheless, it is exciting to drive here.

There is still water at Pieper Pan. And four elephants, springboks, kudus and wildebeests, vultures, warthogs, ostriches. Great scenery! In the evening we meet the Kalahari hedge warbler, which likes to wiggle its tail feathers.

We reach our place for today (Sun Pan 02) at around 4 p.m. Good, we are both a bit tired after driving for over six hours for around 140 km. We do a few things, cook and spend a moment by the fire – then we retreat to the car.

The sunsets, the small crescent moon, the starry sky and the total darkness and silence are fantastic here.