Fined in Etosha National Park

In safari parks where people go wildlife spotting, there are two simple rules to follow:

1) Do not get out of the vehicle
2) Do not return to camp after sunset.

During one of our expeditions in Namibia, we were in Etosha National Park. And we broke one of those two rules.

We probably would have been crazy to get out of the vehicle. But as for the return time, well... when you come across three lions at sunset by a waterhole, just about to attack a giraffe... what do you do, not stop and watch?

And of course, we stopped to watch them. We were counting on the speed of the hunt, on the speed of the lions. But instead, the hunting move was unbelievably slow. For us, no problem: we could have watched them for hours, completely spellbound. For the clock, though, that was definitely a problem — and a big one.

It was 6:00 pm, and the sun had already set.

We couldn’t wait any longer — we had to leave. Speeding off past the giraffes, we raced back toward the campsite. We hoped to slip by unnoticed, but no such luck. They were waiting for us at the gate! Baton tapping against her hand, eyes fixed on the horizon: the ranger was waiting for us, absolutely furious.

And the scolding confirmed it. Fine!

But luckily, the head ranger took a liking to us. You should have seen a group of 8 drivers, nearly all in their thirties, some big and broad, shoulders hunched and necks tucked in, eyes downcast as they begged for forgiveness. Dentists, professors, professionals... all respectable people who found themselves being told off like schoolkids.

It was one of the funniest and most comical scenes of the trip, and we learned our lesson. The ranger does not joke around — and every year she still remembers us. She keeps an eye on us.

You, on the other hand, should keep an eye on our NAMIBIA ADVENTURE TRIP.