Day 6

We started with a 7:15 drive from our camp (Linyanti) through the savanna that was supposed to end at the airstrip at noon. We both thought the start was unnecessarily early. After 4 hours, 2 of which we spent tracking a lion to no avail (we did see a lot of elephants, giraffes, Kudu, baboons, water buffalo, wildebeests and a group of hippos), we stopped in the middle of nowhere and were met by another truck from our camp. They provided us with an elaborate lunch (table cloth, wine glasses etc. and hot food from chafing dishes. Then a short ride to the airstrip and a 50 minute flight to our next destination (Gomoti) with a stop over at another airstrip (Jao) to drop of a group of 5 there. We were warmly greeted by our new hosts (at each camp all the staff gathers to welcome us with a welcome song, and amazingly they are all great singers and create beautiful harmonies), and after drinks we were shown to our tent. Very luxurious. After short nap we embarked on a drive through our new surroundings. It was pretty uneventful. We saw a lot of the same animals with the exception of ostrich and an African wild cat. When we returned for dinner there was a group of elephants behind the dining area by the water hole that the camp created to help the animals during the dry season. They have to refill this waterhole at least 3 times a day because the demand is so high. We saw not only elephants use it, but also giraffes, antelopes, and supposedly at night lions and other predators also show up. This hole is about 50 feet from our tent, which has no real door, just a screen door.