Yesterday I detailed our afternoon tour of Cheetah Park — we cuddled up with some cheetahs at the main house, and then drove around to the various enclosed fields to watch them eat bloody hunks of donkey meat.

But we didn’t have to go that far — there’s actually a mama and two baby cheetahs at the enclosure right next to our campsite. They check us out with curiosity.

We have a couple of hours to kill so our group hangs out by the pool.

I climb up a nearby viewing platform for a photo op:

This tree is so expressive — its limbs are like dozens of tiny hands reaching out towards the sky.

It’s the perfect spot for a group photo. Luckily my tour mates are happy to pose!

We get the idea for another group shot by the pool. My fish-eye lens is convenient for grabbing these kinds of group selfie shots (or “groupies,” as my friend Grace so aptly calls them).

That night the boys in our group are tasked with cooking dinner (tomorrow is the girls’ turn). It turns into a little competition but I have to hand it to the guys — they do a nice job whipping up burgers and all the accoutrement (including homemade onion rings!) for the meal.

After dinner it’s time for “introductions.” That’s code for shots — the new people on tour introduce themselves and then drink. I flashback to my first round of introductions with Juliana & Riaan (our rad guides) back in Kenya two months ago.

Here’s Rachel downing a ladle of 96% vodka… it burns all the way down:

My turn…

After the dishes are cleaned up, people trickle off to their tents to sleep. Others stay huddled around the campfire a little longer, gabbing.

Stars beam brightly overhead; I can see well enough without a flashlight to set up my DSLR on a chair (make-shift tripod) and take long exposure shots. We are the only campers in this area so it’s deliciously peaceful and quiet. I think back to this night now and it’s one of my favorites of the trip — nothing major happened, but I am so content here. I want to freeze this moment in time.

The next day we set off early en route to Spitzkoppe — a MAJOR highlight of Namibia that I will share with you tomorrow. But on the drive there we stop off at roadside stalls to stretch our legs, chat with locals, and maybe do a bit of shopping.

The women running the stalls have young children with them. With their permission, we scoop the kids up and play with them. I don’t know who’s having more fun, them or us!

Some items on display at the stalls:

These colorful figures are called Herero dolls, named after the Herero tribeswomen selling them.

This Herero woman sews in front of her store — like the dolls, her dress is made of bold colors with several petticoats and a horn-shaped hat. She must be quite warm in the mid-day heat.

Back in the overland truck…

This scorched dirt catches my attention on a passing hillside:

And a few short hours later we arrive in Spitzkoppe. Can’t wait to tell you all about it tomorrow.

I visited Namibia on a 12-day tour from Windhoek to Cape Town with Acacia Africa. They discounted my tour in exchange for blogging and photography; opinions are my own.