What the Kalahari bushmen taught my children
The Cagols head deep into the Kalahari where their children learn bush survival from the world’s best – Namibia’s San people
We leave Lüderitz early and head into the heart of the Kalahari Desert. It’s a 7-hour drive, pretty much desert all the way, and over the 380 kilometres we only pass four vehicles.
We arrive at the Kalahari Resort just as sun is setting. We had booked a camping pitch but they have plenty of room available so we strike a deal to get upgraded to the pool rooms with dinner and breakfast included. We have not seen much game on the menu on our travels but tonight the choice is either oryx steak or springbok potjie.
The beauty of travelling with our kids and educating them on the road is that learning can happen at any time and is a lot more ‘hands on.’ Tonight, for example, we took them on a star safari. They got to see the Milky Way, clearly, through a telescope, as well as Jupiter with its two bands and four moons. They also got to see the rings of Saturn, Mars and a star cluster called Omega Centauri.
The kids really have taken an interest in the stars on this trip and our star safari guide is blown away by the number of constellations the kids can name. Maddalena is extremely excited by seeing the rings of Jupiter – it’s something she has been asking to see for some time on this trip.
The guide is so taken aback by their enthusiasm for the night sky that he invites them back for lunch tomorrow to look at the sun. There is a huge solar flare coming out of the sun at the moment, he says, and the kids nod their heads enthusiastically.
