This week started off at 5:15 in the Karoo National Park. Yup, three day site visit for work in the Karoo. Quite a lot of fun running around the countryside (bossie-side) with a botanist and archeaologist. Ended up finding lots of Early stone age/Middle stone age flints, knives etc and a grave or two. Even found a rock etching! Ancient people thronged this earth (or maybe just dropped their implements wherever they'd been, littering buggers!). Our botanist pointed out the Hoodia plant (an American pharmaceautical company has recently had to pay the San/bushman for this secret diet plant- they traditional ate it to keep away the hunger pangs- apparently it works and with no side effects) as well as some other interesing plants that I won't bore you with.

The photo is the view from our cottage in the Karoo National Park at about 7:30 pm- the time we got home. Didn't get to explore the park much but did see some hares, mongoose, zebras, springbok, steenbokkies and some other small animals. Apparently the campsites are good so may be going back sometime soonish.