Loango NP, Gabon

I woke up a few times from the lightning and thunder overnight. It was still raining lightly when we went down for breakfast.

Today's excursion was a safari to Tassi. The lodge has a satellite camp in the middle of the savannah at Tassi. The attraction for some is the remoteness and being in the middle of nowhere. For us the downside was no electricity or mosquito net, so we just visited on a day trip.

We again crossed the lagoon and boarded the safari vehicle. Tassi is on the Atlantic side of the peninsula, about 5km west of the gorilla research camp on the lagoon side. It was still raining lightly, so we put on our baselayers and rain jackets. We saw a chimpanzee in the distance, running across a field with its white bum standing out in the haze. I took out my camera to attempt a pic, but my lens got all fogged up as it was the first time I had removed it from the case after sitting in the air conditioned room all night. So no pics.

We also saw a very young elephant with its mother. Our guide said the baby elephant was about one week old. I got a picture, but because of the rain and the distance it looks out of focus.

We reached Tassi after a couple hours, mostly wet. We dried off in the breeze, and then had lunch. Normally on the Tassi excursion there's a walk along the beach, with the possibility of seeing more chimpanzees and other animals. However the animals dislike the rain as much as us, and there wasn't anything to see, so we decided just to call it a day and head back to Loango lodge. We were lucky to have seen what we did.

Back at Loango, we showered and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. The main lodge is very comfortable to hang out at, there is usually a nice breeze coming off the lagoon which it overlooks. The lagoon is saltwater so it also helps keep mosquitoes to a minimum. Had a tea, then later an aperitif, caught up a little on my blog, and read our books. There's no wifi here, one of the first places in a long time that we've been off the grid.

Dinner was excellent again, the main was pork with plantain and a rosemary sauce, a fusion creation by the kitchen.