In the morning we are joined by Stuart and Sue, Canadians from Ottawa. They are on a four month trip through Southern Africa, and have already been to Namibia and Botswana, next stop Malawi. We drive on to a section of the park called Nyamatusi Pan.

A "pan" is a shallow depression that holds water in the rainy season, and may dry up completely before the next rains. The Nyamatusi area of Mana Pools has a number of pans which attract large quantities of game.

The road to the pan passes through some dense brush, and suddenly we are halted by an elephant crossing the road. Then another, and I realize it is a family group. There is a crashing sound to the left, and a young juvenile appears about nine meters from my side of the vehicle, headed straight towards us. It was only a mock charge by a youngster, but I find it quite convincing, as this youngster outweighs our vehicle. The elephant repeats this maneuver four more times: this was getting unnerving. Then it lost interest, and we moved on a bit, only to encounter a full grown female quite near the road. She decides we are a problem, charges forward a few meters and raises her trunk, unleashing a deafening trumpet. I am properly intimidated, sitting in an exposed vehicle a mere ten meters from a pissed-off pachyderm.

Our 30 minute walk to the pan was uneventful. Arriving at the pool we found four hippos submerged up to their nostrils, hardly discernible given the almost total covering of floating vegetation. Birds perch on the hippos, walking across their heads looking for edibles.

On the far side, a troop of baboons forage at the waters edge. Rosemary asked Gus if there might be crocodiles in the pool, and he replied "not likely". We were a long way from any other water. Unexpectedly, ten minutes later a small croc appeared near the baboons. I watched it glide towards the shore. It seemed likely it might make a try for one of them, but nothing happened. The baboons gradually wandered off. The hippos continued to do what hippos do in the daytime, which is practically nothing. After an hour we decided to leave. Gus says, "I was very surprised to see a croc in that pool, so far from any other water. While hippos will travel up to 20 kilometers overnight to find water when their pool dries up, crocs can't go very far.

On the way back we stopped for lunch: Craig had driven out to meet us with the other Land Rover. He has picked up two new guests, Bridget and Schubert from Germany. There are now eight of us, a full camp.

That afternoon it was too hot to sleep. We went out for a late afternoon drive and again spotted the same group of five elephants seen yesterday afternoon. A herd of zebra pass us. Can't find the lion again, but are treated to the impressive sight of several hundred buffalo crossing the road in front of us. As the light fades Jane picks out a solo hyaena, and illuminates it with a portable searchlight carried in the vehicle. Its eyes gleam golden in the bright beam.

Park rules are no one is allowed out after sunset, so we race back to camp. Gus drives with his headlights off for most of the way. Fortunately there is a three-quarter moon to guide him.

That night Rosemary stays up for awhile listening to the hippos grunting and the braying hyaenas. She isn't sleeping too well.