The boys and I went on a four day Safari this week. It was more than words can describe. Everything we'd hoped for and more. We had a driver and a cook (all standard I learned) and camped, they provided the equipment. It was really comfortable but not luxurious.
We left here on Tuesday and drove to Lake Manyra, after at least 4 hours of driving we got to the camp ground. Since it was hot we set up camp and had lunch then went on a drive after it cooled (you won't see animals in the hot of the day so much). Lake Manyara is known for it's tree climbing lions, the only place they do this. We were permitted to come across 3 in a tree and see a 4th climb up, 2 males and 2 females. We also had a herd of elephants slowly crash through the brush and surround the safari car and browsed for a while there RIGHT next to us. We saw many animals and birds. Baboons and monkeys are really they are so plentiful you may start to dismiss them but they are so amusing to watch. Here we saw some baboon behaviors close up, one grooming a younger one held it strong and forced it down then finally it scampered away. You could just imagine the dialog as if it were a child. Similarly when one adult baboon reached around and grabbed a youth by the neck and yarded it quickly across the road as if to say there is a car coming! watch where you are going. Of course I was excited to see one up close nursing while being cradled on it's mother's lap.
That night our camp was in town and walled and had hot water as well as a small pool. The kids enjoyed the pool along with a giant type of crane that is a scavenger. That night I could hear so many insects I tried to listen and tell how many types of sounds I heard, but couldn't it was a loud constant noise. One was so high pitched like a squeaking bike tire. Before I feel asleep a drum circle started in the distance. I had to tell myself I was in Africa not at Oregon Country Fair.
We set off the next day for another long drive to Serengeti. This time we drove through the Rift Valley, along the rim of Ngorongoro Creator, through Masai Paradise, before arriving at the edge of Serengeti.
Along the way we stopped and visited a Masai village. They sang us a song and showed us a dance, had us participate, showed us a home, where they keep their herds, and the school house. Their life is one full of hard work. Their homes are small oval like wood structures covered with mud and dung. You need to duck to enter and walk and there is a small pin for a suckling calf (since they drink the cow milk they take the calf away and, I presume, each house tends to one if needed), 3 very small low wood beds covered with a hide and upright sticks between. Between that is an area for one to sit and cook. They cook over a wood and dung fire and eat meat, milk and blood (they don't cook the milk and blood). The entire house had one window the size of a softball. This village had to buy water. The school house was also a small wooden structure with mud and dung walls. They said it was kindergarten only. They were all wearing the traditional blankets and the ones who had shoes had the homemade ones from tires. That was all they had. They may have had a change of clothes (blankets), the one L sat in had a basket in the area and our guide the Chief of the Boma (Boma is a village), said it was for extra clothes or personal things.
That night we camped in an open camp in the middle of the Serengeti, which means endless plains and that is no joke. When you drive in you really see nothing but plains and some very distant mountains. I can only imagine how it felt to navigate on foot. We were lucky enough to see two lions right in the road it the shade of a small tree. It was so hard to not just open the door and snuggle them, you want to, they were only 2 feet out the door of the car!!! Their paws are the size of my hand and they are killers but they still look sooooo cute and they look like they'd be so soft. I asked our guide, Victor if he'd ever petted a pelt. He said the fur is soft and the mane was wiry.
That night we camped in the middle of the Serengeti. There were giraffe eating in the near by trees and a good sized group of mongoose ran through the camp. We had a nice chat with a Spanish couple who told us a hyena came into the camp the night before and they thought it was a lion by the sounds it made. Also that day they'd seen a pride of 17 lions. That night I just laid in the tent thinking we are actually in the middle of the Serengeti, camping. It was hard to believe.
The next morning we got up at 4:45 am and put on all the warm clothing we had because we'd booked a hot air balloon ride. We had our hot drink 'to warm the body' and were watching the shooting stars in the black, predawn sky. The camp had an enclosed area for cooking and one for eating but otherwise it was open. We were standing between the two enclosures and our tent was maybe 30 feet away. One of the boys was going to do something back at the tent and Mohammad, our cook, said he would go with them since it was not safe a hyena could get them. I was then conflicted with a slight wondering irritation that, 'I wasn't informed of this the night?' and relief at not knowing this since a hyena had come into camp and tried to get the hanging garbage can. I did feel gratitude to him being so protective of the kids. He was so sweet and made us SO MUCH food each meal, I felt bad we never could finish it. The boys loved his soup he made each night, one night was cucumber soup.
The balloon ride was incredible. None of us had been on one. This one held 16 people plus the pilot, Nick. Nick said it was the 3rd largest size around. We saw animals (hippos in the river and a mother cheetah with two juveniles running were highlights) but the scenery along was spectacular. I quietly spread some of my grandma's ashes as we drifted, I thought she would have liked that. After we landed our balloon took a little time meeting up (there were 3 balloons total) because there was a herd of elephants passing that we looked at. One had a shortened truck by half due to being caught (Nick said most likely) in a snare. We enjoyed a story of the history of hot air balloons and champagne going together (ask the boys to re-tell you sometime), they served us cava, not champagne, and then they drive us to an English breakfast. At that location they set up 3 loos (everything here is Queen's English so it's swimming costumes instead of bathing suits, and loo instead of restroom etc) and they had 3 sides around them and a sign that said 'A loo with a view'. Which was quite true when you saw a big herd of elephants pass by in the distance. We were picked up by Victor and had a game drive before the long long drive to Ngorongoro Crater.
The Ngorongoro Crater is considered one of the seven natural wonders of Africa. I was told the world as well. It is the largest unbroken crater in the world. Our camp had a beautiful view, set up at the rim. It was quite chilly, again all the clothes we had came on, and zebras were eating the camping area grass. I guess they never have to cut it with them eating away. This night Mohammad tells me the boys can not walk alone at night because of the buffalo. Although there are so many tents I think the tents are as likely as getting trampled as an individual walking. That night I realized that the moon is enough light to navigate easily to the bathroom but maybe not enough light to avoid the piles left behind by the grazers. I also learn that when you use flush squatty potties with vigorous power you are best to navigate yourself behind the door and reach to flush with a hasty retreat to avoid over spray. All these restrooms in the parks and conservation areas have a very specific pungent smell. I feel certain that it's the big predators coming and marking their territory.
The next day was clear and beautiful but windy so we had good views but no rhino sightings. The rhino apparently, with his tiny ears, doesn't like the wind because it whistles directly into it's ear hole and causes it discomfort. So, the 25-30 they have there were hidden in grass or the woods.
We certainly can't complain though we saw so many things to the point that it was emotionally overwhelming, to see the animals so close and so beautiful. I also was excited seeing what I 'asked for' nursing animals (elephants !!!!! SOOOO cute) and young ostrich, hippos etc. Amazing. The boys loved it. They, once again, impressed me so much. They were never complaining, never. It was hot and so so dusty, bumpy, and hours of driving. I think I consumed a quarter of a cup of dust at least. The one thing we (the 3 of us) did complain about was the tsetse fly, not only do they bit so hard though your clothes it hurts!! Then when they hit bare skin they leave a raw spot lasting for more than a week, but they are really hard to kill. You feel really satisfied that you killed one then you didn't and it flies away and you feel cheated. We agreed we'd rather the mosquitoes, no seems, and the other small sneaky black fly to the tsetse fly.
Now we are back in the busy city at our walled B and B. I wonder if it really happened.
Paul comes back tomorrow. Sounds like he has had a great week, his team is a good group, they finished their project, and he is already really enjoying his time at the beach (they were suppose to snorkel today). We will get to hear more about it when he comes home. I think he'll be tired, it's a 6 hour drive. It's weird how those long bumpy drives exhaust you but they do.
