tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958184583420193832024-03-13T19:38:27.335-07:00The Family SafariHere is the blog of my family's safari in the Northern Circuit of Tanzania. The account and photos are in chronological order.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495818458342019383.post-46271441509876767962006-11-21T23:47:00.001-08:002006-11-22T00:41:54.373-08:00Sunday, November 5<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Introduction and Arrival</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/299393/cheetah%20close.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/801439/cheetah%20close.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The famous Northern Circuit consists of a number of safari variations. There is so much to see in this part of Tanzania that the safari combinations people choose can be vastly different depending on the amount of time they have, money they’re willing to spend and, most importantly, what their interests are.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’d been reading about this for quite some time and I’d heard numerous stories from colleagues and friends.<span style=""> Over time it </span>began to crystallize in my head what I wanted to do given the amount of time we had.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The plan was to begin on Monday with Lake Manyara National Park, followed by the famous Ngorongoro Crater and finish off by a day in the Serengeti.<span style=""> </span>Since my brother Curtis and I had planned the Kilimanjaro climb for the week prior, I figured we would rest over the weekend before loading ourselves into a safari vehicle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/126511/2%20the%20crew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/708729/2%20the%20crew.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The other family members that would join were in Kenya for a few days before coming to Tanzania.<span style=""> </span>My brother-in-law, Brett, had a timeshare condo in Malindi where they stayed and became acclimated to the time zone and a bit to East African culture as well.<span style=""> </span>Accompanying him were my sister Lisa, my mom and my other sister Carol (Jean).<span style=""> </span>Curtis and I would pick them up at Kilimanjaro airport the Sunday after our climb and we’d head off on safari the next day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/955881/P1000386.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/384507/P1000386.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I have to admit, the Kili climb, the safari, the subsequent Zanzibar trip and a day in Dar es Salaam, with all the logistics involved, was quite a challenge to organize.<span style=""> </span>There were so many opportunities for things to go wrong – especially in Tanzania – that I felt very fortunate when it pretty much went off without a hitch.<span style=""> </span>A big victory was when I peered through the glass and saw them file into the baggage claim area after the arrival of their plane.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/480791/1%20arrival.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/848626/1%20arrival.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After a warm greeting and a welcome to Tanzania, we piled into the safari vehicle and headed to the cushy Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge.<span style=""> </span>We were supposed to stay in the Impala Hotel in Arusha but after Curtis and I had been temporarily moved to the Ngurdoto, there was no going back.<span style=""> </span>We made sure that this calm, expansive lodge would be our home both at the beginning and end of our trip.<span style=""> </span>It’s not that my family needs luxury; I guess I just thought it’d be a nice touch for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We had a drink at the hotel bar near the pool and exchanged some stories before we headed off to bed.<span style=""> </span>I have to admit I was pretty excited to have so much of my family here and very happy to head out exploring a part of this country I hadn’t seen before.<span style=""> </span>Doing all this on the heels of a successful Kilimanjaro climb made it all the sweeter.</p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495818458342019383.post-47533429921222180782006-11-21T23:44:00.000-08:002006-11-22T01:22:19.938-08:00Monday, November 6<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ></span> <h1><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Day 1 - Lake Manyara</span><br /></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/698027/3%20ready%20for%20the%20drive.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/832477/3%20ready%20for%20the%20drive.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Lake Manyara isn’t that far from Arusha so we really didn’t need an early start.<span style=""> </span>We did get on the road before 10:00am with our guide, Naimen, as our escort for the next several days.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Naimen was a fairly quiet guy for a guide.<span style=""> </span>He turned out to be very skilled and pleasant to hang out with, just a little soft spoken.<span style=""> </span>We got into the routine of him revealing interesting information to whoever was in the passenger seat and then that person would turn around and launch the information to the rest of us.<span style=""> </span>It did provide a filter in which the passenger had the ability to decide whether or not the news was worth of passing on.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our vehicle was the standard green Land Cruiser.<span style=""> </span>We dodged a bullet in that the van that we used to pick up the family, the one that the safari company had anticipated we use on the safari, broke down after dropping us off the night before.<span style=""> </span>The driver apparently didn’t get home until 3:00am.<span style=""> </span>I was sorry for him but would also have been sorry for us if we’d wasted a safari day with a broken down vehicle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/216404/P1000504.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/633876/P1000504.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The drive to Lake Manyara is actually pretty </p> <p class="MsoNormal">interesting.<span style=""> </span>Arusha is fairly lush but soon after leaving things become much drier.<span style=""> </span>Maasai villages dot the landscape and the brightly colored tribesmen and woman can be seen all along the way.<span style=""> </span>Some are accompanying herds of cattle while others are walking along the roadside.<span style=""> </span>The Maasai are one of the most distinctive tribes on the continent with their colorful and ornamental dress, jewelry, large earlobe piercings and so forth.<span style=""> </span>Their role in this country has become controversial at times as their nomadic way of life has been threatened by reduction in the available grazing land. Their plight rings of Native American-ness.<span style=""> </span>I’ll refrain from spending too much time on them here but they do fascinate me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/92177/4%20manyara%20baboons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/400/685667/4%20manyara%20baboons.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Upon arrival at Lake Manyara, the weather was slightly sketchy but Naimen took the top off the vehicle anyway.<span style=""> </span>It was a good thing because the weather got better and the animals became numerous in a hurry.<span style=""> </span>We started off with a colony of baboons who were not bothered at all by our presence.<span style=""> </span>I’d seen them before but never so many.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/763458/5%20ba.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/166874/5%20ba.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />From then it was one thing after another.<span style=""> </span>The park is rich in animals and aesthetic beauty.<span style=""> </span>We stopped for lunch on an overlook and it was a good opportunity to take it all in – the view and the nice weather.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/603705/baby%20baboon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/584328/baby%20baboon.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After lunch we circled around and the park a bit seeing giraffes, elephants, hippos, flamingos (from a distance), impalas, zebra, wildebeest, etc.<span style=""> </span>The weather was comfortable with sprinkles of rain here and there.<span style=""> </span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s always fun to watch people seeing their first animals on their first safari.<span style=""> </span>It’s all new and simply amazing to see these things in their natural habitat.<span style=""> </span>Later you don’t stop for impalas anymore but in the beginning you stop for everything.<br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/703490/7%20elephant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/213138/7%20elephant.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We then left the park and went to the Lake Manyara Hotel located on the ridge overlooking the park.<span style=""> </span>The hotel doesn’t look like much when you pull up to it but once you cut through the lobby and get to the back side, you see its merits.<span style=""> </span>It has a nice pool and a killer view of the whole park and lake.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/611414/6%20vervet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/309121/6%20vervet.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After we checked into our rooms we sat on the patio taking in the view and reflecting on what we’d seen, how much fun it was to do this with family and feeling a bit bad for those who couldn’t be with us.<br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/760969/7%20hippo%20pool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/400/800581/7%20hippo%20pool.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dinner was decent.<span style=""> </span>There was a large buffet and we had some Tanzanian guys come in and play some traditional percussion for wazungu (foreigners).<span style=""> </span>Afterwards they moved into the next room and were joined by a team of dancers.<span style=""> </span>I was exhausted and decided to head straight for bed.<span style=""> </span>Within seconds of hitting the pillow I was out.</p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/277203/10%20drinks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/11933/10%20drinks.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></h1>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495818458342019383.post-46832071128065402742006-11-21T23:39:00.000-08:002006-11-22T01:12:21.767-08:00Tuesday, November 7th<h1><span style="font-size:100%;">Day 2 - Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti<br /></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning we got a much earlier start due to the long day ahead of us.<span style=""> </span>We had to visit the Ngorongoro Crater, cross to the other side, drive to the Serengeti, cross it and arrive at our lodging just out of the park on the northwest side.<span style=""> </span>It would be a full day.<span style=""> </span>Our standard lunch boxes were packed and off we went.<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/392617/P1000295.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/453876/P1000295.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">The crater is very close to Lake Manyara and as we slowly climbed up on the rim, we were soon enveloped in mist.<span style=""> </span>The country’s best roads are the ones that lead to the Northern Circuit. On behalf of the wazungu, I should say that I appreciate it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/375934/P1000334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/355190/P1000334.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>However, once you get past Manyara, things go to hell in a hurry.<span style=""> </span>They’re not much worse than most of the country, including some right in the middle of Dar near our apartment, it’s just the contrast to the roads we left behind.<span style=""> </span>The mist stayed with us until we’d worked our way clear to the crater floor, preventing us from taking advantage of the views from the rim.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/205800/P1000339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/324946/P1000339.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">As we headed across the crater floor we soon began to see animals.<span style=""> </span>They were isolated in the beginning – an ostrich here and there, a wildebeest, etc. – but they gradually become more plentiful.<span style=""> </span>Naimen turned on the radio as we cruised around spotting animals here and there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The temptation to focus on seeking cats and black rhinos must be great for a guide.<span style=""> </span>He said the guides from the various companies use the radio to communicate their whereabouts to each other.<span style=""> </span>Most often though, the do it by sight and knowledge of where they like to hang out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/234696/P1000348.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/171456/P1000348.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">One clear sign of good viewing is the collection of safari vehicles.<span style=""> </span>We were fortunate in that there were not an overabundance of vehicles during the entire safari.<span style=""> </span>Occasionally, however, they did build up around the better animal sightings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/376114/P1000317.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/397967/P1000317.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In mid-morning we saw our first lions.<span style=""> </span>We saw two young males about 40<br />meters from the road.<span style=""> </span>It was great to finally see them after several safaris in other parts of the country with no cat sightings.<span style=""> </span>We watched for some time and finally moved on.<span style=""> </span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the hippo pool we worked our way to the other side of the crater to a small lake where we had lunch.<span style=""> </span>It was nice to get out of the vehicle a bit but we didn’t stay long and then headed out for more.<span style=""> </span>With the exception of a distant rhino sighting and a nice drive through a wildebeest/zebra herd, we were pretty much done with the crater.<span style=""> </span>We hit the rest rooms and then worked our way slowly up the steep grade out of the crater.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/793061/P1000353.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/455977/P1000353.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">The drive from the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti is long and arduous.<span style=""> </span>We were bouncing around like marbles in a shoebox.<span style=""> </span>I think it’s beautiful country but the road sucks.<span style=""> </span>We eventually made it to the entrance to the Serengeti.<span style=""> </span>The scenery gradually changes.<span style=""> </span>The plains of tall grass become spotted with rock outcroppings.<span style=""> </span>We hadn’t been in the park long before we saw a lion – a beautiful female sitting up alone in the grass.<span style=""> </span>The lighting was good for viewing and picture taking and it set our eyes in motion for the increasing frequency of wildlife.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/185447/P1000357.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/320105/P1000357.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">We worked our way across the park spotting animals along the way.<span style=""> </span>We didn’t spend much time since it was late afternoon and we still had to get to our lodging outside the northwestern gate of the park.<span style=""> </span>Besides, the plan was to spend the entire following day in the park and then return to the same lodging.<span style=""> </span>So off we went towards the Ikoma Bush Camp.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/394540/P1000359.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/493761/P1000359.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To be honest, we weren’t impressed with the lodging to begin with.<span style=""> </span>The safari company had pulled a fast one on us for reasons I won’t go into here.<span style=""> </span>The place seemed primitive, certainly compared to what we’d become accustomed to, but I think it just took some getting used to.<span style=""> </span>We settled in to our framed tent lodgings and then met up for a beer in the café thing where our meals would be.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It turned out that the meals were good, there was a migration trail visible about a quarter mile away and it was a fun, very Serengeti-esque setting.<span style=""> </span>In addition, the bed was the most comfortable I had the whole trip, more so than the one that was in the luxurious Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge.<span style=""> </span>Overall it turned out to be a good place to stay.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/984776/P1000376.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/248111/P1000376.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>They also had a fire pit and we took our drinks there until well after dark.<span style=""> </span>The camp had a true Maasai warrior as a waiter and he sat down with us to chat.<span style=""> </span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It ended up being a very interesting conversation as he discussed life as a Maasai and how one becomes a warrior.<span style=""> </span>I’d heard a lot of this before but it was fun to hear him discuss it with my family, a bit strange to be honest.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/651595/P1000368.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/635246/P1000368.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><br /></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></h1>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495818458342019383.post-57614255688150720252006-11-21T23:34:00.000-08:002006-11-29T05:47:06.268-08:00Wednesday, November 8<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> <h1><span style="font-size:100%;">Day 3 - The Serengeti<br /></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">After a good night’s sleep, we were off on the safari trail.<span style=""> </span>It was nice to leave our stuff in the rooms and know that we were coming back to the same place.<span style=""> </span>We also would keep a much more relaxing pace given that we didn’t have as much ground to cover. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/476257/P1000380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/727913/P1000380.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We started off with a sighting of a pack of hyenas.<span style=""> </span>These weird animals were following with us for a while.<span style=""> </span>They really are crazed looking creatures and they looked like they were up to no good.<span style=""> </span>One had an ear missing and they nervously moved off into the brush.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/645235/P1000389.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/287061/P1000389.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We continued on past giraffes, elephants, zebras and wildebeests to a hippo pool.<span style=""> </span>This packed little place was cr</p> <p class="MsoNormal">ammed with fat hippo bodies, various birds and a couple of crocodiles.<span style=""> </span>We stayed for a few minutes watching what little movement there was and listing to the occasional snorts and grunts.<span style=""> </span>When we’d had our fill of hippos we headed out past vervet monkeys and over to the grassy areas known to have cats.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/645228/P1000471.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/687264/P1000471.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The weather was near perfect with plenty of sun and not too much heat.<span style=""> </span>We were all scanning the brush and acacia trees for animals pointing here and there as we spotted them.<span style=""> </span>At one poi</p> <p class="MsoNormal">nt our road was cut off by a herd of migrating wildebeest and zebras.<span style=""> </span>It’s a sight we’d see several times, even from our camp, bu</p> <p class="MsoNormal">t it never seemed to get old.<span style=""> </span>The wildebeest and zebras travel together quite often.<span style=""> </span>Naimen was saying that the zebras actually take on herding responsibilities as the animals migrate south this time of year and then turn around and go back north some time in February.<span style=""> </span>It was interesting at one point to see the zebras spot the “danger” of our safari vehicle and stop the herd.<span style=""> </span>The wildebeest seem “intellectually challenged” and have no problems taking their cues from the zebras.<span style=""> </span>A handful of zebras ran in front of the herd, did an about face giving the signal to the others to stop.<span style=""> </span>It was pretty impressive to see nature’s organization – the zebras taking charge and the wildebeest’s happy obedience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000403.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000403.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It wasn’t long before we came upon a line of safari vehicles<br />parked along a roadside.<span style=""> </span>It was a good sign.<span style=""> </span>Sure enough, as we approached we began to realize that not only was there a large, mature male lion in the shade of a tree, his buffalo carcass was lying a few feet away in the sun.<span style=""> </span>It was a beautiful sight. The sleepy, well-fed lion with his head up and eyes mostly closed protecting what was left of last night’s dinner.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buzzards were tempting fate as they desperately wanted leftovers.<span style=""> </span>One of the more aggressive birds would ease towards the carcass only to be shooed back by the lion’s slightest movement.<span style=""> </span>He’d simply tilt his head, open his eyes, move a paw, anything that might communicate to the birds that the powerful king of the jungle was not asleep and could, at any time, reduce them to a pile of feathers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One of the amazing things about a lion that I was realizing while we watched in near silence, was the dramatic contrast that they embody.<span style=""> </span>Here is a creature that resembles an innocuous house cat, not only in appearance but his casual demeanor.<span style=""> </span>He licks his paws and then rubs his face.<span style=""> </span>He squints as he seems to be fighting off sleep.<span style=""> </span>He rolls over on his side as if he’s on your living room floor.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t hear any purr but it would have seemed to fit the picture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the same time, this powerful creature weighed well over 400 lbs. and is one of the most powerful killers on the planet.<span style=""> </span>They normally attack in groups with the females doing more of the work.<span style=""> </span>They kill their prey by encircling it.<span style=""> </span>When it makes a move to escape, the closest lion lunges for the victim’s throat and then it’s game over.<span style=""> </span>It’s fascinating because, though you don’t see all of that violence in front of you, you know it’s there and lying a few feet away from our big, fluffy cat was the testimony of ravaged buffalo carcass. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/438401/P1000454.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/179986/P1000454.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">We could have stayed longer but we needed to move on.<span style=""> </span>We’d topped our crazy hyena viewing and were now ready for more.<span style=""> </span>A short while later we were teased by the faint sight of a leopard in the bush.<span style=""> </span>We were forced to use our imagination a bit since the animal was mostly obscured by brush and shade but it zoom lenses and binoculars attested to the fact that is was a beautiful leopard.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/961690/P1000456.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/488719/P1000456.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We moved on.<span style=""> </span>It’s tough to capture the whole adventure since there was so much to see along the way.<span style=""> </span>I’m focusing on just a few highlights in order to make this less boring and not so long.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next highlight was, for me, one of the big moments of the whole safari.<span style=""> </span>As our safari vehicle moved further southwest, the brush thinned and the countryside began to have more of the look of the plains we had driven through the previous afternoon.<span style=""> </span>There were still acacia trees here and there but there was more of the open spaces of tall wavy grass that seem to be a preferred habitat for the lions.<span style=""> </span>Once again we saw a couple of safari vehicles parked near a couple of acacia trees not far from the road.<span style=""> </span>As we approached our eyes followed the direction of those who had arrived before us – people like us who were poking up through the roofs of their safari vehicles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/206458/cheetahs%20close.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/803597/cheetahs%20close.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sure enough, there in the shade of one of the acacia trees were four cheetahs.<span style=""> </span>The mother was lying near the base of the tree and was barely visible.<span style=""> </span>The three adolescents were all standing with their heads above the grass looking around.<span style=""> </span>They were all clearly aware of our presence but unmoved by it.<span style=""> </span>These animals had grown up with safari vehicles in their midst and though they are noisy at times and occasionally an object of curiosity, they are not seen as a threat.<span style=""> </span>The strict park rules that vehicles must stay on the roads and that people may only leave the vehicles in designated areas help to make sure that this doesn’t change.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So the proud, beautiful cheetahs sat there in our presence.<span style=""> </span>I honestly hadn’t anticipated seeing them since it’s not that common – certainly not this close to the road.<span style=""> </span>I think they are one of the most impressive animals in existence.<span style=""> </span>They are similar in appearance to the leopard but they have longer legs and their spots simply black.<span style=""> </span>The leopard’s spots are more “rosettes” (a lighter colored spot within a spot).<span style=""> </span>The cheetah also has two vertical black stripes on its face.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The cheetah is a true sprinter.<span style=""> </span>It can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, faster than any animal it wants to eat.<span style=""> </span>It has the endurance of a chain smoker, however, and must catch its prey within 300 meters.<span style=""> </span>It must therefore get very close to its prey before launching the attack.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/764825/P1000450.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/69984/P1000450.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After firing a couple thousand photos and just sitting and watching for a while, we moved on down the road.<span style=""> </span>I was thinking around this time that this had already been more than I would have imagined.<span style=""> </span>Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, it did.<span style=""> </span>I was happy for the gang since they’d come all this way and I was hoping they wouldn’t be disappointed.<span style=""> </span>All indication was that the safari rocked.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000445.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000445.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After another brief lion sighting (three or so), we stopped by the roadside to catch a glimpse of another leopard.<span style=""> </span>This time it was high up in an umbrella acacia tree.<span style=""> </span>The tree itself was beautiful but on the right side, tucked away mostly shaded was the elusive cat.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/829381/P1000447.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/400/868766/P1000447.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>You could barely see it with the naked eye but my new 10x zoom allowed me to hone in on it pretty well.<span style=""> </span>I’m not sure how these guides spotted these things as they drove along (seems pretty impossible) but my guess is they are familiar with their regular hangouts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We angled off to a lunch spot not far from one of the three Serengeti airstrips.<span style=""> </span>It was a visitors center with a dozen safari vehicles, loads of wazungu, several cement picnic tables and hundreds of scurrying mongooses (yes, that’s the plural) scrounging for snacks dropped from lunch boxes.<span style=""> </span>Mom said the mongooses were simply rats and I’m not sure she was excited about their presence around our feet.<span style=""> </span>I took a minute to look at them and look them up in my book.<span style=""> </span>There were primarily two sorts: the banded mongoose and the dwarf.<span style=""> </span>The former seemed to be aggressive and uninteresting but the latter captured my curiosity a bit more.<span style=""> </span>It was tiny, as you might imagine, (the smallest of all African carnivores) but it had an interesting face.<span style=""> </span>I might have taken some photos but some of our annoying tourist counterparts across the way were doing the same and I could bring myself to emulate them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000453.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000453.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When we’d finished our snacks (don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many hard boiled eggs in my life), we continued on.<span style=""> </span>I figured the afternoon would be short from a viewing standpoint.<span style=""> </span>We’d had a full morning, eaten lunch late and I think that Naimen was going to shoot for us to be back at Ikoma Camp by around 4:00pm.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t want to cut it too short since late afternoon lighting is the best and I also wanted to maximize this once-in-a-lifetime experience. There was talk of a night safari so I figured that cutting the day a bit shorter would be ok.<span style=""> </span>I certainly wasn’t tired yet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/64354/P1000459.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/730400/P1000459.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our first sighting was within a couple of minutes of lunch.<span style=""> </span>There were some topis.<span style=""> </span>These are in the antelope family but fairly large in size.<span style=""> </span>They have a chestnut color with some black that makes them beautiful in the sunlight.<span style=""> </span>We didn’t see that many and none that were as close as these next to the road.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We headed back by a hippo pool, different from the one earlier in the day, and slowly worked our way northwest towards our camp.<span style=""> </span>Most of the afternoon was spent driving slowing without much stopping and seeing many types of animals we’d seen before.<span style=""> </span>Part of the fun is just riding around with the breeze in your face, taking in the beautiful scenery, seeing the animals doing their thing and just simply enjoying being where you are and doing so in the company of your family.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/963906/P1000472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/272747/P1000472.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">At around 4:00pm we rolled into Ikoma Camp.<span style=""> </span>We gathered in the café area, had a beer, talked about the day and showed off our digital photos to each other.<span style=""> </span>Off in the distance you could see the wildebeests and zebras still working their way south in a steady stream.<span style=""> </span>The sun had heated the water for the camp showers so I took advantage of it to wash off the day’s dust.<span style=""> </span>We later regrouped around the fire pit, sharing it with some birders.<span style=""> </span>Lisa made a failed attempt to chat with them but they were too engrossed in their books and note-taking.<span style=""> </span>We overheard that they’d be joining us on the night safari later.<span style=""> </span>My naïve hope was that they’d be more interesting by then.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/415610/P1000473.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/890288/P1000473.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">Dinner was good again.<span style=""> </span>Naimen came towards the end and discussed the plan for the next day.<span style=""> </span>There wasn’t much too it.<span style=""> </span>It was pretty much drive all the way back to Arusha without stopping much.<span style=""> </span>We did decide to stop in a “boma”, one of the contrived Maasai villages set up for tourists.<span style=""> </span>Otherwise, it would be full speed ahead. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000478.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/400/P1000478.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This evening, however, we still had a 9:00-11:00pm night safari planned.<span style=""> </span>We met at the fully open safari vehicle and the birders were already situated in the first of three bench seats.<span style=""> </span>Curtis and I took the middle one and CJ, Brett and Lisa took the back one.<span style=""> </span>We were a bit sleepy after dinner but as we were loading up to head out into the night it seemed that we were catching our second wind.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We had a driver and another guy who manned the spotlight.<span style=""> </span>The plan would be to cruise around the area but not actually cross into the park since they were not authorized to do so.<span style=""> </span>We were assured there’d be plenty to see and off we went.<span style=""> </span>Within a few minutes from camp we saw a colorful chameleon which are actually pretty common.<span style=""> </span>I’d played with them on several other occasions so I was anxious to get on to more exotic beasts.<span style=""> </span>To my chagrin, our next stop was some sort of gray bird sitting on the ground.<span style=""> </span>Our birder friends seemed fascinated by the little guy huddled under the intense spotlight.<span style=""> </span>None of us know much about birds and we were not-so-secretly hoping that we’d move on pretty quickly.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alas, the vehicle refused to re-start as the driver, under the orders of the birders, was going to drive around to see the color of the tail feathers. <span style=""> </span>We were laughing our asses off at the whole comical scene: the dead safari vehicle in the middle of the dark bush, the spotlight guy who drained the battery even further by continuing to highlight the ugly bird while the driver attempted to re-start in vain, the birders using their headlamps to identify the annoyed little creature, etc.<span style=""> </span>I don’t know if it was really THAT funny but for some reason it set the tone for a laugh-filled drive in the bush.<span style=""> </span>We soon hopped out to push-start the safari vehicle (while the birders sat comfortably in their seats) and we were rolling again.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/964251/P1000487.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/821686/P1000487.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">One by one we saw little creatures scurrying around in the beam of our spotlight.<span style=""> </span>The bat-eared fox, the springhare, bushbabies, etc. were all pretty crazy looking creatures that I’d never seen before.<span style=""> </span>On the horizon the orange moon had risen behind the silhouetted trees.<span style=""> </span>The weather was cool and comfortable.<span style=""> </span>Later on, off in the distance, we could see a fantastic lightning storm. It was pretty spectacular in that lightning was going off repeatedly for the entire safari until<br />after we were in bed.</p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495818458342019383.post-28621318989858918312006-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:002006-11-28T07:37:46.674-08:00Thursday, November 9<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 4 - Serengeti back to Arusha</span> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning we woke up, had breakfast and loaded our stuff into the Land Cruiser.<span style=""> </span>We braced ourselves for the long drive ahead.<span style=""> </span>The consoling factor was that we were going to head southeast back through Serengeti and into the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (but not down into the crater).<span style=""> </span>The hope was that we’d be offered views that weather prevented us from having two days prior.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000489.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000489.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We didn't make it far before we had some engine trouble. There are bad neighborhoods for breaking down and this could have been one of them. You don't want a hungry lion lion snacking on you have your head under the hood. Fortunately this was no such neighborhood. All we could see were buffalos off in the distance.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Niemen and Brett fiddled with a fuel line and we explored ways to hold it in place. Curtis remembered he had athletic tape in his pack and the world's second most useful tape did the trick. We had a laugh remembering our father destroy one of my sneakers to repair a radiator hose once upon a time.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000498.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000498.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We continued on and had some nice animal sightings while driving through the park but the nice cap on the experience was a lioness and her two cubs lying in the shade of trees right next to the road.<span style=""> </span>It was a beautiful scene and quite rare.<span style=""> </span>Naimen said that it’s not common for a lion to expose her young like that.<span style=""> </span>Once again, it's an example of how comfortable the animals are with the presence of safari vehicles. The experience was enhanced by the fact that there was only one other vehicle with whom we had to share it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000495.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000495.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000502.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000502.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For some reason the drive back through the nasty road linking the Serengeti and Ngorongoro wasn’t as long as I remembered.<span style=""> </span>Before long we’d arrived at our boma stop – one of the infamous contrived villages for tourists.<span style=""> </span>The idea was probably good to begin with.<span style=""> </span>They don’t like people taking pictures of them so you pay them fifty bucks per vehicle, you shoot all the photos you want, they make a bit of money and you can learn about their traditional way of life.<span style=""> </span>Should be a win-win.<span style=""> </span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000510.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000510.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>But it’s not really.<span style=""> </span>The people do welcome you with song and dance.<span style=""> </span>You enter their thatch village and the men do their jumping thing.<span style=""> </span>The ornate ladies sing and chant for a bit.<span style=""> </span>After we visited one of the small, dark houses and the “chief” described a bit about their way of life.<span style=""> </span>As we left the house, however, all bets were off.<span style=""> </span>Traditional Maasai behavior goes out the window and it’s all about getting you to cough up some cash.<span style=""> </span>If you buy some of their jewelry, fine.<span style=""> </span>If not, they just flat out ask you for money.<span style=""> </span>Or, in my case, my watch.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <h1><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000508.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000508.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h1> <p class="MsoNormal">We escaped with the chief out the back of the village and I thought we’d paid our dues, literally.<span style=""> </span>We were headed for the schoolhouse were youngsters were already sitting in their seats, posing for pictures, repeating some English that they were told to say and then we were asked for money yet again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000509.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I did get some decent photos but the experience left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.<span style=""> </span>This once proud people has resorted to shamelessly selling themselves.<span style=""> </span>I think the whole thing could have been done leaving people with more of their dignity – both theirs and ours.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, it was not to be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000519.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000519.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>From there we worked our way up to the crater rim.<span style=""> </span>This time we were afforded sweeping views of the crater floor below us.<span style=""> </span>Dots of animals could be seen off in the distance and we could see the roads where we’d traveled a couple of days before.<span style=""> </span>Our stop was brief and we loaded up again and headed down toward the long-awaited paved road.<span style=""> </span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000522.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/200/P1000522.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We stopped briefly for lunch at a roadside tourist shop.<span style=""> </span>Lisa handed a little girl a small container for blowing bubbles.<span style=""> </span>I think they both enjoyed the exchange.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We finished off the drive heading through Arusha and back to the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge.<span style=""> </span>We were tired but energized by our experiences.<span style=""> </span>After cleaning up we met up for a drink in the bar we’d gotten to know well – especially Curtis and me – and we chatted until dinner.<span style=""> </span>After a good night’s rest we’d be off to Zanzibar…<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/1600/P1000526.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4407/60524714153078/320/P1000526.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14994133248337080895noreply@blogger.com1