We came down off the mountain a filthy, happy mess and reunited with
K. at the hotel. I then spent 20 minutes on the phone, ordering pizza from
a restaurant in town. They have a bunch of elaborate ones and the guy
was explaining them in detail and offering suggestions. I chose two
of each in a wide variety. We gathered shillings, and found a driver and car to make the
trip. The ten pizzas that arrived all were exactly the same-with only green
peppers and super-hot jalapenos. You really have to adjust your idea
of customer service in Tanzania. Luckily the novelty of pizza was
enough to make everyone happy.
In the morning we left on safari with six of the clients, the
Arrowsmith clan from New Mexico. K and I rode in one vehicle Sam, a hilarious teacher in his early twenties. His dad John joined us later in the trip. John brother Jim, his wife Grace and friends Robert and Chris were in th other vehicle. They, along with the rest of the 12 had been great clients on the mountain, so I was happy to be on safari with them. K. was finished with her teaching position in Moshi and really excited also. With binoculars, cameras, silly hats, and guide books we were off.
I'm sure I will always count those five days of safari among the best
ever. We had a nice rig- a classic safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up
top, a fantastic guide, and some great accomodations. But all that
mattered in the end was that chance to spend five days roaming the
Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater, and Lake Manyara.
Shafino grew up in the little town where we stayed by the crater. The
animals and birds a part of his entire life. He father ran the only
auto shop around and once showed him a fender that had been twisted by
the jaws of a hyena. I knew he'd be great when we stepped into his
rig and saw the nice maps and a well loved copy of "Birds of Kenya and
Northern Tanzania" on the dash (plus a cooler for a small beer stash
in back). We grabbed that book all the time and in the end Id'd 85
bird species, plus 30 mammals and three reptiles. He has amazing
vision and ability to differentiate animals at a great distance. But
more than just spotting creatures and checking them off the list he
was able to show us how the system worked as a whole- how different
cats hunt- and how their prey stays alive. How wildebeest and zebras
work together, one with a good nose, the other with good eyes. How the
male silvery-cheeked hornbill encases his mate in a mud covered hole
in a tree so she can roost safely, then feeds her figs through a small
opening.
We stayed at a couple very nice hotels- one really nice where we sipped the
rare Guiness under warthog sconces, surrounded by flowers and birds.
But my favorite spot was the tent camp by the Ikoma gate in the
Serengeti. The walls zipped open so from bed we could see an
incredible night sky and beautiful sunrises. I woke up early and
walked down the road to see the thousands of wildebeest gathered in
the front yard. We were lucky enough to catch the beginning of their
annual migration south, one of the world's great ones. They move by
smelling rain and seeing lightning, working their way to the south for
the monsoon season. I tried to slip away from camp unnoticed ,
but the management sent a Maasai guide to track me down.
They don't want to chance having a guest eaten by a lion. We took photos of each other and had
fun scattering hundreds of wildebeest in every direction. On the way
back he showed me where elephants had eaten the acacia trees.
Later that day we were able to go on foot to see hippos mating ( the
female is really good at holding her breath), while an enormous
crocodile ( the "aquatic killing machine") sunned itself nearby. We
watched a lioness stalk gazelle (unsuccessfully), but later saw a
whole pride tearing into a Cape buffalo they had taken down together.
We saw a leopard in tree feasting on a gazelle, and watched the
beautiful cheetah cruise the plains. Most predators have to rely on
surprise, but the cheetah can chase down anything in a short distance.
In the crater we saw ai interesting scene play out. Thousands and
thousands of flamingoes had gathered at the salt lake, feeding on blue-
green algae. This was an impressive sight my itself, but the we
noticed three jackals trying to be nonchalant as they cruised the
shore, waiting to pick off a bird from the edge of the flock. Nearby,
six hyenas were pretending to be sleeping, but fooling no one. Strong
but slow, they wait for a jackal to make a kill, then steal his lunch.
Beside the flamingoes and horbills we saw so many amazing birds: big
ones liber ibis, pelicans, storks, the elegant grey-crowned crane, the
secretary bird, and the Kory Bustard in its outrageous mating
display. Also little, beautiful birds like sunbirds, bee-eaters,
weavers, and the stunning lilac breasted roller. Some pick ticks off
impalas, some feast on termite larvae, others grab insects stirred up
by passing cars.
We watched the tiny dik-dik, an antelope the size of a big rabbit, and
spotted two of the 600 enormous black rhinos left on earth.
K. at the hotel. I then spent 20 minutes on the phone, ordering pizza from
a restaurant in town. They have a bunch of elaborate ones and the guy
was explaining them in detail and offering suggestions. I chose two
of each in a wide variety. We gathered shillings, and found a driver and car to make the
trip. The ten pizzas that arrived all were exactly the same-with only green
peppers and super-hot jalapenos. You really have to adjust your idea
of customer service in Tanzania. Luckily the novelty of pizza was
enough to make everyone happy.
In the morning we left on safari with six of the clients, the
Arrowsmith clan from New Mexico. K and I rode in one vehicle Sam, a hilarious teacher in his early twenties. His dad John joined us later in the trip. John brother Jim, his wife Grace and friends Robert and Chris were in th other vehicle. They, along with the rest of the 12 had been great clients on the mountain, so I was happy to be on safari with them. K. was finished with her teaching position in Moshi and really excited also. With binoculars, cameras, silly hats, and guide books we were off.
I'm sure I will always count those five days of safari among the best
ever. We had a nice rig- a classic safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up
top, a fantastic guide, and some great accomodations. But all that
mattered in the end was that chance to spend five days roaming the
Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater, and Lake Manyara.
Shafino grew up in the little town where we stayed by the crater. The
animals and birds a part of his entire life. He father ran the only
auto shop around and once showed him a fender that had been twisted by
the jaws of a hyena. I knew he'd be great when we stepped into his
rig and saw the nice maps and a well loved copy of "Birds of Kenya and
Northern Tanzania" on the dash (plus a cooler for a small beer stash
in back). We grabbed that book all the time and in the end Id'd 85
bird species, plus 30 mammals and three reptiles. He has amazing
vision and ability to differentiate animals at a great distance. But
more than just spotting creatures and checking them off the list he
was able to show us how the system worked as a whole- how different
cats hunt- and how their prey stays alive. How wildebeest and zebras
work together, one with a good nose, the other with good eyes. How the
male silvery-cheeked hornbill encases his mate in a mud covered hole
in a tree so she can roost safely, then feeds her figs through a small
opening.
We stayed at a couple very nice hotels- one really nice where we sipped the
rare Guiness under warthog sconces, surrounded by flowers and birds.
But my favorite spot was the tent camp by the Ikoma gate in the
Serengeti. The walls zipped open so from bed we could see an
incredible night sky and beautiful sunrises. I woke up early and
walked down the road to see the thousands of wildebeest gathered in
the front yard. We were lucky enough to catch the beginning of their
annual migration south, one of the world's great ones. They move by
smelling rain and seeing lightning, working their way to the south for
the monsoon season. I tried to slip away from camp unnoticed ,
but the management sent a Maasai guide to track me down.
They don't want to chance having a guest eaten by a lion. We took photos of each other and had
fun scattering hundreds of wildebeest in every direction. On the way
back he showed me where elephants had eaten the acacia trees.
Later that day we were able to go on foot to see hippos mating ( the
female is really good at holding her breath), while an enormous
crocodile ( the "aquatic killing machine") sunned itself nearby. We
watched a lioness stalk gazelle (unsuccessfully), but later saw a
whole pride tearing into a Cape buffalo they had taken down together.
We saw a leopard in tree feasting on a gazelle, and watched the
beautiful cheetah cruise the plains. Most predators have to rely on
surprise, but the cheetah can chase down anything in a short distance.
In the crater we saw ai interesting scene play out. Thousands and
thousands of flamingoes had gathered at the salt lake, feeding on blue-
green algae. This was an impressive sight my itself, but the we
noticed three jackals trying to be nonchalant as they cruised the
shore, waiting to pick off a bird from the edge of the flock. Nearby,
six hyenas were pretending to be sleeping, but fooling no one. Strong
but slow, they wait for a jackal to make a kill, then steal his lunch.
Beside the flamingoes and horbills we saw so many amazing birds: big
ones liber ibis, pelicans, storks, the elegant grey-crowned crane, the
secretary bird, and the Kory Bustard in its outrageous mating
display. Also little, beautiful birds like sunbirds, bee-eaters,
weavers, and the stunning lilac breasted roller. Some pick ticks off
impalas, some feast on termite larvae, others grab insects stirred up
by passing cars.
We watched the tiny dik-dik, an antelope the size of a big rabbit, and
spotted two of the 600 enormous black rhinos left on earth.
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