03/25/2018
MARCH 2018 NEWSLETTER
We had a GREAT adventure on our African Safari in Tanzania! We all agreed that the photos and videos look nice, but they can NEVER give you that same real-life in-depth feeling as being there in the moment! There is nothing like it! It's the "awe" effect that we all felt. To have wild animals walking so close to you, looking into your eyes, hearing them eat, walk, grunt, groan and yawn, is an experience you will never forget! We had a terrific group of 11 on this trip and we hope YOU will consider going on the upcoming group African Safari - February 2019!
We left Portland on Wednesday, February 7th at 1:20 pm and arrived in Kilimanjaro on February 8th at 9:30 pm. We had to stand in line to get a visa and we did not get to our hotel, Mt. Meru Game Lodge, until around midnight. After an early breakfast at the Lodge, we started out on our safari at 9:00 am in the vehicles (Toyota Land Cruisers) that would be our “home” for the next 10 days. As we drove through the town of Arusha and out into the outskirts, we saw many young boys tending to herds of cows and goats. These belong to the families and they keep them moving toward good grazing grass each day. We saw them throughout most of Africa, along the side of road. The drive from Mt. Meru Lodge to Tarangire National Park is approximately 3 hours. Tarangire National Park is home to elephants, lions, giraffes and many bird and antelope species. We saw all of those on our first day. One of our first encounters of the day were two lions lying in the brush not far from the road, going through their mating ritual. They were completely oblivious to our presence! Our drivers explained to us that most of the animals pay no attention to the trucks because they have grown up with them. However, if someone should get out of the truck, they would be on HIGH alert!
After a very long 9 hour day, we arrived at Kichuguu Tented Lodge. We were met at the trucks with warm towels and cold drinks. After checking in and being assigned a tent, we were told NO FOOD in our tents and we were not allowed out after dark, without someone accompanying us with a flashlight. They zip you into your tent at night and unzip you in the morning, when they deliver your coffee. There is a small space outside the front of your tent with two chairs and a table and it is very pleasant to sit and enjoy the early morning and the “sounds of silence”. The previous night, someone told us that there were three female lions outside the tents and also an elephant. I did not see or hear them, as I put ear plugs in at night to block my husband’s snoring. We were up bright and early and had a wonderful breakfast. It consisted of a buffet with fresh fruit, pastry, and a cooked-to-order hot breakfast. Their bacon and eggs were wonderful. The coffee in Africa was also very good.
Next, we were in search of elephants and we definitely found them - HUNDREDS of them! We stopped and watched them interact with each other. We were TOTALLY surrounded! Some of them were curious and approached our vehicle. One of them tried to reach through the window and touch my husband with his trunk. Of course, my husband’s first instinct was to also touch the elephant, but our driver told him NOT TO TOUCH THE ELEPHANT AND TO ROLL UP HIS WINDOW! The elephant was so close you could see his eyelashes. Our driver also informed us that he had never seen that many elephants at one time in 16 years! I thought that would be the highlight of the safari, but there was still more to come. We saw hundreds of impala and Thompson gazelles that day. That night we returned to Kichuguu tented lodging and had a very nice dinner.
The next morning, we did some game drives and visited a Masai Village. The people were very friendly and always smiling. The head of the tribe could speak English, as he was going to the University in Arusha and was studying to be a Veterinarian. He explained to us that the huts they lived in that were made of cow dung and straw. We all were invited to inspect the inside of them and found them to be very small and dark. The people started to sing and dance to entertain us and some of our ladies in our group put on the traditional Masai garb and danced with them! The children were very happy to recite their ABC’s - all in English from A to Z. Also, they could count from 1 to 10 in English.
After that, we proceeded to exit the national park and drive to the Serengeti National Park which consists of 1000’s of miles of plains. We drove to a hippo pool. You can smell it before you get there. Hundreds of hippos were half-submerged, and nothing seemed to disturb them. That afternoon, we drove to another tented lodging known as Kiota Camp. It is in the central Serengeti and is on a hill overlooking the Serengeti. I was up early the next morning, just as the sun was coming up. As the sun slowing started rising, I sat outside on our little tented porch and watched the sun light up the Serengeti from one end to the other. It is a sight I will never forget!
We spent an uneventful night at the camp that night and were on our way the next morning. The Serengeti ecosystem is famous for its large cats and the wildebeest migration. Around mid-morning, we spotted a male lion in the tall grass some distance from us. As we slowly watched, he started walking towards us! Actually, he was headed STRAIGHT FOR US! As we watched and held our breath, he proceeded to walk in front of our bumper, crossed the road and continued into the field on the other side. He was so close I could see all the scratches on his back and could see just how HUGE he really was!
The next day, we spotted the huge wildebeest migration. Everywhere you looked, as far as you could see, there were THOUSANDS of wildebeest on the move. Also traveling with them were huge herds of zebras. We had to stop numerous times to let them cross the road. One such day, we came across a female wildebeest giving birth! We watched as the calf was emerging and dropped to the ground. Our driver tells us that the newborn calf has about 5 minutes to stand up. We watched as the calf tried several times before it got to its feet. Some of the other females gathered around the one giving birth, to be of assistance, if needed. We then realized it was a special wildebeest nursery because most of them had very young calves of their own. AMAZING!
In the late afternoon, we spotted many more giraffes. Their main food is the Acacia tree. Even though these trees are loaded with long needles, they know how to get around the needles. They are the ONLY animal that can reach these trees and it is their main source of food.
That night, we stayed at Ndutu Lodge (not tented). We had a very nice cottage and we looked out from the front porch to watch the zebra on the lawn. Shaded by majestic Acacia trees, Ndutu Safari Lodge offers peace and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. We relaxed to the rhythm of an African day, as a myriad of bird calls heralded the rising sun. We enjoyed the resident zebra!
Our next adventure was driving to the Ngorongoro Crater. After our breakfast, we stopped to join a mother cheetah and her kids with their breakfast. This was a sight that few people could ever imagine seeing, you might think it disturbing but it is rare, and we were excited to be part of it. Inside the crater was a mix of animals we were amazed to see all living together. This is where we witnessed a baby wildebeest being born and lots of newborns running and playing. The baby zebras and warthogs were also quite the site to see. The crater even had its own hippo pond and no shortage of cool looking birds. And more!!
After driving through and around the crater, we saw many animals such as lions, elephants, impalas, and even a lone Rhino. We then headed for the rim of the crater to our accommodations for the night - Sopa Lodge. This lodge was quite luxurious and we had a wonderful view of the crater. We enjoyed a lovely dinner that evening at the lodge.
The next day, we headed for Lake Manyara National Park and spent several hours driving through park. This park is home to many species of monkeys and baboons, along with more hippos and many species of birds. Then we spent the night at the Ngorongoro Farm House. This was one of my favorite places to stay! It is located on a large coffee plantation and we had a lovely veranda room overlooking the fields of coffee. The next two nights were spent at Mt. Meru Game Lodge on the outskirts of Arusha. Had delicious pizza one night at our request. They have a large pizza oven outside overlooking a special area across the lawn. It was a great place to stay. We saw some of the largest monkeys I had ever seen! They also had resident cape buffalo, zebra, and antelope - all located on a small island just across a pond of water.
Again, it was a GREAT SAFARI and one that both my husband and I will never forget! We have traveled all around the world and can honestly say, there is NOTHING like it! We hope YOU will consider joining the group on the upcoming African Safari - February 2019!
