Hausfrau's Micato Stanley Wing (Kenya / Tanzania) Trip Report

Hi Hausfrau,
I am so excited to read more of your trip blog. I leave in 5 weeks for the same safari with Micato. Just got our bags yesterday! You took some absolutely beautiful pictures.

Your pre-trip near disaster with the camera was a close one. Hope all your bad luck got fried along with the camera. Will check the pics next.

Great photos, loved all the birds too, especially the "white bellied go-away bird!"

grest photos!

Just peeked at the first few photos and glanced at the blog, but thanks in advance! I will peruse more carefully this weekend. Glad you had a great trip and welcome home.

(And, yes, LyndaS is very helpful.Can you believe the work that went into the trip report index???)

Thanks for all the great feedback so far. Entry #3 is up, so we are finally IN Africa!

jfram, I am motivated to get this done BEFORE you leave on your safari!

atravelynn, fortunately the rest of our trip was relatively trauma-free for the 4 of us at least, but there WILL be a couple of exciting stories!

moremiles, the go-away bird is named for its call, which apparently sounds like "go away, go away" although unfortunately we didn't get to hear it.

just read your new post on blog. Tonnie kaguathi is fabulous!! hope you loved him as much as my family did. have actually continued relationship with him since trip. his wife is also as nice as can be!!

Jessica- I was so happy to see this! I have printed out what you have, and will read as my bedtime reading tonight! And, I have looked at the Nairobi pictures - wow, they are fabulous!!!

Leely, thanks so much for such a nice compliment! I am really far behind on it at the moment but I have been faithfully printing out any trip reports that have been posted! And, I will indeed get caught up someday!

jfram - if you would like to read a very detailed report from our incredible Stanley Wing trip from last May/June, here is the link -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34822022

5 weeks would put you there at approximately the same time as us last year!

Hi Lynda, good to hear from you and hope your trip prep is going well! Glad you like the pictures so far. I keep forgetting to tell you that I told Jane Pinto about your packing list and I really think you should send it to Micato. Their list is a good starting point but yours is so much more useful.

aowens, yes, Tonnie is fabulous! He was so funny and knowledgeable. He told us he has other friends in Michigan (our permanent home) so maybe someday we will get to see him in the U.S.!

hi hausfrau,

you do get about don't you!

great report,

regards, ann

Great selection of photos. The crater sunset was a beautiful start and so were some of the other sunset shots. Those baby wildebeest are adorable. You have one giraffe shot that looks snake-like. Your pictures give a good feel for the whole safari experience.

Nice variety of impala. The dik dik walking down the road was precious.

Hausfrau,
Just finished reading your latest installment! You give such detail, I feel like I am there with you. Looking forward to more! I do have a quick question, since you were on the same tour as I will be going on shortly. What was your experience as far as whether your carry on's are included in the 33lb limit? LyndaS mentioned in her trip report that they were not included, Micato says they are.

Hi jfram, so glad you are enjoying my report! I took Sunday off but will get back at it this week.

I too was concerned about whether they weighed the carryons because I always carried my camera, lenses, and various small items in my backpack, so that was easily another 8-10 pounds. They NEVER weighed our carryons, and in fact our baggage weight was never an issue on the entire trip - even though several people openly admitted that their bags were overweight. One time we flew a 12-passenger Cessna Caravan and one member of our group had to sit in the co-pilot's seat (because we were 13 with our guide), and even then weight wasn't an issue. Go figure!

At our dinner with Jane Pinto, someone actually asked in front of the whole group (and of course we ran the gamut of shapes and sizes) why they didn't take the weight of the people themselves into account!

I think it's a good idea to give yourself a couple pounds of leeway in your duffel, and make sure your carryon doesn't look overly stuffed.

hausfrau - Tonnie has been trying to come visit for several years, but has not been able to get a visa. his wife has family over here so she comes about every other year, but his visa is denied every time. i think the government is scared he will stay because he is smart and educated and his wife has family over here. whatever the case he has not been able to get a visa and has tried every year for the last several. I will be seeing him again next june. i will be sure and let him know he is remembered fondly.

Secondly - i would like to say something about the whole weight issue. We too had a 33 pound weight limit. Somewhere along the way (i think it was at the Ngorongoro crater) someone in our group told several others that we no longer had to worry about the weight because it was all charter flights from there on out. This couple proceeded to "load up" on souvenirs and many of them were very heavy wood carvings and shields etc. The next day we had an equipment change to a smaller plane. We had an aborted take off due to birds flying on the runway. fortunately this probably burned off just enough fuel and weight. When we took off the next time we had big stall warnings on takeoff (about 15 feet off the ground) and 2 people on board that fly and know about such things were extremely upset. Our pilot also had a bit to say after we landed. It could have been a very bad situation and all because some didn't understand the point of the baggage limit. Our personal experience on this particular trip was our bags were only weighed in Nairobi and not at any of the smaller airstrips, and our carry-ons were not ever included in the weight, but just do your best to keep your weight below the limit to compensate for idiots out there that don't seem to understand that under normal circumstances all will be fine, but if there is and unexpected glitch or equipment change it can be a huge problem. If the plane stalls on takeoff and crashes - it won't really matter what you packed. Sorry to sound so morbid, but it was a very scary situation.

I forgot to say hi, ann. Yes, it probably looks like all we do is travel, but DH does in fact have a job. We are just taking advantage of his comp and vacation time to take every opportunity to travel while we are in Germany!

atravelynn, so glad you like my photos! The new Canon was an improvement on the one I fried, so in the end I was really pleased that I had it. It has a much larger screen, so at the end of each day I was able to show the group some of my pictures. I used a 70-300 zoom with image stabilization for most of the animal shots and just LOVE that lens. More to come!

aowens, I didn't know about Tonnie's visa problems. That is really too bad. Our group loved him and it would be wonderful if he could come to the U.S. someday - I'll bet he could travel around the country being wined and dined by all of his satisfied customers.

On the weight issue, I agree with you 100%. My brother is a private jet pilot, so I definitely understand how important weight is, especially on the smaller planes. Obviously the fact that most of the flights are charters is irrelevant. I was really surprised that it was never an issue on our trip. We were personally careful not to buy much in the way of heavy items along the way and no one in our group was a big shopper, but I was surprised that the baggage was never weighed after we left Nairobi. I suppose they know at that point how much the group weighs as a whole, so unless you are way overweight to begin with, they don't see it as being a problem. Anyway, what a scary experience for you. I'm not all that keen on small planes, and I would have been extremely upset if something like that had happened to us!

Thanks Hausfrau and aowens on the weight issue. I too am not crazy about small planes so I will still plan on keeping within the weight limit. Even if it's only to make up for the other people who go way over. Right now in my first 'practice' pack, our check on duffle bags each weigh about 24 pounds.
By the way Hausfrau, I finally got my husband on this website so that he could read your trip report. He as well was very impressed with your writings.

Hi guys - I'd just like to 'weigh in" on the baggage issue.

Our carry on was never weighed, but it is important to remember that whatever you carry on will more than likely sit on your lap on most of the flights, so you must be careful with the size and the weight. Not very often did most people's fit under the seat,ours did, as it was small enough. Two people on our trip took 22" rollaboards - which did not work at all. On most flights those sat in the aisle and that is not too safe, on one flight they actually had to hold them on their laps for the 2 hrs.

Ann, you are so right about the weight, it is really important to watch it. Ou son is a pilot and he continually mentioned to me the importance of keeping within the weight limits on those small planes. I can't recall for sure, but I think he told me once it was especially important in Africa, he either said the altitude or the heat, can't remember which, I just remember him telling me about an incident in Las Vegas on their 'class trip' during his commercial pilots course.

In the end, I knew our bag was a couple pounds overweight, but as we went through our trip I was dropping a few pounds from giving out the items I had bought for drivers & their families. Mind you I think I might have replaced that weight with my one purchase during the trip of the Maasai blankets.

But, anyhow, here's my real point of posting - we were indeed weighed throughout the trip. We were seriously overweight on the first one from Nairobi to Amboseli on a regular Air Kenya flight(or Kenya Air, whichever is the domestic one) - apparantly over by 35 lbs total if I recall. And, one guy didn't even have his luggage yet (courtesy of KLM). Our director sorted it outsomehow, but I am not sure how. Rumour has it that because the flight was no where near full, they let us go.

Daniel, our director continually asked us to please not buy very much until we were back in Nairobi, and I believe that most of us kept to that.
Aware that we were continually overweight, in the Mara, Daniel asked us on the last morning for each couple to pack into one bag only for the rest of the flights. We all did that, which was great, but as we still had in essense two bags (each couple) to get back to Nairobi, it was still a problem when we were flying from the Maasai Mara back to Nairobi. It was a small plane and the pilot was furious, and made this known to us. He ended up putting some bags in the aisle for even weight distribution, instead of the hold in the back, which he said was OK for safety of the plane taking off, but he was still furious as it is not a great way to fly. Once in Nairobi, while at Wilson Airport, Daniel gave the bag that each couple didn't need and had Micato take them back to the hotel for us, and we would see the bag of course, at the end of the trip.

This time I will not even be 1 lb overweight (I believe we were 5lbs overweight between the two of us last time) when we go as I see the trouble it causes. It's a weight limit put there for our safety. And, on a group trip, we may have the luxury of having the bags weighed together, but that doesn't help when all, or most are overweight (in the bags, not personally). One person told me she brought about 6 books with her as she is an avid reader and she left them behind as she finished (and she really did read at least three on that trip), but that doesn't help the weight on the first flights. Another couple, as a matter of fact the family of three, each brought wet suits. Wet suits? Whatever for we wondered (we found out later when we saw them swimming in the pool in the Serengeti but it still didn't explain the 'need' for them), and we could imagine how much those weighed. Another lady told me her make up alone must have weighed 10 lbs, but we all hoped she was kidding....

I have laid out all of my 'things' (other than clothes) so far this year, by following my new 'revised' packing list to the T, and I am constantly amazed whenever I walk by the table at how it only takes up 1/4 of the space on the table this year - last year it took up at least 1/2 if not 3/4. There really was a few things that I took that were not needed! And, the quantity of some of them is way different - as in shampoo, conditioner, OTC medications, sun & bug stuff, etc. Even antiseptic hand wipes, I didn't use half as many as I took last year, so this year I only took 1/2 the quantity. I'm not fussy on shampoo, and each lodge & camp has it as an amenity, so I packed only one small travel size (freed from some hotel or other over the years) shampoo, in case one doesn't have, or I need extra one day. Bug repellent, same thing, I have only packed a few of the Raid travel packages, as most lodges had some as an amenity.

Many of the veterans on this board 'told me so' and I didn't listen, thinking I needed this or that. And they were so right - I didn't need! (except the tiny stapler, that is packed again!)

Oh, hausfrau, after all that I forgot to tell you how much I LOVED your first day blog in Nairobi - it is truly amzazing what you wrote - it paints such a great picture! And brings back such good memories!

And I loved the way you interspersed pictures in the report, I see you take the same kind of 'out of the window' culture and people shots as I do!

Kudos to you - this is great!

Hausfrau,

Am enjoying reading your trip installments. I too like the photos interspresed with the text.

Lynda S.--did you mean that the three people on your tour wore wet suits in the swimming pool? Just when you think you've heard everything . . .

CW

cw - I am totally serious, yes. Everyone's mouth just fell open when we saw them in the pool, the rest of us all looked at each and said 'no wonder we were overweight'. None of us asked why though, so we can only imagine!

Hello all, the next post is up on my blog - our first day actually ON SAFARI!!

Lynda, I CANNOT believe that about the wetsuits. If anyone in our group had done something like that, they would have gotten a serious talking to by certain members of our group!

Our second day in Amboseli is up on my blog along with a few pictures. Next up: Tarangire.

I'll be headed to Amboseli (via the blog) shortly.

I cannot imagine full wetsuits but I can imagine taking a light skin for cold water. I've taken one to hotels when swimming (with young kids) was a must. Without it, I'd be shivering to the point of feeling ill.

Personally, I just skip the pool in Africa rather than tote the snorkel gear.

Your choice and placement of pictures really makes your blog come alive. I loved the running zebras and you excel at sunsets (or rises.)

So your Maasai guide and husband never did settle on how many cows you are worth!

The first sighting of a watering male ele does make an impression.

Great baboon portrait in today's installment!

baboon and starling portraits are great just as the text! added any new pictures on flickr? thanks.

Hausfrau, I am so enjoying your trip installments. Anxiously awaiting your next, but have a quick question. Since you were on the same exact safari I am leaving on shortly, did most of the lodges/camps have hairdryers? I don't know whether I should throw my mini travel one in or not.

Honestly, I thik that baboon knew he was posing for me. No new pictures yet, but I'll get there eventually!

jfram, I am fairly certain that most of the lodges either had hairdryers in the rooms or you could borrow one from the front desk. Kichwa Tembo (the tented camp) had a nice restroom in the main building with hairdryer "stations". My MIL was concerned about not having a hairdryer. She ended up not bringing one and was fine. A couple of women on our trip who normally worried quite a bit about their hair seemed to worry less about it as the trip went on; we were all pretty casual and so comfortable with each other by the end of the trip that we didn't really care what our hair looked like!

I've now moved on to Tarangire!

Please keep in mind that there are LOTS more photos on my flickr site (see link at top of this post). The photos are arranged in folders on the right-hand side of the page. The best (largest) way to view them is to click on the folder name, then select "View as Slideshow." You can either click through by hand or set it to whatever speed you prefer. (Unfortunately this leaves off the captions, which can only be seen by clicking on the individual photos.)

This is a wonderful trip report!! What kind of camera did you use to take your photos? Your pictures came out terrific!! Let me know...I plan to buy the same one!

What would you say the overall time from Amboseli to Tarangire by road was?

Interesting that you should mention dik dik and black backed jackals as some of your first Tarangire animals. The dik dik photo with the bright green brush is a striking little fellow. Some of my favorite dik dik and black backed jackal photos are from Tarangire.

That’s a good description of the hyrax, a Tree Hyrax , a cross between a squirrel and a koala.

alldaytravel, I used a Canon EOS 400D, which in the U.S. is called the Rebel XTi. I previously had a Canon Rebel XT and was planning to bring it until my little "accident" (see 2 February blog entry); the new model has a much larger screen and some improved menus but for the most part is very similar to the Rebel XT. I used a standard Canon 18-55 mm lens for landscapes and a Canon Ultrasonic 70-300 mm zoom with image stabilization for the wildlife shots.

atravelyn, I didn't note the driving time details, but we left Amboseli at 8 am sharp and I'm guessing we arrived at the Tarangire gate around 4 pm, followed by a 2-hour drive to the lodge. That includes crossing the border (probably an hour) and about an hour lunch stop.

Bookmarking a great report! Looking forward to your Tarangire game drive and Ngorongoro.

Thanks julianewoman! Tarangire to Ngorongoro is now up on my blog.

Whew, sorry for the delay, but I think you will like the next post: Ngorongoro! This was an absolutely incredible day.

Wonderful report. Thanks.

Your crater day started with hyenas and ended with pizza. Where else but Africa?!

A wildebeest birth had to be outstanding.

I know what you mean by instinctively reacting to a predator when you shrunk from the lioness.

An outstanding crater outing.

atravelynn, I just want to emphasize that the pizza was NOT my idea! Though I do admit to eating a slice.

Sorry for the delay guys, but you are going to have to wait a bit longer for the next installment...I'm off tomorrow for a one-week trip home to the States. I promise to get back on track when I return!

Hausfrau -

My sister and I are going on the Stanley Wing in September. We anxiously await your next installment - it's like a preview of what's to come! Keep up the great work.

Hey, Jessica, I'm back! Just checking to see if you had posted anymore.....

Welcome back Lynda! You've guilted me into it - I am finally back to work on my trip report. By the way, I got an email from Renny a couple of days ago and he told me that you were on his safari!

I know it has been a long time coming (at least I left you hanging in a lovely place - Ngorongoro!), but you can now view the next installment on my blog: Ngorongoro to Serengeti. I have posted a few photos directly onto the blog as I have not yet updated my Flickr site yet. Enjoy!

I am so glad, Hausfrau, that you're writing again; I was really a bit worried, and hoped you were OK - and just busy; I know too it is not an easy matter to put together an account that's as well written and illustrated as yours. I could just picture myself right there with you.
Jess

What a wonderful installment Jessica! I can just see Renny pointing out the homo sapiens! He ws so funny! We were all very disapointed that Dniel couldn't go into Tanzania with us (new regulations), but once we met Renny all was well!! He called us 'Lynda and Jungle Jim' - the name really stuck. We had Steven as a driver - he was incredible too - and our paths kept crossing with Rodgers. He remembered us from last year, even though we didn't have him as a driver, (we had Bernard), he was driving one of the other two Land Cruisers with us.

I just adored Renny though - I really miss the way he says 'no,no,no,no,no' when he is answering in the negative! I mentioned you, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember whether Ann was the other person who had him last year from this board, or someone else. But he sure remembered you and your group! (all J's, he said, in the family....)

jvnoledawg, thanks, glad you are enjoying it! You will have an awesome time on safari!

Jess, how sweet of you to be thinking of me. No worries, I have indeed been busy and it does take a lot of time to write these up. I'm just glad I took the time to take such good notes, otherwise I'd be lost!

Lynda, now I understand why we had two guides and you only had one last year. Renny did mention something about that. Yes, we were the four J's - it was pretty funny, but made it somewhat easier to remember us, I suppose! Renny is so funny - you probably heard that he spent several years in Japan, so we kept joking about his subtly Japanese mannerisms!

Jeez, I forgot to mention (hold onto your hats) that I've got another post up! Yes, that's 2 post in 2 days! Our day in the Serengeti was unforgettable (OK, EVERY day was, but this one was particularly so!).

And now my Serengeti photos are up on flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/hausfrau

Only 5 more days to go!

I missed this before, don't know how! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

Tree climbing lions! Wow, I had forgot that they sometimes do that in the Serengeti - you were SO lucky!

That more than makes up for the leopards!

I too thought the food at the Sopa was good, but the service was slow. Pole, pole, you know - Africa time!

Thanks for continuing. The photos are quite impressive. Love all your bird shots, quite a great jackal-in-the-grass pic and the lions in the trees are gorgeous. Too many good ones to name them all.

Love, love, love the "elephants and palms" photo. Simply beautiful. So many others that are fantastic as well. January seems so far away. ::heavy sigh::

Shane

Jessica, Good installments. What about the remaining days? Eric

hausfrau, keep it coming.

hey lynda - it wasn't me that had renny last year. we had kennedy and gus. both were great. ann

Great pictures! What camera do you use? Baby hippo, lioness on tree, etc are really quite professional quality.

Looking to read your adventures in Kenya and beyond. Thank you.

Thanks everyone for the continued motivational support! I promise to get my report finished soon. In fact I am on a deadline because I leave on Friday to visit the U.K. for 2 weeks.

julianewman, I used a Canon EOS 400D (called the Rebel XTi in the U.S.) with an 18-55 mm lens and a Canon Ultrasonic 70-300 mm zoom.

OK, I am back in action. Our very full day from the Serengeti to Masai Mara is now up on my blog!

Nice job. I liked the shot of the serengeti goodbye from air. You use a very good camera.

Come on now, finish it up

Just wanted to thank you for another exceptional installment - both words and pictures. Better than a lot of professionals (although perhaps you are one, when you are not in the haus, Frau).
Jess

very good installment and beautiful picture of mother and child. with the storm y'all had a real safari experience!

Tx.

Jessica, what a wonderful segment of your trip, I enjoyed every word of it! The three planes day brought back many memories - I have a picture of one of our safari mates in those oversized overstuffed chairs - she looks like Alice In Wonderland!

And Kichwa Tembo - sigh! I miss it already! We ate at Bateleur Camp this year, and although the food was EXCELLENT, it didn't taste anything like those BBQ beef kabobs & grilled veggies! We had that same menu last year for our first lunch, I was looking forward to it this year! We did ask the chef over at Bateleur though to make the macadamia nut flan, and it was wonderful. Now, I thought I remembered from last year that it had whip cream or something, this year it was macadamia nuts and caramel in a pie shell - was it that way when you had it too?

I just remembered someone posted the recipe, I will have to put my thinking cap on to remember who posted that & where! I should make it for our Africa night GTG on July 7th!!

And the young doctor - I'll bet he's the same one that I saw last year about the rash on my arm - Just a baby!!! I made him go put on a white coat so I could see that he was really a doctor... He was so funny -

"Hmm, you seem to have a reaction to something"

"yes doctor", I said "but to what?"

"Oh, the sun, the food, the water, could be anything"

I had to go away chuckling, that was a lot of specific information! Anyhow I found out the hard way this year what it was - more in my report....

lynda - i posted the recipe and have made it several times. it is yummy!! i added the whipped cream myself, bit i don't remember having that in africa. the recipe is posted in your trip report from last year if you want to look it up!! it is just as good as it was and always brings back fond memories!!

here it is again:

Lynda - here is the recipe. i made it last week and it is as good as it was in Kichwa Tembo!! For the crust i cheated and used the pilsbury refrigerated and it was fine. i couldn't see wasting the time to make it from scratch! i couldn't wait that long, but i will include that part anyway. i have not converted those measurements.
Crust:
125 G Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 C plain flour
1 whoe egg lightly beaten
50 g fine sugar

combine butter and sugar in bowl. beat with mixer til combined. pour in egg. beat til combined. stir in sifted flour - knead til smooth. comver and frig for 45 min. roll out and put in lined baking tin. trim and cover with greaseproof paper, fill with dry beans. bake in moderate over for 10 min - remove beans and paper and bake 3 more min.

Filling:
9 oz macadamia nuts
7 oz fine sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 3/4 oz unsalted butter (about 1/2 stick)

combine butter and sugar in saucepan. stir constantly over med to low heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved . add remaining ingredients, bring to boil. remove from heat then pour into baked pastry and let cool for 10 min, Serve!!!

yum yum!

Lynda- Every time you post even on someone else's thread people start replying to you!! You are one popular figure on this board.

Well folks, it just ain't gonna happen. I leave today for 2 weeks in the U.K. so I won't be posting any more installments until I get back. There's just 4 more days to go, and I PROMISE to make it a high priority when I return!

In the meantime, you'll all just have to hop on over to Lynda's trip report! Lynda, you'll probably embarrass me by finishing your report before I finish mine!

Jess, thank you very much for the compliment. In my dream world I would love to become a "professional" writer so your kind words are very much appreciated!

I'm glad someone had that macadamia flan recipe! Chef George gave it to us but it's buried in my Africa stuff somewhere. Lynda, you should definitely make it for the GTG! I'm glad to hear we have similar fond and funny memories of Kichwa Tembo. I love that place!

Signing off for now. Everyone keep dreaming of Africa!

Thanks Anne for the recipe, I should have remembered it was in my own thread! I am printing it off again and we will definitely have to do it for the GTG - I'll add whip cream too.

Thanks for such nice words julianewman, I appreciate that!

And Jessica, have a GREAT time in the UK and we will catch some more of your wonderful writing when you get back!

So hausfrau's real name is Jessica. Looking forward to installments when you can.

haurfrau, If this also is by you http://temporaryhausfrau.blogspot.com/ can you post expat related links at this thread? http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35020668. Someone pointed out expatica which is pretty good. Thanks.

Hi lisa, I'll respond about expat stuff on your other thread.

To everyone else, I'm back from a great 2-week trip to the U.K. (it rained every day except our last day but we didn't let it dampen our spirits!) and will get back to my Africa report just as soon as I wade through all my email and laundry!

hausfru- Tx for your emails. Eric Schubert

Better late than never...

I've posted another entry on my blog, detailing our rather "interesting" balloon ride over the Mara and some more fascinating wildlife encounters. The Mara folder on my Flickr site now has photos from this day as well (starting after the "sky turning black" photo).

Enjoy! I am aiming to get the rest of my report finished this week.

Baboon looks made up. You might want to skip the conversations in future repotrs. nice job.

I don't know if it is the conversations, the failed balloon ride or hausfrau in a hurry but it reads different from previous installments. Photos are good though!

The photos are nice indeed. Like the shot from the balloon above Mara. Mara light photo is very nice too. Chuckled to see the ketchup bottle in the middle of Africa! You appear to enjoy taking and posting animal mating pictures, what's Up with that!! Wjaht camera/lenses? Thanks.

Let's just say it was a "different" day. The dialogue is there for me to remember the details and the people we were with. I have a few moments of our time stuck in the balloon basket on video, and that is pretty priceless! Animals mating...well, they did it all the time, and as a former ecology/animal behavior student, I found it all quite fascinating. Camera info is in my 4/29 post on this thread.

Hey, if ya find animals mating fascinating!, you find it fascinating! No explanations needed. Thanks for the camera information because the landscape shots are outstanding.

gt, finding animal mating interesting does Not mean interest in beastiality. HF, keep up the good work.

Hello, Hausfrau,

I don't normally read Africa board threads but have read your Safari blog off and on partly because they come as close to professional writing as I have seen on Fodors. Impressive descriptions of animals and your experience which makes one feel almost as if one is there. Your choice and placement of pictures makes your blog come alive. You certainly have a flair for writing, and a very good understanding of the types of animals/birds (or you took copius notes). I actually like the people interaction descriptions so it doesn't become a dry monologue of scenary/animals. The failed balloon ride (hope you got some of your money back) is an adventure too, no? One that turned out to be safe

Photos.... Many of your shots are priceless. The ones on goodbye Serengeti, lioness in the tree, baboon portrait, Mara light, etc (so many I can't write'em all ). On the other hand, banana vendors and school kids photos are good reminders of poverty. Obviously something is not working. Have you looked at supporting any grass roots organization? I also wonder the impact of tourism on Masai/Mara culture (reference to the wigs or frequent visitors to someone's house). Hopefully, they haven't become stage actors out of necessity. I guess it is better than starving but still. hopefully, the Safari interface is just a tiny part of their lives.

Overall, this is the closest at least I have experienced a Safari. Having done a lo....ng report recently, I know the effort involved. So, thank you for your considerable time investment in keeping it all organized and posting it. My only suggestion: I have lost track of which day you are on so consider adding a day marker on your blog unless you are so close to the end that it doesn't matter.

Regards.

After Comfy's articulate post, I better say I agree with his summary and your blog is a great read.

Comfy, thanks for your very nice compliments. This blog has been a labor of love and it is wonderful to hear that people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

You asked about the rampant poverty; that is a topic we returned to repeatedly over the course of our trip and we had some really good conversations with Tonnie about it. I'd like to put some thought into my response, so will write in more detail in a later post.

I am indeed almost done...my 3rd to last entry is now up on the blog, and photos will be available later today on Flickr.

Better installment. Reading Comfy and Julia's reasoned comments I wanted to add the animals comment was tongue-in-cheek and not what OP's friend concluded that I implied. Thanks.

gone traveling, no offense taken!

Comfy, what a contrast: there we were, driving around in air-conditioned buses and fancy SUVs, staying in gorgeous hotels with 4-course gourmet meals, while staring abject poverty in the face wherever we went. Safari tourism is obviously an important part of the East African economy, but you are right, something is not working. Tonnie indicated that there's a lot of government graft and corruption, but that can't explain all of it.

As for the culture clash, a billboard in Nairobi said it all: 4 Maasai men in traditional garb, and it was a cell phone ad! I wonder what it is like for the Maasai to live this dual life, and what it bodes for the long-term survival of their culture. Perhaps the fact that their culture has become a means of economic gain will help to ensure that some semblance of it survives. Certainly I would rather live in the Maasai boma we visited in the Mara than the slum we saw in Nairobi. (So what drives people into the cities to live in those horrid conditions?)

As for the question of how we can help - it is difficult to know where your money can best be put to use. Should we support the school? The weavers project? I'll describe some of Micato's efforts in my final blog entry...

Thoughtful response, Hausfrau. Myriad reasons behind poverty in East Africa such growing cash crops dependent on weather, dictatorships, corruption, tribal fighting, unfettered population growth, climate change, dirty water, etc etc. Migration to urban centers is pretty typical in third world countries where, occasionally, you simply can't sustain yourself in rural region.

If you haven't already, consider reading Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond or renting a PBS series with the same title. It contrasts western and eastern culture evolution rather nicely, and basically says there are equally smart/suave people in every culture, it is just that the conditions around them enhance or diminish their potential.

Culture change is inevitable, I think. All societies have gone through it, and Maasai have and will too. You guys may be the lucky ones to do a safari while the Maasai elders weren't already using an iPhone. I know I want one

Hausfrau,

Stumbled on to your report and read it all in one seating. You give extensive details and I feel I am there with you! Finish up the last two days. Thanks.

Great report! Noting Lynda's well deserved success, have you thought of submitting this to a travel magazine?

very good installment and those pygmy hippos look comfortable! Tx for your efforts to post this.

Comfy, Guns, Germs and Steel is on my bookshelf. I have not read the whole book but I'm very familiar with the thesis.

amytravela, thanks! I'm almost there!

julianewman, I just might if I could figure out how to chop it down to a reasonably sized piece...Lynda is very lucky that she got her whole report published!

So....2nd to last post is now up! Not too many pictures this day but I will upload them tomorrow.

Good installment! Must be good to be close to being done. Good luck with publishing.

impressive trophy room. who is taller: reticulated or maasai giraffe? morani shot is cute. is she sleeping? Tx again.

Good installment. Isn't it nice that we bond with people on safaris and that IS one of the highlights of the trip? Curious to know if you did the AmericaShare project on the last day or just relaxed in Nairobi. What are the highs and lows of your entire experience? Thanks again one last time.

First post for me. I wanted to say that I have been enjoying your reports when I can find time. The descriptions were very helpful in helping us decide if a safari is a must when we visit Africa next year. Thanks!

Drum roll please...

This is it folks, the final installment of the Elephant Express is finished! It took me just a TEENY bit longer than planned. I have to say that writing the last entry was the hardest. Thanks for sticking it out with me. Photos are on Flickr too. Special thanks to LyndaS for inspiring me in so many ways!

schuba - I don't know who the tallest giraffe is, I'm afraid. And yes, Morani slept through most of our visit!

amytravela, we didn't officially sign up for the AmericaShare program but requested to visit the slum and orphanage on our last day. It was an experience I will never forget.

chloejonah, glad you enjoyed my report; good luck with your safari decisions!

Thanks! I enjoyed your report.

Jessica, this was just incredible - thankyou SO much for all of the pleasant memories (times 2 now!) you brought forward.

You really are an INCREDIBLE writer, and someday I hope we can meet in person. It's a sad day for me today, our 14 yr old Sheltie, Tequilla, just passed on this morning, (old age related) but reading your final installment was just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks so much again, I will be in touch via remail after this terrible empty feeling fades.

Jeesica- Thanks for your effort. You are not only not a fan of bestiality -Geez Schuba- but write well! Good luck with future travel writing.

J, Good last installment. Thanks! And thanks for all emails etc too. Eric

Liked your report but I must say that the last day is as a good reminder of how yuppies live their lives. Morning in a slum lamenting on poverty and evening in a restaurant not getting impressed with the cooked alligator!

Lynda, I am so very sorry for your loss. I have had dogs all my life and my Australian Shepherd Cody is my constant companion here in Germany, so I understand completely what you must be going through. It is important to remember that Tequilla had a long and happy life and has gone on to a better place. Thank you again for your kind words about my report; I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Marija, gone traveling, and schuba, thanks as well for your kind remarks!

marthastewart (I find your screen name fascinating, given the nature of your comment), the contrast between the slum and the restaurant (complete with luxury cars parked out front) was not lost on me at all. Perhaps you missed that in my commentary.

Hausfrau, Very nice description of the final day! Specially liked the second to last para. Consider publishing your report.

Best.

I did not miss anything in your commentary. That's what I found odd. Morning in a slum lamenting on poverty to giving meaningless gifts to not finding succulent enough croc dishes! Tell us how the safari impacted you besides 2,500(!) photos.

My Dear Martha, Don't be tense all the time because it makes you disobey the cardinal rule of Fodors politeness "unless you have something nice to say, better not say it". Learn from others in this thread such as Lynda and Comfy. Hausfrau didn't have to post but she did. Applaud her for her time investment.

Hausfrau, thanks so much for writing this report and including your beautiful pictures. I really enjoyed it. I'm sure you know that despite the odd negative post, most of us here really appreciate the time and effort you took to share your experience with us. Thank you!

Last post on the thread. I did not mean to be too negative but the fact is I was irked along the way by some of the posts including those on UK that sounded I am oh so cool and need- attention and then the last day just did my head in! Contrast with Lynda's that are full of mature discussions. But whatever! No more posts here.

Comfy, MyDogKyle, toffeecrisp: thank you!

martha, did I wrong you in another life? As you seem to be new to this forum, I will forgive you jumping to conclusions about my personality. I apologize if my treatment of this sensitive subject has somehow insulted you. I did my best over the course of our trip to come to terms with the fact that I was a rich tourist traveling in a Third World country. I tried to make my report balanced but kept it light-hearted, as this is a travel forum, not a political discussion. Everyone makes their own choices in life; half of our safari group chose not to visit the slum, but I didn't jump down their throats about it.

Hausfrau, I’m trying to catch up with trip reports before becoming too busy and I’ve just finished reading yours. Thanks for sharing your professional quality writing and photography, and most of all, thanks for your photo of topis making more topis. Could there be a more laudable pursuit?

hausfrau, I too forgot to read your last day. What a nice description. Nyamera, Linda and Comfy are correct. This is the best trip report on a safari.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are now just 29 days, 20 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds from our flight to Nairobi for the Stanley Wing Safari. Having read every bit of your report, I just CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED! Jessica, a wonderful blog, and I hope I can have HALF the experience you did!

Joe

Nyamera, thanks - you are absolutely right about the topis!

julianewman, you are too kind!

Joe, I am pleased that I was able to get you hyped up for Africa (just as Lynda's report did for me last year!). You are going to have an INCREDIBLE time! If you happen to have Tonnie and/or Renny as your guides or Rodgers as your driver (in Tanzania), please say hi to them for me.