Revenge of the Wildebeest! a trip report
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:49 PM
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Revenge of the Wildebeest! a trip report
Warning: long and possibly useless report
I suppose I should call this Revenge of the Tse Tse Fly, because OHMYGOD were they horrible in the western Serengeti. Why didn�t anyone tell me? Sandi? Anyone?
Getting ahead of myself. Itinerary was:
June 15 SFO-AMS with a day-long layover in Amsterdam
June 17 arrive in Arusha for r-and-r at Moivaro
June 18 Canoing, hiking Arusha National Park with Green Footprint
June 19�and we�re off! Tarangire, Mawe Ninga
June 20 Tarangire, Mawe Ninga
June 21 Crater, Wildlife Lodge
June 22 Olduvai
June 23 Serengeti, Ronjo Camp
June 24 Nomad Serengeti, Mbalageti Camp (campsite was Simiti)
June 25 Nomad Serengeti
June 26 Nomad Serengeti
June 27 Serengeti, fly to Arusha in the afternoon
June 28 Arusha, Moivaro. Visit Sekei Primary School with Wilbert from Kiliwarrior
Fly home!
Well, my first complaint about this trip: too short. I was kidding myself thinking it would be enough�no way. Next time I will schedule in some beach time, or lake time if I happen to be in Kenya, before flying home. I was considerably more exhausted upon returning this trip than the last, and I attribute that to no lazing about on Zanzibar. Although with my hideous tse tse bites everywhere, I can�t see getting into a bathing suit.
We flew KLM on 3 of the four international flights. All three were delayed, the first by six hours, including sitting on the plane for three of those in SF. Oh well, guess I�m glad I didn�t get those Rembrandt-Caravaggio tickets I was thisclose to purchasing. Kenya Air was, as usual, great. The flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi and then the short hop on to JRO were both easy and painless.
Boy did it feel good to be in Afreekah again. I�ll confess to choking up a bit on the ride to Moivaro. Silly, I know, but it took me a long time to get back.
Moivaro was quite pretty. Lush gardens, very quiet, etc. However, I felt a little bit like I was in a compound. I wanted to be in or nearer to �town,� even though Arusha is hardly a thrill a minute. My friend and her mother, my traveling companions for this trip, both appreciated its quiet, garden atmosphere, though. Pleasant bar. Nice staff. We had a triple and it was more than adequate for us. I�d stay here again. Later we ran into Fodor�s poster chrisamg and his bride at Mawe Ninga; they had stayed at Moivaro too and had called a taxi to take them to dinner in town. Not a bad idea as the food�s not great.
We hung out, cleaned up and hiked around the property that day. Petra from ATR came to brief us on the safari. I don�t know what to say about that. I had made exactly two (TWO, 2) requests of ATR: that we have Edward for our MKSC guide and that we have a pop-top vehicle. Well, we got Edward. She touched briefly on this, and I smiled and nodded and felt a bit patronized. Probably that's enough said.
In any case, I was determined not to let these kind of things spoil the holiday I�d waited so long for. So I had a drink right after she left!
The next day we were scheduled to do the day trip to Arusha National Park. I had booked this myself with Green Footprint.
Mirjam with Green Footprint was a dream to deal with. I think the cost was 180 pp for a full-day�s excursion. The night before we left I received a number of frantic calls from Magdalen, the new woman working in their office. When we finally spoke, she asked me if it would be okay for two ladies to join us, as they had been scheduled to do the same trip that day but due to car trouble couldn�t make it. Momentarily ticked off, I said, yes, of course, no problem. I was so glad I did. The �ladies� ended up being two really fun girls from Leeds on a spur-of-the-moment holiday. We had such a nice time with them; they were hilarious!
Our driver guide was a young, good looking fellow named Herman. He was enthusiastic and quite knowledgable. Herman is relatively new to the Northern Circuit, having worked for the previous two years at Mahale. I gather, from my conversation with him (I sat in front) and later with our Nomad guide who is the boyfriend of Mirjam, that it�s a bit isolating working down there and kind of a chimps-only experience.
We spent a good time driving around the park, looking at the buffaloes, giraffes, monkeys, etc. We heard but did not see the colobus monkeys. It�s a lush park with quite a few birds. After lunch we went canoeing. A great experience! I recommend it. Very relaxing. After canoeing we took a short hike as the day had gotten away from us to a waterfall. We had an armed ranger for this hike. We hadn�t been walking more than 5 minutes before we came upon a large group of Cape buffaloes. The ranger and Herman said something along the lines of, �Oh, today of all days they decide to come down to the path to the waterfall.� Our ranger was tiny and young, but he was the one with the gun, so I stuck to him like glue.
In the future, I would definitely try to include walking and canoeing or hiking or biking or anything to get out of the vehicle on my safaris. This was a great deal of fun, even though, as bat from this forum told me, �It�s going to feel a little tame if you do this after the Serengeti.�
And did I mention that our guide was good looking?
More later. I will try to shorten and include more facts, but I didn't write one thing in my journal this trip. Bad me. Photos also forthcoming.
I suppose I should call this Revenge of the Tse Tse Fly, because OHMYGOD were they horrible in the western Serengeti. Why didn�t anyone tell me? Sandi? Anyone?
Getting ahead of myself. Itinerary was:
June 15 SFO-AMS with a day-long layover in Amsterdam
June 17 arrive in Arusha for r-and-r at Moivaro
June 18 Canoing, hiking Arusha National Park with Green Footprint
June 19�and we�re off! Tarangire, Mawe Ninga
June 20 Tarangire, Mawe Ninga
June 21 Crater, Wildlife Lodge
June 22 Olduvai
June 23 Serengeti, Ronjo Camp
June 24 Nomad Serengeti, Mbalageti Camp (campsite was Simiti)
June 25 Nomad Serengeti
June 26 Nomad Serengeti
June 27 Serengeti, fly to Arusha in the afternoon
June 28 Arusha, Moivaro. Visit Sekei Primary School with Wilbert from Kiliwarrior
Fly home!
Well, my first complaint about this trip: too short. I was kidding myself thinking it would be enough�no way. Next time I will schedule in some beach time, or lake time if I happen to be in Kenya, before flying home. I was considerably more exhausted upon returning this trip than the last, and I attribute that to no lazing about on Zanzibar. Although with my hideous tse tse bites everywhere, I can�t see getting into a bathing suit.
We flew KLM on 3 of the four international flights. All three were delayed, the first by six hours, including sitting on the plane for three of those in SF. Oh well, guess I�m glad I didn�t get those Rembrandt-Caravaggio tickets I was thisclose to purchasing. Kenya Air was, as usual, great. The flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi and then the short hop on to JRO were both easy and painless.
Boy did it feel good to be in Afreekah again. I�ll confess to choking up a bit on the ride to Moivaro. Silly, I know, but it took me a long time to get back.
Moivaro was quite pretty. Lush gardens, very quiet, etc. However, I felt a little bit like I was in a compound. I wanted to be in or nearer to �town,� even though Arusha is hardly a thrill a minute. My friend and her mother, my traveling companions for this trip, both appreciated its quiet, garden atmosphere, though. Pleasant bar. Nice staff. We had a triple and it was more than adequate for us. I�d stay here again. Later we ran into Fodor�s poster chrisamg and his bride at Mawe Ninga; they had stayed at Moivaro too and had called a taxi to take them to dinner in town. Not a bad idea as the food�s not great.
We hung out, cleaned up and hiked around the property that day. Petra from ATR came to brief us on the safari. I don�t know what to say about that. I had made exactly two (TWO, 2) requests of ATR: that we have Edward for our MKSC guide and that we have a pop-top vehicle. Well, we got Edward. She touched briefly on this, and I smiled and nodded and felt a bit patronized. Probably that's enough said.
In any case, I was determined not to let these kind of things spoil the holiday I�d waited so long for. So I had a drink right after she left!
The next day we were scheduled to do the day trip to Arusha National Park. I had booked this myself with Green Footprint.
Mirjam with Green Footprint was a dream to deal with. I think the cost was 180 pp for a full-day�s excursion. The night before we left I received a number of frantic calls from Magdalen, the new woman working in their office. When we finally spoke, she asked me if it would be okay for two ladies to join us, as they had been scheduled to do the same trip that day but due to car trouble couldn�t make it. Momentarily ticked off, I said, yes, of course, no problem. I was so glad I did. The �ladies� ended up being two really fun girls from Leeds on a spur-of-the-moment holiday. We had such a nice time with them; they were hilarious!
Our driver guide was a young, good looking fellow named Herman. He was enthusiastic and quite knowledgable. Herman is relatively new to the Northern Circuit, having worked for the previous two years at Mahale. I gather, from my conversation with him (I sat in front) and later with our Nomad guide who is the boyfriend of Mirjam, that it�s a bit isolating working down there and kind of a chimps-only experience.
We spent a good time driving around the park, looking at the buffaloes, giraffes, monkeys, etc. We heard but did not see the colobus monkeys. It�s a lush park with quite a few birds. After lunch we went canoeing. A great experience! I recommend it. Very relaxing. After canoeing we took a short hike as the day had gotten away from us to a waterfall. We had an armed ranger for this hike. We hadn�t been walking more than 5 minutes before we came upon a large group of Cape buffaloes. The ranger and Herman said something along the lines of, �Oh, today of all days they decide to come down to the path to the waterfall.� Our ranger was tiny and young, but he was the one with the gun, so I stuck to him like glue.
In the future, I would definitely try to include walking and canoeing or hiking or biking or anything to get out of the vehicle on my safaris. This was a great deal of fun, even though, as bat from this forum told me, �It�s going to feel a little tame if you do this after the Serengeti.�
And did I mention that our guide was good looking?
More later. I will try to shorten and include more facts, but I didn't write one thing in my journal this trip. Bad me. Photos also forthcoming.
and PHOTOS! Don't forget the photos!
Jul 3rd, 2006, 02:52 PM
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What do I have to do with Tse-tses in the Western Serengeti? I never saw a tse-tse, nor they me, in this area.
See, I knew it Leely, you'd post before me. I've started on mine, but client's keep getting in the way. Client's 1 to 10, trip report 0! Sorry folks.
See, I knew it Leely, you'd post before me. I've started on mine, but client's keep getting in the way. Client's 1 to 10, trip report 0! Sorry folks.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 03:24 PM
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Welcome back, Leely!
Sorry that you didn't get to the Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhibit. Lucky thing you hadn't prepurchased tickets. Delayed flights are such a nuisance. :'(
We're leaving for TZ from SF in September. Any tips on surviving the 24 hours of flying will be most appreciated!!
I'm enjoying your report and looking forward to the next installment and photos.
Sorry that you didn't get to the Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhibit. Lucky thing you hadn't prepurchased tickets. Delayed flights are such a nuisance. :'(
We're leaving for TZ from SF in September. Any tips on surviving the 24 hours of flying will be most appreciated!!
I'm enjoying your report and looking forward to the next installment and photos.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 03:44 PM
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Thanks for the nice comments. And sorry, Sandi, maybe that many tse tse flies in the area is just a June 2006 phenomenon. It was pretty crazy.
nevermind, the flights there aren't so bad because "You're going to Africa!" but coming home is a real drag. "Failure to Launch" and "King Kong" on the same flight? Aren't things bad enough?
I forgot to mention the “baby” (looked pretty big to me) rock python Herman found for us while we canoed.
And yes, I’m fit but canoeing was still a little challenging. Mostly the steering and worrying about hippos at the same time.
The Mom on the trip got to ride in the canoe with Herman. She had "no idea" why we weren't always able to keep up. She also had no idea that he'd let her paddle for a while, and if she started to get them off course, he'd paddle expertly--just a few strokes--and suddenly they'd be in the perfect spot. Meanwhile Kari and I and the girls from Leeds struggled and knocked into each other and knocked into trees and the shore and so on. Eventually we got the hang of it. But let's just say none of us were naturals.
I was feeling a bit worried about whether or not Tanzania would live up to my memories. A number of times in Arusha NP, I found myself looking at something, perhaps buffaloes and storks drinking from a lake, the green hills shrouded in mist, with a few giraffes in the distance. Alarmingly beautiful scenes. And I would think to myself, yes, this is why I came back. This is why I’m here. And I had to keep from blubbering.
The next morning we were off early to Tarangire in Edward’s dreaded peel-top car.
About Edward: over 15 years on the Northern Circuit and he certainly knows what’s what and where. Initially he was a bit reserved, especially compared to our guide from last trip. But my friends and I know how to deal with someone like that. We wore him down with our silliness and he had no choice but to love us all by trip’s end—more or less. He owns three vehicles and hopes to retire after another season or so. As you might imagine, all that driving over all those years is a killer on one’s back. He had a number of good things to say about ATR/MKSC as employers, for what it’s worth.
Tarangire: wow, what have they done with those bathrooms at the entrance and at the picnic site since I was last there? I took a picture just because they are so nice.
We were last in Tarangire in early July 2004. What a difference a few weeks seem to make. The grass was much, much higher, and I could tell right away that we’d be hunting for our game. Instead of the many wildebeest and zebras that we encountered immediately upon entering last time, here we saw just a few thin herds of impalas. My heart was still a-thumping. Of course, it didn’t take long to spot elephants. And more elephants. Those of you who have been to Tarangire know the drill.
One of the things I learned on this trip is that I’m undoubtedly a big cat person. I could watch them all day, maybe even lions sleeping. But aside from the cats, my favorites are elephants. So, I was in heaven in Tarangire.
Except…I started to feel not so good. By the time we got to Mawe Ninga, I was pretty sure that I was coming down with the flu. I had to skip the next morning’s game drive. I just knew they’d see a leopard without me. When they came back for lunch, I was feeling better and they broke it to me. Yes, they’d watched a leopard watching a lion chasing buffaloes. Was it Patty who fell ill in the Mara, skipped a game drive, and then her husband saw leopards that day?
Poor Edward drove himself crazy trying to produce cats for me the rest of the time at Tarangire but no luck. We saw everything in the world except for cats. I had missed the show. No matter. I was thrilled to be feeling better and we were headed for the Crater and the Serengeti.
Notes on Mawe Ninga camp:
We didn’t stay at tented camps last time, so this was quite a treat for us. The view at Mawe Ninga is phenomenal. The staff is warm and really went out of their way for me when I was sick. The food is not great, but after staying at Olduvai and Ronjo, I think Mawe Ninga, which has a new manager, is working hard to improve their menu. The pizza we had for lunch one day was just as good as the pizza we had for lunch at Nomad.
We stayed in tents 2 and 3. They share a front porch, I guess you’d call it. This is perfect for families or friends traveling together. I was in 3, which had the better view. The girls were in 2, which we called the hyrax condo. Their tent smelled a little like a pet store, but they could just lie in bed and watch families of hyraxes, so it’s a bit of a tradeoff. Judy, The Mom, absolutely loved it.
Chemical toilets. Another first for us. No big deal. If you can handle semi-rustic and like sweeping views, this might be the camp for you. Keep in mind that other than the rock hyraxes and birds galore, there is not game visible in the immediate area. I had read here that it's a 40 minute drive to good game viewing, but it didn't feel that long to me. Then again, I wasn't wearing a watch.
I believe they have over 12 tents or so, but we were 3 of only 7 guests during our stay.
nevermind, the flights there aren't so bad because "You're going to Africa!" but coming home is a real drag. "Failure to Launch" and "King Kong" on the same flight? Aren't things bad enough?
I forgot to mention the “baby” (looked pretty big to me) rock python Herman found for us while we canoed.
And yes, I’m fit but canoeing was still a little challenging. Mostly the steering and worrying about hippos at the same time.
The Mom on the trip got to ride in the canoe with Herman. She had "no idea" why we weren't always able to keep up. She also had no idea that he'd let her paddle for a while, and if she started to get them off course, he'd paddle expertly--just a few strokes--and suddenly they'd be in the perfect spot. Meanwhile Kari and I and the girls from Leeds struggled and knocked into each other and knocked into trees and the shore and so on. Eventually we got the hang of it. But let's just say none of us were naturals.
I was feeling a bit worried about whether or not Tanzania would live up to my memories. A number of times in Arusha NP, I found myself looking at something, perhaps buffaloes and storks drinking from a lake, the green hills shrouded in mist, with a few giraffes in the distance. Alarmingly beautiful scenes. And I would think to myself, yes, this is why I came back. This is why I’m here. And I had to keep from blubbering.
The next morning we were off early to Tarangire in Edward’s dreaded peel-top car.
About Edward: over 15 years on the Northern Circuit and he certainly knows what’s what and where. Initially he was a bit reserved, especially compared to our guide from last trip. But my friends and I know how to deal with someone like that. We wore him down with our silliness and he had no choice but to love us all by trip’s end—more or less. He owns three vehicles and hopes to retire after another season or so. As you might imagine, all that driving over all those years is a killer on one’s back. He had a number of good things to say about ATR/MKSC as employers, for what it’s worth.
Tarangire: wow, what have they done with those bathrooms at the entrance and at the picnic site since I was last there? I took a picture just because they are so nice.
We were last in Tarangire in early July 2004. What a difference a few weeks seem to make. The grass was much, much higher, and I could tell right away that we’d be hunting for our game. Instead of the many wildebeest and zebras that we encountered immediately upon entering last time, here we saw just a few thin herds of impalas. My heart was still a-thumping. Of course, it didn’t take long to spot elephants. And more elephants. Those of you who have been to Tarangire know the drill.
One of the things I learned on this trip is that I’m undoubtedly a big cat person. I could watch them all day, maybe even lions sleeping. But aside from the cats, my favorites are elephants. So, I was in heaven in Tarangire.
Except…I started to feel not so good. By the time we got to Mawe Ninga, I was pretty sure that I was coming down with the flu. I had to skip the next morning’s game drive. I just knew they’d see a leopard without me. When they came back for lunch, I was feeling better and they broke it to me. Yes, they’d watched a leopard watching a lion chasing buffaloes. Was it Patty who fell ill in the Mara, skipped a game drive, and then her husband saw leopards that day?
Poor Edward drove himself crazy trying to produce cats for me the rest of the time at Tarangire but no luck. We saw everything in the world except for cats. I had missed the show. No matter. I was thrilled to be feeling better and we were headed for the Crater and the Serengeti.
Notes on Mawe Ninga camp:
We didn’t stay at tented camps last time, so this was quite a treat for us. The view at Mawe Ninga is phenomenal. The staff is warm and really went out of their way for me when I was sick. The food is not great, but after staying at Olduvai and Ronjo, I think Mawe Ninga, which has a new manager, is working hard to improve their menu. The pizza we had for lunch one day was just as good as the pizza we had for lunch at Nomad.
We stayed in tents 2 and 3. They share a front porch, I guess you’d call it. This is perfect for families or friends traveling together. I was in 3, which had the better view. The girls were in 2, which we called the hyrax condo. Their tent smelled a little like a pet store, but they could just lie in bed and watch families of hyraxes, so it’s a bit of a tradeoff. Judy, The Mom, absolutely loved it.
Chemical toilets. Another first for us. No big deal. If you can handle semi-rustic and like sweeping views, this might be the camp for you. Keep in mind that other than the rock hyraxes and birds galore, there is not game visible in the immediate area. I had read here that it's a 40 minute drive to good game viewing, but it didn't feel that long to me. Then again, I wasn't wearing a watch.
I believe they have over 12 tents or so, but we were 3 of only 7 guests during our stay.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:52 PM
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Yup, that was me. Not one but two leopard sightings 
hyrax condo - I can just imagine the smell
amp; Actually they're so adorable I wouldn't mind.
Keep it coming and make it quick with the next installment, will ya?
hyrax condo - I can just imagine the smell
amp; Actually they're so adorable I wouldn't mind.Keep it coming and make it quick with the next installment, will ya?
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:57 PM
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Love your report, Leely. My son became an expert tse tse fly catcher in western Serengeti. He would catch them and then throw them out the window; he was concerned about karma if he killed them. I think he's watching too much Earl...
Jul 3rd, 2006, 05:45 PM
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Leely, that is priceless about the 'loo at the picnic site - I took the same picture because I couldn't beleive it! Wow!! When I got my pictures back (yes, film...) I couldn't figure out why there was a picture of the room's bathroom in the middle of the game run - just didn't make sense. Then I realized it wasn't our room's bathroom - it was the one at the picnic site!
Back to my writing now....
Back to my writing now....
Jul 3rd, 2006, 09:04 PM
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What a great treat tonight. Thanks, Leely - great start! Got a feeling you'll be seeing cats soon though...
Very sorry you fell ill, but glad to see you recovered so quickly. Sounds like the Arusha NP trip is a good day visit. Still pondering it at the end of my trip, since have the day in Arusha. Katavi, although another great park to visit, was pretty much ruled out due to time spent away from work. So, might just have to see if the Arusha trip is really a disappointment or a relaxing conclusion to the trip. Also would book with Green Footprint.
Waiting for more. Happy 4th of July.
Very sorry you fell ill, but glad to see you recovered so quickly. Sounds like the Arusha NP trip is a good day visit. Still pondering it at the end of my trip, since have the day in Arusha. Katavi, although another great park to visit, was pretty much ruled out due to time spent away from work. So, might just have to see if the Arusha trip is really a disappointment or a relaxing conclusion to the trip. Also would book with Green Footprint.
Waiting for more. Happy 4th of July.
Jul 4th, 2006, 08:01 AM
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hey Leely, I think the tse tse flies have decided to make their own yearly famous migration cycle 
we had a close and numerous encounter with them in the south of Serengeti around 15th June... going to the West later on, we hardly encountered any, so go figure by the time you were there do you know they even managed to bite through 2 layers of clothing ? and hitting them with my lonely planet guide did not even kill them (but i never claimed to be a very strong girl either i guess)
i'm anxious waiting for your pictures !!
we had a close and numerous encounter with them in the south of Serengeti around 15th June... going to the West later on, we hardly encountered any, so go figure by the time you were there do you know they even managed to bite through 2 layers of clothing ? and hitting them with my lonely planet guide did not even kill them (but i never claimed to be a very strong girl either i guess)i'm anxious waiting for your pictures !!
Jul 4th, 2006, 09:49 AM
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<b>Off to the Crater</b>
We stayed with the Tarangire ellies, baboons, giraffes, monkeys, and everyone else for as long as we could. We’d decided with Edward that we’d rather linger in Tarangire, do game drives out, stop for lunch somewhere, and arrive at the Wildlife in the late afternoon, forgoing a trip to the Crater floor that day.
Sidenote: The Mom Judy is a bit of a birder. Kari and I tried to discourage those tendencies in her as much as we could, but apparently guides love this in a person. Edward and our Nomad guides just seemed to go to the ends of the earth to find new and exciting species for her to look and cluck at. I must admit to being impressed with the blank? owl, with its pink-lidded eyes. Otherwise, just throw some lilac breasted rollers and love bird parrots at me and call it a day.
The road up to the Crater was ablaze with butterflies. It was a sight to behold.
<b>Notes on the Crater Wildlife Lodge</b>
Hmm, what to say? It’s just as disorganized as ever. In fact, they had cancelled our reservation mistakenly. We toddled off to the deck to enjoy the view and some wine and let Edward handle it. After about a half an hour he came back and said, “Bad news guys. We have to go to the Sopa.” I thought, Oh, interesting. I’ve never been to a Sopa. But then Edward broke into a grin and admitted he was teasing us. They’d found us rooms.
Edward was really growing on me. What a rapscallion.
So stuck at the Wildlife we were. I was glad to see a buffet. I could eat as little as I wanted and not feel as if I were insulting anyone. Also, they had ham. Yes! Something other than beef. It was good for that reason. Strangely, a few of the desserts were quite good. Quite a few. It seemed my appetite was returning.
<b>A day at the Crater</b>
Edward had asked if we thought we could be up and out by 6am. My eyes popped open at 4:30 worrying about whether I’d wake up in time. We drove off, away from lodge in the dark, narrowly missing all the buffalo and something…not a buffalo. It took off before I could point it out to Edward. Something big and light colored. Moved more like a dog than a gazelle. Bigger than a dog, though. Hmm. Sasquatch? Yeti? Nessie?
We were, according to the ranger, the second car down. The Crater was blissfully uncrowded until about 9:30. The last time we visited, we didn’t arrive until the “normal” morning time, 7:30 or 8 maybe. This was a far, far better experience. Other than the view, I hadn’t been that impressed with Crater before. This time it knocked my socks off.
We were enjoying watching a group of hyenas fight over a carcass (wildebeest?) when Edward said, “Guys, I see a rhino walking over there.” Where? We looked. None of us saw a thing. “I think we should go. No one is there. We can come back to hyenas. In the Crater, the rhino is the thing.” The evening before I had said, “I’m crossing my fingers for rhino.” Edward laughed and said, “Don’t worry. Everyone who comes with me sees rhino. Everyone.”
We hightailed it to the point in the distance he kept showing us. Yes, there was a lone rhino, walking. Walking, according to Edward, toward a road where he would have to cross our path. And that’s exactly what happened. It took forever, of course, as Edward was predicting all this pretty early. Another vehicle with a lone older woman joined us by that time, but that was it. Magnificent! We all just sat and watched and snapped and enjoyed. Later in the day we saw another. Completely different guy. Edward wanted to look for the youngsters as well, but by this time we were in the thick of lions in trees, cubs under our car, males spraying the windshield, cheetahs hunting (unsuccessfully…the whole trip), and so on.
For most of this we were alone or with one or two other vehicles. Very low key. The later it got, the more crowded.
p.s. I just learned this bold feature, otherwise I would have used it for ease of reading a while ago.
We stayed with the Tarangire ellies, baboons, giraffes, monkeys, and everyone else for as long as we could. We’d decided with Edward that we’d rather linger in Tarangire, do game drives out, stop for lunch somewhere, and arrive at the Wildlife in the late afternoon, forgoing a trip to the Crater floor that day.
Sidenote: The Mom Judy is a bit of a birder. Kari and I tried to discourage those tendencies in her as much as we could, but apparently guides love this in a person. Edward and our Nomad guides just seemed to go to the ends of the earth to find new and exciting species for her to look and cluck at. I must admit to being impressed with the blank? owl, with its pink-lidded eyes. Otherwise, just throw some lilac breasted rollers and love bird parrots at me and call it a day.
The road up to the Crater was ablaze with butterflies. It was a sight to behold.
<b>Notes on the Crater Wildlife Lodge</b>
Hmm, what to say? It’s just as disorganized as ever. In fact, they had cancelled our reservation mistakenly. We toddled off to the deck to enjoy the view and some wine and let Edward handle it. After about a half an hour he came back and said, “Bad news guys. We have to go to the Sopa.” I thought, Oh, interesting. I’ve never been to a Sopa. But then Edward broke into a grin and admitted he was teasing us. They’d found us rooms.
Edward was really growing on me. What a rapscallion.
So stuck at the Wildlife we were. I was glad to see a buffet. I could eat as little as I wanted and not feel as if I were insulting anyone. Also, they had ham. Yes! Something other than beef. It was good for that reason. Strangely, a few of the desserts were quite good. Quite a few. It seemed my appetite was returning.
<b>A day at the Crater</b>
Edward had asked if we thought we could be up and out by 6am. My eyes popped open at 4:30 worrying about whether I’d wake up in time. We drove off, away from lodge in the dark, narrowly missing all the buffalo and something…not a buffalo. It took off before I could point it out to Edward. Something big and light colored. Moved more like a dog than a gazelle. Bigger than a dog, though. Hmm. Sasquatch? Yeti? Nessie?
We were, according to the ranger, the second car down. The Crater was blissfully uncrowded until about 9:30. The last time we visited, we didn’t arrive until the “normal” morning time, 7:30 or 8 maybe. This was a far, far better experience. Other than the view, I hadn’t been that impressed with Crater before. This time it knocked my socks off.
We were enjoying watching a group of hyenas fight over a carcass (wildebeest?) when Edward said, “Guys, I see a rhino walking over there.” Where? We looked. None of us saw a thing. “I think we should go. No one is there. We can come back to hyenas. In the Crater, the rhino is the thing.” The evening before I had said, “I’m crossing my fingers for rhino.” Edward laughed and said, “Don’t worry. Everyone who comes with me sees rhino. Everyone.”
We hightailed it to the point in the distance he kept showing us. Yes, there was a lone rhino, walking. Walking, according to Edward, toward a road where he would have to cross our path. And that’s exactly what happened. It took forever, of course, as Edward was predicting all this pretty early. Another vehicle with a lone older woman joined us by that time, but that was it. Magnificent! We all just sat and watched and snapped and enjoyed. Later in the day we saw another. Completely different guy. Edward wanted to look for the youngsters as well, but by this time we were in the thick of lions in trees, cubs under our car, males spraying the windshield, cheetahs hunting (unsuccessfully…the whole trip), and so on.
For most of this we were alone or with one or two other vehicles. Very low key. The later it got, the more crowded.
p.s. I just learned this bold feature, otherwise I would have used it for ease of reading a while ago.
Jul 4th, 2006, 10:21 AM
#17
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Lynda: scan your photos, oh please!!!
I'm still working on mine. Even with a better camera, it appears I'm not much of a photographer. I'm debating fussing with Photoshop--have it at work but not at home. In any case, don't worry, I'm culling like mad. I also was a good Fodorite and took room/tent/camp pics. Most of those are on my point and shoot, so I will need to scan them.
Carrie, I wish we could have borrowed your son for the Western Corridor.
Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. Now that I've got the hang of this bold feature, I'll try to break things up so that people can skip to the part they might be interested in (camps, animals, my yammering, etc.).
lovetodiscover, I will be posting some personal observations about the driver/guide experience. Most people will be bored to tears, but I think you may appreciate them.
I'm still working on mine. Even with a better camera, it appears I'm not much of a photographer. I'm debating fussing with Photoshop--have it at work but not at home. In any case, don't worry, I'm culling like mad. I also was a good Fodorite and took room/tent/camp pics. Most of those are on my point and shoot, so I will need to scan them.
Carrie, I wish we could have borrowed your son for the Western Corridor.
Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. Now that I've got the hang of this bold feature, I'll try to break things up so that people can skip to the part they might be interested in (camps, animals, my yammering, etc.).
lovetodiscover, I will be posting some personal observations about the driver/guide experience. Most people will be bored to tears, but I think you may appreciate them.
Jul 4th, 2006, 11:12 AM
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Leely,
This is a very useful report and I hope it’ll end up being AT LEAST four times as long as at the moment. I’m sorry that you were ill and missed the leopard. The spraying of the windshield sounds interesting.
I need to expand my knowledge:
Carrie and Cooncat,
Who is “Earl…”.
Leely,
How do you do the bold feature?
This is a very useful report and I hope it’ll end up being AT LEAST four times as long as at the moment. I’m sorry that you were ill and missed the leopard. The spraying of the windshield sounds interesting.
I need to expand my knowledge:
Carrie and Cooncat,
Who is “Earl…”.
Leely,
How do you do the bold feature?
Jul 4th, 2006, 11:54 AM
#20
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Welcome back Leely,
Oh how I'm loving your report on this rainy and fogged in day down the cape.
I'm so glad you saw a rhino - I wonder if he was the same one as mine - we must compare markings upon arrival of your the much anticipated photos.
Edward sounds like a dream guide, lucky girl, you are.
Can't wait to hear more.
Sherry
Oh how I'm loving your report on this rainy and fogged in day down the cape.
I'm so glad you saw a rhino - I wonder if he was the same one as mine - we must compare markings upon arrival of your the much anticipated photos
.Edward sounds like a dream guide, lucky girl, you are.
Can't wait to hear more.
Sherry
