12-18.09.2018
To continue our first destination of our African trip, the Kilimanjaro mountain hike, we headed to various national parks in Tanzania on safari with our partners Ethel, Mari and Kertu, in addition to the male group that had been on the mountain. The trip started with some problems right away, because the girls' luggage had been left in Amsterdam and they had to make do with the equipment they had in their hand luggage for the first day in Moshi. Fortunately, we had a spare day before the safari, where we went on a one-day trip to Kikuletwa Hotsprings. The name is a bit misleading, because there was no smell from the hot springs. The reality was a jungle in the middle of the open, with a lake of light blue water in the middle. The trees with low roots on the ground had formed a bank on the river and the trees formed nice places to relax. The locals had even hung a swing from which the bravest ones performed various tricks and somersaults into the water. The water was full of small fish, which immediately started to "clean" their skin when they stopped. At first, I was scared when dozens of little friends started to lick my feet, but I quickly got used to it and was able to enjoy swimming. Lunch by the tour operator next to a waterhole and back to Moshi. Local drivers joked that driving on these roads would give you a proper African massage, because at times it seemed that there would be fewer potholes when driving next to the road. The major roads were asphalted and mostly in satisfactory condition, but when turning off the road onto a side road, it was usually necessary to drive on a dirt road and when turning off from there, already on the so-called cow track. When we arrived in town, we also found out that the girls' luggage had arrived and we could pick it up from the airport.
TARANGIRI
The first day on safari started sunny, when after breakfast we got into the Toyota Land Cruiser to head to Tarangire National Park. Four hours of driving, mandatory registration at the national park border checkpoint and after just a few minutes we saw the first big animals: elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, ostriches and baboons. The first park we visited was rather small and known as a good place to see elephants, but it was hard to see and everyone's heads were turning this way and that while driving. Catching the attention of others "oh look at that!" was common and there was a lot to see. Going on safari is essentially driving around the national park in an open-top car (mostly jeeps), with a local guide at the wheel, who communicates with other guides by radio, trying to find the best sights. For example, when a guide discovered a lioness with her cub at a small waterhole, a large group of cars drove up immediately, which probably scared the big cats away and made them hide, because by the time we got there, we couldn't find any cats in the nearby bush even with binoculars. Having passed the first national park, we headed to the next one and on the way we stayed in a "lodge", a tent under a roof with two single beds. There was also a power socket in front of the tent and a washroom and a canteen nearby. The evening passed with a little wine, exchanging impressions of the day and playing Werewolf.
NGORONGORO
On the second day of the safari, we headed to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is named after the volcanic crater there. The volcano, which erupted three million years ago, is the largest inactive volcanic caldera (a negative landform formed when the top of the volcano collapsed). After breakfast and before reaching the edge of the crater, we also visited the local gemstone tanzanite museum that was on the way. By lunchtime, we had climbed to the edge of the crater and the view was amazing! The crater, 600 meters high from the north and 260 square kilometers in size, was as big as the palm of our hand from the observation deck, and it only got more beautiful as we drove down. In the middle of the crater, we could see a large lake, into which several small rivers flowed. In the generally open landscape, different animals could be seen from afar. It was amazing how all the animals live together in nature, predators and prey side by side. Different animals were on the way, but one of the most special was definitely the rhinoceros. We had lunch next to a waterhole full of hippos, where the guide said not to leave food far from you, because the eagles circling the main area might snatch it. That's what happened, but fortunately not with our group. Hippos are said to be one of the most dangerous animals, second only to buffalo. In the evening we left for the camping area on the edge of the crater.
SERENGETI
On the third day we woke up early and it was quite cool before sunrise, so we had to wear long clothes and a jacket. Fortunately, when the sun came out it got warmer. Our first stop was in the village of the local Masai people. The people living in southwestern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania call themselves the land people after the letters “ma” and “sai”. The village, which was in the open, consisted of several small huts surrounded by a fence. The entire village was immediately lined up when we arrived and the girls were put on local jewelry. The boys, however, started jumping up and down in accordance with local customs with other men. There was a local song in the background, which sounded like the villagers’ banter. After greetings, we got into pairs and went to get to know the local way of life. We were able to look inside the hut and ask questions about it. Masai houses are built by women, usually in about a week from branches, cowhides and straw. Modern materials also use tarpaulin and cardboard. A man without a wife has to sleep outside the village. In one village, there is one family, about 100-150 people, led by a village elder. This village also had a school where the children studied during our visit. In the middle of the village, which mostly lives off tourism, there was a small shopping corner where you could buy souvenirs made by locals.
When we arrived in Serengeti, we stopped at the national park border crossing and walked scenic view to the viewing platform, some pictures and the drive continued. This time we had to drive quite a long time before we started seeing animals. The first permanent resident we saw was a large male lion lying by the side of the road. Guys with longer arms could have reached out and petted the kitty. By the third day, lions, elephants and giraffes had become quite common. Big fiveThe ´st (buffalo, lion, rhino, leopard and elephant) was almost there, lastly we wanted to see the leopard, which is also the hardest to find. Fortunately, our experienced guide was able to see the leopard from a tree about 500 meters away. With the naked eye we couldn't see the cat lying on the tree, but with binoculars we could see it. Big five - check! We also saw the usual controlled burning of waste in national parks to ensure plant species exchange and natural fertilization of the soil. Before reaching the camp, we passed a large herd of lionesses, about whom the guide knew that they probably go hunting at night. The funny thing was that our camp was about five minutes away from the herd we had just seen. The camp was located in a peace park area, there was no fence or protection from animals, overnight stays were in tents. The only permanent buildings were the washrooms with toilets and the kitchen and dining area. In the evening, when we went to brush our teeth in the dark, we saw a buffalo next to the washroom, about four or five meters away, napping near a bush. The cries of hyenas were usual.
On the fourth day we woke up in the Serengeti. This time especially early and before breakfast we drove out of camp once, because the hunt had taken place early in the morning. Two prides of lions, females and males, had started to compete with each other for the buffalo they had hunted. At first we didn’t see anything major, here and there a few lions were walking around, everyone was nervous. Some hyenas were also wandering around, waiting to claim the leftovers. We decided to go to breakfast so that we could still leave on time. We couldn’t enjoy the meal for long, because a few minutes after sitting down at the table, people shouted “simba!” from the camp, which means lion in Swahili, and people started running towards the houses. The tent doors were pulled shut and the campers who were awake hid. One guide was busy with the car when someone shouted to him that a lion was approaching, whereupon the guide hid in the car. The lion was already close to the flowers and headed towards the canteen, whereupon the door was barricaded and we started thinking about how to get to the canteen roof as quickly as possible. A roaming female lion wandered next to a row of tents, where it later turned out that people were sleeping inside. Pretty crazy stuff! Fortunately, the tense situation subsided when the lion moved on after a while. This time it felt like a reverse zoo, where we were hiding in a cage and the lion was more interested in us. After eating, we headed out of the national park. Our next destination was the city of Mwanza, a few hours' drive away. At the gate of the national park, local schoolchildren took a picture with our girls, it seemed that despite the large number of tourists, they had not seen white people with their own eyes. In Mwanza, we probably stayed in the best hotel in the city - luxurious rooms, a swimming pool in the courtyard, a gym, and other luxuries we had never experienced before. We were able to enjoy wifi for a long time, which is why we lingered in the hotel for a longer time. For dinner, we decided to go to a restaurant recommended by Tripadvisor so that we could see the city on the way. In generally friendly Tanzania, we were surprised when some thugs threw stones at us on the road. We decided to take a taxi back.
MWANZA
On the last day of the safari trip, we discovered the city of Mwanza. In general, all cities in Tanzania are relatively similar. There is not much for tourists to do in the city. One or two museums and a few sights. That day we slept in longer and in the morning we all went to a circuit training session in the gym led by Kristen - you have to stay active even on vacation! Three circuits done, sweaty, washed up and had breakfast. We went to the city for a local march dala-dala´ga, we paid 10 euro cents per person for a ride of about 30 km. It is generally wise to be aware of prices in Tanzania and not let yourself be fooled, because white people are often asked to pay multiple times the price. This time too, we paid about 10 euro cents more than the locals. The biggest attraction in Mwanza was a large collection of rocks in the water. It wasn't anything special, but it was worth seeing. Lunch at a local pizza place, a short walk in the city and a walk back home. On the way, we visited a giant shopping mall, a kind of African Kristiine. It was also comparable in size but relatively empty. You had to have a passport to exchange money and the bureaucracy of exchanging a couple of hundred euros took about an hour at the bank. We decided to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant. For less than 10 euros a person got a main course, dessert, drinks and a tipi, so it can be said that in general, Tanzania is rather affordable. The hotel was 25 dollars per person per night. After a long day, we went to bed early to drive to the airport, which is about the size of Tartu Airport, to head for our next adventure to Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Peace!
Adventure locomotive Kaspar