The following takes place in Tanzania from the 10th November up until the 16th November and includes lots of long drives with stops in Arusha, Serengeti National park, Ngorongoro Crater and Dar es Salaam.
Our first day on Shashe (our beautiful truck was a mammoth drive day to our first camp site - Snake Park in Arusha. One stop of note on the way was at a cultural centre selling a huge array of art works and trinkets. If I wasn't traveling on a tight budget for 6 months then a particular painting of a lion pride would be mine!!! Sophie (travel buddy for 2 months) was less restrained and purchased a Tanzanite ring (rarer then diamond apparently). However I am told this is a good investment and as Soph puts it 'it is very shiny and pretty' to which I reply 'but can you eat it or drink it?'.
Oh as a side point - finding ways to pass the time on the truck Amy had the following questions;
Can you name 10 body parts with 3 letters?
Can you name 10 countries with 4 letters?
Anyway back on track now!! Snake park was a great little camp site complete with - thats right - a snake park but more importantly after a long drive day - a bar. The campsite also runs a free health centre funded by the profits from the bar - so naturally I had to help out a good cause in the form of numerous beers - kilimanjaro and safari being my 2 of choice. The bar is also noted for it's leathal shooter 'mar's revenge' - rum, tequila and tabasco and I would succumb to its temptations a few days later!!
We would return to the snake part a few days later but the follwing day we drove to our campsite on that would be ur base for our game drives in the Serengeti. New game drive crew for Sophie and I: Rodney, Lindi, Anna, Perry, Polly and Daisy. Some truly amazing views on the drive to the campsite, looking out over the Ngorongoro crater. Also visited the site where some of the earliest human remains were discovered however writing this so long after means I have completely forgotten the name of the place/gorge. Lunch was a highly amusing experience. We pulled over for our packed lunch at what was essentially a clearing, however resident on this clearing was a particularly menacing looking Maribou Stork and a Kite flying above us which kept swooping down to try and take our food. Luckily I was not going to lose food to a bird and survived unscathed but it was amusing watching everyone suddenly run off when it swooped (myself included). We also managed 2 further breakdowns in the same day requiring a complete change of truck for the next day. So far Sophie and I have been on every truck that has broken down!! I blame Sophie!!
The games drives in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater were once again very good and we were very lucky with our sightings. Can now check off all the 'big 5'. Saw all the usual suspects in varying numbers. The most notable sightings being:
- Our first wild hippo sightings.
- a close up lion sighting looking like they were on the prowl for a kill (unfortunately we had to leave before anything actually happened.
- A huge herd of Elephants with a baby with a particularly short trunk!!
- A truly amazing close up, prolonged Leopard sighting. The leopard in question was a relatively small one walking casually past our trucks with half a gazelle in its mouth!!! Unbelievable sighting. We also got spoilt with another Leopard sighting later - this one lounging in a tree but with nothing in its mouth (what a loser)!
- Last of the big 5 - a Rhino sighting - at a distance but it still counts!
- Not an animal sighting but some pretty spectacular sunset scenery on the drives out of the parks!!
Our 2 campsites during this time were in the wild areas so we were warned that elephants, zebras, baboons, buffalo and hyenas could wander past so always toilet in pairs!! This made for entertaining walks to the toilet as we saw red lights in the distance convincing ourselfs it was a hyena but also that we are a big enough group if we stuck together to scare one of!! Oh and Amy had a toothbrush which she convinced us she coluld stab through the eye of a hyena with!! Sophie did get disturbed one night by a bush pig nudging her foot through the tent.
After all this was done we returned to snake park on the 13th for a very enjoyable night of drinks and darts with some of the truck team. This is the night I succumbed to temptation (and peer pressure) and had a 'mars revenge'. Amy, Jason and myself (previously Anna, Jade and Ryan had) did it whilst Sophie chickened out and went for a Sambuca - lame but wise. I won't lie to you - it wasn't pleasant but I survived unscathed!
The following morning (14th November), whilst feeling slightly jaded thanks to the previous night, we went on a tour of a Masaai village. Very interesting talk from one of the tribes men. Did you know that young males have to get circumcised without any medication and without showing any fear or pain or they are considered weak and will not mate with a woman!! They do this when the young male feels they are ready - although quite when one feels ready for this I do not know!! We then met the children of the village in what was a highly enjoyable experience and actually a good cure for a slight hangover!! Essentially we became human playgrounds for the children becomming swings and roundabouts - actually a good workout no gym needed just swing a child!! At one point one child scared the s**t out of jason and myself by proceeding to do a full swing 360 degree around!! For fear of dislocating the childs shoulder Jason and I had to react very quickly and adjust ourselves to unnatural positons!! We were then treated to a tribal dance and the men were invited to join in - and by join in essentially we just had to jump up and down but hell if thats considered dancing then I can do it!!
The next 2 days were long drive days to our camp in Dar es Salaam on the beachfront. This provided my first experience of salt water showers. I also managed to cut my feet fairly significantly in the sea!! I am becoming very accident prone in Africa. I think I hit my head 5 times at the same point on this camp site - but then I do have a large head!!
The 16th would begin our experience of the beautiful island of Zanzibar!
