After completing our Kilimanjaro climb, we slept quite soundly at the hotel. Soundly, yes, but not for long. Early the next morning we were driven to the airport to fly from Arusha Tanzania to an airstrip in the Serengeti. On the way we could see Maasai villages with their characteristic circular huts and large meandering fences for livestock.
We were met by our safari guides and two Range Rovers with modified roofs so we could stand up and have unrestricted views. Within an hour or so we were on our way to see what we could find on the savannah.
The regularity of animal sightings was unexpected, as though someone when out and put animals every few hundred yards along the dirt road. Zebras here, Antelope there, lions over here, a leopard in a tree over there, and que the herds of wilderbeasts.
We spent the first night in a row of rubber-coated canvas tents on a hill overlooking a valley. Very spacious tents with large beds, a bathroom and shower.
There was no fence around the compound, so in theory any wild animal could walk in. We were told that if we heard a big animal by our tent in the night, we should blow the whistle that was located in the nightstand, and one of the staff or guides would come to shoo it away. I guess you can shoo a lion or elephant? We heard animals in the distance through the night. Just as well that no large animals came close as it turned out there was no whistle in the nightstand.
There was a nice dining tent as well and they served a fine dinner and breakfast. The manager was delighted to have his small staff sing a welcome song.
In the morning we watched a heard of water buffalo in the valley as they moved towards a watering spot. Magnificent. We toured around the Serengeti some more that day. Even though we had already seen quite our fill of animals the previous day, each sighting was a great experience.
The animals paid little regard for our vehicles. At one point a herd of elephants strolled across the road, some in front and some behind our vehicle. Quite a memorable few minutes.
Later we visited a Maasai tribe in an encampment by the road to Ngorongoro Crater (the crater so great, they had to name it twice).
The Maasai are the last nomadic tribe in Tanzania, traveling from camp to camp throughout the year. Many Maasai family groups probably still do that. However, if your family group is in a camp by the side of the road where tourists stop in, there really isn’t a financial incentive to migrate. Just wait for the next tour group, interact with them, sell some necklaces and other handicraft and wave goodbye as the next vanload of tourists rolls up.
I can’t blame them, they are finding their own way in the modern world of cash and tourism. Some of the younger adults have spent time at boarding schools learning languages and modern world, so it makes sense that they would apply that knowledge.
We did have an interesting conversation with a young man who was looking forward to his imminent marriage to his first wife. More wives to follow if he can become the chief.
The village is built completely out of twigs woven together to create low, rounded huts. The animal fences are also made from these same materials. The fences keep the goats in at night and the predators out. It is a simple life, but I think I am fine with my complicated but comfortable life.
After visiting Massai-ville our guides drove onward to Ngorongoro Crater where we stayed at a hotel on the rim of the crater. It was an older hotel right on the rim of the crater, with a phenomenal view, great food, modest rooms and bad beds. Hopefully it has been renovated since then.
We spent most of the next day in the crater driving around to see more animals. There is a lake in the crater which is a gathering place for flamingos in the right season, meaning not the season when we were there. There are no giraffes in the crater either, as the walls of the crater are too steep for them to get down. So much for giraffes just being tall horses. Some websites also said there are no crocodiles either, but who wants to find out? There are plenty of hippos in the water and they would be equally happy to end your life.
We drove back towards our hotel in Arusha, stopping at a tourist souvenir shop to browse around and also an ATM machine to withdraw some huge stacks of cash. Why? Well, the internet connection at the hotel was unreliable, so we needed to pay for our rooms in cash rather than credit card. The highest value bank note (10,000 TZS) was worth about $4.00 at the time, so we needed stacks of cash to pay our hotel bill.
Some of the group went home at this point, and others continued on with a flight to Zanzibar. This is another location with a cool name, but difficult past. More on that in a different post.
Tanzania held some wonderful things to see, but had some serious issues with poverty. Our hotel was a tourist oasis with beautiful gardens around the hotel and high walls enclosing the grounds. Just outside the walls was quite significant poverty. Locals lined up at the gate in the mornings to collect free water from a hose connected to the hotel water supply. We hope the tourist dollars we spent in Tanzania help the local economy to grow.
Next up, a few days in Zanzibar.
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