Winos on Safari

Day 14

Leopard Tour drivers Ellias and Edwin picked us up at 10pm. They were driving matching Landcruisers equipped with double spare tyres, shovels, eight elevated seats, and a pop-top for game viewing.

We had a four hour drive to the game park, lunching in Arusha. The 36km driveway to the hotel at Tarangire was dusty and rough, but game was abundant. Elephants, Grant’s gazelles, zebras, cheetahs, warthogs, wildebeest, buffalo and lions … just a taste of what was to come.

The mighty Baobab tree

A Black-backed Jackal.

There were no boundaries to the National Parks. The animals can wander in or out.

The Sopa hotel was really nice. There were lots of critters running over and around the buildings. The cute Rock Hyrax is only about 30 cm long but it's closest living relative is the elephant. For those with a zoological interest, this little animal has internal sex organs!

That is a Rock Hyrax on the right!

Day 15

Clare's birthday.  She was serenaded by the local staff with song, ululating, trilling, and dancing at the breakfast table.

After another morning drive around Tarangire we headed over the Great Rift Valley past Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro National Park.  It was cattle market day in the village on the way and the locals were out in force in bright colours.

Our driver Elliot is from the Parra tribe. The local Masai tribe are mainly nomadic cattle and goat farmers.

When passing by a donkey on the side of the road Ellias commented “Masai Landcruiser!” Obviously there is some inter-tribal rivalry.

Our stop for the night, Serena Ngorongoro, was perched high on the crater rim and every room had a view of the enclosed plain. The lake in the middle was shallow and will dry up in the coming dry season.

Clare had a second birthday ethnic song and dance, followed by a cake complete with candles.