Super Safari!

Safari. Safari. Safari. In Swahili, “safari” actually means “journey” so when you are asked about your safari, you’re being asked about your trip or your journey. Going on an animal safari is a journey like no other. I had a very good luck couple of days on my animal journey.

So yes, mad dash back to my room to back up the exploded backpack and sort out what I should or shouldn’t bring. “Camping” so I figure shower stuff is out. Brought a washcloth and soap thinking that would do. I’ve done dirty many, many times, I can do this again. I’ve always envisioned the glamourous pictures and postcards of pink-faced, khaki clad adventurers with pockets jammed full of camera gear, binoculars, handkerchiefs, compasses, watches, guide books, and bottles of water. I have a crappy, dinky digital camera, my icky travelling clothes, and I can get a bottle of water. I’m really kind of nervous about how silly and uncool I’m going to look heading out. Not much I can do at this point.

I’m quickly loaded into a company minivan with a very nice driver who speaks enough English that we can chat the nearly two hour drive to the campsite. On the way, he explains this place and that land – it was all so interesting. I’m finally getting some real African culture! Do you remember me telling you about our Masaai security guards? Well this is the area that they come from. They farm cattle and goats and are so beautifully distinct from their stretched out earlobes and colourfully beaded jewelry to their crimson and violet coloured blankets worn just so. I can’t help but stare – they look so regal and elegant and tribal. I’ve seen the local mamas dressed in their stunning patterned kangas and head wraps looking gorgeous in a way that only an African woman could. The Masaai however, look tribal. It gives me shivers and I stare at them the way that most African people stare at me. Such an interesting, interesting population. I really need to learn more about them and their culture.

So yes, Masaai. We had to make a stop at the Monday Masaai market along side of the road. They come to buy and sell what they need for the week. All these stalls swarming with the beautifully blanketed in from the farm to do a little business. Why did we stop? Driver had to pick up some meat for wherever he was heading. The meat markets on this side of the world are without doubt, the most terrifying experiences I continue to seek out. Not sure why I’m so fascinated as I gag my way through the various hanging carcasses, pieces of carcasses, and other random completely unidentifiable smelly bits and pieces. So we head over to the slaughterhouse stall and I secretly play my game of guess the creature. There’s an entire half of something skinned and hanging on a hook. Apparently this is exactly what driver has been looking for. The seller takes out his big ole cleaver and cuts about half way down, ties a blue plastic bag around one end of it, and I start laughing like a lunatic because the uncovered end that driver is holding on to is actually the foot of a goat. About six inches of fur that had been left on (so you can tell what kind of creature you’re eating??), cloven hoof, and here’s dinner. I’ve been told that goat is really quite good. Haven’t had the chance to give it a go yet. Aw, shucks. That’s too bad.

So we carry on and arrive in a village. Safari camping, at least with this company is done in style. Tents are pitched on a manicured lawn in the backyard of a lovely open air lodge with a proper dining room, a bar, and a sitting area with a TV. Ahhh… TV. Haven’t seen TV in ages! Soaked up a morning Al Jazeer BBC like news program in the mornings like life blood. Wow I am outta touch. Have had no clue at all what has been going on in this world over the last several months. I need to get caught up. Clueless.

Okay, anyway. I arrive to meet the group whose safari package I’m crashing. Two young couples (one a couple couple, one “just friends”) who had been out all day and were just back from their sightseeing. They were munching on snacks of popcorn and hot chocolate! Popcorn. I love popcorn. I miss popcorn. I used to have popcorn for dinner. And hot chocolate… mmmm…. chocolate. Okay, off topic. Super nice people who filled me in all the hundreds and hundreds of animals they saw at a lake safari destination today. I was bouncing in my seat just listening to them. Really? You saw all those animals?! Up close? REEEEEEALLY?!?!? Oh. My. Gosh. This is going to be incredible!

As we are all chatting and the sun is setting, I am guided from the lovely dining area to my lovely backyard tent set up under majestic coconut trees so I can sort out my stuff and shower before dinner if I want. Shower? Are you serious? Hot water? Shut up! Sadly, I only brought a bar of soap and a facecloth. I was told I was going to be camping. Didn’t think there’d be showers! So instead of soaking up some much coveted hot water, I went for a walk down the main road of the local village instead. The manager of the campsite facility (all of 23 I think) asked if he could come with me. Sure! I like company. And remember, it had been quite a while since I had the chance to have proper conversations. So we walked and chatted. Smart boy who is going to school to become a lawyer. Wanted to talk about politics and what I thought of the Tanzanian government and education systems. He has hope for his country. He recognizes the corruption, is frustrated by it, and wants change. He wants to be part of the change. An interesting young man. I will keep my fingers crossed for him but wow, he and his peers are in for one hell of a battle.

Anyway, we head back as darkness is settling in and the stars are multiplying by the second. Dinner is ridiculously yummy and I meet Dixon, our driver/guide who will be finding me loads of animals for the next two days on safari. A friendly, sociable guy who seems to enjoy his job. He was even patient with my endless questions and annoying excitement. I’m going on safari!!!

Day 1, we load into our Land Rover nice and early in the chilly, foggy morning. Yes, Land Rover. Land Rovers are born and bred here, they are the only vehicle to survive here, and they so super cool. I want a Land Rover. You look SO uber hip cruising in a Land Rover. Okay, well, maybe not here where EVERYONE is in a Land Rover, but when I get home, I’ll never look at them the same way. I want to be Land Rover chick. Right after I win the lottery to fund the purchase, of course.

So we gear up and head to Ngorongoro Crater. Okay folks, pause the blog reading and just Google this. Seriously. There’s no way I can explain this place. 19.2 km in diameter, 610m deep, 304 sq. kms. Small lakes, various kinds of vegetation, and animals, animals, animals. It’s well protected and well preserved, rightly so. It is a completely unique place, unlike anything else on the planet. And here I was, standing on the front seat of an open-topped Land Rover looking over some of the most incredible landscape, ever. Ever. Do you have those moments where you are outside of yourself, looking at the situation and it’s just too bizarre to believe? Too surreal? Is this really me? My life? How did this happen? I’m in Africa, in a crater, on safari looking for some of the most impressive creatures that never in my life did I expect to see outside of a sad, sorry zoo. How did I get here? Yeah, I’ve been having many of those moments lately.

I can’t go on and on about losing my head over and over again with the animals we saw, near and far, it would take days. But let me list the wildlife we encountered on my very first day of safari and you judge for yourself how much of a loony toon I was. Okay we saw, in no particular order…
elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles (LOVE these cuties!), Grant’s gazelles, hyenas, black rhino, lions (2 males, 4 females, a very rare spotting. All 5 of us simultaneously held our breath and stood dead still except for clicking cameras as a massive male brushed along the back bumper of our OPEN Land Rover. Holy adrenaline rush!), baboons, ostrich, zebra, flamingos, crown cranes, kori bustards, warthogs (super funny creatures!), eland, hippos, and hartebeest.

The zebra, gazelles, and wildebeest are too numerous to count, hundreds and hundreds of them all hanging out, eating, playing, and strolling around each other but that didn’t make them any less special as they would be right beside the vehicle, seeming to pose for photos and making their presence known. It felt like an open air zoo but what’s special about this place is that the animals are free. They are accustomed to slow moving vehicles being on the dirt roads that run through the crater so they aren’t distressed by the sounds or sights, but they also don’t connect us as food or a threat so they continue on, allowing us to observe them naturally and freely without interference. It’s a very unique observation opportunity. Yes, you don’t have to work hard to spot whatever creature you want to spot as it’s a wide open flat land, but to have an environment where the animals are completely wild and free and you can be in their space, respecting and being part of their space, that’s so very special. There were many moments where I couldn’t catch my breath. This was too good.

Our driver Dixon was full of endless knowledge and patience as we all asked a million questions and dragged out the drive for as long as we could. A 6 hour visit to the crater (plus the almost three hours travel time) turned out to be much, much longer and we definitely got our fill of every inch of that crater that we could have possibly explored. A happy, very satisfied bunch returned to “camp” over 11 hours after we left. Wow. We had to bid farewell to the “couple” couple as they had arrived a day early so were at the end of their safari and heading back to Arusha. Dinner was me and the super cute, very young “friends” couple. A table full of newcomers had arrived to begin their journey but they weren’t too interested in being social so the three of us made lists of animals and reminisced over the glorious day in a glorious place. And there’s still another day coming!!!

Slept really well, again, and was up early to pack and get ready for Tarangire National Park. Really, anything after the Crater was icing on the cake. Thick, gooey, yummy, chocolaty icing. I’m STILL on safari!

Just the three of us today and Dixon was obviously either tired of us or tired in general but we had enough energy to make up for any lack of interest that he may have had. A slow, slow, SLOW start to the drive. Actually, an exciting start to the drive as I got to see two of my beloved giraffe, something I wanted to see most of all, but then nothing. Well, some very cool and colourful birds, but no creatures, no big things for at least another hour and a half. Driving is nice, I love going for drives, but when there’s a purpose to the drive and that purpose is eluding you, it’s long and tiring and disappointing. Then, as if everyone woke up from a long nap, they were out. Again, in no particular order, we saw…

giraffe (sigh), impala, dik diks, (SO cute!!!), vervet monkeys, warthogs, ostrich, tons o f different, most colouful birds ever, zebra, baboons (an entire community of them approached us head on and surrounded the vehicle as they moved past us, 50 of them, easily), dwarf mongoose, banded mongoose, waterbuck, elephants, elephants, and more elephants, and a very elusive, prized leopard. Leopards are the hardest to spot and we found one, rounding out spotting the Big 5 that everyone on safari comes to see… buffalo, elephants, lions, rhinos, and leopards. Why are they the “Big 5”? They are the most dangerous, difficult creatures to see, hunt, and encounter. High 5s for the Big 5. Another spectacular, very long day on safari.

We drove back to Arusha, completely exhausted and fully appreciative of the experiences that we had just had. Said goodbye to the sweet “just friends” couple and sorted myself for my 7am, 10 hour journey back to Dar the next day. Falling asleep to visions of black and white stripes, tan hides with black and brown spots, and soft, curious eyes… bliss. I went on safari.