Today was another remarkable day. We keep pinching ourselves as we ask how we can be so lucky as to experience the kinds of days we are having. The companionship of Hank and Margie Clark is making this safari so much more enjoyable and light hearted than it would be otherwise. We are very glad that they decided to come with us.
We left the Farmhouse at 8:30 and devoted the entire morning to learning more about the Maasai tribe. On the way past the Ngorongoro Crater and through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area we came upon an expansive highlands (8000 feet above sea level) with stunning plateaus and valleys. Mile after mile, scattered among this gorgeous and endless landscape, were numerous Maasai villages and pasture lands where large herds of goats and sheep were being tended by their Maasai shepherds. Chilli took us to a small village where we were met by one of his friends who acted as our host. Little did we know about what might lie ahead during the next two hours!
We ended up paying $50 for the four of us to have unlimited access to the village of 150 residents. We entered their simple and austere circular huts made of sticks, mud, and cow dung, sat on their beds in front of a fire that was preparing the noon meal, and talked about their lives, how they carry on their lives, and village politics. There were enough English speakers among the village’s residents to make these conversations possible. We met young, handsome, and seemingly happy couples with their very young children, older people including domineering mothers and mother-in-laws, village officials who were concerned about the equitable distribution of the proceeds from our visit (our $50 will be used to buy water from trucks for the village, replacing the 17 kilometers walk that women and girls currently undertake to fetch water for the village), and children and youth who are responsible for watching over the village’s huge herds of grazing sheep and goats Jean and Margie joined
in a welcoming dance that the village’s women performed, and we all admired the spectacular jewelry and colorful attire that both the men and women were wearing..
We agreed to purchase the ceremonial clubs that were presented us and bought a few pieces of additional jewelry. After visiting a school, we bid our new friends good-by and continued on our way to the Serengeti. Needless to say, this is one more morning that we will never forget.
We then headed for the Serengeti Plains--the most famous game reserve in the world. On the way we stopped to visit the Olduvai Gorge where Mary and George Leakey, archeologists and paleontologists from the British Museum of Natural History, discovered many remarkable remain of ancient hominids. Their work spanned the 1930s to the 1970s and is responsible for documenting that “humans” walked the earth as early as 3.7 million years ago.
By early afternoon we were in the Serengeti. The Serengeti is a 6000 sq. mile park of high plateau (3000-6000 feet above seas level) grasslands and woodlands where 3 million mammals reside. The park contains 28 species of animals with hoofs, 530 bird species, and an abundant collection of various insects whose collective weight is greater than the millions of animals combined. The plains are truly endless and stretch to the horizon in every direction. It is a stunning sight that is truly impossible to describe or photograph. The park contains over 2,000 big cats, tens of thousands of gazelle and antelope, and millions of zebra and wildebeest (also known as gnu). We saw enormous herds of zebra, some standing on the road as we passed, and large lines of wildebeest
as they migrated south from the northern Serengeti is search of water. Rain has come early to the southern Serengeti, so the animals are very interested in moving to where the sources of water are. The sights and sounds and smells were enough to overwhelm our senses. Jean was a happy camper, taking more than 400 photos!
By 5:30 we were at our place of lodging for the next three nights. It is named the Dunia mobile tented camp (www.asiliaafrica.com). It is mobile because nothing here can be a permanent intrusion on the Serengeti’s ecosystems and must be removable within days if requested with no sign of having ever been here. There are eight large and very comfortable tents here at Dunia. Jean and I are in Tent #5 and the Clarks are in #7. In spite of the word “tent,” the setting is luxurious. Each tent has a large bedroom with a queen sized bed, a sitting room in the front, a full bathroom behind the bedroom wall with a flush toilet, a sink with hot water, bottled water for pills and teeth brushing, and a “bush shower” that is filled with hot water in 20 liter buckets from the outside whenever we request it. The tent has electricity and we are zippered in so no monkey, hyena, elephant or warthog can enter. We hear these animals and lots of noisy birds every night, but feel very secure.
In addition to the tents where we reside, Dunia also has a lounge tent or commons area (where I am now writing), a dining tent where all meals are served (and they are outstanding to say the least), and a “television room.” Actually there’s only one channel on the TV--a bonfire that we gather around at 6:30 every evening for happy hour and to visit with staff and other guests before dinner is served at 8:00. So far guests are from France, Canada, Australia, England, and the USA. Last night we enjoyed a group of 8 wine growing couples from San Francisco and tonight we will be joined by a family from Sydney and a gentleman from Toronto.
Wednesday, February 23
We awakened early on Wednesday morning (February 23), so we could travel to an excellent vantage point to see the sun rise at 6:45 over the Serengeti Plains.
It was magnificent, stunning, spectacular, and truly glorious!
The rest of the day was devoted to viewing 20 hippopotamuses, including a few of the cutest ugly babies you could ever imagine seeing, splashing around in a small and very stinky lake (they were within 20 feet of us as we sat on the bank enjoying breakfast), driving through herds of zebras and cape buffalo, and watching from a distance as tens of thousands of wildebeest migrated to the southern plains. The highlight of the morning was our search for “big cats.” We were lucky enough to view 11 lions and one leopard. The leopard was crouched in a tree about 100 feet away, but the lions were very close. One walked so close to the jeep that we could have reached out and petted it. We watched two others mate and then were able to view them from 20 feet or so. Eight more were young males who didn’t seem to care that we were enjoying their presence and photographing them from 10 feet or less. It was a wonderful and exciting experience. Keep in mind that they were lazing about in a grassy plains that was hundreds of miles long in every direction. They could do whatever they wanted wherever they wanted to go. Finally we watched two female lions come down to a river and completely ignore a single wildebeest that could have been killed with very little effort. We concluded that the wildebeest was very lucky that the lions had just eaten and were very satisfied. They made no effort to attack the wildebeest.
Chilli dropped Margie, Hank and us back at Dunia camp to enjoy lunch and a relaxing afternoon. After a welcomed nap, we met him again for an afternoon game drive. We saw 10 more lions: two females and their six cubs.
The cubs were nursing. And then two more young males who were sunning themselves. We greatly enjoyed watching these lions do what comes very naturally for them.The day ended around the camp bonfire and with another lovely meal, and interesting conversation with fellow travelers from several countries. Around 9:30 Camp staff escorted us back to our tent for a night of sound sleep as we are serenaded by the Serengeti’s bird and animal sounds. It’s a great way to fall asleep! We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
We awakened as the sun rose over our tent community. What a glorious sight! After a wonderful breakfast of fruit, eggs, and bacon, we took off for the day’s game drive. Our goal was to find a cheetah, but unfortunately we did not find out. Instead we came upon scores of hippos (including a very cute and small baby) and three crocodiles in a lake, miles of zebras moving in single file to new grasslands, a leopard resting in a tree, and five male lions lazing under a tree. Later in the afternoon we came across two lions that were mating. We watched them romance each other, then the female waved her tail to signal her willingness, then they had intercourse, after which the female rolled over on her back with a smile on her face while the male moved away to light up a cigarette and have a poop! They were much more gentle with each other than we expected. Who knows, they may have been in love!
Throughout the day we noticed that many species co-mingle and co-exist very
peacefully with each other. It is common to see baboons, ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, impalas, and gazellas all grazing peacefully with each other. The grasslands are endless and the skyscapes and landscapes are gorgeous. The Serengeti is a remarkable place to be. One can see most of these animals in a zoo, but to see them in huge numbers in their natural settings is a very special and inspiring experience. We are thrilled by everything that we are seeing,
We returned to the Dunia Tent Camp to enjoy a bottle of champaign, compliments of the camp in honor of our 40th wedding anniversary. The Clarks joined us for this special celebration. We then toured the camp’s bush kitchen, enjoyed a happy hour in front of the bonfire as the sun set, and joined the eight other guests for a delightful dinner and very pleasant conversation. It is now time for bed, as we fall asleep to the sounds of the Serengeti.
We love you all very, very much…
Babu and Mama Jean
No comments:
Post a Comment