Walking home from Picasso I
was carrying my prescription sunglasses and one of the temples fell off. The
screw just fell out. So, we went to one of the local optical places and for a
$1.50 they repaired it and we were on our way.
We were invited to a dinner
party at Rick & Francine’s house. Our usual “lunch bunch” friends were
there plus a lovely couple here to check out Panama for possible retirement. A
former colleague of Francine’s daughter in Nicaragua asked if friends of his
from the States could contact them about retiring in Panama. So, they decided
to throw a dinner party so they could talk to all of us and get different
perspectives. Rick & Francine outdid themselves with a lovely salmon mouse
for the appetizer, a starter of Potato Leek soup and kebabs of bacon wrapped shrimp
and veggies. Jennifer brought her homemade chocolate candies/cookies. Chocolate
covered macaroons, chocolate dipped dried mango and my personal favorite, her Almond
Joy knockoffs. Coconut covered in chocolate. It was a very nice evening with
lots of great conversation.
Once in a Blue Moon…..Here are photos from our balcony:
My lovely granddaughter
Erika celebrated her 21t birthday on August 2. This is a “before” picture and I
won’t post the “after” pic of her spending the night on the bathroom floor….hey,
you only turn 21 once!
We got haircuts on Monday
and Adam was in need of a cut so he came over and Nancy cut his as well. Casa had their monthly meeting on Tue and we
enjoyed chatting with everyone. Our friends Clyde and Terry had just gotten
back from Mexico where they had been house/cat sitting and already have their
next 2 gigs lined up. Next one is in Costa Rica and then to Ecuador. We're excited for them!
Group at CASA
We went to Picasso on Wednesday
and it finally seems to be slowing down crowd-wise. For some reason it’s stayed
pretty busy even though this is the slow season. Thursday was Greg’s birthday
and we had a group lunch at Coronado Café. (it was the best day to get everyone
together) Mary highly recommended the steak sandwich and mine was quite good.
I
tried yet another shade of color for my hair and I like it better. Two other
ones came out just too “white” instead of blonde and another came out too ashy
and looked kind of greyish blonde. I like this one the best so far....
Here are a couple of shots from our daily walks:
Orange-chinned Parakeet eating a mango
Spotted Sandpiper
Southern Lapwings
Variable Seedeater
lizard
woodpecker
hummingbird
Finally, after all the
research and planning and waiting we are off to Africa!
The packing is done and my
carryon duffle & backpack weighs 28 lbs. (we can have 33 lbs for the small plane within Africa. My Kindle is loaded with books for
the long flights and airport time.
Amsterdam is 7 hours later
than here in Panama. Tanzania will be an hour later than Amsterdam for a total
of 8 hours ahead of us. Rwanda, the same time as Amsterdam, so back to a 7 hour time difference. Really reminds us why cruising is “better” than land travel…You gain or
lose time slowly (daily) whereas with flying it’s all at once to adjust to the
time change.
We are visiting during Africa’s winter which means a bit
cooler and no rain. So, days should be warm and mornings and evenings cool. Our
2 days at Ngorongoro Crater are at altitude and will be “cold”. The same with
our 2 nights in Rwanda since it’s in the mountains. (and it can rain at any time in
the mountains there) So, layers are the key for staying comfortable, peeling
off layers as the day wears on and ready to put back on for later.
I probably won't be able to post until after we get back, but we'll see.
Here is our itinerary (and
more info than you probably care to read):
August 9: We are taking the local bus to the main bus station at Albrook
Mall. Sharon is driving us to the bus stop in the morning. We’ll grab lunch at the mall before getting a bus to Tocumen Airport.
We’ll grab dinner at the airport and then depart Panama at 7:05 PM and fly 10
hours 25 minutes to Amsterdam.
August 10: Arrive Amsterdam at 12:30 in the afternoon and knock around
Amsterdam for our time there and then spend the night at the Sheraton in the
airport.
August 11: Depart at 10:15 in the morning and arrive Kilimanjaro Airport at
7:50 at night. It’s a 9 hour and 8 minute flight. We will be met by Duma
Explorer and transferred to Arusha Coffee Lodge in Arusha.
Info on Arusha: “Arusha is near the Kenyan border and is in
the foothills of Mount Meru at an altitude of about 1,500m. (just under a mile)
It’s popular and convenient for starting a safari. Arusha Coffee Lodge sits on part of a large coffee plantation with
beautiful gardens.”
August 12: Here we have a free day to relax after the travel. Overnight
Arusha Coffee Lodge. (B&B) ****A trip could be made to the Maasai market in
Arusha town.
August 13: Depart Arusha at 9am for Tarangire National Park. The drive from
Arusha to the park is approximately 2 hours. After reaching the park gate, go
on a game drive for the rest of the day. Proceed to Tarangire Treetops outside
the park for dinner and overnight.
Info on Tarangire: “Tarangire is a lovely park between the
plains of the Maasai Steppe to the south-east, and the lakes of the Great Rift
Valley to the north and west. It’s known for its’ large concentrations of
elephant, zebra, wildebeest, eland and oryx. It is also famous for its many
baobab trees, instantly recognizable with their massive trunks. Tarangire’s
hills, rivers and swamps provide a variety of vegetation zones and habitats,
which attract diverse mammals and birdlife (300 species). Size: 2850 sq km
(1,096 sq miles).
It is also known as endless
cloudless skies which bakes the earth a dusty red. The Tarangire River shrivels
in the dry season and is filled with wildlife. Herds of up to 300 elephants
scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest,
zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking
lagoons. It's the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti
ecosystem and a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where
dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar
long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed.”
Tarangire Treetops: I really wanted a treehouse experience and
chose Tarangire Treetops. It is located on Masaai land in the Lolkisale
Concession Area. Each of the 20 suites or treehouses at Tarangire Treetops is
perched in a stand of impressive baobabs. These are raised on extraordinarily
high stilts, literally in the treetops. From this elevated position, the
gauze-fronted rooms and fabulous wrap-around decks afford incredible views
across the surrounding bush. They are actually luxury tents in the trees.
August 14: Tarangire National Park - Morning bush walk from Tarangire
Treetops. Game drive with a picnic lunch in the park. Return to Treetops. After
dinner, go on a night game drive.
August 15: Tarangire to Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Lake Manyara. Tarangire
game drive as you exit the park. Go to Lake Manyara for an afternoon game
drive. After the game drive, proceed to Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge for dinner and
overnight.
Info on Lake Manyara National Park:
“It is set along the base of the rusty-gold
600-metre high Great Rift Valley escarpment. Lake Manyara is a scenic gem in
northern Tanzania. It’s a lush green park famous for its tree-climbing lions,
large elephant herds, monkeys, hippos, and its incredible birdlife, including
flamingos. Despite its small size, Lake Manyara offers a diversity of habitats
including open grasslands with rocky outcrops, forests, and swamps, and the
lake itself.
From the entrance gate, the
road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where
hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue
monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck
tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk
cacophonously in the high canopy.
Contrasting with the
intimacy of the forest is the grassy floodplain and its expansive views
eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise
from the endless Maasai Steppes. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds
congregate on these grassy plains, as do giraffes.
Inland of the floodplain, a
narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favored haunt of Manyara’s legendary
tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of banded
mongoose dart between the acacias, while the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages
in their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks
above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the
lakeshore in the far south of the park.
Manyara provides the perfect
introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife, highlights include thousands of pink-hued
flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such
as pelicans, cormorants and storks. Nearby town of Mto wa Mbu.”
Info on Ngorongoro Crater: “Ngorongoro is a self-contained “Garden of
Eden” which is home to some thirty thousand large mammals: zebra, wildebeest,
elephant, black rhino, waterbuck, gazelle, eland, and hartebeest, as well as
predators such as lion, hyena and jackal. Birdlife is also plentiful and
varied. Ngorongoro is truly one of the great wildlife wonders of the world.
In 1951, the enormous
Serengeti National Park was declared, encompassing the present Serengeti, plus
the Ngorongoro area and surrounding Crater Highlands. Today, this is split into
the present-day Serengeti National Park, and the current Ngorongoro
Conservation Area. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 and is
the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world. It measures about 16-19km in
diameter, with walls of 400-610m in height.”
”The high numbers of
herbivores supports the densest populations of predators found anywhere in
Africa. The reliable presence of these predators has helped to make an
Ngorongoro safari so popular. The Crater's lion population varies significantly
over time, the one constant being their complete disregard of vehicles; they
will hunt within yards of a vehicle, and when exhausted even seek shade beside
them. Spotted hyenas are even more common here, often competing with the lion,
and there's are a small but growing number of cheetah. Leopards are around,
especially in the vicinity of the Lerai Forest. Side-striped and the lovely
golden jackal are often seen skulking around, whilst bat-eared foxes are a
rarer sight.”
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge: This lodging is a budget hotel, but I chose
it for its’ close proximity to the gate of the park. It is close to the very
quiet eastern road into the crater which has less traffic than the more popular
road on the western side of the crater. It also means that we start our game
drive on the opposite side of the basin and, hopefully we can enjoy a few hours
with relatively few other vehicles.
The bedrooms are set in
large two-story rondavels, separate from the main building. There are four
bedrooms in each one, two downstairs and two upstairs, each with views
overlooking the crater. All are semi-circular in shape. It also has stunning
views over the crater.
August 16: Depart Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge after a 6am breakfast for Ngorongoro
Crater. Game drive in the Crater for several hours before returning to
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. The Crater's resident wildlife includes lion, leopard,
zebra, hippo, rhino and elephant.
August 17: Depart Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge after breakfast for Serengeti
National Park. Visit Olduvai Gorge and a Maasai Village on the way to Serengeti
National Park. The drive to Central Serengeti is approximately 3 hours from
Ngorongoro. After reaching Serengeti, go on a game drive until the evening.
Overnight Serengeti Serena Lodge.
August 18: Full day of game drives in Serengeti National Park. Meals and
overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge.
Info on Serengeti: “The Serengeti National Park itself covers a
5,600 square mile park of mostly flat or gently rolling grasslands,
interspersed with the occasional rock outcrops, or kopjes. This is just the
center of a whole ecosystem which covers more than double that area that
includes Grumeti Reserve, Ikorongo Game Reserve, Loliondo Controlled Area,
Maswa Game Reserve, part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and also Kenya's
relatively small Maasai Mara Game Reserve. This combined area is often referred
to as the Greater Serengeti area, or the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.”
“Often seen are the lion,
leopard, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, jackal, hippo, baboon, dik dik
and many other animals. The Serengeti is the site of one of the greatest animal
migrations in the world; however, resident populations of animals are plentiful
and varied year-round. There is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy
agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s
isolated granite koppies. A full 100 varieties of dung beetle have been
recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and
bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles that soar
effortlessly above the Lobo Hills.”
Serengeti Serena Lodge: It is a Maasai Village inspired lodge that
sits amongst acacia trees in the Kyabatero Hills, north-west of Seronera. From
its elevated position is has lovely views across the Serengeti plains.
August 19: Full day of game drives in Serengeti National Park as you drive
from Central to Northern Serengeti. Overnight Sayari Camp. ****Bush Walks are allowed at Sayari: 1.5 to 2
hours can be booked for an additional $50.00 pp (includes park walking fees and
are guided by Asilia’s experienced walking guides and an armed ranger
accompanies the walks).
Info on Serengeti and the Great Migration: “A million wildebeest, each one driven by the
same ancient rhythm, fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle
of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating;
survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through
crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species
in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8,000 calves daily
before the 1,000 km (600 mile) pilgrimage begins again.
The Serengeti is famed for
its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as
more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeest’s
trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti
offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of
buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands
of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
The spectacle of predator
versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast
on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees
lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the
southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur
here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators,
ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.”
Info on northern Serengeti and Sayari Camp: “Sayari Camp (formerly known as Sayari Mara
Camp) is a luxurious permanent camp situated in the far north of the Serengeti
National Park. The remote and starkly beautiful landscape forms the inspiration
for Sayari, with the turret-shaped roofs on each of the 15 expansive tented
suites mirroring the iconic Turner Hill to the north. Indoors, rich mahogany
floors and delicate tones of sand, stone and acacia reflect the views washing
in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
En-suite bathrooms, with spacious showers and egg-shaped baths large
enough for two, offer similarly impressive Serengeti views. Fine linens and safari-chic
décor offset the wilderness that lies just beyond the canvas walls, with
king-size beds and private verandas to complete the world-class experience.
At the main camp a peaceful
lounge and romantic dining room opens up onto a generous deck where natural
rock frames the rim-flow pool overlooking game-rich plains and the distant Mara
River. With such superb luxury in the world’s premier wilderness reserve, we
wouldn’t blame you for spending your entire safari in camp.
The undulating bush around
is bisected by the Mara River and home to permanent game all year round. This
part of the Serengeti is also a great place to witness the great migration:
it's within the Serengeti National Park and is as remote as possible from any
populated areas.
Sayari is in an area of the
Serengeti National Park where the rocky hills and rolling plains make the
scenery more interesting and undulating than most of this (often quite flat)
park. Dividing this area, the Mara River is fairly wide, shallow and
fast-flowing. It is the Serengeti's only permanent river and is home to many
crocodiles and hippos.”
I chose these luxury tents
since they are close (45 minutes) to the banks of the Mara River and boasts
dramatic views out across the wide plains of the northern Serengeti.
August 20: Full day of game drives in Northern Serengeti. Overnight Sayari
Camp.
August 21: Full day of game drives in Northern Serengeti. Overnight Sayari
Camp.
August 22: Game drive in Northern Serengeti. Take the 15:20 Coastal Aviation
flight to Kigali. Arrive in Kigali at 18:25. Here we will be met by Gorilla
Trek Africa and transferred to Kigali Serena Hotel for overnight.
Info on Kigali, Rwanda: “Rwanda is a small country, with its modern
capital, Kigali, at the center. Perhaps
the city’s best known landmark is the very insightful and moving Kigali
Genocide Memorial standing amid beautiful rose gardens and fountains. The
memorial sets out the history leading up to the genocide in Rwanda and also
explains other genocides around the world. It includes poignant displays of victims’
photographs and belongings, bringing the realities of the atrocities to life.
In the genocide of 1994 almost a million people died. “
August 23: At 9:00 AM the tour guide will meet us and take us for a Kigali
city tour; visit Genocide memorial site, Nyamata church, local markets, local
art and crafts among others. Later, we will transfer around 3 hours northwards
to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri, home to 360 Mountain Gorillas. The
road climbs to the base of the majestic volcanoes with spectacular views across
the five peaks. Dinner and overnight stay in Sabinyo Silverback lodge.
Info on Ruhengeri: The town of Musanze (more commonly known by
its former name Ruhengeri) is the hub of Rwanda’s gorilla trekking tourism.
Volcanoes National Park’s Headquarters are based in the nearby village of
Kinigi, the administrative center for permits and the place where all visitors
gather in the mornings for briefings before starting on their gorilla treks.
About Volcanoes National Park: “The most famous destination in Rwanda,
Volcanoes National Park has become synonymous with mountain gorilla tracking
safaris. This is where Dian Fossey first brought the world’s attention to the
plight of these majestic primates in the late 1960s, when only around 250
survived. Today their numbers worldwide have increased to some 880, split
between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; almost half of
them live in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
Several other primates have
made Volcanoes National Park their home too and it’s possible to track two
troops of habituated golden monkeys, a totally different experience to gorilla
tracking.”
Info on Sabinyo Silverback lodge: “The lodge is situated on the edge of the Parc
National des Volcans – known more commonly as the Volcanoes National Park – in
north-western Rwanda. The lodge offers spectacular views of the Virunga
Mountains. There are 5 cottages, 2 suites and 1 family cottage, all offering
private verandas, bathrooms and sitting rooms with fireplaces.
The Virunga Mountain range
spans Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Volcanoes
National Park on the Rwandan side is lucky to have more than half of the
world's mountain gorillas. There are five habituated families of gorillas which
are generally visited, having from seven to thirty-five individuals in each
family.
Spanning on a 160sqkm area
in the northern part of Rwanda, Volcanoes national park is the oldest national
park in Africa. Volcanoes national park is home to Mountain Gorilla, Golden
Monkeys, Spotted Hyena, buffaloes, elephants, black-fronted duiker and
bushbuck. The park also harbors 178 bird species.”
August 24: As the first light of dawn breaks through the curtain of mist
clinging to the summits of Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyniyo, Gahingaand and
Muhabura, we make our way into the Parc National des Volcans and prepare for
today’s incredible experience of Gorilla tracking. We will assemble at Park
Headquarters to attend a briefing on the Dos and Don’ts while with Gorillas. Tracking
gorillas through the unique vegetation can take several hours of challenging
walking in wet and muddy conditions. To see a gorilla, the trek will have been
worth it! (it’s in the brochure, so it must be true….lol)Tracking gorillas
takes 2-6 Hours depending on their movements. We are allowed to stay with these
giant apes for 1 hour for observation and photographing. Descend to the lodge
for a rest. In the evening, we will go for a cultural walk to Ibyu’wachu and
learn more about the Banyarwanda tradition. Dinner and overnight stay at
Sabinyo Silver back.
Info on the gorillas: Currently (subject to change), there are
seven habituated groups that may be visited – Amahoro group (17 members; 1
silverback), Group 13 (21 members; 1 silverback), Sabinyo group (9 members; 1
huge silverback named Guhonda), Susa group (38 members; 4 silverbacks); Umubano
(9 members; 1 silverback); Kwitonda group (16 members; 1 silverback); and Hirwa
group (9 members, 1 silverback).
August 25: In the morning we will go
golden monkey tracking. We will have lunch at the lodge after golden monkeys
and the guide shall arrange for a room where we can shower before our transfer back
to Kigali. On return to Kigali, we will have time for any last minute shopping
or an early dinner before being transferred to the airport at 17:30 to check in
for our 20:15 departure flight.
Info on Golden Monkeys: “Golden monkeys tend to inhabit the bamboo
forests on the lower slopes, so the walk to reach them was relatively easy.
Once we found them we again only had an hour with them. They’re fast-moving
little creatures, and very entertaining as they constantly swing through the
bamboo or chase each other in circles all around us. They’re also very pretty,
with shiny reddish-gold backs that blend in perfectly with the golden bamboo.”
August 26: Arrive in Amsterdam at 7:20 in the morning. We will have a
layover here until we depart at 1:05 in the afternoon. (we have arranged for
showers at the airport through one of the hotels in the airport) Then we arrive
back in Panama at 4:55 in the afternoon. (after 27 hours and 35 minutes of
travel time) We’ll grab the bus back to Albrook mall and have dinner and then
grab a bus home. We will grab a taxi to bring us into Coronado to The Bay.
Until next time.....
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