This morning at 9:00 we officially started our African safari. We
packed up and had breakfast and eagerly awaited meeting our guide/driver for
our safari. A guide could make or break your experience if personalities did
not gel or they weren’t engaging. We were welcomed by a very nice gentleman
named Wilson Shange. He saw a sea of luggage (from a large group that just
arrived) and asked which were ours and we pointed to our duffles and backpacks
and he said “ah, you are travelers”. He explained that we were going to stop at
the office of Duma Explorer on the way to Tarangire to meet the owner, Stacy
Readal. She is from Texas and went to school in Tanzania and met and married a
Tanzanian man. Together they formed the safari company. She was very responsive
with emails and always answered all of my questions and was very competitively
priced. It was great to meet her after all the correspondence over the past
year.
we're on our way!!!!
Arusha Airport
our guide, Wilson Shange & owner Stacy Readal
We were driven to Tarangire
National Park about 75 miles southwest of Arusha and it was about a 2 hour
drive. It was a great drive with much to see out of the window and the pictures
below are taken from the car windows. The Maasai young men with their faces
painted white are done after undergoing their public circumcisions to become
men and junior warriors at around age 15 and this is done in the healing stage.
They are not to make a sound during the procedure or risk being dishonored.
Sisal
Wilson was such a wealth of
information and instead of sounding like a guide with a canned speech, he was
more like talking with an old friend. He soon learned we were “birders” so he
was always on the lookout for them. We chatted easily getting to know each
other on the way.
He asked if we wanted a
“shopping stop” and we said sure. I did buy a zebra and I thought I picked up a
hippo, but when I got it home it is a tiger. (which don’t actually live in
Africa). I think I just picked out something colorful. Here are the photos:
their store
their "factory"
restrooms
Speke's Weaver & Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
We
arrived in Tarangire National Park and checked in at the visitor’s center and
went on a game drive for the rest of the day. We had a picnic lunch and ate in
the car. We were on our way to the picnic spot, but we kept seeing so many
things we just stopped and ate in the car.
Yellow-collared Lovebird
We saw
tons of zebras, wildebeest, ostriches, elephants, giraffes and various
antelopes. We also stopped to see a lot of birds. It is amazing how close you
are to the animals and they often crossed the road right in front of us. The
mating lions were right next to the road under a tree. What an awesome start to
our safari. Watching the young elephants nursing was amazing as well. Zebras
and wildebeest playing in the water were so fun to watch. We saw so much so
easily that Greg says, we have 10 more days of this? Of course there was much
more to see!
Grey-crowned Crane
Grant's Gazelles
Von Der Decken's Hornbill
White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Superb Starling
elephants on the road in front of our vehicle
wildebeest
zebras
Maasai Giraffe
Black-Faced Vervet Monkey
Lilac-breasted Roller
Ostriches
White-backed Vulture on nest
White-backed Vulture
Common Waterbuck
Hammerkops
Olive Baboon
Grant's Gazelles
After
the game drive we drove to Tarangire Treetops Lodge for two nights. Here is a
link to the lodge: http://elewanacollection.com/tarangire-treetops/tarangire-treetops-at-a-glance
Treetops is outside of the park which allowed us to
go on night game drives and walks. Since none of the parks are fenced animals
were outside of the park as well.
exiting the park we need to sign out with the park rangers
African Red-bellied Parrot - female
African Red-bellied Parrot - female
elephants made the hole in the tree trying to get water from it
Ashy Starling
White-bellied Go-away-bird
White-bellied Go-away-bird
We LOVED this place! We were warmly greeted by a lot
of people with towels and taken to sit in the sitting area near the pool and
were given cold drinks and snacks as we filled out our forms. Elephants were at
the watering hole just beyond the pool. AMAZING!
Reception and main lodge
the building is built around this huge Baobab tree
sitting areas
elephants at the watering hole past the pool
We relaxed for a bit with drinks and snacks and then
went to the treehouse to relax and take a shower. As we were sitting on the
balcony waterbucks and elephants walked past our treehouse. Then, we watched
the beautiful sunset before calling to have a warrior escort us to dinner.
Maasai taking our luggage to the treehouse
where the water was heated for the shower
stairway to the treehouse
Dinner was under the stars and you could choose from
their menu. Very nice setting with a roaring fire to help keep the chill
off. After dinner we were escorted back
to our treehouse and they wait until you have climbed the stairs and then drop
the hatch so nothing can come up the stairs and get to you. They had the
treehouse all zipped up to keep us warm, though there were 2 windows open in
the bathroom that had no canvas so the bathroom stayed cold. The shower however
was about the best of the trip. It has lots of hot water that was heated by the
fire that a Maasai Warrior made and great water pressure.
This lodge was all inclusive with all food, drinks
and laundry. The staff fell all over themselves to make sure you wanted for
nothing. Ice cubes are a luxury in these remote areas and they always put a few
“surprises” in our drinks.
Tomorrow we have a bush walk, a full day game drive
and a night game drive.
