Chatty log | Safari

Travelling upcountry, Safari!

14 January

John: After feverish last minute jobs (finally getting an email out to Asian Geographic for their next issue, another requesting the Watermaker Store for a replacement drive belt, etc.) we bundle into one of the club's blue rowboats and row ashore to meet the taxi that will take us to the bus station to begin our long ride, 8 hours, to Arusha, some 400 km inland. The 'bus station' is mayhem, with dozens of touts continually circling like vultures, trying to get some kind of business from us or sell us something. We bundle into the Kizota line bus (only US$7 a person for the ticket to Arusha!) and I order some chip omlettes from a roadside stall to keep our hunger at bay. The vendor doubles, then doubles his price again, and I have to argue to only pay twice what locals might. Still, the omlettes turn out better than expected and not impossible to eat out of the plastic bags we are given them in. The bus finally rolls out of town with much tooting of horns and begins its long, dusty ride to Arusha. The scenes are amazing. Rolling into mountainous country, huts, adobe shacks, red-clothed Masai herding their cattle. The hours pass in colourful splashes past our windows. A few stops in dusty squares along the way for a pee-break, the bus surrounded by people holding up every kind of goods from flick knives to avocados (buy one to eat the other?) sold through the windows. The kids do really well, being couped up for so long. The bus is full, and sometimes takes on standing-room only passengers; I guess for a little extra income on the side. Finally we arrive in Arusha, and someone from Crown Eagle Adventures is waving a very welcome signboard screaming our names. We gratefully pile into their Toyota Land Cruiser and are whisked away to their 'office', a small room in a little guest house called the Williams Inn. Salehe welcomes us and arranges everything, even for me to go to Barclays Bank where there is (thankfully) an ATM that takes my card. We eat dinner at a local Pizzeria (the 'Arusha Pizza Hut'... no relation to the chain) and gratefully collapse into our beds. The rooms at the Williams' Inn are very, very basic, but clean and cheap (US$8 for a double); they even have a 'bathroom'.

Caroline: I really enjoyed watching a bit of Africa pass by the bus window. The landscape feels very spacious when we're driving on the plains at the foot of the Usambara mountains. I could imagine the plains full of wild animals, but now people are cultivating everywhere we looked. There were little mud brick houses all over the place, cattle being herded and women with buckets on their head. Further west we started seeing the round Masai huts and the Masai themselves were very easy to spot, even if they were miles away. They wear bright red, blue and purple clothing which really sticks out in this dry green landscape.

15 January

Caro: After piling all our luggage, camping gear, Kom our Masai cook, food and ourselves in the landcruiser, August our guide/driver drives us to a campsite just outside Tarangire Park, 3 hours out of Arusha. Here we enjoy a boxed lunch and then head into the park which is only 10 km away. There are no fences apart from a chain over the road, but amazingly, not 200 meters in the park we start seeing wild animals, a small herd of beautiful impalas. I guess the animals know they are safe inside the park and not outside and people live right up to the boundary. The landcruiser has the roof panels removed so we can stand up with our heads sticking outside to have better views of the animals. The six of us were excitedly pointing out animals and passing binoculars around. We were amazed how close we got to the animals. The afternoon was filled with close encounters with elephants and giraffes. We also saw baboons, vervet monkeys, warthogs, waterbucks, dik diks and many kinds of birds. One sizable group of elephants with calves and juveniles was standing in the river, drinking and splashing mud over themselves. We passed a lone male elephant feeding by the side of the road, only 15 meters away. He seemed to completely ignore us. The giraffes on the other hand would always watch us as much as we watched them. If we would get too close they would walk off with great strides. On our way to exit the park late afternoon we saw 2 trees full of storks settling down for the night. Back at the campsite Kom had set up the tents and was busy cooking dinner. Even a low budget safari like this one still has a 3 course meal. The table was set with a Masai tablecloth and a hot thermos for making coffee or tea. We had soup, rice with chicken and fruit, all freshly prepared. After dinner there was a music and acrobatic performance by 4 young local guys dressed up with feather headdresses. They were great fun and very good. One bit of the show that sticks in my mind was the balancing of two coke bottles upside down on a stick held in the mouth. The campsite watchman was a Masai. The kids had a good look at his bow and arrows and were very impressed.

16 January

Caro: Up early and after a breakfast of toast, egg and sausages we enter the park in the early cool morning. Tarangire park is also known for its many baobab trees. These trees make elephants and giraffes look small when they stand under them and cannot even reach the first branch! This morning we had a super sighting of a family of giraffes. A mum with 3 little ones stood under a baobab having a staring contest with us. They won. Around the next bend were another 7 or 8 giraffes. One young male was clearly in love with a lovely female. She was more interested in getting a drink of water. When she was satisfied that these weird people in the landcruiser weren't going to do anything she spread her forelegs wide and lowered her long neck to take a drink. In the park I felt the odd one out. These animals belonged here and it was surprising how quickly it felt just 'normal' to see another giraffe, another elephant. We had a good opportunity to observe matriarchal behaviour. We were behind another jeep standing still on the road because a herd of elephants wanted to cross. The big matriarch stood in the middle of the road checking us out. When she was satisfied we weren't going to move closer the herd crossed behind her. Only when the whole herd was on the other side of the road did she follow them. We went back to the campsite where Kom had already packed all the camping gear and had lunch ready for us. In the afternoon we drove to another campsite on the way to Ngorongoro Crater, on the edge of the rift valley overlooking Manyara Lake. By then I wasn't feeling so well, my guts had been rumbly since early morning, but now my stomach was feeling pretty sick. I went to bed very early and by late evening it was clear I had not been digesting any food the whole day and everything came out. At least then I felt a little better. I think it's quite common in Africa to come down with a stomach bug. You have to be very careful with what you eat and only drink bottled water, but still. Everybody was having some trouble with their guts.

John: While we didn't see so many animals up close as the first afternoon, the morning light was wonderful, and we did get to appreciate many of the animals more in-depth, rather than just oggling and going 'WoW! an Elephant!' or whatever. Indeed, these animals are gracious, peaceful, going about their business and belonging in this huge landscape. We made jokes about how difficult it is to spot an elephant (they somehow just melt into the landscape), especially if it's hiding in the grass (Elephant grass, of course!). The Panoramic campsite was perched on the edge of the rift valley escarpment. We dined overlooking the plains of the rift valley, full of large (but barely distinguishable) herds of animals and flamingoes. Poor Caroline, we worried that she might not be up to the next day's touring in Ngorongoro Crater.

17 January

Caro: Up at the crack of dawn. I eat a little bit to see how it will go down. The drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area takes about an hour, then another half hour to the crater. Traditional Masai live in the area and share the land with the wild animals. Just outside the crater we passed a few bomas (villages) and we see both cattle and zebras in the fields. The Masai aren't supposed to make money off the tourists, but when we stopped they immediately came to the car and expected some money if we took their photo. They must feel like a tourist attraction with all these foreigners gaping at them. They have been displaced from a lot of land they used to roam and now have to watch as one after the other jeep filled with tourists goes by. The crater is very impressive. Its' about 20 km wide and the rim all around is about 600 meters. The floor of the crater is mostly grasslands and there are some lakes. It's filled with thousands of zebras, wildebeests and buffalo who graze in mixed groups. There are also lions and cheetas, hyenas and jackals, ostriches, and rhinos. The water is full of hippos and birds, the lake is pink with flamingos. It's fabulous driving through this mass of wild animals with the crater rim in the background. We're very lucky to see rhinos and cheetas in the distance. We also see a male lion stride through the tall grass. We have our packed lunch sitting in the grass at the edge of some water with hippos in it. The sky is filled with kites intent on stealing our lunch. My mum and Alex decide to eat in the landcruiser to enjoy a quiet lunch, the rest of us get bits of our lunch stolen. Even hunched over and holding a piece of chicken with 2 hands and kite swoops down and takes off again leaving John empty handed. These birds are amazinly quick and accurate. All too soon it's time to leave the crater and head back to Arusha.

John: Caroline seems to hold up surprisingly well, while I am groaning with every bump as we bounce down the rocky road into the crater, my guts feeling sore and rumbling. Descending into the crater takes my mind off everything else but the amazing views and animals. Uncountable zebras and wildebeest. Only 22 Rhinos left, but we get to see two groups of two meet up and hang out together. Hippos splashing mud over their backs with quick flicks of their tails to keep cool, all but immersed in the lakes. The whole crater seems like a kind of 'Jurassic Park'; Apparently natural but somehow seeming unreal, bizarre, surreal. A semi-closed environment, so rich with amazing animals and birds. And so, so very different from Tarangire. We are on the edge of the great Serengeti park. I wonder what that would be like?

18 January

Caro: Alex and my mum are going to stay in a nice resort with swimming pool whilst the rest of us are going to climb to the top of Mount Meru. Meru is in Arusha park and the walk starts at Momela gate. Here we pick up our guide Raymond, a ranger with a rifle to protect us in case we come across aggressive animals, there are buffalo, giraffes and elephant on the mountain. Our cook is again Kom and he's accompanied by 4 porters to carry all the food and sleeping stuff up to the huts. This first day we walk up through fields and forests to Miriakamba hut at 2500 meters, 1000 meters higher than where we started. It's a long hot walk and most of the mountain is hidden in cloud. It's not easy, my guts are still not right. We see a herd of buffalo grazing and dozing, behaving very much like ordinary cows and it's hard to imagine these animals are one of the most dangerous. If you meet a lone buffalo it will probably attack you and it has nasty pointy horns. The hut is a nice wooden building with rooms with bunkbeds. There's also a hut for the cooks and porters and a hut for the rangers. Late afternoon the clouds start disappearing and we get not only a view of the top of Meru, but can also see Kilimanjaro in the distance. Spectacular.

John: The walk begins in open plains and moves up into forest. Quickly and thoroughly hot, we pause to splash cool mountain stream water over our heads as we ford a stream. We suspect that the ranger doesn't actually have any bullets and that the rifle is more of an emblem of his authority and to impress the tourists. Kom and the porters are nowhere in sight; they left Momela Gate for Miriakamba as we were eating our packed lunch, so they could be ready and set up for us when we arrive. Indeed, there is a snack and hot water for tea and coffee waiting for us when we get to the hut.

19 January

Caro: It's nice and cool and clear in the morning with beautiful views of the ashcone and rim of Meru and again Kilimanjaro. Later the clouds start coming in again. Raymond is very patient with us as we slowly make the next 1000 meters up to the Saddle hut. The first part of the walk is through forest where all the trees are covered with a fungus giving it a mysterious look. As we climb the forest gives way to low shrubs. The Saddle hut at 3500 meters is much like the other hut, with comfortable bunkbeds. I'm really having trouble with my guts and feel exhausted and so does Casper. We all opt not to go for the optional afternoon climb to the top of Little Meru, but instead save our strength for the walk up to the top tomorrow.

John: On to Saddle hut, starting with a climb up over 400 steps. The trees are laden with mosses and vines. It reminds me of Tolkien's middle earth. Strange and creepy at times, the canopies of hanging greenery surrounding and covering us. By the time I reach the hut, my legs are complaining bitterly and about to go into cramps. We did plan to rest a while then climb the short distance to 'Little Meru', a few hundred metres higher and good for acclimatisation. In the event, we are all too worn out and after a nap my legs indeed go into terrible cramps for a few minutes, warning me to rest them not press them. Saddle hut is indeed on a saddle between 'Little Meru' on one side and 'Rhino Point' on the other, the latter leading to the summit of Mount Meru itself. Evening brings clear air and beautiful views of the summit and lower slopes.

20 January

Caro: The way it's done is to start walking at 2 am to reach to the top by sunrise. So, off we go in the dark with headlamps on stumbling after Raymond. Up and up, not seeing where we are going. Casper has stomach aches and needs to rest regularly. Slowly we get higher and higher. At sunrise we are nowhere near the summit yet, but we are on the rim and have spectacular views of the brightening sky behind a huge anvil shaped cloud. Mount Kilimanjaro is looking very crisp in the distance. On and on we go. Casper is struggling but determined to make it to the summit. His lips are blue so we give him another jacket and feed him a mars bar. That helps. The walk to the summit seems endless, but now with daylight we all find it easier to keep going. Finally at 8 am we reach the summit. The views are just spectacular. Far below us is the ashcone with its own little crater. Either side of us the crater rim stretches out with jagged edges. Kilimanjaros icy summit is glittering in the distance. It really feels like being on top of the world. Meru's summit is 4562 meters high and stands so much higher than the surrounding land. Half an hour later the clouds start coming in and it's time to start heading down. As we're walking along the crater rim one moment its clear, the next a cloud comes up over the rim from our right and a moment later the wind reverses and it' cloud coming up the steep incline on our left that envelopes us. It's a long tiring way down, but we all feel a great sense of achievement having made it to the top. I wouldn't have wanted to miss those views from the top for the world. We finally make it back to the Saddle hut around 1 pm and after a quick lunch collapse into bed for a short rest. At 3:30 pm we start heading down the next 1000 meters back to Miriakamba hut. It's really too much for a bunch of not very fit people with some gut trouble. The second half down we're all struggling. My dad had jelly legs, Casper is feeling pain in his ankles and I feel my knees could buckle any time. John seems to be coping best. Slowly we struggle on making it to the hut when it is already starting to get dark. We're all hurting and go to bed very early to get as much rest as possible.

John: Stumbling along in the icy cold air at 4000m altitude in the dark at 03:00 I wonder when my sanity finally split wide apart and how come I didn't notice it before. I'm actually paying to do this? We do not have enough lights, and some of those we have have batteries that are feeling as run-down as I do. The route takes us across ash and rock traverses, up powdery ash inclines, over jagged rocky ridges. Around dawn, the route begins to emerge at the ridgeline from time to time, offering spectacular views of the coming day, the sun rising behind a huge cumulo-nimbus thunderhead with Kilimanjaro to the left. I stop to fumble with frozen fingers to take some photos. Once light, the going seems a lot easier to negotiate and we move a little easier. Casper is struggling with cold and his guts. Caroline and I stick with him, nursing him along and letting him stop to rest when he needs it. The summit is finally within reach and we haul ourselves to the top. The views are indeed breathtaking, and we are exhilarated. Raymond lies back on the rocks for a nap, as do the two porters who have tagged along in case we needed help, I guess. One of them, Oscar, is goaded into producing the hot water flask he has been instructed to bring by Kom, our cook, so we can have a cup of coffee. He did not think to bring any milk powder or sugar, however, for which I tease him mercilessly. The descent to Saddle Hut takes little time, but we are pretty shot by the time we get there with the lack of sleep, stomach upsets and exhaustion of the truly unfit. Nevertheless I am pursuaded to agree to descend the next 1000m to Miriakamba Hut after a nap. Kom and Raymond seem not to believe we will actually rouse ourselves from our beds and go for it, but we do. Kom and the porters leave after us, to make sure we really are on our way, then trot by us as if out for a leisurely Saturday morning jog in the park - laden with cooking stuff and our sleeping bags. The first half of this descent was fine, then Casper (over-extended ankle joints and hurting badly), Caroline (liquid knees) and Piet (walking-wounded jelly knees) all seemed to fall apart within minutes of each other. I wasn't exactly prancing along myself, but ended up carrying two rucksacs to give Caroline and Casper a break so they could make it down. We ended up easing ourselves painfully down each and every one of those miserable 492 (or whatever) steps to the hut, arriving like a bunch of arthritic wrinklies from an old-folk's home.

21 January

Caro: What a glorious morning! It's very clear this morning and the Meru crater wall and Kilimanjaro look very crisp. I take the camera and walk up the path a bit to get the best angle for some photographs. I notice some enormous round turds on the path only 50 meters from the hut. There are elephants around even if we haven't seen any! The muscles in my legs are really hurting but my guts are starting to feel better. The clouds are much later today and during the walk down we have almost continuous views of the valley with Kilimanjaro in the background. I cannot get enough of these views, taking eyeful after eyeful, not forgetting to look behind me at the summit of Meru where we stood only yesterday. And then we're back at Momela gate, say goodbye to Raymond, bundle into a jeep and drive back to Arusha through the park. We see our last giraffes with Meru in the background and then it's back to civilisation. We stumble out of the jeep with our painful legs and join Alex and my mum for a relaxed afternoon by the pool. It's been an incredible week!

John: Hard to believe, looking back, that we were on the summit above and behind us only yesterday morning. What a trip this has been! The final 1000m descent turns out to be OK, though our thighs are screaming with every downward step. A cold beer at the poolside calls from a long way off. We take the longer 'scenic' route by car from Momela gate to the park exit and are rewarded with views of giraffe with Meru in the background. Alex is delighted to see us again and insists I play roughouse with him in the pool. Quite a challenge in my bruised condition!

22 January

Caro: It's not easy to say goodbye to mum and dad. We don't know when we'll see them again. We're taking the bus back to Tanga and they will take a bus to Nairobi from where they fly back to Holland. The busride is full of local colour again. Too much actually. People are standing 3 bodies thick in the aisle and there's a lot of grumbling. It takes forever for somebody to get off the bus if they're in the back and we arrive an hour and a half late in Tanga. However, we're in time for dinner at the yacht club and can see Jocara peacefully for anchor in the bay. The boat is fine and the cats are happy to see us.

John: The 9 1/2-hour bus ride back was long and tough, squeezed into our seats with aching muscles and pounded by the unofficial passengers struggling to keep their footing in the aisle. The bus driver got stopped at a weighbridge for overloading. He seemed to be cramming in the extra passengers even more enthusiastically after that, perhaps to pay off the fine he'd incurred. Our first view of Jocara, still lying peacefully at anchor, gave my heart such a relief. I worry about her when we are ashore, especially for long periods, with fears of bursting through-holes, leaking stern gland, fire, whatever. She's everything we have out here; house, home, transport, all our most important belongings. And, oh yes, totally uninsured. If she went down, we'd be left with absolutely nothing beyond the clothes on our backs.