| Submitted by: Gopal VenkatUnited States |
| Submission Date: 04 February 2005 |
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I headed to the African Heritage Gallery located Opposite the 680 Hotel. (It's actually behind some Huge Construction Barriers) I bought Soapstone Carvings of 4 (Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Rhino) of the Big Nine and some Masai Bracelets. I presumed this was a Fixed Price Shop and did not Bargain. The Cost for all my Purchases was Ksh 1100 ($20). Credit Cards (Master Card/Visa) are accepted almost everywhere in Nairobi and in Other Parts (Parks) of Kenya as well. Went to WIMPY's and had a Plate of Samosas and a Coke. Most of the Establishments are owned by People of Indian Origin. Therefore, finding Samosas in fast food restaurants that primarily serve Hamburgers/Cheese Burgers should not be a Surprise.
Returned to the Hotel and dumped my recent acquisitions. Realizing that I pretty low on Kenyan Currency, I went across the street from my Hotel to exchange $100. Since this was Cash I was exchanging, I was not asked for my Passport. The rate was Ksh 58.6 to the Greenback.
Went to Mama Ngina Street and Moi Avenue to find some Shirts/T-Shirts to take back. Surprisingly Kenya Manufactures only Formal Shirts. Most of the Informal Shirts are Imported from Indonesia. The T-Shirts (Collar less type) are manufactured here. I always like to buy clothes manufactured in the Country I'm Visiting. I'll buy Indonesian Shirts when I visit Indonesia. Not while Visiting Kenya !!
I managed to Spot a Shirt that I liked and was told by the owner that it was made in Kenya.
Though I could not find a label on the Shirt attesting to the fact, I took his word for it. It Cost me Ksh 700 ($12). Went to the Zanzibar Curio Shop and bought some painted plates with wildlife Motifs. Went to a nearby book store and bought a handy English-Swahili Phrasebook for Ksh 75 ($1.30). During my brief Shopping, I inquired from one of the Shop Owners about buying a Masai Blanket. After Informing me of a Place on River Road (that sells Masai Blankets) he asked me if I was carrying anything in my Pocket. (referring to Money) When I Indicated that I was Carrying Cash, he Promptly told me not to go there saying that by the time I turned the Corner from his Shop (about 50 Yards away) I'd be robbed of my Watch !! Took his advice and did not venture to River Road. This was during the Day around 3 PM !
Normally I'm not one to get paranoid about safety. If I did, I would not have visited these Countries (Especially after the recent Bombings) But when a local tells you not to do certain things, I have to take their Advice. (Since it is based on their years of experience, that I lack)
One of the reasons to take a Taxi to Places is the Simple fact that there are Hordes of Men Just Hanging around (just about everywhere) with nothing to do. To those folks at least, easy Money is always a Temptation. Funny thing is that on all the Parks I visited in Kenya, I left all my Valuables in my Tent inside a soft Bag that was always locked. Nothing Happened in those remote areas. Yet in a bustling City like Nairobi, I have to take extra Precautions !!
Returned to the Hotel. Packed up the Suitcase (after selecting the things I would need in Tanzania). I'm planning to leave the Suitcase at the Hotel luggage room. There is no Charge for that at 680. Packed up the Soft Case for my Tanzanian Safari. Decided to try and Indian Restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel. Took a Taxi to the Hotel only to find out that restaurant had closed in early 1997 ! (This Guidebook Sucks) Went to their Coffee Shop and Ordered Passion Fruit Juice and Vegetable Curry with rice. Wrong move on both Counts. (I guess I'm getting Careless) I make it a Policy to Stick to Bottled Drinks and Water when I am Visiting any Developing Country on a Short Visit. Since rice can be cooked Improperly, I usually avoid rice. In this case, I ordered a Freshly Squeezed glass of Juice and rice which was not Cooked Properly. I hope nothing bad happens !!
My Tanzanian Odyssey starts tomorrow.
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After my Breakfast I came down around 8 AM, only to be told by the Hotel receptionist that Davanu (the Cab Company that was to Transfer me from Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania) had come and gone ! Placed a Panic Call to Kenya Wildlife Tours. Another driver from Davanu arrived around 8:30 AM with the Usual story. (how they had looked for me in Vain; Could not locate me and the Previous Van had left; doubtful whether we would be able to make it to Arusha to hook up with my Safari etc., etc.,) This driver drove for around 10 minutes and dropped me off at another pickup point where the Original Van was waiting ! We left Nairobi around 8:45 AM.
We drove to Namanga in 2 Hours. There was no Problem with the Kenyan Immigration Authorities. We drove another 200 Yards to the Tanzanian Immigration Office. Those folks out there asked me a Couple of Questions before Stamping my Passport. Then the driver of our Van disappeared for about 15 Minutes. (No one had a Clue of where he was !) The Overall time spent at this Border Point was around 45 Minutes. We finally left Namanga around 11:45 AM and reached Arusha around 2:30 PM. The Road from Nairobi to Arusha is a Paved Road with enormous Potholes appearing from time to time. Transferred to the Let's Go Travel vehicle at the Novotel in Arusha. This Appears to be the Pickup/Drop-off Point for the Tour Operators. A lot of long-distance buses (to Dar-es-Salaam) also depart from here.
Let's Go Travel is the Local Operator for Wild Frontiers (which is based in South Africa). This tour was booked through SafariCenter in the US. Met the driver Frank and was given an Itinerary for the entire Safari along with a feedback form. An Australian Couple (who travelled with me from Nairobi on the Shuttle) also joined me on this Safari. 3 of us in a Land Rover ain't bad. As it turned out I would again get to Sleep in a Tent by myself (without Paying a Single Supplement !).
Went to a nearby Hotel (Mayfair ?) to get some local Currency. Exchanged around $40. Frank drove us to a nearby Supermarket to get Bottled Water and any other supplies we may require over the next couple of Days. Also stopped at a Cultural heritage Shop (a Tourist Trap). I bought some Maps. (Serengeti & Ngorongoro Migration Patterns) Cost me 9000 Shillings ($13). Quite Expensive. Will probably stop here at the end of my tour to pick up some souvenirs.
Drove to Tarangire which was the first Park in our Itinerary. Slept most of the way. The road from Arusha to Tarangire is Probably the best Paved /least trafficked road I've seen thus far. Reached Tarangire around 4 PM. Had our Picnic Lunch there. (Sandwiches and Fruit Juice) Started our game drive around 4:30 PM. Saw Elephants (herd of 20+), Zebras and Giraffes. The Highlight of the Trip was seeing those Magnificent BOABAB Trees. Some of these trees live for hundreds of years. Took some (more) Sunset Photos.
Our Camp was located in some remote area. We had to travel for more than an hour to reach this Place. (Was the Local Operator trying to cut corners by taking us to this faraway place instead of something located close to the Park ?) Apart from that this was a totally different Camping Experience. We were Provided Walk-in tents, Cots, Mattresses and Sleeping Bags. There was even a Chair Provided for the Long Drop Toilet !! (With the Seat of the Chair being a Hole).
Much better Camping facility compared to my Kenyan Safari. Met the Cook Costa (Constantine). After a decent dinner we chatted for a bit before going to bed.
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Left Camp around 8:15 AM. A trailer carrying all our Cooking/Camping gear was hitched to our Land Rover. Took us an Hour to reach the Main road. After that we headed in the direction of Lake Manyara which was a Dirt Road. Reached Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito River) around 10 AM. [Mbu Mosquito] Stopped to get fresh Vegetables/Fruits. Then were on our way. Skirting past Lake Manyara National Park, we climbed the Rift Valley Wall. On reaching the top we took in a Panoramic view of the Park and Lake Manyara. Drove past the village of Karatu before reaching the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The road climbs steeply through the forest to reach the Crater rim. After taking in a Panoramic View of the Crater, we reached the Simba (Lion in Swahili) Campsite and stopped for our Picnic Lunch. After Lunch we Proceeded towards Serengeti. We reached the border between Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) around 3:30 PM. Reached the Main Gate of Serengeti National Park (Naabi Hill Gate) around 4 PM. (8 Hours after we left the Camp at Tarangire !!)
The view from the Observation hill (at Naabi Hill gate) was excellent. It truly lived up to its name. (Siringit Endless Plains) I bet that this be a great viewing point in February/March when the animals do the reverse Migration from Kenya into Tanzania. After taking in some Informational Pamphlets we proceeded to drive the 50 Kilometres inside the Park to reach our Campsite near the Seronera River. After spotting some Cheetahs en route, Frank (the driver) did some great driving to get us close to these animals. Also spotted some Female Lions in the Tall Grass (that is very much a part of the landscape here during these months). As we crossed the Seronera river, we also spotted some Hippos cooling off. As we started to get closer to the Campsite it started to rain. The fresh earth smell after the rains here is quite good. Managed to get some more pictures of yet another sunset despite the rain. After reaching the Campsite, we helped the Cook and Frank to set up our Tents. As I haven't done this before, it was a nice experience. Serengeti / Rains / Camping : It was a heady experience.
While waiting for dinner, one of the other driver/guides spotted 3 lions on the edge of our Campsite. They were probably looking for their dinner ! So much for excitement. Had excellent tomato soup and spaghetti for dinner. Costa appears to be a much better cook compared to the Cooks during my Kenyan Safari. Of all the Campers around us, we were the only ones doing it in Style. (we had a Dinner tent, Dining Table, Chairs etc.) The 8 hours of Butt-Breaking ride appeared to be worth it since we saw Cheetahs, Lions and Hippos. (Plus the rains and the Sunset)
Maybe we'll see more game tomorrow since we have a full day of game-viewing. Time to turn in.
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Around 4 AM, I was awakened by low rumbles. On listening carefully, I identified it (which was later confirmed as correct by our Guide) as a Couple of Lions. They greeted each other with Deep roars for around 30 Minutes. During this time, a park ranger vehicle also pulled up into the Camp. (Possibly to forestall any Incidents) Though I was tempted to go outside my tent, I resisted the Idea ! What a way to wake up !
We left Camp at 8:15 AM and drove along the Seronera followed by the Grumeti rivers.
Saw Hippos in the Hippo Pool (in the Grumeti river). These Hippos were much closer to us than the ones at the Hippo pool in the Mara. We also spotted a Single Crocodile basking in the Sun. |
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| Copyright © - "Gopal Venkat" |
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