| Submitted by: Gopal VenkatUnited States |
| Submission Date: 04 February 2005 |
|
 |
|
On continuing further down, we spotted a lioness with a fresh kill (a Wildebeest)
It was an awesome sight. We spotted another lioness about 50 yards away. Took my time taking pictures. We proceeded further along until we spotted a cheetah on a small rock. On seeing us, the Cheetah started to move away and then attempted to hunt a Thomson's Gazelle before giving up after a chase of about 30 yards. Then it went and rested on another rock. We waited for around 10 minutes hoping for some 'ACTION'. Since nothing happened, we moved on. We spotted a bunch of Lionesses (at least 2 of which were being monitored with Radio Collars) resting under a tree. Since Frank (the driver) did not want the Park rangers fining him for driving off-road, I was able to get just a Single Picture. On our return to the Camp, we spotted a pair of Hippos and their Calves grazing outside the water. Managed to get a Picture of their rear-ends !
We reached camp and decided to rest since the next game drive was around 3:30 PM. After lunch I tried to sleep for an hour. It was Impossible and I gave up. We left for our Game drive around 3:30 PM and returned around 6:00 PM ! That says it all. We saw nothing of note. Gazelles, Buffalo, Vultures, Waterbuck and a Pair of Cheetahs (Far away). Except for the Lion with the kill, today was an uneventful day. Am getting increasingly frustrated. After returning to Camp, we went to a nearby place for a Cold Shower. Washed away all the dirt and grime for the past 2 Days. On returning from the Shower, Frank informed us of an Early Morning Game drive (6:30 AM) the next morning, after which we would return to the Camp for Breakfast, before setting off for the Ngorongoro Crater around 10:00 AM. I informed Frank that I would like to Stop at Olduvai Gorge. The Discoveries by the Leakeys (on Human Origins) were done there and I wouldn't want to miss it. I'll probably remind him again tomorrow. We can Probably skip the Masai Village (Tourist Trap) Visit. We had a good dinner (Vegetable Soup / Rice / Beans). The dinner has been the highlight of the Trip thus far. Should Tip Costa (the Cook) well.
As regards tipping here goes my theory. If you have had a Great (Game Drive) day, (be it 2 or 3 Game Drives) then a Tip of $5 to the driver is in order. If one gets a Cook like Costa, a Tip of $2 per day is a must. It rained again in the evening. The evening rains seem to be a regular feature here. In a way, it's quite good. All the dust that's kicked up during the various Game drives is settled down. The Air is fresher in the Morning. (No Game drives are Permitted after 7 PM)
After writing my diary, listened to the BBC World News (I do carry a Short-wave radio around on my trips) and went to bed.
|
We left for our final Game drive in the Serengeti at 6:30 AM. We took a different route along the Grumeti river. We spotted a Pack of Lions resting within 15 Minutes. A Male, 2 Females and a 2 year old Cub. After driving for a little while, Frank pulled right up to the Bank of the river. We saw about 15 Hippos in the water. This Pool was much closer to our Camp Site than the Retima (the one we visited yesterday) Hippo Pool. My Suspicions are right. These tours Apportion the Animal Sightings. If an Individual is on a 1-Day tour, he/she will be taken to all the Game viewing areas. If the tourists are visiting for 2 Days, then some of those Prime Viewing Areas get shifted to the second Day. Most of these tours are for those Masses who call anything they see as 'GREAT'. If they drive for 2 hours and see 5 Elephants and nothing else, they would have still enjoyed the drive. I, on the other hand, want more and more variety with every game drive. True these real time events cannot be choreographed. But at least the Tour Companies can take us to different Areas of the Park during every Game drive. (No 2 Game drives should cover the same area of the Park).
I digress. While returning from the riverbank to the Main road, Frank stopped the Vehicle to let a few Elephants Pass. (on their way to the river) He lingered a little bit longer as he felt there were more on their way to the river. He was right. I've never seen such a large herd in my life. There were around 70 Elephants in this herd. Some of the Elephants made a mock charge in our direction. The moment Frank got an opportunity, he sped out of the area. We drove around a bit more and spotted a radio-collared lioness. We followed her (she was walking along the road) for a little while and took some pictures. We did not see anything else. Got back to the Camp around 9:30 AM. Had our breakfast and packed up our belongings. Costa and Frank started to load up the trailer with all our stuff at 10:15 AM. They finished around 11 AM and we set off at once towards Ngorongoro.
The drive from Seronera to the Naabi Hill Gate was Scenic. The endless plains with the occasional Kopjes (rock outcroppings) stretched endlessly on either side of the road. The long grass area on the left side of the road was black (indicating that bush fires had destroyed the grass) while the right side of the road still contained the wild, tall grass. Must be quite a sight from an Airplane (or) even a Hot-Air Balloon.
We reached the Naabi Hill gate around 12:30 PM. While Frank was Completing some Paperwork (it has to be done both during entry into and exit from the Park), I got myself a bottle of water and a Serengeti Sticker. The Money that is Spent here goes to the Conservation Fund. We set off shortly after that. After Naabi Hill, the plains contain only short grass. It is in these Short Grasses that the Wildebeest congregate in hundreds of thousands during their calving season in the month of February. Since the grass is short, predators can be easily spotted. It must be quite a sight to see 3 million wildebeest, 3 hundred thousand Zebras concentrated in this area every year. Zebras and Wildebeest and usually found together, as the Eyesight of the Zebras is not Good, while the Hearing/Smelling senses of the wildebeest are below par. Quite a Symbiotic relationship.
After driving for about 15 Minutes from the Naabi Hill Gate, we entered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). Around 2:30 PM, we reached Olduvai Gorge. This is 5.5 Kilometres (3.5 Miles) from the main road. A small museum at the entrance (to the Gorge) describes the work done by the Leakeys (Louis, Mary and their son Richard) and others, while displaying some of their finds. This museum was undergoing some renovation and was expected to open next month (October 1998). A person associated with the Museum gave a 15 Minute lecture on the geological formations of the Gorge, the work of the pioneers and the current activities. The English of this Person takes a bit of getting used to. For every 10 words he spoke, I caught 5 and missed 5 !
Spent about 30 minutes in all at the museum. If one has the time, a resident Archaeologist would give a guided tour of the Gorge itself. We did not do it. On leaving Olduvai, we started our climb to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. We have to hurdle a number of mountains before reaching the Crater rim. We stopped on the way to get an Overview of the Crater. Since it was quite cloudy, we could not see much of the Crater floor. We reached our Campsite (the SIMBA Campsite where we had our Picnic Lunch en route to Serengeti) around 3:30 PM. After helping to pitch my tent, I decided to take a shower. The flush toilets here are of the Indian type. (No problems for me !) The shower was COLD. (we were at an altitude of 2300 Metres). However, once my body got used to the Initial Shock, the rest of my shower was allright. It was quite invigorating. Cleaned the dust off my Camera and Camera Bag and did some writing before dinner. Dinner was Vegetable Soup, Macaroni and Vegetable Curry. As I said earlier COSTA the CHEF has to be tipped better than the cooks at Masai Mara or Samburu.
We depart around 8 AM tomorrow to the Crater floor. We spent the entire day in the Crater before returning in the evening. Costa was busy preparing something after our dinner. (probably our picnic lunch).
|
Woke up a bit later than usual. (7 AM) Had breakfast and set out to see the Ngorongoro Crater. The descent into the Crater is quite steep. The road is worse than the ones I have seen around here. I'm quite surprised that they allow minivans to descend into the Crater. The View during the descent is quite good. Lush vegetation is on both sides of the road. Where a break in vegetation occurs, one can easily spot the Lerai forest and Lake Magadi.
The Lerai forest is a sad excuse for one. The years must have taken their toll. The exhaust fumes that emanate from these vehicles can pretty much kill anything. Concepts like Emission Control are quite alien, I presume. A Conservation area like the Ngorongoro must enforce these Immediately, if these forests / trees are to last for the next 15-20 years. They can even restrict the number of vehicles allowed into the Crater each day. (There were at least 30 vehicles that came into the crater this morning). Only 10 Permits are issued each day to view the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda / Rwanda. Some similar plan here would definitely help.
We stopped at a clearing in the Lerai forest to Pop-up our roof (to enhance our viewing pleasure).
We saw Buffaloes, Cheetah, Elephants, Flamingoes, Hippo, Rhino, Wildebeest and Zebra. The Rhino was a long, long way away. I could hardly spot it even with the 300 mm Zoom lens on my Camera. I was disappointed. The Cheetahs were really close and I was able to get some good pictures. I, however, did not anticipate one of the Cheetahs leaping across a 10 feet stream of water. Kicked myself for not getting that Picture.
We had lunch at a Picnic area near a small lake containing hippos. After our lunch break (from Noon till 1:30 PM) we started our post-lunch game drive. We went about trying to Spot Lions. After driving around for 2 hours in the afternoon sun, we reached a bunch of cars parked near some short grass. As I guessed right, there were indeed some lions (5 to be exact) taking their siesta. Not a Single Magnificent Male amongst them. While returning to start our climb back up to the Crater rim, we spotted a leopard on a tree quite some distance away. After peering though my zoom lens and binoculars for a while, I finally managed to glimpse its silhouette. The Australian Couple were thrilled to have seen the Big 5 plus the Cheetah. My singular objective during this Tanzanian Safari was to Photograph (up close) a Magnificent Male Lion and a Rhino. Neither happened.
However, I'll reserve final judgement on this Safari until my film rolls are processed. If some of the Photos come out as expected, I'll be overjoyed. (Yes, the Photographs came out as I expected and I hereby Pronounce my Overall Safari a Success !!) On returning to the top of the Crater, Frank took us to the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge. The view of the Crater from this Lodge is Excellent. Took a Couple of Pictures. The Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge also provide excellent views of the Crater. Most of the Upscale Safari Companies house their guests in one of these Lodges.
After travelling for so many days, one finally begins to appreciate the Human body. With the bumpy (like driving on a corrugated sheet) roads, I am amazed that my eyeballs or brains did not pop-out of their casings ! The amount of dust I have inhaled has probably gone to my lungs as well. Hopefully, a large amount must have been filtered out. All my joints are still functional.
Yes, this is a fantastic creation.
On our return to camp, I again (am getting to be quite macho) took a cold shower. Felt good afterwards. The French group that was here had made a cesspool of the existing toilets. People not familiar with using these, should probably go in the bushes.
For dinner beyond the usual soup and the main dish, Costa had baked a Carrot Cake !
I'm simply amazed by this guy. With the minimal implements he has at his disposal, he weaves magic. His tip just went up by 10 %. After dinner, toasted myself near the Camp fire for an hour before turning in. We leave at 7 AM tomorrow for our 5 hour drive to Arusha. From Arusha we drive for another 5 hours to Nairobi. It's weird, but I can't wait for this vacation to get over ! I've probably overdosed on the Safari and Travel thing. Maybe I ought to re-think my decision to quit my job and travel for 6 months to a year (sometime in the future).
|
Last Night was quite windy. I was almost certain that my tent would be ripped from its moorings and thrown into the Crater. Nothing happened. These tents and their moorings are quite sturdy. Woke up at 6 AM. Packed up my stuff and had breakfast at 6:30 AM. This was quite a cold morning. The Crater rim does get quite Cold. Come to think of it, it's higher than the White Mountains in New Hampshire, USA. My advice to everyone would be to pack a lightweight jacket if you are planning to Camp at Ngorongoro. I did not and it wasn't very comfortable. We packed up and left a little after 7 AM. The fog was so thick that visibility was down to a few feet. I suspect that Frank was driving using his Gut feel/Instinct, though I sincerely hoped otherwise.
After riding the road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, this wasn't so bad. Also, since this was quite early in the day, we were probably more tolerant of the road conditions. We stopped at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) gate for a brief break. I got myself a sticker of the NCA. (As I said before, the money from the sale of this stuff goes towards conservation) We continued for a while before Frank pulled up to a roadside Curio Shop. (The Place which gives him the best Commission, obviously) Though we spent around 15 minutes there, I did not feel like buying anything. We continued further and climbed down the Rift Valley Wall into Mto Wa Mbu. After a brief stop there (Costa bought some bananas for us) we continued on the ever muddy, dusty track till we reached the Asphalt road (at ?) around 10:30 AM. The road from here to Arusha is the excellent Paved road (that I mentioned earlier). We left for Arusha around 10:45 AM. We reached Arusha a little after 11:30 AM.
We stopped at the Let's Go Office, where the Australians needed to do some re-confirmations. After spending around 20 Minutes, we proceeded to the Novotel for our Shuttle to Nairobi. We cleaned up a bit at the Novotel restrooms before having our Picnic Lunch. After lunch I tipped Frank and Costa, thanked them for the efforts taken (especially Costa) and converted some remaining Tanzanian Shillings back to US Dollars. Wrote a bit of my diary before the Bus departed at 2 PM. It took us around 90 to 100 minutes to reach Namanga from Arusha. There were no Problems at either Immigration Counters. Neither the Cholera Certificate (which is apparently required if you are entering Kenya from a Cholera endemic country Which Tanzania is) nor my Return Ticket to the USA (to prove that I intend not to permanently stay in Kenya)
Were asked for.
The alternator in our vehicle broke down about 45 Minutes after departing Namanga. Fortunately, Davanu Operates a fleet of shuttles that leave every 15/30 minutes from Arusha to Nairobi. The Next shuttle picked us up. Good thing that I did not have a return flight tonight. I was dropped off at the 680 hotel around 7:40 PM. Collected my suitcase from the locker room, took a shower and decided to have dinner at the 680 restaurant. Pretty lousy food. Got back, repacked my stuff for my Journey home, wrote the remainder of my diary before going to bed.
Some random thoughts
Carrying a set of Surgical masks on a Safari would be a Good idea. This helps in preventing dust from getting into your facial orifices.
I fail to see the point in carrying Money Belts. Apart from advertising the fact that you are a Tourist, it also advertises the fact that you are carrying your valuables (Cash / Travellers' Cheques / Passport / Air Ticket etc.) around your waist. If you would not do that in your native Country, why would you do such a stupid thing in a foreign Country.
|
After breakfast, checked out of the hotel and took a Taxi to the Airport. The return flight (including the changeover at Muscat / Abu Dhabi / London) went quite smoothly. Reached New York on the Morning of September 24, 1998.
The Total Expenses (now that I've had time to total it all) for the entire Safari came to $4300.
(This Includes everything from the Tour related expenses, to film Purchase/Processing expenses, the Cholera Shots/Anti-malarial Tablets, Guide Books and so on. In short, anything I spent towards this Trip, has been Included in the above figure)
My Final thought on the whole Safari Experience. (especially since I went Camping)
A Good Experience that one must undergo before the onset of DEATH !!
|
|
| Copyright © - "Gopal Venkat" |
|
 |
| Other travelogues by the same author: |
|
|
|
