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[at-l] Trip report demand!!!
kahley7 (and Anklebear) wrote:
> OK Gary.....talk..err type.Tanzania????
Not very trail related, although I did get in one 6 k hike from Gibb's
Farm up the side of Ngorongoro Crater to an elephant cave (they dig for
salts)...
(view this in Courier or any other fixed width font)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a transcription of the trip notebook for my 2001 East Africa
Vacation.
It was written in a green 3 x 5" spiral ring notebook, and was updated
at least
daily. The text transcription below is literal with misspellings and
other
features intact. There are 21 pages.
Text Notes
|--------------------------------------| -----
| |
| |
| SAFARI |
| |
| 2001 |
| |
| \ ( ) / | Drawing of a hide shield over
crossed
| ( @ ) | spears with a lion on the
shield: the
| ( ^ ) | arms of Kenya.
| / ( ) \ |
| |
| ------------ | Drawing of the Tanzanian flag.
| | // | |
| | // | |
| | // | |
| ------------ |
| |
|--------------------------------------|
| (1) |
| Weds 10 Jan | Off at 3:45. cab | Wed 10 Jan ***
| $21 (w tip). Confusion on suitcase - |
| Hope I see it again. Over wing |
| as usual. 747: 3-3-(H)3. Movie: |
| Spinal Tap (vs Perfect Storm). | Ended up seeing PS 3 times
| Pre din double scotch, Merlot, |
| Beef & neeps, salmon, treacle | Neeps are turnips
| tart, coffee, double brandy - |
| Brit AW's knows how to treat |
| their passengers! 3 hours dro- |
| wse, then Bkfst of Yogurt |
| fruit etc. Land, then lost suit- |
| case! Filled out form, changed |
| money, met O.A.T. rep & cab to | Overseas Adventure Travel, or
maybe
| hotel. Met Alan roommate then | Over Age Travel - I was the
youngest
| 2 1/2 hrs sleep. | by 16 years!
|--------------------------------------|
| (2) |
| Thurs, 11 Jan | Up at 11:00, bus | Thu 11 Jan ***
| to Heathrow, tube to Liecester |
| Sq to National Gallery: Sunflow- |
| ers! etc. Total trans L9.90. Back |
| to hotel by 3:30. Ate R. Beef | Roast beef and beer: how
British!
| sandwich and beer. Shower & shave. |
| 6:00 briefing & bus to Gatwick, |
| meeting fellow travelers. Luggage |
| search, full brkfst & more beer |
| at AP. Then board FULL plane |
| after confirming Sam on board. | Sam is suitcase
| Plane is old 747 w 3-4-3(K). |
| Window seat, over wing as usual. |
| Din: Lamb, shrimp salad, Bordeaux. |
| Fri 12 Jan | Still up. 3 hours | Fri 12 Jan ***
| fitful sleep. OJ & water. |
|--------------------------------------|
| (3) |
| Sunrise over African plains. |
| Bfst: Croissant w cheese, yogurt, |
| muffin, OJ, coffee. Land. Cloudy. |
| Flat w hills on distance. Green |
| but no trees. Wet. Nairobi in |
| distance. Customs, luggage found! |
| On to our two vehicles. Drive | Toyota Landcruisers w shaded
sunroofs
| through Thika to Aberdares. Lunch |
| buffet at Outspan, then bumpy | Outspan home of Baden-Powell
| dirt roads to equator demonstra- |
| tion to Sweetwaters. Waterbuck, |
| giraffe, baboons, zebra, elephants. |
| Shower then briefing. Waterhole | Moat/elec fence between us &
waterhole
| Bar. Dinner kingfish w Tusker |
| beer. Bed by 9:00. |
| Sat Jan 13 | Woke once at 1:00 am | Sat 13 Jan ***
|--------------------------------------|
| (4) |
| with poor Alan coughing. Up at |
| 7:00 to "Jambo - coffee". Shower, |
| stork watching. English bfst | Meaning eggs, sausage, bacon,
toast,
| w elephants out window. Acacia, | marmalade, the works.
| Jacaranda, Fever Trees. Weaver |
| Birds. Moat w electric fence. |
| It gets hot quickly in the sun, |
| but chilly at night. Every time |
| we go to our tent we cross the |
| equator. First drive, impala, |
| zebra, giraffe. Chimp sanctuary |
| w Poco, jumping, throwing, slap- | Poco is the alpha male.
| ing. River boat, no chimps, heron. |
| Gamedrive w many critters to |
| see Morani the White Rhino, also |
| Caroline the baby warthog. Petted |
|--------------------------------------|
| (5) |
| both! Back for lunch buffet & |
| afternoon break. PM game |
| drive, across ford past Hippo |
| Point to Oryx Plain. Saw spooked |
| gazelles, then lions! Two mated. |
| Back past marsh. Huge giraffes, |
| great sunset. Din: fish & soup - |
| scanty. Bed, but aroused by |
| staff for 3 rhino at |
| waterhole. Bed at 11:00. |
| Sun 14 January | Up at 6:15 to | Sun 14 Jan ***
| Jambo! Coffee! Bkfst 7:30 - usual |
| English bfst but with omelet. Day |
| of long drives. Good views of Mt |
| Kenya & Aberdares on way to |
| lunch at Salisbury Hotel | Actually New Stanley Hotel.
|--------------------------------------|
| (6) |
| in Nairobi - chicken w card- |
| omom. Then drove till 6:00 pm |
| over worsening roads (dirt) |
| & washed out bridge. Did not |
| buy sword/spear on way. Kil- | Maasai asking $130.
| imanjaro over Amboseli - | Amboseli N.P.
| saw first gnu & dik-dik. Many |
| birds, many Maasai in dark |
| red. Souvenir gauntlet at |
| park entrance. Ol Tukai Lodge |
| is crowded! Shower, then Tusk- |
| er. Buffet dinner, Maasai |
| dance, bed. |
| Monday 15 January | Up in dark | Mon 15 Jan ***
| at 5:40. Coffee at 6:00 and off |
| for morning game drive by |
|--------------------------------------|
| (7) |
| 6:20. Watched sun come up over |
| plain. Saw: lioness, hyenas, buffs, |
| Grant and Thommy side by side. | Gazelles
| 100's of elephants crossing |
| in front of us. Flamingos, |
| more. Also mosquitos. Brkfast |
| at 9:00 - buffet w fresh pineapple, |
| then briefing. Reading, socializing |
| then late lunch. Touch of "D". |
| PM game drive: our other van |
| got stuck in a huge mud puddle |
| lake! Another safari & a cable res- |
| cued it. Saw hippo & many elephants. |
| Good views of Kilimanjaro. Jackal. |
| birds. Climbed a hill to an obs- |
| ervation tower. Back for a Tusker. |
|--------------------------------------|
| (8) |
| A conservative dinner, discussion, |
| and bed. |
| Tue, 16 January | Up at 6:30, | Tue 16 Jan ***
| pack to howler monkeys & sun- |
| rise over plains. Bkfst and |
| off. Perfect weather for Kili- |
| manjaro viewing. Back over |
| washed-out bridge & back up |
| rock face. Monitor lizard on ter- |
| mite mound. Through Kenyan and |
| then Tanzanian customs. Lush |
| Tanzanian plains under Mt |
| Mero crater. Arusha Mezzo |
| Lune Restaurant w O.A.T. rep - |
| shrimp & avocado & lasagna. |
| Almost hit giraffe. Clock tower. |
|--------------------------------------|
| (9) |
| Shopping at Arusha Cultural Cen- | CC = tourist trap
| ter. Drive in cramped Land Rover | Land Rover Defender, cramped
but rugged
| to Tarangire. Baobab forest. |
| Many birds. Lodge/tented camp |
| (big shower, little light) under |
| baobab. Monkey troop to dining |
| room. TseTse flys everywhere! |
| Din then bed. T-storm in dist- |
| ance over river. |
| Weds 17 Jan | Up for 6:45 sun- | Wed 17 Jan ***
| rise. Brkfast & 8:00 game drive |
| - saw many birds: roller, hoopoe, |
| also herds of impala & 2 dik-diks. | Dik-Diks always come in pairs
| Went down river, crossed & back. |
| Almost 5 hours. Lunch & postcards. |
| Tanzania hist briefing, then |
|--------------------------------------|
| (10) |
| PM game drive. Little game, | Tarangire teems in the dry
season
| but leaping impalas & eleph- |
| ants, including 3 angry rogue |
| bachelors, trumpeting & charg- |
| ing us & each other. Sunning |
| vultures. Back at 6:30. Shower, |
| then changed $50 to TZS 39,500. |
| Tarangire game is too spread |
| out in wet season & too many |
| tse-tse flies - vicious creatures. |
| Din was BBQ beef, chicken, | BBQ over coals
| pork - best din yet. Bed by 11:00. |
| Thurs 18 Jan | Up for great sun- | Thu 18 Jan ***
| rise, then Bfst. Off past elephants |
| to main road, leaving baobabs. West |
| down into Rift Valley on bad |
|--------------------------------------|
| (11) |
| road. Ostriches. Prosperous Mto | Mto Wa Mbu means Mosquito River
| Wa Mbu, then into Lake Manyara |
| NP. Jungly, w soda lake. zebra, |
| elephants, impala, giraffes. Box |
| lunch on bluff over lake, then |
| Leopard! on way back. Drive to |
| Gibb's Farm, w beautiful gar- |
| dens. Briefing w host on lawn |
| w beautiful view of valley & |
| lightning. Great near-gourmet |
| din w tangerine mousse & Kiliman- |
| jaro soup, coffee & conversation w |
| owners & bed. |
| Friday 19 Jan | Up at 6:20, coffee | Fri 19 Jan ***
| brought to room - not as good as |
| Kenyan. Bfst fry. Rained (pour- |
|--------------------------------------|
| (12) |
| ed) last night - everything |
| is VERY muddy - thick red clayey |
| mud. Bird walked for a while |
| then gave up for Brkfst. Gift |
| shop. Went on drive in morning |
| due to mud to "Cultural Center". | See definition above
| Had wedding and spear & shield |
| demo. Went into WaNroqw | "Wah'-en-Rock'-Kwa"
| Hut. Visited guide's farm. Back |
| for buffet lunch & got email |
| reply from Karen to msg sent |
| yesterday. Despite threatening |
| skies, went on 5 km hike with |
| hiking stick (supplied) to elephant | Elephants dig for salt
| cave, waterfall, view of Rift |
| Valley. Talk w guide Jehose- |
|--------------------------------------|
| (13) |
| phat. Shower & Tusker. Din & bed. |
| Sat 20 Jan | Up at 6:30 to coffee. | Sat 20 Jan ***
| Bkfst. Leisurely departure at |
| 9:30 to Keratu to school - but Sat |
| so no children! Stopped to look |
| at brick making, then park ent- |
| rance with relief maps. Stop at |
| crater overlook, then past air- |
| strip & other craters to lodge. |
| Got settled, buffet lunch, then |
| critter viewing through tele- |
| scope on crater floor. Next drive |
| to Maasai village, dance, smoky |
| hut, bought bracelet. Muddy |
| w flies. Back to lodge, Maasai |
| dance then dinner w native |
|--------------------------------------|
| (14) |
| (traditional) pork & great des- |
| serts. Shower & bed. |
| Sun Jan 21 | Best game day | Sun 21 Jan ***
| yet. Up for sunrise over crater |
| wall. Pepto day. Bkfst omelet | Many Pepto days
| w Paka, then drive past Maasai | Paka is lodge house cat - roams
| & down crater. Many critters, | dining room
| mangy island lion, pride w |
| cubs under vehicle & male |
| under MY window. Carcasses, 3 |
| rhinos, hyenas, hippos & flamingos |
| in lakes, hartebeests, "mildly |
| venomous" snake, ostriches. Pic- |
| nic at lake w vultures - couldn't | Warned that vultures would grab
our
| get out! Mating lions, more hippos, | lunches unless we ate inside!
| herds of mixed zebras, gazelle & |
|--------------------------------------|
| (15) |
| mostly wildebeest. Finally climb |
| back up crater wall, gas, lodge, |
| Tusker, shower, din. Read, bed on |
| time (10:00). |
| Mon 22 Jan | Even better game | Mon 22 Jan ***
| day! Lillian sick so Paul went to | Dehydrated from D.
| arrange a doctor, so we straggled |
| into Bkfst (omelet, etc). But off |
| by 8:15 after sunrise (6:45) and |
| pack. Goodbye to crater wall, |
| past Maasai boma. Down, down | Boma is a family hut cluster.
| to Serengeti. Olduvai Gorge |
| lecture & museum, Bought AM |
| an Impala. NP entrance station | Carved, 4" high.
| and walk to top of Naabi Hill. |
| Huge herds of wildebeest, imp- |
|--------------------------------------|
| (16) |
| ala, gazelle, zebra. Lunch at | Simba Kopjes (pronounced
"copies").
| kopje, vehicle got stuck. Topi, | In a warthog burrow. Hakuna
Matata.
| hartebeest, hyenas by road. |
| Swampy plain w Bat-eared |
| Foxes. Lions on kopjes. Nat- |
| uralist w GPS collar. Two |
| cheetah groups: 4, and mama |
| and fluffy yearling. Hippos |
| in pool at Seronera. Many |
| lion groups. Leopard up in tree. |
| Seven of big eight. Hydrax & |
| agano lizard. BIG game day. |
| At last into tented camp |
| (w Tsetse flies :( ). Shower. Camp |
| fire dampened by rain, sumptuous |
| dinner, prompt bed. | Free wine w Din!
|--------------------------------------|
| (17) |
| Tuesdy 23 Jan | Up at 4:00, dressed, | Tue 23 Jan ***
| coffee in dining tent, night ride |
| in front past five lions till |
| first light, light rain, much mud. |
| Inflating balloons, 10 foot flames |
| from burners, egg carton basket, | 24 passengers per balloon
| sunrise, lecture from pilot, up |
| in balloon over grass & then |
| treetops. Game below. Volcano |
| 100 miles away. Airplane landed |
| below, Over one hour of flight. |
| Landed next to airstrip. Champ- |
| agne, the breakfast w turbaned |
| waiters. Back to Seronera, gift | Seronera means Center in Maasai
| shop, game drive back to O.A.T camp. |
| Lunch, pack, long drive over |
|--------------------------------------|
| (18) |
| savannah & plain w much game |
| to Kirawira & more champagne. |
| Great view from balcony of tent |
| over plain. Two rainbows! |
| Long late dinner after shower, |
| then bed after long day. |
| Weds 24 Jan | Rain! All day! | Wed 24 Jan ***
| Up, coffee, 6:30 game drive. Lions |
| in rain, 17 in pride including |
| 3 cubs - almost ran over two. |
| 9:30 Brkfst, then read until |
| 2:00 lunch of duck. 4:00 game |
| drive w some clearing. Many |
| hippos. 2 crocs. Jackal. Great |
| male lion tried to rush us - | He didn't like camera flashes.
| we left in a hurry. Planning |
|--------------------------------------|
| (19) |
| meeting, gin & tonic, dinner, show- |
| er, pack, bed. |
| Thurs 25 Jan | Up at 5:30, pack. | Thu 25 Jan ***
| bfst at 6:00, off at 6:45. Lions |
| on long drive to Seronera air- |
| strip. Road blocked by vehicle |
| drowned out in ford - we pushed it |
| out but dented our bumper. They |
| had spent the night there! Fortu- | In the wet vehicle due to fear
of
| nately the plane was late. Takeoff | crocs.
| from grass strip, views of plains, |
| Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Rift|
| Valley, plane cockpit. Crosswinds on |
| landing. Rotten vehicle to Arusha, | No springs or shocks.
| shopping, customs at Namanga, lunch, | Box lunch
| long drive through thickening |
|--------------------------------------|
| (20) |
| traffic to Nairobi to hotel in | New Stanley again
| city center. Up to room, down to |
| lobby w shops. Carnivore Rest- |
| aurant w eland & zebra chirasc- | Game is tough and flavorless.
| aria, & cats. Hotel, read & bed. |
| Friday 26 Jan | Up at 7 for shower. | Fri 26 Jan ***
| Bfst buffet w omelet at New |
| Stanley, pack, placemats at shop. |
| off into rain to Karen in Ngong |
| Hills. Bead Museum, Blixen Museum, |
| Fed Rothchild giraffes - they were |
| tame. Shopping, then Ranger Rest- |
| aurant w skewer kabobs at Nai- |
| robi N.P. then to airport, good |
| bye to those going to Victoria |
| Falls, check in luggage w B.A, |
|--------------------------------------|
| (21) |
| then back to hotel. Nap, Tusker, |
| din at hotel, ride to A.P, shopping. |
| Board, plane full :(. T.O 1 hr late. |
| Sat 27 Jan | Fish & wine, 4 hr sleep | Sat 27 Jan ***
| Light bfst, land in dark. O.A.T rep |
| drove us to Heathrow for 5 hr |
| wait. Headwinds, arrive IAD |
| 3:45, $20 (w tip) cab home at 5:30. |
|--------------------------------------|