Serengeti morning safari, invading elephants and a view of Ngorongoro from our tent

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Tanzania day 8

Serengeti morning safari, invading elephants and a view of Ngorongoro from our tent.

Up at 5:15, yay! Still dark and there are still sounds of zebra and hyena. When we went to the toilets just before sleep last night my head torch refelected in a pair of eyes that were at about the right height of a hyena. When we vacate the hut we eat in we have to shut the door to keep the hyenas out. We haven’t seen hyena in the Serengeti. Edyta really wants to see hyenas. First none-catfood thing we see as dawn breaks across the Serengeti, yep hyena. Two of them bounding around. Great start.
We got up early as this is when the predators may still be hunting but Bori headed off to a place where there was no cat food....so no cats... There were a lot of elephants though, some in quite a hurry as they ran in a herd kicking up dust as they went. Every herd had young calves as well still suckling on their mothers. Later a huge herd crossed the road just a few feet in front of us.
We finally got to see a dik dik after seeing only half a one yesterday. Last time I was here there were loads of them and maybe the half a one yesterday is a clue as to why there don’t appear to be so many now.
Finally we came across some lions but we had missed the kill as they had taken down a buffalo. This would have taken at least five of them and it was within about 100 feet of a camp site so they must have had quite the audio treat during the night! Four males were sat around as well as two females but none were eating, just protecting their meal for now. The two females got up and trotted off in the direction of a herd of zebra but the zebras were onto them and moved away. We used the toilets here and were walking about 30 metres from where a lion sat. Great days!
We saw lots of animals as always as the sun rose over the serengeti but only one other big cat which was a cheetah a long way away. Thousands of zebra stood, walked and ran about us as we took in the amazing wonder of where we are. And then start talking about where to go on holiday the year after next....
Brunch was ready when we got back to the camp site and we had pizza and chips. How does he do it!?!? There was also fruit, side salad and a banana in sauce dish. The Hungarians seem happier today but I heard one of them say that they like meat with their meat the other day so I’m not sure they appreciate the vegetarian diet. If they want safe meat here they need to kill it themselves! Or fight a lion for it....
Before we left we saw a couple of hyrax and a rat and found out how you cook pizza without an oven. Put the base in a pan then put a flat lid over the top then pile hot coals on the flat lid and it cooks the pizza....genius! Especially when the pizza is as tasty as the one we had. Dominos eat your heart out!
Molisi had packed up the tents while we had been out as well as cooking brunch. Good man. We then had to be out of the Serengeti by a certain time or they would have to pay another whole day’s fees even if we were five minutes late.
We tear-arsed along a bumpy road that was like one of those machines that vibrate the blubber out of you. Hope it works! After just over an hour we were at the Serengeti gate and it took over an hour to sort out the paperwork before we went through. Never let it be said that efficiency is good here.... There are a lot of jeeps to pass through both ways but crikey!
Finally back on the road again and more careering along a dusty road although not quite so fast this time as Bori is worried about something under the vehicle. Everything is dust coloured because it is dust covered; from the trees to the grass to the Masai and the couple of giraffes we saw. We are torn between letting some air in with our windows open or protecting ourselves from dust by closing them.
Just after 4 we arrived at our next campsite which has a partial view of the Ngorongoro crater. How awesome is that! We have been told that it is unlikely that lions will come in this camp but lions, buffalo and zebra may do so. More night time adventures await! The adjacent campsite has wifi so Claire has wandered off there until she gets booted out. Either that or she’s trying to get her steps up..... We wondered how far we could walk but about 50 feet away there are DANGER signs saying not to go any further. Strangely Claire hasn’t....yet....
We were sat outside and Bori came to get us saying there was something to see. Pah, it was only an elephant drinking from the water tank. As if that’s of any interest to us.... So we ran over, took some photos and then it went to head through the tents so the guides steered it the other way. But what will happen when the guides are asleep....
After a long time Molisi showed us where our table is in the dining room and this place is dead fancy cos it has electricity. We had hot drinks and then waited....and waited....it had been a long time since brunch and I was getting weak. We chatted with our companions as the other tables all got food thinking maybe we should move but finally...food!
With another lovely soup, this time pumpkin and ginger we all tucked in. The main course was pasta, a plate of veg, a beef stew (which made Mark shout MEAT!) and an aubergine stew for us followed by slices of pineapple. It was really good again.
We were then discussing how much we should tip our guide and chef which is always so damned difficult. The Poles had read somewhere that it’s $10 per person per person to tip per day which would be $200 between us; we don’t even have that much with us. The Hungarians said they tipped less than that for porters to lug their stuff up Kilimanjaro for five days. Lonely Planet recommends $10-15 per day per GROUP for the guide and $10 per group per day for the chef. Quite a difference so we are hoping to check Tripadvisor when we can get some internet. Even Claire can’t get it now so hopefully it will work in the morning....when we wake up at 5am....time for another safari!!

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