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Published: September 16th 2016
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There wasn't as much wildlife sounds throughout the night as any of us expected, and our wake up calls arrived promptly
at 6am with a "Jambo" (Hello in Swahili) and the delivery of hot tea and coffee on our porch. We had breakfast and then left for the park early, heading to a swamp area that is completely inaccessible in the rainy season and about 3mo after as well (PS we picked the perfect time of year to visit here!).
This morning was overcast and required an outer layer, as without the sun it was a bit chilly riding with the roof open (and we all pretty much stand the entire time). We saw giraffe, some Impalas, and an elephant early on and then hit some tricky terrain that Babenga had to get out and assess before driving us through, but we made it slowly but surely! We drove along a road with a view of the swamp area that stretched long and thin and could see lots various wildlife in the distance.
Suddenly on our long, straight road a larger herd of 15 elephants came into view on our left and they were moving fast. Babenga moved us up
ahead so they could literally pass right in front of us on the road. As they got closer to car and the road, the matriarch turned and charged our way, trumpeting her warning to us to stay away from her family and baby. The young bulls in the herd followed suit and each turned with their ears flared ready for the charge. Mama even turned around once they were half way across in another strong stance as if to say "yep, just stay right there." I will say this will likely be the highlight of the trip for me....incredible moment to experience so up close and personal. Elephants often "bluff' a charge as a warning and after reading the 'Elephant Whisperer' it was pretty clear she wasn't really going to lead the herd into a full charge. But still, when she turned and came at us it was one of those "wow" moments we may only get to experience once in a lifetime!!
We made the turn to head back on the other side of the swamp, seeing a Cape Buffalo that appeared to have died of natural causes as there was no indication of animal attack and it
looked very recent. It was just sitting there in the grass peacefully. We saw a few hippos in the distance napping after overnight feeding and also a Marshall Eagle which is the biggest eagle out here with it's pretty spotted chest (and total inspiration for Buck Beak in Harry Potter!). We stopped a small picnic (yes in the middle of wild Africa) to use the restroom and Babenga surprised us with coffee, tea, and muffins complete with a tablecloth! It was the coolest place I think we've ever had a cuppa! On our drive back to camp for lunch, we came upon a stopped Range Rover (always a good sign) and quickly found out there was a leopard in a tree in the distance. Let me say that we all have no idea how this can be spotted from the road as it looked nearly impossible to see. The leopard was lazily sleeping in the tree, with its arm draped over the branch. We hoped she (or he) would wake up with the car engine but she was having none of it and continued to sleep.
After lunch we had a bit of leisure time before meeting
at 4:30pm for
our sundowner walk with our guide "Little Thomas" and the armed Maasai guide. We walked up and out of the road to camp and they pointed out various tracks along the way which was really interesting. We saw a few Zebra who were actually more spooked by us walking than when we are in the car. We then got to the highlight of the walk which was climbing Kikoti Rock to overlook all of the Tarangire area and see the sun begin to set. It was a short intense climb, but worth every step as the view was unmatched. We made our way down and Babenga was waiting for us with the Land Cruiser and some cold beers to reward our efforts. We then headed back to camp for dinner.
Following dinner was our nighttime game drive which was led by again by a Maasai guide who rides in a chair mounted on the hood of a car, wearing the traditional Maasai shawl (He honestly looked like E.T. From our seats!) along with Little Thomas and the armed guard. We rode in a "South African" style safari car which was a 6-seater but completely open on the sides. The
Maasai shines a giant flashlight torch around looking for wildlife. We saw a few zebra, a. Nocturnal bird, and baby owl...and then nothing for a long time. I will say I learned a whole new definition of the term "Lean In" as the Acacia trees (I nicknamed them 'toothpick trees' because the thorns on them literally look like full size toothpicks!) were a bit more dangerous with no sides to your car!! We continued to not see much and then I thought I saw the lights of the camp in the distance, but they ended up being eyes! The brightest eyes ever belonged to an animal called a "Bush Baby," a small leaping kangaroo wallaby type squirrel (Basically adorable) that was pretty darn adorable!! That wrapped up our ride and we were back at camp and heading to bed as it was a full day for all of us.
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Linda
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Grins
Love seeing those big grins and seeing what a good time you all are having. Love Me