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Published: July 20th 2015
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We will start with savannah - since there are so many big cats in Tanzanian parks we will do a top 5 list of cat moments. Now before that, bear in mind that we camped 4 nights, in a tent, no fences, in the parks, with lots of lions... Yeah that's right, no getting up to pee in the night.
5 - tie between 5a. mama lion and 2 cubs playing around in a big acacia tree in the Serengeti in the evening
5b. Pride of 6 lioness and 3 cubs feasting on what was obviously a zebra - about 10 feet from where we were parked to watch
4 - lioness in an acacia tree with carcass of a wildebeest hanging, fully extended from a large branch - Serengeti
3 - leopards! We saw leopards 3 days in a row in the serengeti. 5 in total - they are hard to spot and according to our guide we were very lucky.
2 - cheetah stalking, then sprinting, then overtaking and taking down a gazelle, then slowly strutting back with its kill - literally right in front of us - Serengeti.
1 - pride of 18 lion attacking a solo buffalo
- jumping on its back, 2-3 at a time, and then 3 buffalo friends came and saved their friend! Imagine 18 lions retreating after a 20 minute attack. The buffalo got away with a bloody behind and missing tail. He just kept running as his 3 friends continued to pursue and push the lions further into the distance - ngorogoro crater.
And on to the sand... We decided to spend 6 nights in Zanzibar - it was really time for some warm weather and beach atmosphere. Getting to Zanzibar was 'fun,' touts yelling at touts for ripping us off and overcharging us before the rightful tout got an opportunity. Tourism police fighting with touts about trying to triple charge us, etc. but we made it. When we arrived in Stone Town (the main city) we quickly found a local bus to take us to Nungwi. Nungwi is the northernmost village on the island - we planned on staying 2 nights but immediately decided to stay 4. White sand, the texture of flour, turquoise water, men building dhows and women gathering urchins and other delights from the sea early in the morning while the tides are out. Daily routine here
consists of big breakfast of tropical fruits, eggs and toast, followed by meandering the sand to find the best spot for the day, lazing around on the beach, swimming, eating self catered lunch of tomatoes, onions, crackers and chili sauce, more swimming, eventually a shower, then dinner somewhere in the sand.
After the 3rd full day of doing really nothing but enjoying the beach, we decided it was time to go. We boarded a dalla-dalla and headed to Zanzibar Town, aka Stone Town. This is the perfect place to get lost. The actual old town is relatively small, and the alleys meander here and there and one gets turned around quite easily. Since one of our favorite things while traveling is to get lost and walk around, this place suits us quite well. Best of all, there is a huge night food market with all sorts of delicious foods, right on the water and packed with people. Since it is Eid al Fitr (4 day holiday marking the end of Ramadan), it is even more spectacular. Women dressed in their finest, most embellished scarves and kangas, men in their long white tunics, children in their best clothes - sequins,
Driver and cook
You must also be a handy mechanic to qualify... ruffles and button ups, all gathered eating, playing and just enjoying the balmy evenings. Pretty amazing. Today, before the ferry back to Dar es Salaam, we were wandering the alleys and got caught in a huge downpour. We stood under and awning along with many locals just watching the alleys turn to rivers, but as soon as the big cloud passed and the rain slowed, back to life as usual.
We are now back on the main land and spending the last few days in Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. Just ate a huge, super tasty dinner at a local place here in town. Enjoy!
Alyssa and Andrew too
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Paulena Croley
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Your blogs and pics totally amaze me! Would love to see all the animal life! Truly amazing! Stay safe!