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Published: December 9th 2010
Her golden eyes pierced through me as she eyeballed me, quietly walking past my vehicle. Clouds covered the skies and the weather was cooler. She doesn’t normally come out in the middle of the day. But with the rainy season starting she and her friends decided to come out earlier, before twilight to catch her prey.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as she crept closer and past me. Her shoulders exposed as she closes in. Her friends split to other corners of the road. In the think bushes, behind some other vehicles, behind some trees. The target was a group of zebra hovering around a small creek. The Serengeti National Park despite being just a little too early for the great wildebeest migration still has its highlights including the struggles with an alcoholic guide driving us around.
Going to the Serengeti National Park without organising a tour means two things. You can pay top dollar and not have to worry about anything and have a smooth trip. Or you go through the following to save some cash. Unfortunately it’s the only way for me to keep travelling.
Basically it’s a days work walking around Arusha town
and have touts say “Hello how are you” and hand out business cards. The good thing about Tanzanian tourist board is that they have provided a black list so whenever I found a place I trusted I would go back to the office to make sure they are not on the blacklist. There are about 300 tour companies it seems. The good companies were like a big thud to see what the z companies were.
Most of these companies don’t accept credit cards so it was off to an ATM to get a wad of cash. I paid $640 (could have got cheaper) but I figured for 3 nights 4 days that little bit more should give me better food. Everything else was potluck.
It started off with a half hour late pick up in pouring rain to meet up with my tour group, which started the previous day. Visually I could see nothing but the rain did ease briefly to notice the rubbish pile up from the houses onto the street creating a two-lane road into a 1 ½ laner. We were to have breakfast and leave by 8am.
At 11 o’clock we left with our
tour guide Frank somewhat recovered from his massive 2 day hangover. We arrived at the gates after crunching up gears when we should have gone down to register and have a look at the viewpoint towards the Ngoro Ngoro crater and Serengeti. This should fill 15 minutes. But for us it was an hour as our guide Frank decided the best cure for a hangover is to have another beer… or two.
We pass Masai people and villages as we bypass Ngoro leaving it for another day. The Masai still live in the Ngoro region, which is classed as a conservation area. This means they can still live their normal lives but unable to cross over to the Serengeti which is a national park. A few times there were 15 year olds face painted in white, apparently searching for their man hood. This can only be discovered by killing a lion.
We seemed to be last to everything on this tour but one time and showing the advantage of being on a tour with Frank was told by another guide there was a leopard. Leopards is another word for mirage for a tourist on a safari. So many
times people imagine you’ve said the word. “What did you say? Did you say you saw a leopard?” “No I said that these two minute boerwerswore needles tastes really good” happened in Etosha, Namibia.
But what do you know our guide Frank in his tipsy state found it. Probably because there were 6 other troupers there at the time. We were surrounding a large tree with a leopard on the left, red faced – fresh scarlet of a gazelle kill. The body already opened up on the guts ready for distribution to the branches of the tree top.
Leopards need to move their kill to the trees otherwise they risk losing their hard earned for the lions. Exhausted the leopard’s lungs are on overdrive as it drags its meal closer to the trunk. When it drops the load it looks around to make sure the coast is clear than continues. At the trunk base it looks up thinking how on earth am I going to get it up there? The same thought that I had.
It gave it more than one go but couldn’t do it. Instead it starts plucking the fur out like a chicken to
expose the flesh so it can dig in. The noise of the fur getting ripped off the body is still with me. As well as the guts flopping out when the leopard flipped the gazelle over. We left first whilst the leopard was still eating because we hadn’t camped yet.
After our meal Our guide Frank came over to inform that we will be leaving later than desired. I voiced my opinion in a direct way. “We were very disappointed with today. Leaving 3 hours late is unacceptable. We are scheduled to leave at 7am tomorrow morning no later because if we have another day like today I will have to report you because today was ordinary. I haven’t come here to sit here waiting for you I have come here to see the Serengeti.” And from then on he was on time but couldn’t give up on the drink. Always sneaking off for a couple of Kili’s (Kilimanjaro was the common beer).
The next day we drove off to see what Serengeti had to offer in a full day. What was seen was a savannah of grassy landscape and these typical Serengeti trees. They seem so defined.
Very upright, tall and branch out to provide shade for the numerous animal life. But early on it was disappointing I was expecting more mass of animals.
What Serengeti provides is a more real experience. Some National Parks are kind of set up with its watering holes strategically positioned. Serengeti is more natural and more unrestricted. Serengeti covers 14 763sq kms. And combined with the Masai Mara which is just across the river on the north. Serengeti covers 97% of the ecosystem of the two combined.
Maybe because of this vast land the animals were scattered but still there was enough action to satisfy. Each safari provides something different and seeing a gazelle in a full sprint with defensive moves was a great sight. They’d kick with their back legs whilst jumping in the air followed by a big ‘zoooooom’ across the park. A lot like road runner.
A cheetah was also seen but exhausted under a small thorny tree. I always struggle to identify the difference with a cheetah and leopard but Serengeti helped. Ummm I don’t know, Leoaprd is more spotted… no that’s not it. The spots are black on a cheetah whilst the leopard
is more… Oh lets just say leapard is more golden silver and cheetah is more an orange gold. That’ll do.
Carcases are around and one time a group of vulchures were having a frenzy on a warthog. Some would extend their wings like a black trechcoat walking closer to the pack to get a good position. Once there they really force back their bodies, the claws on the body, the beak stretching the flesh off. Hyenas roam around various areas but they don’t d much but scavange with their ill proportioned body. THEY ARE SIMILAR to a bear.
Lions dominate the watering holes and we watched 2 lionesses and 1 lion walk to a shaded area of elevated rocks with a few shading trees. The fear of a car is non existant in fact they have incorporated it in there ___killing technique___.
As stated before only when its cloudy and cool lions seek prey in the day time. Normally it is either early morning or twilight. A pride of 9 lions were the main show.
Many troupe were there and it was interesting to see how the lions have acclimotised to the new environement. They tuck
themselves behind the car as they are about 400m away from the zebra. Everytime the vehicle moved the lions would move with it. Hiding behind the tyres. We move to 200m away. At this stage the 4 leading lioness look at each other and silently split.
Two stay with the cars, 2 others in the bushes and the rest somewhere out the back near the trees. Somewhere close to them was a giraffe in the background poking its head in asking, “Hey guys! What’s happening? Am I missing something here?”
Zebra were crossing the water and having a jolly ole time. Lions communication from distance was fascinating. It was as if they were soldiers at war. Instead of hand movements for directions. They’d slightly raise their heads to look around, make eye contact than crouch and proceed.
They are now split individually over 150m in a semi circle. It seemed like an hour of patients waiting to pounce. Than a scurry in the distance. Zebra and now wilderbeast are running away from the far side. The plan is failing! The lioness near our car are starting to panic. “What’s going on? They are suppose to attack here not
there!” In a panic the one next to our vehicle said stuff it and slowly builds up speed whilst in a crouched position.
It was if they were playing a revised version of ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’ and this lion thought it was 1 o’clock she thought it was 6 o’clock. “Dinner Time!” Zebra freak out as the lion presents herself to the group. “Argh!!” The lion had no chance the fracus from the far side made the prey aware of what was up and it was too late.
Some more stuff ups by our drunk guide Frank but he did manage to get us to a hippo pool before everyone else. There must have been about 50 hippos laying in a pool of their own filth. Laying in the sun they’d use their tail to cool down with water to flick it back.
They would jockey for position for their best position to catch the morning sun rays. One was late to arrive and the sight of the lard arse slowly walking down the bank created cries of warning. This is my patch. They are pig like out of water. In the water they look
as happy as Larry when in a position of satisfaction. The large grin on their face is memorable.
The wilderbeest migration was at its early stage so the few groups were there gave a rough idea of what it would be like. Wilderbeest seemed very unsociable when a vechile was around. They run off a little like a prop forward taking a hit up to get beyond the avantage line. Head down bum up.
Ngoro Ngoro Crater is usually combined with a Serengeti trip it is about 1 hour backtoward Arusha. The campsite is on top of the crater. Zebra grazed all night and walked up to one he didn’t move. Frank was out getting pissed again.
He got back he next morning and asked one of the other guys on the tour. “Do you think they know about me drinking the past few days?” Can’t believe it this guy still must have had my words from the first night in his head but still… still couldn’t control himself and had to have a beer.
Even with that he was our only option to the crater. It is 20km wide and one of the largest calderas’
in the world. A calderas is a collapsed volcano. We saw it briefly the first day and there didn’t seem to be much water around. But the crater is in altitude and it seemed to rain here more.
I expected more animals conjested but it wasn’t the case. The only real highlight was being able to see a black rhino and her child. Rhinos are distinguished by the colour of their horns. Everything else was a bit disappointed.
Rain came again just after we reached the top again and a tired Frank drove us back happy that tonigiht he could drink and wake up at the middle of the day. After numerous safari’s I have probably finished the sit down in a vehicle and safari. But the experiences I’ve had will be memorable.
Moments like the baby elephant struggling to breath in a river cross in Chobe. The giraffes making sure the lions are aware that they know they are there. My Serengeti experiences and of course the magnificent affection the elephant had in Etosha NP with the elephant arse rupture.
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George
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Nice pics....
Planning trip to Tanz in June 2011, if you dont mind, what camera did you use on safari and what company did you use for the tour?