Back in Africa

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SORRY!!! i know..its been ages!! am now in Australia..its brilliant and easy to access the internet..but also expensive! im staying with my fab reles (Gill and Wayne) at the mo..its really good to be around relatives in a house!! have also caught up with Sarah and Simon, Mats here too and met various other reles..Super!! 8) they say hello to all the Britts! anyway..back to

15-02-2011

the balloon ride over the Serengeti was this morning..at $500 USD thought that was a little to extravagant so stuck with the early morning game drive! worried that i may have missed out..but really didnt!! especially with everything we saw.. i wouldnt have changed the day at all if i could do it ten times over!! (except maybe have more spare batteries as mine ran out!!) we saw more Hippos in a nearby pool..loads writhing around everywhere! got close up to a leopard in a tree, more baboons with babies playing around the pool, giraffe, cape horn buffalo, a hippo stretching his legs outside of the water, a herd of about 15 elephants, a pack of lions feeding on buffalo (they were in the distance..so difficult to see..but couldnt off road as our brilliant guide would be reported)..we were then supposed to be heading back..but our guide had a tip and we headed of again..he never told us what we were driving towards as i supose he didnt want to get our hopes up..we got nearer to several vehicles parked up on the road ahead and found a pride of about 5 female lions..we drove so close they were within a couple of metres of the truck..from looking lazy in the sun..suddenly in turn they all sat up with their ears pricked and jogged of as if about to stalk the wildebeest in the vacinity..however quickly changed their minds and posed beautifully for us instead..they walked around the vehicles (us following them) along side us on a mound at one point so they were almost at the same height as us hanging out of the roof..then over to a rock to stand and lay for some photos!! we were the only truck from our group to see them and this was the closest we got to female lions! WOW!

we headed back to camp for our brunch, then more game driving while headed for our next camp.. more of the zebras, wildebeest etc and 3 cheetahs, a young (7ish) recently fed male lion chilling under a tree with a good looking mane. probably the closest we got to a male.. and he looked a lot healthier than the male we saw earlier in the trip! (will have to steel photos here as no batteries).

we stopped at a Masai village where seemingly the whole village came out to greet us.. jumping, dancing and singing..men and women separate the whole time, then inside they did the whole jumping high into the air from the spot they were standing..then encouraged some of the guys from our group to join them..some actually did quite well!! then we were told to split into pairs to be shown around their houses..they were only small so easier in pairs..Helen and Jason said i could go with them as we were uneven numbers..they first said that was ok..but then 2 guys decided that they would show me their house..so was taken off with them..a 26 year old chap and his 24 year old brother..the houses are low and circular..like mud huts..the door is an open narrow corridor curling around the outside wall of the hut..so you crouch and squeeze in..you enter into the centre of the house..maybe a metre in diameter where the cooking etc takes place, i was offered a seat..as i sat i was told it was the parents bed, the older brother sat next to me on the childrens bed (similar size for 3 children) and the younger guy sat opposite me in the entrance into another area they said the house was built in 2 weeks ..built by the women. they told be some things about the house and themselves and asked me about my marital status etc.. told me to take some photos (there was one small hole above the fire..the only window..so it was pretty dark!!) after i told them that no i dont want to be masai and if i marry i would like to keep my one husband to myself..they took me back outside and tried to sell me stuff from their area of the market..i told them id run out of money..so taken a little less enthusiastically to see the kindergarten. i thing they were the least photogenic of people a lot of them looking unwell and syndromic. it felt like you were being watched by the men in the village..like word was spreading that i wasnt married..a little creepy.. i tried to stick with the other couples after that..but when people wandered to see things id already seen or went to the market in the centre of the village.. i decided to take refuge back by the truck..the brpthers saying goodbye and asking if i would come back..and another guy asking if id come back! got to the truck and jacob let me in to hide until the others returned not long afterwards!

so onwards to the next camp..which aparently has HOT WATER!!! YESSS!! ...NO FREEZE your butt off water..with a literally howling wind blowing through the bathroom!! as we pulled up we were told that this site is nicknamed the fridge..may have been good to know this prior to packing our bags!! brrrrr! the trucks were parked on the road by the field of tents (quite busy at this camp) big grey sky and an open air table to eat today..so after food hid in one of the tents (6 in a tent..much warmer!) the rain started and so did the ghost stories!! when it let up a little we decided to head to the toilets (across the field of tents..across the road and across another field) as we came out our tour leader said not to use the bathrooms as there were buffalo down there HAHA!! nice joke..wandered down there with our torches shining..to be faced with green eyes glowing and large dark shapes moving about..argh!!! ok..not joking!! ran back to the tent and dropped out trousers there!! woke in the night..though i could hear the beginning of a roar right outside the tent..split second later realized it wasnt a lion as it started grunting, ripping up grass and sounding disgusting and squeltchy as it ate..must be a warthog or something!! then my tent mate stirred and sounding panicky as she moved about..i said it was just a warthog and we both went back to sleep..apparently not..actually a buffalo..right next to our tent..apparently someone screamed when it got caught in their tent ropes..think thats when i woke?! apparently cape horn buffalo are some of the most aggressive animals in the park and have killed several humans!! Nice!

16-02-2011

drove down the steep sides of the Ngorongoro Crater to find some more animals!! this is the place with the best chance of finding Rhino!! not so much wildlife as weve been seeing the past couple of days..but spectacular scenery as we drove down!! more zebra and wildebeest! a whole bunch of hyenas wondering about..makes it really exciting thinking about what they can sense going on!! we drove about a bit..into a more covered area..found some elephants!! we then spotted 2 black rhino in the distance!! thats the whole Big 5 ticked off!! 8) they looked pale in colour as the roll in the alkaline dust to keep cool. there are around 30 rhino in the crater..so we were very lucky to see them! we then found a male lion with an even more impressive mane and accompanied by two females! then a couple more females emerged from the patch of long grass right in front of us..and then a huge beautiful old male stood up and wandered over to sit near his son and the females!! WOW! the most beautiful male lion!! HUGE mane and darker in colour. apparently there was another male in the grass..we saw and photographed his foot as we drove past! we saw another cheetah walking in the grass..although a little way away! then carried on driving..didnt see so much animal life..a fair few birds..then another slightly closer rhino.. WOW! then time to leave 8( back to snake park via the craft market, and a lunch stop!

17-02-2011

last day of the tour and driving in to Kenya to Nairobi!onto Kenyan shillings (roughly 1.8 to 1 USD). said our goodbyes to various lovely people..really not enjoying goodbyes!! and as i let myself into my hotel room..it hit me that i would be on my own in a room for the 1st time in 40 nights! huge twin room with a huge hot shower, satellite telly..!! we had a (what was left of the ) group dinner at a restaurant called carnivore..a goodbye/birthday meal!! interesting place.. huge cooking area that youre able to see as you walk in with various meats on stakes cooking away! served with drinks and menus..they had special 'herbivore/pestivore' menus! then salad stands, bread and butter, served the obligatory one potato to the carnivores..then on with the meat..they brought around the stakes of meat..held them on the plates standing behind the carnivore and carved straight onto the plate..then plates of various meats brought around..until everyone at the table was full! chicken, beef, pork, goat, camel, alligator..! then a choc blondie for desert! more goodbyes! 8( got given a lovely Tanzania bracelet from Sophia!

18-02-2011

got to open my card from Nannan today!! 8) got up slowly as up fairly early! and then headed for birthday breakfast with Helen and Charlotte! (a birthday bracelet from them too!) various goodbyes then into a taxi to the airport for the next adventure!! mixed feelings..i dont like saying goodbye..there seems to have been too many over the past few days, but then exciting as going somewhere new..and equally anxious!! good to chat to mum and dad!! 8) sat next to a south korean lady on the plane..she was very sweet, gave me her contact details incase i head their way at any point! had a quick lay over in Doha..said goodbye to my new friend..who stayed with me rather than her husband making sure i pushed through to the front so i didnt miss my connection!! met a girl while heading to the next plane who was also on a gap tour..headed for the same hotel in Bangkok, but unfortunately on a different tour! still nice to have company.. i had a prebooked taxi..but invited her along and we headed to the hotel together!

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