Tales From the Chicken Bus

Day 277

Thanks to my bravery and my scaring off the buffalo we did manage to survive the night.  We were rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen.  To be honest I am not usually awake for sunrises so I don’t have much comparison.  There is something about the sun in Africa, always so fiery orange and today was no exception with red hues streaking the sky.  The green tree tops on the slopes of the crater poked through the morning mist to create a perfect sunrise for our final day of safari.

We piled into the truck for the last game drive of our safari.  The Ngorongoro crater promised to be a highlight.  Picture a volcanic crater that collapsed on itself and is 260 sq. km in size, creating a sort of natural enclosure for animals.  We passed through the control gate and began to wind our way down the steep road to the craters floor.  Below we could see animals but from this distance we couldn’t distinguish what they were.  Soon enough we reached the floor of the crater which is dry grassland at this time of year.  There were a few impala and zebras near the roadside but not far off we could see another turck was viewing something else.  Since they were stopped it must have been something good.  A cheetah, lying in the tall grass it was tough to spot but soon after we arrived the cheetah rose and began to walk around.  We asked the driver if we could just stay and watch for awhile, we thought maybe the cheetah would make a run at the nearby impala.  The cheetah didn’t do that, but it was incredible to watch this powerful looking animal walk around.  We eventually moved on from the cheetah and passed the usual zebra, impala and wildebeest.  At a waterhole we saw a group of hippos lazing in the water, hippos are actual a rare sight around here since there is little in the way of water in the region.  The scenery was beautiful which added to the drive.  The crater rose steeply all around us and seemed to be a perfect round shape.  It really did feel like the animals were trapped in here. 

Driving to the far side of the crater we saw 2 black rhinos in the distance.  The black rhino is very endangered and this is one of the only places in the world where you have a decent chance to spot one.  Just over a small hill from here we came across an incredible sight.  We’ve seen thousands of zebra and wildebeest over the last 3 days but we’ve never been in the midst of a heard.  As we drove down the slope we were surrounded by zebra and wildebeest, they were so close to the truck you could reach out and touch one.  The heard stretched on far into the distance and up another hillside.  At this close range we all discovered that zebras have very strange butts.  It seems to be a popular tourist shot while on safari to snap a shot of 3 or 4 zebras butts all walking side by side.  The swirls of the stripes do make for an interesting shot.  I guess you just have to be on safari to understand.  I’ll eventually upload some photos and you can see for yourselves. 

Further on we saw a bunch of trucks all stopped viewing something the same spot.  This was probably the most trucks we’ve seen stopped in one stop on the entire trip so far.  We moved in and saw 3 lions walking around.  On the opposite side of the road was a large buffalo that they had earlier killed, but strangely it didn’t look like they had eaten much of it.  Now it was being devoured by vultures.  Maybe they just didn’t like the taste of this guy or someone forgot the hot sauce?  We moved on slowly and not more than 500 meters away we yelled at the driver, “stop, another lion!”  This was the one thing I had hoped we’d see today that we still hadn’t.  A huge male lion with an enormous mane rose up out of the grass and walked toward the truck.  I couldn’t beleive the size of this lion, so tall and his mane was just massive.  I got a rush when he walked right up to the roadside, stood on a mound of dirt and just sniffed the air.  Then he walked down on the road, right beside our truck.  He continued on to the truck behind us and took a piss right there on the truck!  Damn, I wished our truck could have gotten pee’d on.  This sighting topped the safari, I was satisfied even if our driver was a complete fool. 

We were surprised when less than 1 km passed the lion we stopped next to a water hole for a picnic lunch.  With no fences we all couldn’t help but worry we’d see that lion one more time but this time we’d be out of the truck.  The biggest thing we had to centend with was these crazy kite birds swooping down from the tree above trying to snatch our food.  One came right down at me and I wasn’t really sure how close it was.  Then the same bird circled back and swooped in on Jordana.  It came so close she felt the feathers grazed her skin. 

After our lunch the highlight was some more black rhinos at a much closer range than before.  After that sighting I think we all were getting a bit blaise about the typical zebras and wildebeest sightings.  We all sat in the truck rather than hang out the top as we drove for the road out of the crater.  The exit road was just as winding as the entrance but it was through much denser forest.  The air grew cool and fresh as we rose.  Just as we thought we were near the top and at the end of the safari we were treated to one of the best things we’d seen all trip.  Another full gorwn male lion was walking on the road right at us.  As he approached we were all out snaping photos, we realzied with the incline of the road he was going to pass level with our open windows.  “Close the windows!”  We all shouted and rolled them up.  He walked right past and quickly he was around the corner.  We all talked about how close this was to our camp.  From this spot we arrived at our camp 5 minutes later.  I guess we now know how some animals get out of the crater, they use the road.

We returned to the camp where the cook had everything packed up and the truck was then loaded.  We started the drive back to Arusha and arrived in the late afternoon.  Jordan and I checked back into the Naz hotel and the first thing we did was shower.  I’ve never seen so much dirt come off me before.  4 dusty days without a shower, the water was dark brown.  I had to soap and wash my hair twice to feel clean again.  Doesn’t a shower feel that much better when you are ridiculously dirty?  After we were clean we met up with the group for one last dinner together.  Chinese food at a great place run by a Chinese guy.  Even with the very poor driver we all agreed it was a fantastic safari and we definitely got lucky having a group where we all got along well.  In the morning we were all off our seperate ways.  Vorn the Aussie was off to climb Kilimanjaro, the Swedes were headed west to Lake Victoria and Jordana and I were catching a bus north to Nairobi, Kenya.  We said our goodbyes and had a last toast to a great safari with some cold Tusker beers.   

Day 275

We weren’t getting the early start I thought we would today, I was eager to get into the Serengeti as soon as possible. The reason thoughdid make sense. The permit for being in the park is valid for 24 hours from the time you enter. So if we entered at noon today then we would have to be out by noon tomorrow. After breakfast the truck was loaded and just after 9am we were off. We passed through some scruffy villages, stopped for fuel and a drink. Actually our driver stopped for a drink, he then got back in the truck and drove off. Never asking if we wanted anything or even telling us what the stop was about. Matter of fact he didn’t really talk to us much at all.

W e entered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stopped of for an amazing view of the crater below. We would be back here tomorrow night to camp on the craters rim and then do a game drive the following morning. We continued on towards Serengeti, and soon the road wound it’s way down to the plains below. They seemed to stretch forever in the distance. We saw zebra and wildebeest in groups moving along the plains and a few giraffe. It was amazing, we weren’t even in the park yet. We also saw several Maasai locals walking with their cattle, dressed in their traditional clothing. They would wave at us and shout things, mostly hello, other times to stop and buy something from them. The The Maasai may be semi-nomadic and still very traditional but they aren’t stupid and know how to make a buck from tourism. They sell all kinds of tourists souvenirs, I think they may be semi-nomadic in the sense that they move to where tourists are. The entire trip made for some excellent photos.

Mid-afternoon we reached the gate to the Serengeti, snapped a photo and started our drive in the park. It was very flat here with rocky outcrops spread amongst the plains. A scene straight out of the Lion King, heck I was waiting for the theme music to kick in and a lion to be peering out off one of those outcrops. We saw thousands of zebra and wildebeest moving along the plains. I think part of the annual migration, but I’m not sure since our “guide” had no clue either. Either way it was quite a sight to see so many animals all moving in the same direction. We turned off the main road onto a smaller dirt track while some dark rain clouds gathered in the distance.  We put the roof on anticipating a downpour soon.  Just minutes after doing this we saw it, finally our first lion sighting!  Not one but two lions lying in the grass next to each other no more than 10 meters from us.  I looked at Jordana and she just laughed, it was such an incredible sight to see.  We stayed just watching the lions for a good 10 minutes, I must have taken 20 photos.  You know the way it is the first time you ever see something, besides it’s a lion!  Eventually we moved on when not more than 30 minutes later we came across another lion, no wait we came across another 3 lions!  2 large females and a small younger female.  They stared at us and then they rose and walked right across the road in front of the truck.  So large and powerful looking, and so close it’s tough to describe how it feels to see a lion this close.

We continued the drive and saw 2 more lions, several giraffe, buffalo, thousands upon thousands of zebra and wildebeest crossing the plains and of course impala.  The scenery was tremendous and as good as Kruger was it was hard to compete with what we were seeing here today.  A few hours before sunset we arrived at our camp for the night.  This was more what I had in mind for this safari.  A cleared out spot right in the middle of the Serengeti with a few trees about.  No fences here like in Kruger, animals can and have wandered right through the camp.  As interesting as that sounded I was kinda hoping they would just keep their distance tonight.  Maybe they had a new years party to go to, hopefully.

Well we didn’t have a party to attend and our New Years consisted of the 5 of us drinking some ridiculously warm beer that we had packed in our bags and some kongyagi.  A pretty decent Tanzania spirit made from sugarcane that the Swedes pulled out of their bag.  It was surprisingly smooth.  I’m hoping to be able to find it at the LCBO back home, if not I’m thinking I should start importing it.  It may sound like we had a big drink up for new years but in fact we shared the 6 cans of Castle lager between us and then rationed the Kongyagi as well.  It was far from a drunken new years and by 9:30pm we were all in bed.  It was the first new years I can ever remember when I wasn’t awake at midnight, but it didn’t matter.  Camping in the Serengeti for new years sure beats any drunken night out at a bar.  Now a drunken night of camping in the Serengeti?  hmmm, maybe next year.

Day 274 The day had finally arrived, our safari into the Serengeti. This was the most definite of activities before we left home. There were other things we thought we may do or activities that we didn't plan on ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 272 Yesterday we caught the ferry back to mainland Tanzania and spent another night at the Safari Inn in Dar es Salaam.  We learnt our lesson last time here and spent the extra $3 on an a/c room.  A/C made ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 263 Up at 6am for the 7am bus to Dar es Salaam it felt like all we've done in the last while is full day bus trips. I think its starting to wear on us, travel all day to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 244 We spent last night in the town of Phalaborwa, just outside of the gate of Kruger National Park. From Jo'Burg it was an uneventful full day drive here along good highways. The driving really is easy here ... [Continue reading this entry]