EAST AFRICA SAFARI
March 18 – April 5, 2003
Overview
The flight from Los Angeles to Kilimanjaro,
Our travel agent throughout is Somak although they subcontract with another
group in
Joe, our guide and driver for the next 8 days, met
us at the Kilimanjaro airport. We zipped through customs and were loaded into
a Land Rover for a 20 minute drive to our hotel, Serena Mountain Village.
Dead tired, we didn’t have much time to appreciate what a nice place it was
and how helpful the staff. They had kept the bar and the kitchen open just
in case we wanted to use either. The hotel overlooked a mountain lake and
was located about 5 miles from Arusha,
Joe picked us up after breakfast on 3/19 and we headed into town. We were
killing a few hours while we waited for another couple to join us. They were
flying in from
Tarangire
Bea and Terri Henry (mother and daughter) joined us after lunch and we were on our way to Tarangire National Park. After a drive of about 90 minutes over fairly decent roads, we arrived at the park. Our hotel for the next two nights, the Tarangire Sopa Lodge, was located well inside the park. We enjoyed a very productive game drive on our way in and Joe had the added pleasure of changing a flat tire.
On 3/20 we launched on an early morning game drive followed by breakfast at about 9:00 AM. Enjoyed the hotel and a nap prior to another game drive at 3:00 PM. Bea and Terri are great company. The photos tell it all. Wildlife at Tarangire was plentiful and RuLan fell in love with the Baobab tree, notable for its tremendous girth and soft bark that the elephants devour. Particularly heavy on zebras, giraffes and elephants.
Lake Manyara
Early morning departure on 3/21 for Lake Manyara National Park. Paved roads are a distant memory as we drive throughout the morning arriving at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge in time for lunch. The lodge is located atop a small mountain overlooking the lake. In the afternoon we drive down the mountain, into the national park and out to the lake. Many baboons and some elephants enroute. The lake is large, shallow and does not drain so the mineral content is very high. A zillion birds, mostly pelicans, and a smattering of zebras and giraffes surround the lake. Another delightful evening and the next morning we’re off again.
Following breakfast on 3/22, we head back down to the park and its lake. Joe is excellent at identifying the flora and fauna. He reinforces his instruction by presenting the object’s color photograph, description and origin from his reference book. Back to the hotel for lunch. RuLan takes an early afternoon village tour while I rest. At 3:00 PM, Terri, RuLan and I embark on a nature walk with Kerry, a young Maasai guide. It starts out slow with frequent stops to identify anteater holes and plant life. Then it gets serious. We hike through 10 minutes of chest high elephant grass and find ourselves overlooking a steep gorge. We descend about 300 meters to the fast moving small river below, stopping often to secure footing and an occasional helping hand from Kerry. Following the river downstream, there are locals gathering fire wood, fresh water and berries. Over the next 2 hours or so we cross and recross the river 10 times (actual count). Nobody falls in, but it’s sometimes close. I leave a good bit of skin on a rock when footing gives way. We’re close to our physical limit when the trail starts back up and soon we emerge from the gorge and recognize the sounds of a roadway ahead. Then we see it, Kerry’s assistant has brought the vehicle to meet us and miraculously has set up a Bush Bar with cold sodas, water and beer. Terri and I kill 2 large local beers each and are barely able to struggle into the vehicle.
Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast on 3/23, we head for Ngorongoro Serena Lodge in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This overlooks a huge extinct volcano crater, 16 km across. That afternoon we visit a Maasai village and are introduced to their life style close up. Fascinating, but a bit much by most all society norms.
The next morning we pack lunches and set out for the crater. Wildlife in the crater is plentiful as we find rare rhinos and some lions. Most crater mammals are limited to the confines of the crater, but to my surprise, the elephants are capable of (and often do) climbing out of the crater from time to time.
Serengeti
On 3/25, we drive to Serengeti National Park. Enroute we stop at Olduvai Gorge site of the fossil remains of prehistoric man. On arriving in the park, we have a picnic lunch followed by an afternoon of game spotting. Serengeti is a massive area of mostly flat plains with wooded and rocky knolls, watering holes and over 2 million wildebeests. Wherever you find wildebeests there are many zebras. With all this prey come lions, leopards and cheetahs. Then there are hyenas, jackals and vultures to clean up what the cats leave. The later are the carnivores. The herbivores are browsers (leaf eaters) and grazers (grass eaters)., e.g. giraffes are browsers, elephants are grazers. But if they’re really hungry, they will cross over.
After a pleasant night at the Serengeti Serena Lodge, we start out the next day at 8:00 AM, picnic lunches aboard for a full day at Serengeti. It’s a great day until about 11:00 AM when I start to feel bad. By 12:00, I’m really sick. About 12:30 I tell Joe we need to stop for an emergency evacuation. He finds a rocky knoll for me to hide behind and to the bewilderment of a couple wildebeests, I poop my guts out. I’m totally wasted the rest of the day and upon returning to the hotel the resident physician is summoned. While I think I’m near death, he’s seen it before, takes the usual vitals and provides me with antibiotics and a lecture on hygiene in Africa.
Feeling better the next morning, we load up the Land Rover one last time for the short drive to the airstrip. The turbo Caravan comes in on schedule and we are on our way back to Arusha.
After lunch in Arusha, we load into a Nissan van and drive north
for about 2 hours toward Nairobi. The paved road is a pleasant change, but
the Nissan is a piece of junk. Arriving at the border, we walk through customs
and immigration and meet another driver who loads us into his Nissan van for
the 3 hour drive to Nairobi. Terri and Bea are flying out that night for London.
After a short stop at Somak headquarters to pick up the local supervising
agent, we arrive at the Nairobi Serena Hotel about 7:30 PM. The long auto
ride has us pretty tired. The agent, also named Joe, briefs us on the
This is a 5 star hotel and we appreciate the class.
Aberdares and The Ark
By 8:00 AM we’re checked out of our luxury and traveling north in another
Nissan van. Paved roads but the van is still junk. Our driver for the next
couple days is Baston. We arrive at the Aberdares Country Club about 11:00
AM. There we have an excellent buffet lunch, meet new friends and enjoy walking
around the beautiful grounds. Seems this area was the enclave of the colonial
whites before
Located in the heart of the Aberdares National Park, The Ark provides a unique viewing opportunity of the wildlife from its various viewing platforms while avoiding the hassles of safari driving and hiking. No vehicles are allowed in the park other than those carrying people to and from The Ark. A watering hole and salt lick (not a block, but salt saturated earth) are adjacent. The area is flood lit at night to provide easy viewing of nocturnal activities. Although The Ark is capable of accommodating over 100 guests in comfort, there are fewer than 30 on this night.
The next morning, 3/29, the bus returns us to the country club where Baston meets us. We are soon on our way to the Mount Kenya Safari Club. This is a beautiful complex with all the amenities of a luxury recreational hotel. We check in to a spacious chalet; the bathroom is larger than most European hotel rooms. The dining room, located in the main building, is exquisite and the food is equal to the ambience. We meet a couple in the lounge that evening who are involved in humanitarian work with the poverty plagued Sudanese. Baston picks us up the next morning for a short drive to the local airstrip. This place is difficult to leave.
Masai Mara
Another turbo Caravan picks us up at about 10:00 AM. We head southwest toward
the northern end of the Serengeti which is in
The next morning we get out early. It’s Monday, 3/31. Our game drive takes
us all the way to the
Since our flight back to Nairobi leaves at 11:00 AM, we opt to get out early for one more game drive the next morning. Good choice. We find a rhino pair and later crocs and hippos. Then, much to our surprise, Eric takes us to a clearing beside the river where a Maasai guide is waiting. He tells us to go with the guide. After about a 5 minute walk, the guide takes us to breakfast in the bush. An occasional surprise event provided by the Lodge staff.
On schedule, our aircraft for Nairobi is a Twin Otter this time.
Nairobi
We fly into Wilson, the GA airport, where we are met by the Somak Nissan that takes us to the Nairobi Serena Hotel. RuLan makes plans to tour and shop in the afternoon. I opt to rest and catch up on my email. That evening we are driven to The Carnivore restaurant. The standard menu features meats from all the game animals carved at your table. RuLan’s favorite is ostrich. Mine is warthog.
Early the next morning we are driven to the International Airport for our flight to Entebbe.
Entebbe Airport is on a peninsula in the northwest corner of Lake Victoria. It serves the capital, Kampala about 15 miles north. There we are met by our guide and driver for the next 4 days, Francis, who soon has us on board his Toyota Land Cruiser. Its about a 7 hour drive to our destination, Queen Elizabeth National Park. With stops for road side shopping and lunch, we arrive there about 5:00 PM. After a short game drive, Francis takes us to our Camp(?) for the evening.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The camp is truly primitive. There’s nothing resembling amenities. Security is zilch and we are the only “guests”. It takes RuLan about 5 minutes to determine that we are not staying there. Francis is on his cell phone and RuLan is telling him “what for”. After the dust settles, Francis tells us that there is a 4 star hotel in the park about 30 minutes drive but that his boss says we will have to pay the cost difference. Deciding this is no time to argue, we go. (Later we learn that Somak picks it up.) Although we get there late and tired, it’s worth it.
The next morning, 4/3, we leave early for Kyambura Gorge. The plan is to hike through most of the 10 mile gorge, looking for Chimpanzees and monkeys. We meet our guide Robinson while eating our box breakfast. Soon we are down in the gorge finding considerable wildlife and discovering different ways to cross and recross the river. I find an ant hill while waiting for one crossing and a few minutes later, in the middle of the river on an unstable log, I’m suffering bites all the way up into my crotch area. Somehow I make it, drop my pants and start plucking the little bastards off my privates. Robinson suggests that I tuck my pants in my socks; good idea. Although we spot various monkeys, birds and reptiles, the Chimps are elusive. After about 2 hours, Robinson leads us out.
Back aboard Francis’ Land Cruiser, we head for Bwindi. The drive takes us south through Queen Elizabeth Park and the game spotting is excellent. Shortly before exiting the park, Francis stops for a break and we enjoy our box lunches. Leaving the park, the good dirt roads become poor dirt roads. It’s a rough 3 more hours until we reach Volcanoes Bwindi Camp. Our tent has all the conveniences and I’m soon showered and crappped out.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Before dinner, there is time for a couple cool ones on the dining room patio. Across the valley the Chimps begin their evening screeching. Dinner is excellent and I sleep like a baby. The next morning, 4/4, we are up with the birds. This is the day we track the Mountain Gorillas. Francis is waiting for us at 7:30 AM to take us to the park headquarters where we are briefed and meet our guide, Medad. We are the only clients today. Medad continues the briefing and asks about our water supply. We have 1.5 liters each. He insists on a minimum of 2 liters each so we add a couple more bottles. We hire two porters (selected by Medad). Jimmy carries the pack with rain gear, water, lunches and my binoculars and digital camera. Ada has RuLan’s smaller pack which is mostly camera and video equipment. It’s a short drive in the park pick-up truck. We’re in the cab; everything and everyone else is in the bed. By 8:30 AM we are hiking.
Medad tells us that it’s about a 400 meter rise to the top of the small mountain
in front of us. The climb is steep. We need to rest every 15 minutes or so.
Temperature and humidity are in the 90’s and Jimmy’s pack gets lighter as
we gulp the water. We’ve picked up 2 soldiers now who will be with us until
we complete the day. There is a sizable army barracks posted nearby to insure
no problems with poachers and from the close, unstable borders of
About 2 hours into the hike we crest the mountain. Medad informs us that the trackers have located the gorillas and we don’t have far to go. We travel down the back side of the mountain for about 20 minutes when we come upon the trackers. Gathering our cameras and binocs, we leave the other gear with the porters and follow Medad and the trackers. The soldiers have melted into the bush. The going is pretty thick and the trackers machetes are in frequent use. In a small clearing we spot the first gorillas, a couple females and some young ones. We need to stay about 7 meters away (park rules) and the young ones approach curiously. We take pictures and move on.
The trackers are looking for the patriarch. He’s over 200 kg’s. (about 440 lbs). They have names for all of them. He’s Silverback from the large gray patch across his shoulder blades. We soon find Silverback along with a number of his family including one very pregnant female.
We are limited to 1 hour of contact with the gorillas. The dense foliage makes photography difficult and flash is prohibited. Still we get some great shots and the experience is thrilling. Medad finally leads us away. The trackers probably know where we are going but it is extremely dense. Both trackers hack away and Medad steers us through. We break out to a clear area and soon the porters and soldiers join us. Time for lunch and a chance to relax and talk about our good fortune.
With the lunch scraps and empty water bottles stuffed back in the pack, we head back up the mountain toward home. After about 15 minutes, we are reminded why it’s called a rain forest. The skies open up and we don our rain gear. The heat, humidity and our exertion begin to take their toll. My clothes are more soaked from my perspiration than from the rain which is with us in varying amounts for the next hour. The mountain eventually gives way to a village road. We are out of the park and Medad calls ahead for our vehicle to meet us. RuLan buys some baskets from one of the local youngsters. It’s about 2:40 PM when I spot the truck. Our water supply is down to half of one bottle. The soldiers disappear and we say good by to the porters and trackers. Medad goes with us back to the park headquarters.
There the park information officer and our original briefer, Jim Busiku, has arranged a little award ceremony. Jim presents us with our gorilla tracking certificates and Medad takes the pictures. The rain has stopped since we left the forest and we chat awhile awaiting Francis’ arrival to take us back to the camp. Quite a day.
Entebbe, Nairobi, Amsterdam and Los Angeles
Another pleasant evening in the camp and we prepare for our trip home. The next morning, 4/5, Francis is waiting for us for an 8:00 AM departure from the camp. We’re almost on time as we say good by to the camp staff who have been so helpful and courteous. We set off on a 9 hour drive to Entebbe to catch a 7:45 PM flight which will eventually end at LAX, about 2:00 PM, Sunday April 6th.