tanzaniapart4

Monday, January 28, 2002--Cool in morning, warming in afternoon, not hot. Ndutu

I got up this morning long before Ken to see a spectacular sunrise through scatterings of early morning clouds. All was silent except for
the songs of birdcalls. I took some pictures.

We were taken on a two-hour nature walk down around the lake by an armed park ranger. Walking in the bush is dangerous so we are
only allowed to go with a trained ranger. We were out in the open with zebras, hartebeests, hyenas and who knows what else. At the lake
were hundreds of flamingos. They would take off from the lake, wildly flying through the air--an awesome sight.

We came back to the lodge at 9:30 and had breakfast--crepes, eggs, porridge and more. I spent time catching up on my journal before a
short game drive. Samson spent a month here in 1975 learning how to cook. Before being the fantastic guide that he is now, he was a
part of the camp crew at the adventure camps.

There was a spectacular scene right in front of our cabin.
Three giraffes were grazing the trees, stately walking toward the
lake. In back of them a herd of wildebeests and zebras were
migrating as the giraffes walked toward them and through the
herd. Magnificent! I was able to get some pictures.

We went on a short 2-hour game drive before lunch. It
turned out to be special as we saw 5 lions lounging in the open.
We were within 3 feet of them, just standing in the Land Rover
watching. One lion came right up to the vehicle and walked
beside us--actually brushing against us. My window was open
as I stood there, frozen, until he passed. Kind of scary and yet I                               mouse over picture
really wasn't frightened--just a few anxious moments--particularly
when Robert closed his window. I tried mine but it was stuck. This was a really special moment.


On the rest of the drive we drove right through herds of zebra and wildebeests and saw hundreds of flamingos before arriving back at the
lodge for lunch. As I write this, I am sitting on our porch watching a herd of impalas.

We went on another WLV drive from 4-6 pm. Saw a small group of 5 giraffes munching on tree tops; they truly look prehistoric as they
walk. Then we came across a mother and 4 almost grown cheetahs--beautiful animals.

On the way back, Samson and Robert decided to have an off-road race over the savannah. Samson was the clear winner--Robert is
much too timid when compared with fearless Samson. It was fun.

Tuesday, January 29, 2002   Warm but not uncomfortable            Ndutu Serengeti



We stopped at lunch in the shade of a large rock outcropping called a kopje.Before we were
allowed to get out, Samson and Robert needed to explore thearea and make certain there were
no lurking animals. It was safe so we climbed the rocks with our box lunches and enjoyed our
meal on the Serengeti floor.

A family of baboons scampered on the plain. One large male ambled right overto where we
were and plopped himself down on a rock. Then he obliginglyposed for us for several minutes
and put on quite a show. He was hysterically funny as he held himself and pointed straight at us.
Samson and Robert were laughing uproariously as even they had never seen anything like it.

Continuing the drive, Samson spotted a leopard in a tree. How he saw him i sbeyond me.
Leopards are solitary animals unlike other cats. We watched him for a while then he climbed
down the trunk and hid in the grasses. It was beautiful to see as he so gracefully descended.

As we drove to the Serena Serengeti Lodge, we saw cape buffalo, lions,monkeys and, finally, a
crocodile--I have been waiting to see one. We arrived at the lodge around 5. This is another
magical place, tucked away, overlookingthe Serengeti. Our patio has a beautiful vista.

Dinner was fantastic--the best yet. After dinner there was a floorshow of African music and
dance. But, we were really tired and so didn't stay long. Once more we needed to be escorted to our room by hotel security. Armed
guards patrol the grounds all night.

We have now seen all of the Big 5--elephants, rhinos, cape buffalo, lions and, the last one, a leopard.

Serengetti Serena Lodge-Migration Camp      Wednesday, January 30, 2002 warm but cooling off in the afternoon

I sit on our porch at Migration Camp--overlooking the plain below, listening to the calls of many birds--a beautiful, melodic chorus. I
hoped to see an animal walk by but no such luck. I will remember and retreat to this peaceful place during hectic times.

We left Serena Lodge about 9:30, seeing wildlife along the way as we went to pick up those who had gone ballooning early this morning.
From there we spent the day driving through the Serengeti. We saw 12 giraffes together which is quite unusual--males, females and
young--quite a sight. We watched a large group of baboons cavorting in the fields; they were fun to watch. Saw herds of impalas, gazelles,
and one sleeping leopard as well as 3 lions in a tree and 2 on the ground. All very exciting!

At lunch we stopped at the Serengeti Visitors Center, ate our box lunches amid a tremendous variety of birds scrounging for crumbs and
flying around. The center had a very interesting trail with a lot of information about the history of and life on the Serengeti.

From lunch we continued WLV. We arrived at Migration Camp, our last
stop, at 4:30. This place is wonderful. We have our own huge tent with
wonderfully comfortable beds, a full bath with shower, etc. Our porch
looks out over untamed land where untamed animals roam. There is a
hippo pool below us and we can hear them snorting away--not very
melodious. This place is even more isolated than the other places--
except, of course, the Kidero region. It is completely buried by the
surrounding nature. Absolutely magical.

Before dinner, we sat round the pool, reading and relaxing. Some of our
group went swimming. It is hard to believe that a place so isolated
would have the luxurious amenity of a pool. We had a wonderful dinner
outdoors by candlelight. The service was impressive. Again, once it
was dark, we needed to be escorted by armed guards. As at the other places, they are armed with spears and bows and arrows.

During the night, as we felt safe and secure inside this incredible tent, we could hear lions roaring--although we did not realize what we
heard until Robert identified it for us in the morning.

Thursday, January 31, 2002 Hot       Migration Camp/Serengeti

I woke up at 5:30 to what I think was an elephant trumpeting about 50 feet from our tent. It was too dark out to be able to tell for sure but I
think I saw it. Everything else was so still and quiet. Coffee and a cookie were delivered to us with our personal wake-up call.

At 6:30 we went for an early WLV drive but did not see much. Everyone was hiding. Did see some giraffes and baboons. We came back
for breakfast and then went out again until 2. This time we saw herds of cape buffalo, eagles, an owl, and "the usual" elephants, giraffes, and
baboons. We saw a huge male lion sleeping in a tree. We even saw a serval, a cat, which is very unusual. The drive had started out very
devoid of animals but soon there were many. We came back to Migration Camp and had lunch around 2:30. Then we had rest time until our
last drive at 4:30

The last drive was the only really disappointing drive of our trip. Not only did we not see many animals--just a few baboons and impala--we
were attacked by tsetse flies whose bites are quite sharp and painful. I now have many strange bites all over--as these monsters bite through
clothing, the bites can be in some very surprising places.
We came back to our solitary retreat around 6:30. We had time to freshen up before our last wonderful dinner. We all felt sad that our
sojourn was coming to an end. It has been such a rich, incredible, different experience--one that has reached the soul and changed us. We
have seen God's creation in new and different ways and have come away with an even greater understanding and knowledge of His power
and greatness.

Friday, February 1, 2002   warm Migration Camp-Arusha-Kilimanjaro Airport

A sad day! After breakfast, the Land Rovers were loaded with our duffels for the last time, we took a final group picture on the bridge
leading down to Migration Camp and then left for the Serengeti landing field. Thrillingly, this trip made up for yesterday's uneventful WLV
ride. On the way to the airplane, we saw many animals of all kinds, including the rare Klipspringer, which was majestically posed on a rock
outcropping. The ride was the perfect way to close an adventure you wanted to never end.

The landing field was just that--an open grassy field with a wind sock. We watched the little 12-seater plane approach and thought, "How
perfect this is." There could be no better way to say goodbye than with one last adventure. It was a pretty little plane and the pilot was
gracious and warm as he explained what we would be seeing on the way to Arusha. Quarters were tight and figuring out how to put on the
seat belt taxed me. Finally with Ken's help, we figured out that I was trying to do it backwards. Maybe it was the tears in my eyes and the
lump in my throat that interfered with my dexterity. This was the first time I have had tears when leaving a place even though we have had
many other wonderful travel experiences. This time we had been visitors in another world and goodbye seemed final. Maybe someday we
will return.

The flight to Arusha was fun. We flew low so we were able to see things on the ground the entire time--frequently flying over areas we had
explored on land. The pilot circled the active volcano so that we could all see inside. Clouds were fluffy and beautiful and the sky was
brilliantly blue. We were even able to see Mt. Kilimanjaro, which wasn't obscured by clouds.
When we arrived in Arusha, Thomson personnel met us, took us to the Cultural Center so that we could pick up the things we had on hold
there and buy more. Then we were taken to the hotel where we had a day room. After lunch, we spent time at the pool before showering,
arranging our duffels and carry-on stuff to make sure we carried on no contraband and leaving for our 9:30 pm flight to Amsterdam.

We all had a good time talking and reminiscing in the airport and, of course, buying more things from the shops there (surprisingly good
prices). The plane arrived and we said goodbye to Tanzania. This plane was the same flight we had arrived on two weeks ago. I was
envious of the people who were just beginning their adventure in paradise.