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Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
? km |
Meals
3 courses, steak and potatoes |
Weather |
|
Lake Manyara National Park,
Tanzania |
14 June, 2004 |
Lake Manyara Lodge |
XX°XX.XXX’S
XX°XX.XXX’E |
Odometer: 25223km |
Partly cloudy, 80(F) degrees
|
|
We left this morning on a 4-day (3 days for
Nick) safari. We shopped at a grocery store in Arusha where our guide told
us we should buy 12 bottles of water for the trip. The store wanted 1000
Tsh (Tanzanian shilling) [~$1] per bottle, and suspecting subterfuge, Witt
and Eric walked down the street to find another store selling water for
500 Tsh per bottle. Next we stopped at a tourist “handicrafts” shop where
we had lunch and wandered around the store, but didn’t buy anything
(“strike two” for our guide, who we believe gets a percentage of the price
markup for bringing tourists to the two shops). We drove to Lake Manyara
National Park in the afternoon. The lake is part of the great Rift Valley
and was thick with pink flamingoes. We also saw some elephant, warthogs,
zebra, etc. After the game drive we drove up onto the wall of the rift to
Lake Manyara Lodge. The hotel is situated on the edge of the rift with
outstanding views down into the valley. We enjoyed an excellent meal at
the lodge. Many thanks to Edie, who managed to score us an upgrade to
lodge accommodation from camping. |
Red-billed hornbill in Lake Manyara NP Roughing it at the Lake Manyara Hotel
Red-billed hornbill in Lake Manyara NP
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|
Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
?km |
Meals
buffet |
Weather |
|
Seronera National Park,
Tanzaia |
15 June, 2004 |
Lake Manyara Lodge |
XX°XX.XXX’S
XX°XX.XXX’E |
Odometer: 25223km |
Partly cloudy, 85(F)
degrees |
|
Ngorogoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge, Laekedi
footsteps. We left the lodge this morning after a full breakfast and
headed toward the Serengeti. We drove first past Ngorogoro crater and
stopped at Oldupai Gorge, a region rich in archeological evidence of human
history. A set of human footprints in volcanic ash discovered by Mary
Leakey in 1972 at nearby Laetoli are 3.7 million years old and are the
earliest incontrovertible evidence of human existence. Although the trail
itself is closed to visitors, the museum at the site houses a plaster cast
of the footprint trail. We spent a couple of hours at the museum and then
continued along the rough and dusty road to Seronera lodge in the
Serongeti. After an evening game drive during which Jen spotted two
separate prides of lion, we enjoyed another night of game lodge luxury,
complete with a bottle of wine. |
Eric and Nick searching for wildlife
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|
Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
?km |
Meals
buffet |
Weather |
|
Ngorogoro Crater
Conservation Area, Tanzaia |
16 June, 2004 |
Ngorogoro Wildlife Lodge |
XX°XX.XXX’S
XX°XX.XXX’E |
Odometer: 25223km |
Partly Cloudy, 80(F)
degrees |
|
During an early morning game drive we spotted
two prides of lion, one of which was just finishing breakfast when we
found them. After we had breakfast at the lodge, Nick caught a ride back
to the airport. The rest of us went out for another game drive, spotting a
cheetah in the grass. We also saw the same pride of lions we saw earlier,
this time lounging in a large acacia tree. There were about five females
lying on various branches, legs and tails dangling. More females and a
male enjoyed the shade under the same tree, and another male lounged under
a nearby tree. We headed back to the lodge to continue our gluttony at the
lunch buffet. In the afternoon we drove back to the Ngorogoro Crater where
we checked into another lodge, this time situated right on the rim of the
crater. Our room has a wall of plate glass with an amazing view down to
the crater floor. We enjoyed drinks on the terrace and afterward overate
once again at the buffet. An acrobatic troop provided the evening’s
entertainment with an outstanding display of agility and balance. |
On your marks, get set.... Zebra taking a drink or two Traffic jams form in the Serengeti at cheetah sightings
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Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
?km |
Meals
Roasted beef and goat, fried plantain, mbege |
Weather |
|
Moshi, Tanzaia |
17 June, 2004 |
Springlands Hotel |
XX°XX.XXX’S
XX°XX.XXX’E |
Odometer: 25223km |
Partly cloudy, 75(F) degrees |
|
We spent the morning on a game drive on the
floor of the crater, seeing large herds of wildebeest. We also saw
buffalo, elephant at a distance, and a black rhino. We enjoyed a picnic
lunch near a lake which was beautiful despite the aggressive birds
stealing our food. We drove back out of the crater and started the 5-hour
trip back to Moshi. We convinced our guide, Bonney, to take us somewhere
we could try some mbege, the local homemade brew. He took us to a small
bar with loud music playing and lots of people sitting around outside
drinking the stuff out of large plastic cups. We bought a round of 5 cups
of mbege (about 16 ounces each) for 1000 Tsh ($1) total. It tastes very
sour and has small pieces of sorghum floating in it. It’s made by drying
and fermenting the sorghum grain, then adding banana. It is definitely an
acquired taste. We ordered some grilled meat from a local eatery and had a
light dinner. The locals seemed very amused that we were there and were
very friendly and welcoming. |
Ngorongoro Crater from the rim Wildebeest on the crater floor
Ngorongoro Crater from the rim
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Into
South Africa..... |
