The R&R Big Adventure

The Final Leg

At the beginning of this blog I said we were away for 142 days – strictly speaking it’s 143, but today is a travel day – our last leg from Nairobi back to the UK. We have had a wonderfully relaxing time in Zanzibar – the weather was sunny and hot, and the pool lovely. The staff all looked after us very well, and it was the perfect end to our travels.

We have mixed feelings as we wait to board our last flight (for this particular adventure). Sad that ‘The Big Adventure’ is coming to an end; not looking forward coming back to cold weather, and appalling international news; happy to be seeing family and friends again (and having some home comforts again); but also not missing mosquitos, biting ants and other assorted insects we (especially Robert) have endured the last few weeks. Power cuts have been frequent in Zanzibar (apparently due to problems with the cable coming from the mainland); we even had two or three whilst we were at the airport yesterday, plunging the departures hall into darkness. Back-up generators took a few minutes to kick in. We also had a bumpy take off last night from Zanzibar – I’m sure the UK authorities would never have certified that runway: all reminders of infrastructure that isn’t a given in so many parts of the world.

So, as I reflect back on our adventure, we both have really appreciated so much quality time together – to be fair, a trip of this length could have gone either way (!) – but we have especially enjoyed some spectacular nature together: walks, hikes, the Inca Trail and safari drives. So much so that our long-promised, but never booked, trip to the Lake District has been booked for when we get back.

Highlights of the trip – in no particular order as they have been special in many different ways:

Completing the Inca Trail – as anyone else who has done it, the sense of achievement, being outdoors so much, appreciating the spectacular (and changing) scenery, and seeing the beauty of Machu Pichu at the end. To be fair, so much of South America has been spectacular – the salt flats of Bolivia, seeing the Andes, Atacama Desert, Chilean lakes – the list continues.

New Zealand was a big surprise.  We knew it would be beautiful from everyone who has been there (and raved about it), but what we also liked so much was how clean, efficient and polite the country was. Everyone seems to respect their country (and each other) and makes a conscious effort to look after it.  Milford Sound, Queenstown (and all the area around Lake Wakatipu), and Akaroa all stood out for me.

Cambodia was fascinating, yet disturbing, at the same time: a lovely country, very friendly people, and yet with a violent, disturbing past and a society that still endures many issues today.

Finally – the chance to do safari in both Kenya and Tanzania, see so many different game parks and reserves, and also be so lucky with our sightings. As I have written before, not just seeing animals on their own, but interacting together, and with other species as well. A real privilege. In the process as well, seeing different parts of the respective countries, and how people really live outside of the big cities.

It’s been said many times before, but the world is an amazing place, and there are so many interesting places to visit. The internet and mobile apps have now made it so much more easier to plan a trip, and navigate strange places when you get there: when I think back to when I first travelled as a student thirty five years ago – travellers cheques for payment, paper airline tickets, reverse phone calls home, and reliant on physical guidebooks to get around!

If you have been reading this blog, and have been inspired, do it whilst you can. We never know what’s round the corner, and none of us can take our health for granted forever. Most of the places we have been to involved climbing, hiking, steep steps, or lifting bags distances: something one may not be able to do in later life.

Most people we have encountered across the world (well, maybe not Bolivian Airlines crew) are very friendly – they just want to get on in life, work, and provide for their families. It’s the politicians that muck things up.

Finally, what we have seen further afield has also made us appreciate much more what we have on our doorstep: Europe (and I include the UK in that!) has so much beauty, history and culture, that we don’t have to travel far to experience it.

Right – I need to sign off as boarding will be starting soon. We have seen Burt and Ethel in the airport lounge. Hopefully her cough won’t be behind us for the next ten hours.

That just leaves the question for us … where to next?

Dance of The Seven Veils

Valentine’s night, and the staff had laid up tables round the pool for dinner. A band were playing (for four tables!) and everything was themed in red. I felt a bit sorry for the German lady, here on her own, with all this going on around her. Some newbies had also arrived at the hotel: first off, ‘Burt and Ethel’ – an older East-End couple. You could hear her raspy, forty-a-day cough before you saw here. Then ‘Carlos and Titiana’ : I named them that as he looked like a Mexican drug lord, and she looked like this month’s girlfriend. They didn’t dine with the rest of us (all of four tables) but took their dinner on their terrace, except, every so often Titiana would come down to the pool and dance round the band. I wasn’t sure if she was high, drunk, or both. Her ‘evening dress’ was a thong with a few strips of fabric attached, and a barely-there bikini top. Carlos was wearing a brightly coloured romper suit. Later that evening they went down to their cabana by the beach, and, under the moonlit sky, she performed her own interpretation of ‘The Dance Of The Nymphs’ ; her fabric strips billowing in the breeze, whilst he filmed her the whole time. Maybe he doubled as her ‘Only Fans’ manager as well.

We didn’t see them at breakfast the next morning – I can only assume they are so big in central America they couldn’t possibly mix with the hoi polloi – but at lunchtime they appeared from their villa. She was kindly modelling a local fisherman’s net over that morning’s thong, and appeared to be using tit tape to keep it strapped to her ample 38DD chest. Thanks to her Brazilian butt lift, there was quite a lot of surface area on which to hang the fishing net. Carlos appeared behind her, wearing yet another romper suit, and another pair of outsized, gold-framed sunglasses. Their cabana was two along from ours, so I could see her doing more prancing, and Carlos more filming, over the course of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Ethel and Burt were in the cabana next to ours. Burt had some Frank Sinatra playing on their travel speaker, and was singing along to it, badly. Ethel brought up some catarrh off her chest occasionally.

We didn’t see Carlos and Titiana at dinner – they dined on their balcony again – so we couldn’t be treated to a new, barely-there, fashion extravaganza. They left the resort the next morning, the porter heaving four large suitcases and two cabin bags behind them. Who knew thongs took up so much space.

You can tell we haven’t been doing much: it’s been very nice not doing anything, and not having to plan anything. Although, Robert and I being us, we did start putting together a to-do list yesterday evening for when we get back, which we will sub-categorise, and put timelines on, in due course.

We felt very exclusive at the pool yesterday afternoon, as the only people we could see across the immaculate grounds of the hotel were a couple of gardeners, and the barman, who checked up on us occasionally. Ethel and Burt must have been having a nap. All change today, as three more couples arrived (one of whom is Northern, as they were shouting ‘hello Mam’ loudly, whilst FaceTiming by the pool). A German guy and his much younger relative/partner are also here. I would like to think it’s his granddaughter, but this resort only has double rooms, no twin beds.

I was made redundant a year ago this week, and I saw the share price of my former company had plunged thirteen percent this morning, after issuing a less than sparkling set of annual results on Friday evening. They have informed investors they will be embarking on yet another multi-million pound, multi-market, ‘staff optimisation’ programme this year. Oh dear, I thought, as I looked up and out over the sparkling blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

Stressful doing nothing

Despite us being the only guests in the hotel, the staff had lit old fashioned kerosene lanterns to guide us along the dark paths from our lodge to the restaurant that evening. A lovely touch.

The next morning we were up at dawn to go out on a boat to spot bottlenose dolphins which frequent the waters off Kizimikaze. The waters were calm until we left the protection of the reef at the tip of the island, when it got decidedly choppy. However once we joined around twenty other small boats that were doing the same thing, and we started spotted dolphins, I soon forgot about the waves. Some reviews say it is cruel for boats to be chasing after the dolphins: I think that given how intelligent dolphins are, it is actually them teasing us. They would appear for a few seconds above the waves, diving in and out of the water in unison, before vanishing again – only to appear some distance away from where the boats would then gather. Some of the tourists in the other boats had snorkeling equipment on – ready to ‘swim with the dolphins’ – except, of course, by the time they had dived in, the dolphins were already some distance off, and the snorkelers had to sheepishly return to their boats. One boat of alpha males, all wearing red swimming shorts, and eager to dive at the first dolphin sighting, looked like a Baywatch fan club.

We got some good dolphin sightings, and returned to shore after a couple of hours at sea. Except the boat pilot dropped us by the reef which was 50m or so from the shore. To wade to shore, and get to our lodge, we had to pass through a field of sea urchins, which was interspersed with a jagged rock floor. And we weren’t wearing reef shoes. It was a very stressful 20mins navigating the sea floor to avoid cutting our feet on the rocks, or stand on a sea urchin. It wasn’t until afterwards we read that urchins actually let out a venom if stepped on ‘which isn’t usually fatal’ (!)

We left the hotel late morning to get to our penultimate stop of the trip – a hotel on the east side of Zanzibar (the main island is called Unguja) where we would be a staying a whole seven days. Up until now our longest stop in one place was four days; the usual length of stay being two to three days. There is a cartel on taxi pricing in Zanzibar (like any island, to be fair) but with prices not far off what you would pay in the UK. The Tanzanian government is also definitely rinsing tourists on taxes and fees – more so than most countries we have been to. High tourist visa fees; compulsory Government travel insurance fees for Zanzibar (on top of your ordinary travel insurance); high game reserve fees; and a $10 per night tourist tax per couple for hotels (when most countries /cities may charge a few £ per night). I would have more sympathy if I could see evidence of investment in schools, hospitals or transport on our travels as a result – but sadly not.

The hotel is a small place with only seven villas and no children. Peace and tranquility reign: only one monkey sighting so far. We can access the sister resorts next door for other restaurants, and facilities like the gym, but can retreat here for some peace and quiet. R and I went to the gym for the first time in ages yesterday – we definitely need to get back into a routine after so much food and so little exercise the last few weeks.

I started thinking about potential excursions: we couldn’t sit still for that many days, surely. However, looking down the list of things to do (dolphins – done; Stone Town – done; spice farm (we’ve done a pepper plantation in Cambodia, so essentially done) I think I may have to force myself to relax.

I walked up the powder white beach yesterday afternoon, passing the sister resorts, but then quickly came across both abandoned decaying resorts (thatched sun umbrellas lying on their side, slowly being swallowed by the sea and sand) or half built resorts (during COVID?) that had not been finished. Like Cambodia and Fiji, rubbish unfortunately littered some of the beach further up the coast. It was a pity that those resorts couldn’t survive in such a beautiful setting.

We are the only gay couple here (bearing in mind it is illegal to be gay in both Kenya and Tanzania) but it is an upmarket resort, so it is not an issue. If housekeeping leave a note telling us we are both sinners in the Lord’s eyes, and doomed for all eternity, I will let you know. Today is Valentine’s Day – no PDA from us – and we were not supposed to be drinking much today (it is an all-inclusive place, so hard not to). They served us mimosas for breakfast, and sparkling local rosé at lunch (we were polite and drank it); we supplemented that with an espresso martini each to finish. Best laid plans and all that.

Other couples have retreated to their villas after lunch. Robert is snoozing in our cabana, and I am typing. Who says romance is dead 😊.

From one extreme to another

Saturday night we ate in a roof top restaurant of a boutique hotel which had a lovely view across the port. Stone Town reminded me of Marrakech in some ways – a few lovely hotels and restaurants, hidden down some badly lit, dusty alleyway, but which would appear suddenly around a corner like an oasis amongst the many rundown buildings. Stone Town is a UNESCO site, but clearly a work in progress, as scaffolding and metal barriers surrounded a lot of the historic buildings that are in need of restoration.

On Sunday we had booked to visit two of the major attractions around Stone Town: Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank, both reached by small boat. We were advised – not that we needed telling – to not buy a trip off a street vendor, but go through a reputable company, which we did via the Get Your Guide app. However when we turned up as instructed at the meeting point on the beach, there didn’t appear to be any difference between those booking on spec at the beach, or those who had booked in advance. We were all told to wait until the boats were ready, and then about 30-40 tourists were all walked to the beach, where several un-seaworthy going vessels were waiting to start the day’s excursion. A bit like the boats waiting at the beach to go to Tayrona National Park in Colombia (see ‘Day 12’ entry) – we felt like refugees off to the English Channel, as we were divided up in groups, and hurried onto cramped boats. This time at least we weren’t pounding the waves – on the contrary, the small outboard motor seemed like it would conk out at any moment.  First stop was Prison Island (or Changuu island as it is known locally, after the fish that swim in these waters), a small island 30 mins from Stone Town that was established as a prison for unruly slaves at the end of the 19^th century (Stone Town was a major African slave trading hub) but was never used as such, instead becoming a quarantine centre for slaves arriving from all parts of Africa, before being transported off in boats. It is now a nature reserve for giant turtles, and attraction for hordes of tourists. Having mostly encountered respectful and culturally aware tourists on our travels, all the naff ones seemed to have arrived on Prison Island. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, yet middle-aged men with guts hanging below their crotches were walking around shirtless. Signs everywhere said ‘please don’t touch or feed the turtles’ – yet many did to take selfies; others shoved and pushed in front of people in the museum. Where did they all come from?

From there we were bundled back on to boats (this was marketed as a ‘private tour’) to chug to Nakupenda sandbank. As the name would suggest, it is an undeveloped sandbank about 20mins from Stone Town, with crystal blue waters lapping at its shores. Idyllic, apart from the 40 or so boats all moored on every available bit of beach. The crew would then set up make shift pagodas with the poles and sheets carried on their boats, under which they would unstack the many plastic chairs they were also transporting. This would then become a BBQ picnic stop for lunch. A ‘private tour’ now became grilled seafood and chips with 30 other people. To be fair, we were on powder white sand, with beautifully clear water surrounding us on all sides, and with a great view back to Stone Town. However, having seen how some of the boat crew washed up their utensils (a quick sloosh in the sea water), and a less than thorough grilling of the shellfish, we were convinced at least one of us would be spending the night on the toilet.

On the stroke of 3pm, the ‘refugees’ were rounded up onto their respective boats again, and we continued our return journey back to Stone Town. We seemed to gain another three locals on our boat for our return leg, but the outboard motor just about held out. No-one left anything in the tip box that had been optimistically placed in the middle of the overcrowded boat.

Dinner on Sunday was at The Cape Town Fish Market – probably the best location in Stone Town, on a small pier out to sea, with a lovely breeze blowing through the open-sided restaurant all evening. Entertainment for the evening was watching a table of young women next to us, celebrating (we assumed) one of the friends’ birthday, who then proceeded to dominate the table and give a monologue that went on… and on…. and on… for most of the time we were there. I can imagine what the ‘friendship group’ social chats, ex-birthday girl, would have been like after their meal finally finished.

It seemed the shellfish from the sandbank had been cooked ok as there were no dramas Sunday night. Monday morning we started doing a leisurely stroll around the old town, but the sun even at that time in the morning was intense, with high humidity again, so we retreated to some shade, and eventually headed back to the apartment to catch up on a mountain of ironing and some admin. Dinner that evening was accompanied with another sunset view, in the same Beach House restaurant we had had lunch in on our first day. Back at the apartment we caught up on the first couple of episodes of ‘Amandaland’.  I hadn’t watched TV since ‘Gavin and Stacey’ in a very wet Fiji at Christmas.

This morning we left the apartment mid-morning and had organized a driver to take us to Kizimikazi, a small town on the south-west coast of the island. We are staying in a lodge for one night that has a beautiful location set on the coast. We thought it was quiet here, but then found out from the waiter at lunch we are the only ones staying here tonight (it has about twelve lodges). During our travels in Africa we have stayed in places where there have been only a couple of other rooms occupied, but not where we have the place to ourselves. Despite being the only guests, the barman still managed to get my vodka and tonic order wrong (it must be something about the word vodka – it seems to flummox many English-speaking waiters here). This place can best be described as having rustic charm – great location, and lots of nature around (we can expect to see monkeys and dik diks in the grounds this evening) – but you need to check first before sitting on a wooden chair or sunbed, in case it collapses underneath you.

We have already put our order in for dinner – we have both chosen the same as it would seem unfair on the chef otherwise – and are looking forward to a very intimate dinner for two, and our last sunset on the west coast.

The final chapter begins

Sure enough, it did all kick off again, just as we were getting ready for dinner. In fact, on the river bank opposite our tent, it all went a bit ‘Planet of The Apes’ as three alpha males and their smaller sidekick chased a whole troop of baboons (20-30 of them) out of the plain and across the shallow river to the bank just down from our tent, causing an almighty racket in the process. Fighting over territory: thank goodness humans are far more evolved. 

No chance of seeing stars that night, as a terrific thunderstorm hit overhead during dinner, but which luckily eased as we made our way back to our tent. This time, R was expecting the hot water bottle in the bed. Overnight we could hear more baboons, but not as loudly,  and the lion across the river still making sure everyone knew whose territory it was.

As we left camp early the next morning, we reflected on how verdant all the reserves and parks we had been to were. Africa usually only makes the news in the UK when there is political upheaval, a massacre, or severe drought, so we are not used to seeing such green and pleasant land. Our vehicle passed the hyena we saw the day before – this time lying in a muddy ditch, panting heavily, and not moving when we drove slowly past. This is not a zoo, there is no vet on hand to sort him out – sadly his days were numbered. We passed a good selection of animals for our final drive out of the Maasai Mara: topis chasing each other past the jeep; another family of giraffes gracefully walking across the plains; and yet more gazelle and zebras.

The drive from there to our next stop, Lake Naivasha, was not an easy one. In some places the road was so pot-holed it looked like it had been bombed. I have probably said this before, but if there is one thing this trip has taught me it is how lucky we are in the UK: we may have a few politicians or councillors on the take, but not the scale of corruption and backhanders that is present in other countries; our infrastructure may be in need of repair – but at least it exists.

Villages we passed were a step up from some I had seen previously – in these ones shops were made of hastily cemented breeze blocks, with a handwritten sign scrawled over the doorway so you knew whether it was a shop, or hotel (albeit with no windows). It was cattle market day for the Maasai: we passed many of them, walking miles down the main road in their distinctive checked cloths, bringing their cattle to be sold. The roads were clogged with lorries, many of them driving long distances from the port in Mombasa across to Uganda or other neighbouring countries. There were no ring roads or dual carriageways here: everyone took the same single lane, and gingerly (or not, depending on the driver) overtook the slow moving lorries when possible.

We eventually arrived at our hotel next to Lake Naivasha, about two hours outside Nairobi. It was clearly a popular spot for locals as there were many hotels and resorts lining the lake shores. We were taken to a resort further along the lake where we were picked up by a small boat for a gentle cruise along the shores of the lake, spotting hippos and birds, before we docked at a walking safari spot. I thought we had seen our last animals, but this sanctuary allows guests to walk amongst the animals (herbivores, of course) and get relatively close to them (we saw a two day old zebra running round its mother). It was fascinating to see the animals up close: the alpha male gazelle and his harem, the family of zebra, the vanquished wildebeest from the battle for dominance, and the orphaned giraffe. It was then time to pootle back to shore on the boat, looking at the wealthy Nairobians’ weekend lakeside houses as we did so. 

Yesterday morning we managed to get a lie in as we only had a two hour drive back to Nairobi, and to get dropped off for the end of our safari trip. We had had an amazing time, seeing both lots of animals – and the Kenyan and Tanzanian landscape in the process. Our driver was telling us the big news in Kenya at the moment was regarding the number of Kenyans that would be losing their jobs as a result of the USAID budget suspension – many working in critical health programmes in the country. There was some dramatic scenery as we ascended the escarpment on which Nairobi is situated, with views far out across the plains below. Traffic again was slow, with some drivers deciding to overtake two lorries at a time on hairpin bends up the steep roads.

After lunch we headed into downtown Nairobi. No sooner had our Uber driver set off then he got pranged in the back. Given the poor driving we had seen on our travels in Africa, it was only a matter of time. We started at the Catholic Cathedral (where else) where we were surprised to find we needed to go through metal detectors to get in. We were used to this to enter hotels in the Middle East, but this was a first to enter a church. A mass had recently finished, but there were still many people in the pews praying. I hadn’t seen this even in South America. The queue for confession was huge. I had briefly seen a billboard on the way into town, paid for by an evangelical priest, with rules for his followers telling them what not to do. Some of them were quite obvious (‘don’t have sex with your preacher’) whilst others were a little obscure (‘don’t use padlocks or handkerchiefs’). The dilapidated minibuses that we had seen throughout Kenya and Tanzania that pass off as a public transport network often had religious slogans printed in big letters on them: ‘Jesus WILL Save You’ was common (probably worth knowing, given the very poor state of the vehicles).

Every state building or park we went into we had to show ID – names, numbers and dates were diligently written into large exercise books – I don’t suppose GDPR is a thing here. The view from the 29^th floor at the top of the KICC (convention centre) was great, but it also showed how few buildings from the last thirty years had been built in Nairobi. Modern tower blocks were very few and far between, with most residential blocks dating back to the sixties by the look of them.

We quickly realized that, apart from a group of Scandinavian students who had been on the observation deck with us, we were the only white faces walking around town. I had thought Nairobi – as a capital – might be more cosmopolitan. Now we knew what it felt like to be that only black couple on holiday in the Westcountry.

We wandered a bit more – this was a crowded, chaotic city, up there with Cairo – before taking respite in the calm of a hotel bar (more metal detectors) to have a drink. We continued on, through Uhuru Park (I would have liked to think it was named after her, but it is actually Swahili for ‘freedom’) – and more ID checks – before we thought we would visit the Anglican cathedral as we were walking past it. Unfortunately the security guards wouldn’t let us in, despite freely waving locals through. Ok, we hadn’t shaved that day, and we were wearing old shirts – but we didn’t look like members of Al-Shabaab: was this discrimination in action…? R was feeling peeved off by the whole thing, and the need to constantly show ID (another thing we should be grateful for that we don’t have to do in the UK) so we headed back to the hotel to rest and have dinner. It was nice to have a very tasty hamburger, the first in goodness knows how long.

Another silly o’clock start this morning (we will need a holiday to get over these) and off to the airport for our flight to Zanzibar. More bureaucracy (of course) but our flight left on time, and we didn’t need to queue (or pay) for another Tanzanian visa, despite being told to the contrary.  We had a great view of a cloudless Kilimanjaro as we flew past it.

We managed to get into our Airbnb early in Stone Town, so we could sort ourselves and start exploring the old town. After being used to relatively cool and often wet days on safari, the high heat and humidity here got to us, and we retreated from the ‘hassle’ and bustle to the air conditioning. We found a great restaurant by the coast for lunch and stayed a while to enjoy the view. Now back at the apartment we are catching up on some laundry – of course: the last time before we head back to London – in less than two weeks.

Moon River

Our room in the hotel at Lake Victoria had been upgraded; we didn’t know until after we left it was apparently the ‘Presidential Suite’, which meant a large bedroom with random pieces of furniture in it, and an adjoining kitchen / lounge furnished in lots of dark wood, and large leather sofas. I’m sure the style would have been perfect for a deposed, 1980’s, despot president. The grounds were lovely though – lots of tropical planting amongst the lawns, and peacocks roaming freely through the grounds (although they did make an awful din when they landed on a roof at night).

We left early after breakfast (another table groaning under the weight of food we didn’t have the appetite eat) and our driver drove us the four hours or so to a land border with Kenya. After having our documents processed, we said goodbye to Emmanuel – he had a been a great driver/guide: very affable and humorous, and importantly, a safe driver.

Into another Toyota Land Cruiser – they really are the workhorses of game drives – and time to meet our new driver for Kenya, Ken. More driving – more than two hours – to the Maasai Mara Reserve gate, and the start of another game drive. We were feeling a little weary after all that travel, and probably weren’t feeling the most excited about spending yet more time in a vehicle, however a combination of the beautiful landscape around us (different from the Serengeti, with more variety) and few other tourist vehicles around, we enjoyed watching the world go by. Game spotting was slow to being with – apart from the usual suspects – but then we saw some newbies: a silver backed jackal casually walking down the track, and then a serval cat (looks like a cross between a house cat and a leopard). As we were nearing the end of our drive, and heading towards our lodge for the night, we came across six lions, all sleeping in the sun. We were so close we could see all the flies on them (feeding, no doubt, off the blood on their fur) whilst a young male lion had flies inside a wound he had incurred, poor thing.

We eventually arrived at our lodge around six. It is a beautiful place: in the middle of the reserve, miles from anywhere, and with the Sands River, a natural border between Kenya and Tanzania, flowing beneath the foot of the camp. Whilst none of our reserve lodges have been shabby, this was the most expensive (well, when we would ever get to do this again?) and I had high hopes for it. Our ‘tent’ looks like someone had emptied the contents of a suite at a grand hotel into it: four poster beds, separate seating area, roll top bath and twin sinks, an outdoor shower (other places we have stayed at have done that, but forgotten about Africa’s mosquitos and other biting insects) which has its own mosquito net and view down to the river below. My favourite detail though is the replica (I think) nineteenth century, crocodile skin-covered, wardrobe trunk. It has all sorts of drawers and compartments, including small drawers which I assume, back in the day, would have been used for gentlemen’s handkerchiefs and ladies’ unmentionables.  

During sundowner drinks we could see an electrical storm in the clouds, some distance off. Watching the lightning flashing on and off within them was mesmerizing. After a delicious dinner – in the beautifully furnished restaurant tent, with side lamps, armchairs and sideboards – we returned to our room to sit on the balcony and watch the river below. The electrical storm was still flashing in the distance, but directly overhead the clouds had cleared. With absolutely no light pollution we could see an amazing array of stars. The moon was partially out, but not enough to give sufficient light to work out what the different animal calls, coming from beneath us, were. We were sure there was at least one elephant in the river, and a lion roaring in the distance. We are hoping to spend more time out there tonight, if we get a clear night. Just as R was getting into bed, he jumped out with a start: something large and warm was under the covers. It turned out to be the hot water bottle housekeeping had thoughtfully provided during turndown. It’s not warm at night, this far out in the bush.

Soon after we left camp, before dawn this morning, we saw a family of elephants walking slowly from the direction of the river – it was probably them we had heard last night. It was beautiful to see plains of the Maasai Mara in a different light before the sun was fully up. We soon  came across a hyena lying in the road. At first I thought it was dead, but it was merely injured, and took its time to get up. It limped off, a wound in one of its legs still bleeding. We stopped for a picnic breakfast near a tree (checking for leopards first) and soon afterwards the pace of viewing picked up. A cheetah looked like it was enjoying the attention, with a least half a dozen vehicles parked around it, with cameras clicking. More topi, birds and gazelle were spotted, before we came across at least eight lions sleeping in the shade of a bush. This time a fully grown male was front and centre, which we had been hoping to see close up. We went to Lookout Hill and could see more vehicles clustering around the Mara River. Driving down there we saw many hippos – including a calf that didn’t look more than a few weeks old with its mother – and, further upstream, a few crocodiles lying on the riverbanks. Yes, crocodiles will eat baby hippos, given half a chance. Some more giraffes for good measure, when, as we were turning to start the return back to our lodge, we saw two male lions together, asleep, and another in a bush nearby.  Male lions: well and truly ticked off the list. I think R would have really liked to have seen one in the throws of a chase, or killing a wildebeest, but we can’t have everything. We must have seen nearly forty lions/lionesses on this safari in total.

It was a successful end to our ‘official’ itinerary of game drives (we still have to drive out of the reserve tomorrow to get to our next destination, so there may well be more sightings to come). We wanted to make the most of the lovely lodge so got back in time for lunch by the river; then a snooze for Robert, and time for me to write this by the pool. I said the place wasn’t shabby. I thought it would be perfect if an elephant or hippo could saunter by the river flowing below me, but two baboons have just had an almighty fight in a tree on the opposite bank. The screeching noises were horrendous. One has fallen out of the tree and walked forlornly along the edge of the river bank and sat down across from me. Another has climbed down from the tree and is sitting further along from him. This could all kick off again soon. The staff here are oblivious – just another working day for them.

The lion didn’t sleep last night

There was more rain overnight on Saturday, and sure enough, as we set off the next morning, we could see the dirt tracks were filled with deep puddles. Our guide/driver did an expert job navigating our jeep out of the lodge grounds and into the main park, avoiding getting stuck in the thick mud. I suppose we should have been thankful that the cooler, damp weather meant the wildlife weren’t sheltering in the shade out of the usual heat: within minutes we were already spotting a lot, and it turned out to be our best day of sightings (so far).

First up were buffalo – one of The Big Five. We had seen these previously from a distance, but now we had a whole herd next to the track, including a couple right next to the vehicle, so we could see the intricate detailing on their horns up close. Slightly disconcerting was the way the whole herd – dozens and dozens of them – all turned and stared at us at the same time. Good job we were in a high sided  metal vehicle. We then saw dik-diks (yes their real name) – the smallest species of antelope, that were so cute. After an obligatory family of giraffes, more vervet monkeys were next (the scared looking, black-faced monkeys we saw at Lake Manyara) with yet more young; then some topi, a very elegant large antelope with beautiful brown and black colourings, two of them locking horns in play fighting; vultures surveying the plains from the top of a tree for any dead prey; a hyena mother and her cubs in the distance walking through the long grasses; and then, after a speedy drive through the grass plains to locate them, and with the help of other guides radioing in their locations on the walkie talkie: three lionesses and a young male lion, all dozing in the cool morning air. They really didn’t care that two vehicles (and eventually four, as more arrived) had pulled up next to them. They were yawning, dozing, slumped up against one another, their tails occasionally swatting bothersome flies. Not caring, that was, until one of the tourists made a sudden movement – for example, me leaning out of the roof to get a better shot – when their eyes would instantly open and lock on to me. God forbid someone had actually left the safety of their vehicle.

What you appreciate on safari that you don’t see in a zoo is how animals interact – both within a large group of their own, or with other animals. For example, seeing a large herd of zebra running with wildebeest, or grazing peacefully side by side with other herbivores. Or, as we were to see near the end of the morning’s drive, (after spotting a crocodile on the banks of the river) a large herd of hippopotamuses, probably forty of so, all bathing further up the river. A whole family, including some calves, would all submerge and re-emerge together. Occasionally a large male would appear out of the water and looked quite ferocious when he opened his mouth. You wouldn’t want to get near one on a boat, or indeed on land. At the ‘hippo pond’ we bumped into the Danes we saw the day before: in the Serengeti ‘theme park’ we would often see familiar faces at different spots throughout the day.

It was then back to the lodge to enjoy the facilities for the afternoon: a leisurely lunch (the waiters here don’t seem to understand we cannot eat a large breakfast and a three course lunch and dinner when we are just sitting in a van all day!) and then finally the sun came out.  We managed to get a decent sunset that evening. Sitting by the fire pit, one of the resident Maasai staff members (whose job it seemed was just to manage the firepit) started talking to R and me. Unfortunately his English wasn’t that good, (says me with three words of Swahili) and he also spoke softly, so R and I just nodded and said ‘oh really’ every now and again. He could have been telling us his grandmother had been savaged by lions and all the English tourists could do was nod along. When we eventually realized he had finished speaking we made our excuses to go back to our room.

We also had something of a sunrise this morning, although I was disappointed there were no animals outside our room when I looked out. We then had a long (five hour in total) drive out of the park to Lake Victoria – which is bordered by Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Kenya to the east. It is Africa’s largest lake (some 23,000 sq miles), and the world’s largest tropical water lake. Before we left the Serengeti though we got some dramatic viewings – firstly, (on the way to the Serengeti petrol station!) another leopard in a tree, this time tearing away at its kill, which you could see in all its gruesome detail through the binoculars. Later we spotted on the road, ahead of our vehicle, a hyena and jackal pulling at the carcass of a dead buffalo. The two of them moved off as we approached, but the fresh kill (from lions the night before) was also being pulled at by competing vultures, hissing at each other to get the best bits of remaining meat. Seeing such a large animal, many of whom we had seen the day before, lying eviscerated by the roadside, really brought home why lions are at the top of the food chain.

A few more baboon, gazelle, warthog and ostrich sightings further on our very bumpy ride (they don’t say you get a free African massage for nothing on these dirt tracks), and we were leaving the Serengeti. It seemed bizarre that a few metres from the gate, we turned left onto tarmac and suddenly we were back into reality, with shops, schools and petrol stations lining the streets. For some reason, a sign for the Fuku Fuku campsite caught my attention as we drove past.

We are now at a hotel off the main tourist route next to Lake Victoria, and I am watching the sun slowly set over the choppy waters. We had contemplated getting a canoe ride out over the waters, but on seeing local fisherman on a similar not-much-bigger-than-a-kayak sized vessel bobbing furiously, up, down and side to side, were glad we didn’t go ahead with it. 

Tomorrow we have another ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ exchange to a different driver over the Kenyan border, before we head to the Maasai Mara Reserve, for the last of our game viewing.

Up, up and away

Our first evening at the lodge got off to a good start when a dung beetle fell on Robert – twice – at dinner. I think everyone else in the restaurant knew what had happened as well. I think a neighbouring table actually had it worse as I heard the guy say it fell onto his food and he almost ate it. There may be napkins and tablecloths, but we are out in the wild after all.

In the early hours I awoke with the sound of animal noises outside our tent which I didn’t recognize: it transpired they were lions, not that far from the camp, making sure everyone knew whose territory it was. The alarm went off at 4.45am as we were being picked up at 5.20am to be taken to the launch site for our hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti: how many times would I have the opportunity to do that on my birthday. I didn’t realise that if you bought the balloon trip you actually got a 4×4 thrill ride thrown in for free. I have no idea how the driver managed to navigate across the plains in darkness, to get to the launch site half an hour away, constantly using nifty steering to avoid getting stuck in the flooded earth. We were bumping around in the vehicle so much, R’s Fitbit thought we had done 10,000 steps by 6.30am. We stopped by one vehicle that had indeed got stuck on the way to its (competitor) launch site, and our driver lent them and another car his tow-rope to help them get free. We arrived just in time to make the balloon launch briefing. I had been in a hot air balloon before, many years ago, in Luxor, but hadn’t had to start the trip getting into the basket, which was on its side, lying down, before being righted at take off. Thankfully it was a professional organization and, once airborne, our Belgian pilot did a great job taking us down above the herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, and then up between two layers of cloud for some fantastic views of the Serengeti. From up there we could clearly see why it is called ‘the endless plain’. This certainly was a once-in-a-lifetime birthday experience and we both really enjoyed it. Landing nearly ninety minutes later, we were taken to a site in the bush where they had set up tents and tables for a post-flight breakfast for the guests, and I had ‘happy birthday’ sung to me by the staff (!).  We got chatting to a couple who had been in our balloon – a very nice couple from Surrey, but who did the classic ‘oh we have gay friends, you know’. We didn’t feel the need to tell them we have straight friends, in return.

From there we were taken by 4×4 to be reunited with our guides, who would then continue the day with another game drive. Unfortunately there was a slight mix up on drop off points, and we were left stranded temporarily at a rangers hut. However it turned out ok, as when we were re-picked up to go to the correct handover point, we got a great view en route of a hyena, and a leopard with its kill, lying in the branches of a tree. We went back to the tree with our guide and we could clearly see the dead gazelle hanging between high branches, the leopard sleeping on a lower branch. We continued out into the south-eastern Serengeti and later saw a cheetah right opposite the vehicle, staring at us, panting in the heat of the day. We continued to see more herds of zebra – this time resting their heads in twos and threes on each other’s bodies. We thought this might be a sign of bonding / courtship, but it is primarily so they are facing in opposite directions, enabling them to sense any predators coming their way, and alert the rest of the herd.

Across the vast plain we could see the skies darken and rain falling in the distance. We didn’t want to get stuck out there (as our driver said – ‘if we get stuck, we will be staying the night’) so we headed back to camp. The sight of so many 4x4s all driving fast across the plains towards one of the gates, as the rains closed in, was like something out of a disaster movie. We made it, and stopped before we reached the camp to see the leopard again. It wasn’t there, but it had moved its kill to different branches, and we could see the carcass of the gazelle had been further gouged by the leopard.

Back at the lodge the sun was starting to come out again, so we stayed at the bar and had a bottle wine to celebrate my birthday. I was trying to soak in as much as possible the gorgeous views across the Serengeti, including the sight of a zebra casually wandering into the grounds, as this certainly wasn’t the usual January 31^st view or weather.

There were no dung beetles on Robert at dinner, but I did have one land near me which I flicked off the table.

We had a lie in this morning until 7.30am as we weren’t leaving camp til 9am. Today we were exploring the east Serengeti, in the hope of seeing some big cats. Sure enough, it didn’t take long before we saw three cheetahs, lying in the sun, looking at us curiously as we drove up. As we continued on, looking for lions, we came across two vehicles which had got stuck in the muddy tracks, one trying to tow the other. Our driver stopped and got out to help tow, but that didn’t work, so when another vehicle passed by they stopped to help too. A group of Danes were in that vehicle, and as we engaged in conversation whilst we were all waiting, it seemed that Greenland was a subject they wanted to avoid. It took a fair amount of rearranging tow ropes and vehicles to try and pull from different directions but eventually both vehicles were freed from the mud. Whilst we were standing around waiting, we spotted some lionesses in the far distance. We hoped they would still be there when the cars were freed (over an hour later) but luckily they were – five of them lying around, not bothered at all by the sound of two safari jeeps pulling up.

At the organized picnic area, where all the safari groups and their drivers break for lunch, we saw beautiful brightly coloured birds, small mice, and mongoose – all with nests there, constantly on the look out for tourist leftovers. Onwards we drove, and at one point I couldn’t see anything – not a tree, small mound or bush – in either direction, except for grassy plain, stretching to the horizon. This area is vast. We eventually reached the eastern part of the Serengeti, where the landscape became more hilly, with acacia trees, and consequently, herds of giraffes amongst them. One herd (some sixteen in total) had young ones with them, still suckling, and it was amazing to see them gracefully walk across the plain together, in search of more tasty acacia leaves to eat. 

We eventually reached our next lodge, in the heart of the Serengeti, which has terraces overlooking the plains. True to form, the rain started again, and became heavier with accompanying thunder and lightning. Now, after dinner, it has finally stopped: we just hope the tracks will be passable tomorrow for our final day in the Serengeti.

Endless plains

Unbelievably the Americans were still shouting at each other, shattering the tranquility of the lake at sunrise the next morning, but this time across one end of the breakfast buffet to the other. I may have muttered next to them ‘will they ever stop talking’, in an indiscreet stage whisper.

As we drove out of the lodge towards Ngorongoro, we saw even more wildlife in the grounds: this time the baby warthogs were especially cute. It was a long drive both to, and then descending into, the crater, but it was worth it. The Ngorongoro crater is a huge caldera formed millions of years ago, and whose topography– a large flat plain surrounded by a natural 700m high ‘wall’ – creates the perfect ecosystem for both grazing wild animals and the predators who feed on them. It is difficult to describe the ‘wow’ factor of seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle all grazing together across the vast plain. In addition to these, we saw several lions, a rare black rhino, hippos (including those basking in the ‘hippo pool’ whilst we had our picnic lunch) and the odd elephant too. A huge troop of baboons greeted us on arrival and departure from the conservation area – keenly looking at us to see if we had any food worth stealing. When you observe the behaviours of families and groups of animals together in their natural environment – mother monkey breaking up a fight between two of her children; a female zebra fighting off the advances of an unwanted male suitor; three lions slouched together having a doze – it does make you think have we really evolved that much as a species (especially as, like many of them, we can’t seem to stop fighting amongst ourselves).

R and I reflected on how lucky we were to have had another great day of game viewing as we made our way to our next overnight stop, which was a lodge just outside the crater. As we got a drink to sit in the beautiful gardens, with a view to the mountain opposite, we realized another group of – guess which nationality – were shouting loudly at one another on their table, which was probably 60ft away, but whose conversation everyone else in the peaceful garden could hear clearly.  I’m beginning to think self-awareness is not a characteristic that comes naturally to many Americans.

We were awoken at 4.30am by the sound of torrential rain, and then a large thunderstorm, which continued for some time. We have had rain at some point each day for the last five days: as I have mentioned before, this should be a dry month in this part of the world. It was still raining heavily as we left the lodge at 8.15am for our drive to the Ndutu plains, part of the Ngorongoro conservation area. Ndutu lies to the south of the Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plains’ in Swahili,  and we could see why. Once we had driven well into it, you could see miles of plain in either direction, only ending where it met the horizon. No wonder grazing animals like it here, making it easy for them to spot potential predators – at least during daylight. The rain continued to fall though, turning the main tracks into small rivers, with pot holes the size of garden ponds. It was too risky for our driver to get the 4×4 stuck in the minor tracks – we saw one tour vehicle being rescued by a tractor – so every vehicle stuck to the main routes, creating bottle necks at times. One highlight of today was seeing two male impala literally locking horns to fight for dominance. We could hear them really bashing into one another. Eventually one sloped off, defeated. The poor weather didn’t help us spot any more lions or other predators. We did though see the spectacular sight of hundreds of wildebeest, joined by dozens and dozens of zebra – cross the track in front of us. A fascinating sight to see them run across the plains en masse. As we were leaving we also saw yellow billed stork, and a cute golden jackal – like a light tan coloured fox – hunting and eating some vermin prey in the shrubs around us.

We are spending the night in a tented camp that is actually in the Serengeti. We have been told we cannot leave our tents at night as animals do prowl the grounds occasionally. Let’s hope R doesn’t choose tonight as a night to go sleep walking.

Elephants, elephants, everywhere

To begin our safari adventure meant a long 5hr drive from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park on Saturday morning. I didn’t expect our soundtrack in Africa to be Madonna and Rick Astley remixes on the car radio. Our first lodge was in the park itself, and having had a quick rest after lunch, we came out of our room to see not one, but several herds of elephants slowly walking past us on the other side of the electric fence separating the plains from the hotel grounds. There must have been 50 or 60 of them – all shapes and sizes, including some gorgeous baby elephants. Amobseli is famous for its elephants, and it didn’t disappoint. That was the start of our luck that day – on our first late afternoon game drive we saw several more herds of elephants – some crossing the 4×4 track to get to their ‘bedroom’ in the park; a couple of lions almost having a face-off; a cheetah with its fresh kill and baby cubs, staying clear of a hyena; more elephants… we just hoped subsequent game drives wouldn’t disappoint.

The next day we had an early morning sunrise drive. Whilst we still saw a fair amount (more elephants, wildebeest, gazelles, ostriches) it wasn’t quite as spectacular as day one – albeit we did get a stunning backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro behind the plains, which we would be visiting the next day. After leaving the park, our guide drove us to the Kenyan/Tanzanian border at Tarakea, where another car would be meeting us on the other side of the border to take us to our hotel near Kilimanjaro. It felt like Checkpoint Charlie. Unfortunately there was – it transpired – a miscommunication on timings, and we were left waiting for 2 hours to cross. Cue complaints to the safari company, and eventually our driver turned up. He had clearly been told to get us to the hotel as quickly as possible, as all road rules were being broken as he speeded, ignored pedestrian crossings in villages, and thought blind corners were the perfect opportunity to overtake two trucks at a time. We didn’t tip him. I was surprised at the contrast between Tanzania and Kenya as we saw the countryside speed past. Much greener, crops growing by the side of the road, and poorer as well. It reminded me of Fiji, seeing a few pieces of corrugated iron held together by some badly nailed together bits of wood passing for homes and shops in the villages we drove through, rubbish everywhere, and people still having to collect fresh water in large plastic containers (albeit mostly on mopeds, not walking) :(.

The receptionist at the hotel had obviously been told to upgrade us as recompense for the delay: we were told we were getting a DELUXE EXECUTIVE SUITE, as she enunciated each word slowly. It sounded promising, however the reality was somewhat different: Nana’s sitting room from the 1970s, with a downstairs bedroom attached. Before we went for dinner we could hear a lot of music and commotion coming from outside our ground floor room. It sounded like a demonstration, but was actually a wedding party: everyone dressed in their finest colourful outfits. Despite the dated bedrooms, the grounds of the hotel were well-maintained, and had some beautiful flower beds and palm trees that would have made good backdrops for wedding photos. However this bride seemed to want to have shots of her and the groom taken outside our bathroom window, with air-conditioning unit front and centre – as I found out when I went to close the bathroom window (and probably photo-bombed a couple of their pictures).

Dinner in the hotel restaurant was a strange affair – the restaurant was a practically deserted space, and had too many staff for the number of people dining (us and a guy sitting on his own). During dinner we had five waiters and waitresses all lined up against a wall, staring at us whilst we ate. Whilst in most restaurants it is often difficult to get a waiter’s attention, this was the other extreme. I could imagine what it felt like at meal times in B wing. Fortunately a Scandinavian group arrived during the main course, so their attention was soon distracted.

Another early start, as another driver and guide arrived to take us to Mount Kilimanjaro, and a day hike to the first base camp that those doing the full hike to the summit (taking six days, and camping in all conditions) would stay in on the first night. It had been raining overnight, and started to rain again whilst we walked (six miles uphill, and another six going down). By the time we got to the Mandara Huts, the path (and us) were quite muddy. Combined with being hot and sweaty, I didn’t envy not doing another five days of this, especially as toilet and washing facilities would be non-existent after this point. I had had my taste of basic camping doing the Inca Trail. It was great doing the first part of the trek though. The mild weather, greenery and small river (and occasional waterfalls) running beside a large part of the path actually reminded me of Crough Woods in the Comeragh Mountains in Ireland – not what I expected Kilimanjaro (and Africa) at this elevation to be like at all.

Once back to the park entrance, we had another long drive ahead, this time 3hrs to Arusha. Out hotel was slightly different this time – a ‘Gran Melia’ (the high-end sub-brand of Melia Hotels) which was like an oasis after driving through yet more poor villages and pot-holed roads. We couldn’t work out why this hotel was in the middle of all this, aside from catering for some safari tourists, but later found out that the Tanzanian Government held a lot of conferences here. Aha. It was a shame we couldn’t enjoy the facilities more, as it was dinner time when we arrived, and the heavens absolutely opened. Gale force winds, continuous lightning and driving rain that came under the doors. And this should be a dry month. Still, who needs the Paris Climate Agreement.

It would have been nice to stay another night there, but we left this morning for the Tarangire National Park (meaning ‘river of warthogs’ in Swahili). We thought after the success of our first day of safari we should lower our expectations of what to expect for our second park – however within minutes we saw baboons, a lioness regally surveying her territory, giraffes, and then throughout the rest of the game drive many more giraffes, elephants, warthogs, wildebeest, buffalo and gazelle. Another great day of wild animal spotting. From there it was a short drive to our next stop, a lodge next to Lake Manyara. The grounds of the lodge itself contained lots of wildlife which we saw as we drove to reception – zebras, mongoose, gazelle, giraffes, and lots of monkeys – many with tiny young clinging to their chests.

We have enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from our terrace overlooking the lake this evening (we would have gone to the lakeside bar, but two loud Americans, having a conversation across the length of the bar to each other, put paid to any sunset serenity) and have decided to skip dinner as we are both struggling to fit into our respective trousers. Sitting in a 4×4 all day, and eating three full meals, does not a diet make. Tomorrow the safari tour continues – and we are looking forward to seeing the Ngorongoro crater, and the animals living within it.