DAY 25: Saturday - March 27
Pete: Finally entered Tanzania yesterday. Crossed the border around 2:30 p.m. after 3 hours of the usual parlaying, bribing and in the meantime, lunch in the border car park. Quite a nice stream nearby with shade and refreshing running water. Entered Serengeti and travelled about 3 more hours to the Lobo Lodge. Camped nearby. This morning up early to transit the length of Serengeti in order to avoid the high cost of camping inside the park a second night. The Serengeti was very beautiful. Much more green and more wooded than Amboseli or Tsavo of Kenya. The northern portion of the Park had many varieties of wildlife in abundance. Gazelles, giraffes, elephants, lion, wildebeests, hyenas, etc., but the highlight was the hippos we came across in two different pools. Could have spent the entire day watching them watch us and snort bobbing up and down in the murky pond. Stopped for lunch at the deserted Serengeti Lodge. In fact, all of Serengeti seemed deserted since we passed just one Land Rover all day. The border officials mentioned we were the first group to pass in 5 days. It is the off season, supposedly the rainy season, but no rain to date. Hippos frolic in a Serengeti pool
DAYS 24-25: Friday & Saturday - March 26-27 Lillie: Serengeti is a beautiful game park! The herds of animals were huge. It appears that there have been some rains because the plains are somewhat green. We saw some amazing hippos; maybe my favorite animal. The nights are becoming really cool. Wish I could shed this weakness; and I am also losing lots of weight. Meals are becoming more and more irregular, i.e. lunch at 3:00 p.m., etc. Also, meat is almost non-existent. I guess I am a bit disappointed with the large size of the group, the leaders, and the general state of my health. We visited the Serengeti Lodge today. It was lovely, but empty. It is built into and around rocks. Apparently, it is the off-season. We have seen very few people here in Tanzania. There is a dead feeling to this country. Today was also the first day that we stopped in time to relax before dinner. Time to relax and reflect and write. It is really a relief; a means to find solitude in a very solitary land. I am having trouble unwinding. After all, this should be a vacation. However, I love the sleeping outside. I may get claustrophobic if I go back to a bedroom. DAY 26: Sunday - March 28 Pete: Had a very nice sleep in until 7:00 a.m. today. A slow breakfast, and some time for relaxation. Did not break camp until 10:00. Drove across the Serengeti Plains to Ngorongoro Crater. Not the great herds en route, but did have the rare opportunity to photograph a cheetah. Stopped at Olduvai Gorge on the way, about a mile from Richard Leakey's excavation of the oldest known ancestor of Homo Sapiens. Was rather a thrill to look over the land that has seen man walk over 2 million years ago. The climb up the ridge of the crater took 4 hours by truck, but the view was spectacular overlooking the Serengeti. Just after lunch we encountered the first rain of our trip. Did not rain very hard, just off and on until about 4:00 p.m. Had a beer at the Ngorongoro Lodge located on top the ridge of the crater. A lovely scenario of the crater's interior from the bar lounge. Did not realize previously that Ngorongoro has quite a large lake in the bottom. This is the major attraction for the game. DAY 27: Monday - March 29 Pete: Camped at a fine campsite on the ridge overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater. Up at 6:00 to head down into the crater for some wildlife watching. The day started innocuously enough. The road down into the crater was a very steep descent and it took about an hour to traverse. Reached the bottom and were starting around the rim of the lake when the truck got stuck in a quagmire of sand and mud. Did not look too bad at first, but it took 8 hours of digging, 2 land rovers and 25 people to get us out. The left rear side of the truck sunk a good 6 feet before it was over. Just as we thought we were making progress, the rain came and lasted about 3 hours. Turned the entire area muddy. All hands looked like little kids in a giant mud hole. Lunched on cold beans and Varvita crackers. With Marmite of course. Got out just in time to set up camp in the crater before dark. So no game watching today. The cold shower felt great just before dinner and a smoke. A rain storm came and caused us to get stuck at the bottom of Ngorongoro Crater.
It tool over 8 hours to dig ourselves out. DAYS 26-27: Sunday & Monday - March 28-29 Lillie: Spent the evening in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The rainy season is here and it is very cool. I am getting more and more irritated with the crowd. Poor Pete, I don't mean to make things less fun for him. It seems the major part of my day is spent washing dishes, two hours last evening. It feels like a "steeplechase" getting ready in the morning. I guess I am really rigid. I feel helpless to make decisions. I keep telling myself I will never take another organized tour. DAY 28: Tuesday - March 30 Pete: This morning's tour of Ngorongoro Crater went exceptionally well compared with yesterday's fiasco. Camped last night in a small forest of huge wild fig trees at the bottom of the crater. This was a rare treat. Went out wildlife hunting before breakfast and were rewarded by sighting over 25 lions in two groups. The largest pride consisted of 19 lions, almost half of which were young, less than 3 months old. In both instances, we were able to approach within 20 yards of the animals. The rhino put on quite a show of bravado by charging the vehicle. All of the Ngorongoro Crater roused such profound feelings, to express them would surely sound schmaltzy. In short, the area reminds me of a present day Eden, unspoiled by civilization. The animals live in a well balanced ecology. The beauty of the landscape is breathtaking. A lake, a small forest, streams, a swamp, all combine to make the crater absolutely the single most beautiful spot I have ever visited. It far exceeded any description I had previously read. The lions of Ngorongoro Crater
Lillie: We saw some great animals today. Nineteen lions/lionesses and cubs at one time, a rhino or two, and a lovely lunch spot of clear water and green marshes. Too bad lunch was only bread and jam. I am losing lots of weight. I would say at least 10 pounds so far. I have got to stop complaining because I lose sight of Africa and just build resentment for our leaders and members of the group. Africa has been spectacular, but I think I would do it another way next time, more on my own. I am not sure why I am so depressed, maybe it is the lack of food, no privacy, that is the two things that get to me. Maybe I can solve the lack of food by buying up some supplies in the next large town we are in. DAY 29: Wednesday - March 31 Pete: Camped in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area between the Crater and Serengeti Park last night. Up early to retrace our tracks through Serengeti to the Serengeti Lodge located in the center of the Park and then transit the western side of Serengeti. We had heard from rangers that the large concentration of game were there. So the group agreed to pay 100 shillings each to reenter Serengeti and travel by that road on the way to Rwanda. There was plenty of wildlife in abundance, but not in the great herds expected. Serengeti was already quite green and the wildlife was well distributed across the park. Not much of a disappointment though. Serengeti was absolutely beautiful, green, trees, rolling hills, and multitudes of different wildlife too numerous to list here. I hope I can return some day to spend more time. A long ride today, travelled until 6:00 p.m. (almost dark) to exit the park. Looks like we are in for a major rainstorm this evening. Camped just outside the Serengeti on the road to Mwanza. Lillie: Had a long day travelling through Serengeti, the western section. The road was something out of the "Old West." We thought we were going to get stuck several times. I am beginning to feel better, less tired. Maybe when I get my strength back. I want to show Pete more of how I feel about him. He's really a great guy. DAY 30: Thursday - April 1 Pete: Up at a more leisurely 7:00 a.m. today. Rained lightly through most of the night. Not that I noticed much. Been sleeping like a log from 10:00 p.m. to sunrise. Think Lillie is starting to sleep much more soundly now, also. Takes some getting used to with different animal noises each night. Amazed at how much wildlife there is here when you consider all you see during the day and all you hear at night. Less than half an hour after we got underway the rain started in ferocious abundance. We could see it coming and the boys in the crow's nest scurried without hesitation into the rear of the "lorry" with the rest of us. What we thought would be a passing rain of 3 hours turned into an all day downpour. Mercifully, the rain stopped just as we found a campsite for the evening. Stopped for a couple of hours in a small town called Mwanza located just in the edge of Lake Victoria. Did some brief shopping and bought six t-shirts at 42 shillings each ($1.91). Exchanged $15.00 through David for 525 shillings. Drove out of Mwanza and it took about half an hour to locate a suitable campsite. The entire roadside was quite populated so had to settle for one with a lot of local neighbors. Lillie: Today was a good April Fool's Day. We travelled to Mwanza through a monsoon rain. Once in Mwanza, we did some shopping including buying numerous t-shirts to sell, trade and to keep. It is amazing how the truck handles the road, or rather the streams. The local people of course carry on their normal operations without even a raincoat. It is as if they are taking a bath fully clothed. The little children scream from their mud huts when the truck drives by as if we are the newest circus in town. I had a snack in Mwanza and we traded some money through an Asian for a black market price. Without this break, everything is a luxury in Tanzania. Cookies (plain and simple) cost $2.00 for a small box. DAY 31: Friday - April 2 Pete: Up again to cloudy weather. It started raining around 8:00 a.m. and continued for most of the day with only brief interludes of gray drizzle. The day was not entirely depressing, however. We continued slowly south down the eastern edge of Lake Victoria about 20 miles inland. Stopped several times to shop for vegetables and such. Not much other goods for sale. Did purchase a small bag of "lollies" at one village for 50 shillings. The people in Western Tanzania seem much more genuinely congenial. The khangas on the women are even more brightly colored. The mere sight of our truck sends many of the younger children into a gleeful frenzy. And you don't see quite as many of the upturned palms soliciting shillings. They are ever so much more camera shy, though. The mere sight of a camera elicits a hasty about face and they retreat huddled under their khangas. Could not even coerce a photo with an offering of candy. Attempted a few shots from the moving truck at 250 shutter speed. Lillie: Today was another rainy day, but a good day. We travelled from Mwanza through the countryside in Tanzania. The villages are lovely in the green countryside. I really enjoyed the day, but I want to get closer to Pete. DAY 32: Saturday - April 3 Pete: Partly cloudy gray skies this morning. Got the gear stowed in time to head off down the road ahead of the truck for a brisk morning run. Advanced 3 or 4 miles before the truck caught up. Running through the country side was especially invigorating. Must have looked like a strange sight heading off down the muddy road wearing shorts and running shoes to the few locals I passed. Stopped in Geita to do some shopping at the market and get water. The water pressure was the usual low dribble and it took several hours to fill the jerry cans. Not much to buy there except some produce, so we sat in the truck drawing scores of gawking locals. Took some photos and later along came the police. Directed the vehicle to proceed to the police station. They questioned Tom and David about the photo taking. Informed us it is against the law to take photos without the permission of the subject. Kids by definition cannot give permission. Lillie: We spent a good part of the day in Geita, a small village with a unique marketplace. We took some pictures of the local people, including a picture of a bus crammed on the top with pineapples and fruit. Tom, a member of our group was taken away by the local "cops" because of the picture taking. However, he was just asked to go to the station and there were no other problems. We also had lunch with a crowd of 20 to 30 locals looking on. It is really a shame that pictures are not allowed. The local costumes are so colorful. One woman in a colorful kanga was nursing her baby with a basket of grain on her head, quite dexterous. I have decided that I am going to try to write some poetry. Also, I want to make a list of things I hope to accomplish when we get back. I have decided to take more pictures also. "Things" are becoming more and more enjoyable. In fact, time is really racing by. Three weeks on the truck are almost over. Ebony faces, sparkling eyes, Stranger tell me no lies, White man with silver threads, Share with me your throw-aways. Tin cans, paper bags, and Cigarette butts. "What will the ebony, sparkling eyed children want from my children?" Things I hope to accomplish when I get back: a) Find a means to market our photos, b) Sewing, c) Get a bike, and d) Take a concentrated photo course. We stop at the village of Geita to replenish water and supplies
DAY 33: Sunday - April 4
Pete: Purchased one carton of 10 packs of "Sweet Menthol" cigs for 72 shillings. Raining again most of this morning. Let up to a drizzle for breakfast. Gray cloudy skies most of the day with intermittent rain. Much the same routine as yesterday. Stopped at a small village called Biharamulo for the cooks to shop at the market. All through this area of Tanzania, the people look happy, healthy and live in neatly landscaped mud and thatched roof dwellings. One cannot describe them as wealthy since many of the people wear western clothes that are quite tattered. There is not much to buy in the shops. Absolutely nothing worth trading for or tourist crafts. The terrain is gradually gaining altitude approaching the highlands of Rwanda. Experienced our first biting "Tse-Tse" flies. Or at least they looked like I have heard them described. Convinced George that since he did not get his Tse-Tse vaccination, he was very susceptible to “Tse-Tse Mania”. Lillie: Today was only partly sunny. The landscape changed to a rolling, green countryside. The villages were built around small mud huts with farm plots in front and on the sides. We went through another village today, Biharamulo. The market place was really barren, except for a few tomatoes and green bananas, which are eaten like potatoes, fried or boiled. Fresh food is becoming difficult to acquire and our diet is becoming less and less meat-oriented. Somedays I am so weak, I guess that is my biggest complaint. I am looking forward to crossing over into Rwanda tomorrow. Rwanda is supposed to be heavily populated with lovely, rolling farmland. Rwanda was a Belgium colony, therefore French is the spoken language. Roller coaster riding on a three-ton truck. To travel 80 kilometers a day with some luck. Rambling through the pastoral green, Gazing upon a thatched-hut scene. |
I love the sleeping outside. I may get claustrophobic if I go back to a bedroom. All of the Ngorongoro Crater roused such profound feelings I hope I can return some day to spend more time The villages are lovely in the green countryside The villages were built around small mud huts with farm plots in front and on the sides All through this area of Tanzania, the people look happy, healthy and live in neatly landscaped mud and thatch roof dwellings |