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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    Masai hutsRush hour at the park gates

    Through Masai Country

    26 lipca 2025 ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So I was picked up right on time at my hotel by Manyama who will be my guide and driver for the next 8 days. We have a LandCruiser all to myself so can ride in the front on the highway and in the second row under the pop top when looking for game.

    Drive through Arusha and outskirts was the typical chaotic African street scenes, more so as Saturday is Market Day.

    As we got to the countryside, we saw more and more of the Masai -- this is a real culture, not a tourist show. Herders wearing blankets with small and large flocks of cows and goats. Scattered here and there on the sparse pasture are the stick, grass and cow dung boma huts. Even Manyama says he does not totally understand why this specific tribe has been so able and willing to live this very hard life. A few days later, I met a couple of Masai around a fire and asked them and they say they don't feel it is hard -- it is all they know.

    A couple of hours of mostly highway driving to Tarangire main gate where we are met with a parking lot full of 100 or more safari trucks. Took about an hour for my guide to register, pay the park fees, and line up to get in, but to my relief, once in, and we all spread out over this 25,000 sq. km park, it was not crowded.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik

    Tarangire Park Game Drive Day 1

    26 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Once in the park, we begin right away to see elephants, giraffe, zebras all of which are in great abundance. Not many antelopes and no cats so far.

    Got up to a termite mound and found they are rock hard. The termites colonize a tree stump, chewing the wood and mixing it with a secretion that solidifies the material.

    The landscape is different from previous parks -- a bit more open with individual acacia and baobab trees and less dense shrubs. The river makes a scenic valley.

    By six, it was time to get to our camp, which is actually inside the park,     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik

    BaoBab Tented Camp

    26 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    I will stay here for two nights. This remote wilderness permanent camp has 10 "tents" -- only in the sense they are made of canvas and doors and windows are zippers. In every other respect they are nicer than many hotel rooms. They are really spacious and have wooden floors, ensuite with a very well functioning showers. Electric is solar and there are not a lot of lights or electric power points, or any internet in the rooms. WiFi at the lounge is present, but not very fast, as I will find out through the next week. Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    Vervet monkey groomingVervet monkeyWaterbuckPark picnic area

    Tarangire Park Game Drive Day 2

    27 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today is a full day drive in the park, returning to the same camp for a second night.

    Tarangire has a pretty and varied landscape with a resulting diversity of wildlife. We saw decent sized herds of the ubiquitous zebra, and elephants and giraffes in abundance as well. The river and other water features also provide extra viewing opportunities, and just having our picnic lunch in this landscape was a treat.

    Had a chance to see quite a variety of bird species too. We we lucky enough o catch two different lion sightings only 3 or 4 metres off the road. One of the lions had a GPS tracking collar on as part of the national government's conservation program. They were, like my sightings earlier in the trip, of cats laying under trees resting. A lion's day goes something like: Sleep 21 hours. Wake up. Kill something. Eat it. Go back to sleep. Hope to see some moving about.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    Yellow BaboonEgyptian GooseL-R Little Egret, Yellow Billed Stork, Great Egret, Juvenile StorkGreat Egret, Juvenile Yellow Billed StorkLittle EgretSecretarybird1 metre long Nile Monitor LizardThe happy familyCottage at Bougainvilla LodgeNo time to enjoy Bougainvilla Lodge

    Lake Manyara National Park Game Drive

    28 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We left camp and went around to the entrance to the park by 10, after stopping at a mechanic to have a starter relay replaced as it caused us problems the day before.

    The park is a different ecosystem, being on the slopes of the Great Rift, it has a lot of year-round water. The forest is tropical or near tropical and thicker than the open landscape so the wildlife is more difficult to see, but the overall drive is very pleasant with shade trees, babbling brooks and a lot more green than brown.

    We saw mostly animals seen before, but with a few new water birds. There were more large troops of baboons than I have seen before.

    We stayed the might at the very lovely Bougainvilla Lodge in Karatu after some confusion as the tour office had listed a different hotel on the itinerary, but had to change it apparently.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    Grant's GazelleCervalCervalLesser FlamingosLesser FlamingosBlacksmith Plover and Great CormorantRed-billed Oxpeckers cleaning ticks of battle-worn hippoGrant's GazelleGrant's and Thomson's GazellesThomson's GazellesSpotted HyenaMale Ostrich

    Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive

    29 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Ngorongoro is the remains of a huge volcano which erupted and collapsed, leaving this caldera. It is over 200 sq.km in area and 610 metres from floor to lip. You have to drive up a frightening single lane road at the edge of the cliff used as a two lane road before getting to a viewpoint, at the rim top, then go down an equally scary road to the crater floor.
    Once there, you find a dense population of wildlife. There are no giraffe's, impalas or crocs, but we will see large amounts of most other animals. There are a couple dozen of the rare black rhino and we spent a good time driving around there usual haunt, but no luck. It was interesting seeing a large troop of baboons on the barren floor in contrast to the ones we saw in the forest of Manyara yesterday.

    The large lake in the middle attracts aquatic animals like hippo and lesser flamingo.
    .
    Saw my first serval cat.

    Great spot. We had lunch ending at 2pm and had to move it to Olduvai Gorge.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    1

    Olduvai Gorge Museum

    29 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This is where the Leakey family worked for a half century and discovered Homo habilis, among many other important finds that have greatly expanded our understanding of human evolution. They discovered the Proconsul skull, an extinct ape which is now believed to be ancestral to humans, the robust Zinjanthropus, the earliest type of stone tools are called Olduwan technology after this site and the Laetoli footprints were found nearby.

    The very high-quality exhibits had a great deal of emphasis on HOW early humans lived -- social structure, hunting methods and tool use, etc. They introduced me to the discipline of taphonomy, which looks at marks left on bones to gain insight into these practices.

    The site looks out over the gorge, but we were a bit rushed and had not left enough time to drive down and visit the actual dig site which has not actually been worked since Mary Leakey's death in the 90s.

    We then had a long drive to our lodgings, made longer by a shock absorber mount breaking, causing the thing to drag. We stopped at the park gate, where we got a local mechanic to remove the item. We got into the camp at 9:00, so I did not have much time to enjoy it. Thie Into The Wild Tented Camp was another tented camp and was even more luxurious than the last one. We did see a Mr. and Mrs. Lion walk across the road.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    Yes, that is one of the cheetahs under the tree

    Central Serengeti Game Drive

    30 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Leaving the camp, we are immediately in the classic Serengeti plains landscape with short grasses ideal for the large numbers of the pretty little Thomson's gazelle. Manyama pointed out it was also the ideal terrain for cheetahs and sure enough we soon saw a pair stalking the gazelles but the they seemed to get active jumping on an animal too small to see in the grasses. They seemed to enjoy this appetizer judging by the blood around their mouths. They then got interested in the main course again, but the gazelles were having none of it and kept away, so we moved on. This sighting was quite a distance and was better appreciated through the monocular than the camera, sorry.

    We soon saw the first of several lion spottings for the day -- a male in the grass, then a female surveying the plains from a rock quite near to the road. There was also a family of six we saw resting under a tree, but to get closer would require going off-road against the rules, which Manyama would not do, although several other drivers did. The company called Leopard Tours was one, and we had noted they were very aggressive and indeed were involved in a scandal the previous week, blocking the animal's route to the Mara River.

    Bit more driving around, and we saw a leopard in a tree with a fresh Thompson's gazelle kill.

    Lots more to see of elephants, giraffes, various antelopes, and of course, zebras. Not large numbers per group, perhaps, as seen in Tarangire, but easy to find and see.. This part of Tanzania (in the Seronera area) is a spectacular game park for sure.

    We had lunch under a tree behind the drew quarters of a balloon outfit while the mount for the shock absorber was welded and headed up to the north, driving out of the park through some busy market towns and back into a smoky area where they are conducting controlled burns -- a constant activity in Tanzania to mitigate risk of larger fires, but also provide optimal grazing conditions, and especially shorter grass to improve viewing for safaris.

    We got to the Sero Tented Camp in Northern Serengeti, not too far from the Kogatende airstrip for a three night stay. This camp is a mobile camp, and it was still good, but a bit more basic. The staff, however, were fantastic.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    1Enthusiastic at first, but then wait a minute!

    Great Migration

    31 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Soon after leaving camp, we broke the shock absorber again, but he was able to remove it so we could carry on. We drove through huge herds of wildebeests before getting to the river where many safari trucks were already lined up parked side by side in two rows like at a Walmart shopping centre. We drove a bit up stream to find a secluded spot in the trees with an excellent angled view of Crossing Spot #4.

    And Waited.

    There was a small herd on the opposite (Kenyan) side who had crossed earlier and some seemed to be interested in coming back to rejoin the main herd. The vultures and bodies of wildebeest on the opposite shore were testament to the dangers they faced on their first crossing, They kept approaching, then retreating over and over, and a few small groups and one lone wolf did come over. We were still waiting for the main herd on our side to go over. We could hear them mooing in the thousands, so we waited and watched the far side herd go back and forth not able to make up their minds.

    And Waited.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    The crossing begins

    Main Mara River Crossing

    31 lipca 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After over 3 hours of patience, the main event begins!

    We see the leading wildebeests coming from the right heading across and then climbing the bank. It was incredible how many crossed -- the crossing went on for 50 minutes and I calculate 10 to 20 thousand animals crossed in that time. My guide Manyama said it was the largest he had ever seen in 10 years, beating the 43 minute crossing he had seen before.

    You can see things in documentaries on TV, from St. Peter's to the Great Migration, but seeing an event like this in person just can't be beat. What an incredible day!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    The dining tent at Sero Camp
    Check in "counter"Arrival at ArushaThe Art Gallery at Cultural Heritage CentreArusha road side sellers

    Travel Day

    2 sierpnia 2025, Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Travel can be hard, too.

    After the great viewing of the Mara River crossing, I was scheduled to see the herds from above by balloon on Aug 1st, but minutes before leaving at 04:30am, I was violently ill and scrubbed the whole day to recover in my tent. Manyama and I thought we could schedule on the 2nd (departure day), but for some reason, the office booked my flight from the Serengeti airstrip at 0830 despite my connecting flight was not until 7 in the evening.

    So on the 2nd, tummy is still bad and now with a head cold, planned to depart at 0630, but the gearbox on the truck was broken. I was very lucky one of the guides had not yet left on his game drive and was able to convince his guests to delay their day by over an hour, so Manyama arranged for him to drive me to the airport, but timing was now tight, so it was a wild and bumpy dash, but I made it on time. Short flight on the Cessna to Arusha, then the driver who was to pick me up wasn't there. Texted and called the office, and they got it sorted. It was still only 11 and if we went to Kilimanjaro airport right away, it would still be a six hour wait for my next flight (again, why did the tour company book the first leg so early??).

    So I asked we stop at the Cultural Heritage Centre to see a large collection (really a store) of arts and crafts. African arts and crafts is quite attractive. Even though I had no interest in buying anything, it would have been interesting to browse around this place as it is huge. However, I was feeling so sick I could not really spend time, and I just went on to JRO, where I had to sit for 2 hours before the check-in counter opened. Flight was then over an hour late, then my checked bag took an hour to arrive, and I could see it had been opened and rummaged through, although I had nothing of value in it, so nothing to lose there anyway.

    Finally, in my hotel in Addis at 11:30. I'm still sick as a dog.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik
    National Museum looks nice from outside
    4 sections? Only half openActual LucyAustralopithecus mother and child500 BC

    Addis Ababa

    3 sierpnia 2025, Etiopia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    My plan in Addis was to see two museums and do a day trip to the north, but I was still feeling unwell, and there was a regular succession of thunderstorms coming through. The reports of the road trip are that the roads ore torture with many trucks and the trip is up to 9 hours, so I just did the National Museum, which was very important to me, and rested, recovered and edited photos.

    At the National Museum, I was finally able to meet Lucy. They said they had just re-opened the museum after renovations, but in reality, only the bottom two levels were open, and the modern history of Ethiopia was still closed. These were quite good, and they did a nice job continuing to fill in my knowledge of evolution.

    The ancient history of Ethiopia at the time of the Pharaohs, etc, was also quite interesting..

    Addis Ababa itself is an interesting place. The streets in the centre around the main government buildings and parks are very good, and there is a lot of development with skyscrapers everywhere, and more under construction. But, just a half block off the main streets, the roads and sidewalks crumble, and the street life of marginal existence takes over. My hotel security guard basically denied me permission to walk out into the street due to crime concerns.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaPodróżnik

    Goodbye Africa

    4 sierpnia 2025, Etiopia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Well, it's two hours in the Ethiopian Airlines lounge before boarding my flight to Rome and then Toronto, thus ending my marvelous trip of a lifetime to Africa.

    I think it is time to get home, the trip being just long enough to see a good sample of the place and I don't have any feeling I want to stay any longer. I think the flu/cold over the past few days plus a strained rib muscle show that the trip was tiring enough with the pace of safaris, etc.

    What a fantastic destination. I have seen so much and learned so much and met so many wonderful people. Of course, the scenery / landscape and the incredible wildlife just blows you away. It met or even exceeded expectations, and how many times does a travel destination actually live up to the hype? Africa does! I also just was so excited to have the chance to see the relics of human evolution. You get to see 2,000 year old history in Europe, but here, you get 4 million years of history!

    Finally, the culture. So much energy, colour and vitality. The people here are great, perhaps excluding Ethiopia. South Africans must be the happiest people on Earth, Zambians the warmest and Tanzanians the friendliest. I am not just thinking of hospitality service staff where every contact was Ritz-Carlton level, but cab drivers, store clerks, and just people in the street.

    I love this continent, and especially think South Africa has so much to offer for all kinds of vacations.

    Back in Canada with a layover in Toronto, so time to post this final footprint.     Czytaj więcej

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    Koniec wyprawy
    5 sierpnia 2025
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