Olmotoni

Today we are leaving the Massai Mara. We’re all a bit sad about that it’s been such a wonderful experience. It rained again last night and the river is up so the trip to the airstrip is a bit more challenging. We have to go to another camp and over their suspension foot bridge with our luggage and then into another car and on to the airport.

Joseph doesn’t seem to concerned about time. He kept stopping to show Graham different birds, point out a giraffe or an antelope. All the while I’m thinking we better hurry up and get there. Then I think he realised we were running out of time and he put his foot down, well as much as you can on slippery black soil roads after a decent shower.

The trip between airstrips and airports was pretty seamless and we had someone there to walk us through immigration and customs. We had so many documents out, Passports, Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificates, Visas, Covid Vaccination Certificates. Needed them all except the Covid nobody gave a toss about that, how things have changed.

We had a bit of a hiccup at Kilimanjaro Airport when our driver didn’t turn up. Lots of people out there with signs but no Long/Boyd. One of the airport security rang the accomodation and tried ringing the driver, no luck with either. He’d just gone off to check the VIP lounge and our driver Charles turned up. Reckoned he was there all the time but we have our doubts. I think he was having a nap in the car and didn’t realise the plane had landed. Anyway he was full of apologies for being late, and he did bring us a nice gift of a Massai Mara Shawl,

We finally set off for Arusha, far out it was a long drive to the accomodation and the car Charles had bought was not actually roomy. Graham, Pam and I were crammed in the back seat. I think it took about an hour and a half to get to our Hotel. By that time the caged lion beside me was over it.

We’re going to Mt Kilimanjaro tomorrow which is out past the airport, think it would have made more sense to stay somewhere out there because now we have to do that horrible drive again tomorrow. We’re leaving at six in the morning so hopefully there won’t be so much traffic to contend with.Read more