Program Erika, Leah and Danielle

8/8/2019 Program Erika, Leah and Danielle

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Dear Erika, dear Danielle and dear Leah,

How are you in Dar? I just want to write to you, that in the meantimeeverything is on the paper and I can send you the detailed tour program,which I have drafted for you. Its a realhighlight tour, where you will beable to see many different landscapes but also quite a huge number of wild animals in theirspecific habitats.Our safari jeeps are custom-built 4-wheel vehicles, which are made toovercome all sorts of road obstacles. There are Land rovers andLandcruisers, equipped with six seats for comfortable game-viewing. The toproof can be opened, this is very important for the round view during yourwildlife tour. The cars are serviced regularly and are in good condition.

We were also talking aboutaccommodation over the phone and you Erikamentioned that you and your two friends would be o.k. also with campnights on the safari. Actually I have put onelodge night in between, just for a change and to have a bit more luxury on your trip. Our 2-peopletents are quite roomy, so you could even sleep the three of you in one tent.But d ont think of the little Igloo-tents many of us used to camp withwhen we were teenagers. Our tents have a lot of headroom, so once youare inside, you have no problem to change your clothes or to put yourentire luggage near you, there is a lot of space. The sleeping cabin is madeofmosquito gauze,so you dont have to be afraid ofmosquitoes and othercrawling creatures. There arecamping beds inside the tents withspongemattresses and we'll give you quilts in pillowcases (Cotton material) tokeep you warm at night. If you prefer a sleeping bag, you can have it for asmall rental fee (because of the complicated washing process), this is only1.5 Euro per night. In the camps we will provide you with a camping


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table andcamping chairs, so it is a very comfortable way of enjoyingnature.

Each and everything is being taken care of, thats why one of our safaricooksis accompanying you, whollcook three filling meals per day: Thereis a niceEnglish breakfast, ahot lunch or alunch box (this depends if youare on a game drive for a full day or if you would like to come back to thecampfor your hot lunch). Then there is a deliciouswarm dinnerwith soupof the day, main dish and some fruits, pudding or fruit salad as a dessert.Thecookis not accompanying you on your game drive; he will stay backin thecampfor the whole day. His routine job of course iscooking, but heis also watching your luggage and all the camping equipment,otherwisetheft might occur. In short: You dont have to worry about anythingduring your game-drive; you just relax, feel free and comfortable.

Here comes your Northern Circuit program,maybe it matches your taste

1.Day, 6th Dec. 010: After you have made your way fromDares Salaam toArusha, one of our drivers will pick you from the bus stationand take you toArusha Backpackers Hostel for your overnight stay.

2. Day, 7th Dec. 010: One of our safari drivers, who will actually be your safari-guide, is coming with the safari vehicle to yourHostel in the morning, waiting for you until you have finished yourbreakfast and then taking you to your first safari destination, theTarangire Nationalpark.


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As I mentioned before, you will be hosted not only by adriver guide butalso by acook, who both boast excellentbush skills andknowledge. Yourcook will offer good andinventive meals (a blend of Western and Africancuisine) to satisfy your stomach. - You pass at our office briefly for ourlast formalities and for loading some camping stuff on the jeep; then youhead with your driver for your first safari destination, the TarangireNational Park.Thisgame reserve is only120 km away fromArusha and you drive on agood tar road towardsDodoma (Tanzaniascapital city), leaving behindthe busy shanty shops of Arusha suburbs. Soon you enter the extended area of maize, banana andcoffee plantations punctuated by noddingsunflowers. Flame trees and spreading purple bougainvillea line up theroad providing shade. As you come to theArusha Airstrip the undulatinglandscape and jutting out hills unfold themselves. Just look behind and Mt. Meru towers over you when the weather is not too cloudy. On thisroad, you'll pass through a grassland area with dispersed Acacia-Commiphora vegetation. It is a grazing land for the Maasai cattle. TheMaasai people steal the show throughout the way. You'll see lean and tallMorani (Maasai worriors), lightly wrapped in red toga and with spears inhand as they shepherd their herds. You will certainly be tempted to take apicture of theMaasai, but please request one before you click, they mightbe furious on you otherwise. After a drive of about one hour fromArusha,youll reacha small village calledMakuyuni. From here it is another35km drive straight ahead and then you reach the turnoff to TarangireNational Park:This park is quite big, about2600 square km in all, which means, it is justas big as the country Luxemburg. Its name is derived from the river,which runs through the park and which is called Tarangire River. Itssource is in the southern mountains of the park; from there it is windingits way all through thegame reserve. In the north it makes a big curve to


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the west and ends inLake Burungi. There is water the whole year roundinTarangire River, that's why it is very important for the flora and faunain this area, especially during the dryer first half ofDecember, before theshort rains start. Lots of animals do migrate in from other areas, attractedby the river to drink water there.

After entering the park with yourdriver guide, you'll notice those eye-strikingBaobab trees lots of them are growing in this game reserve. Thesetrees look quite odd with their thick knotty trunks, up to ten meters indiameter. They can reach 2000 years of age, similar to the Sequoias inAmerica. If you look up in the branches, you'll notice long oval shaped fruits hanging down, which contain lots of seeds. These seeds look likeMarshmallows andTanzanian businessmen coat them with sugar and redor green food colouring, selling them as sweets (the kids here love them).

Why this tree has such a funny appearance with its root-like branches, isexplained in the following African fairy tale: When God created theuniverse, he also created theBaobab trees. But after their creation, thesetrees looked quite different from today's appearance; in fact they looked the same like any othertree. This uniform appearance theBaobabs did notlike at all, so they always complained; they wanted to be bigger, morebeautiful and more special than their wooden relatives. God was veryangry about this behaviour of constant complains, so he pulled them out from the ground and put them back upside down, means theirtreetopwent down in the earth. So actually the leafless branches, which you cansee now, are theroots of thistree. That's the explanation for the strangeappearance of theBaobab trees according to thefairy tale.In some trunks ofBaobab trees you can see the nest-burrows ofhornbills.They built a burrow resembling the one of aEuropean woodpecker. Afterlaying the eggs, thefemaleis walled in itsburrow by themale, which isclosing the entry with clay. There is only a little slit remaining for feeding


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purposes and she remains imprisoned until thechicks are hatched and strong. During this period themalefeeds her through that small aperture.Eventually thefemale breaks out but the nest and young are immediatelysealed in again, both parents now sharingfeeding duties until thechicks peck their way to freedom. - The area is also dotted withsausage treeswhich bear fruits that look exactly like huge hangingbratwursts.To the left and right hand side ofTarangire River, the grassland is aboutfive km wide. On its far border starts thetree savannah. All these placesteem with wildlife: You will be in a state of constant excitement, spottingzebra, giraffe, lesser kudu, the ever-present impala, wildebeest, gazelle,hartebeest, the comical warthog and plenty of monkeys. With waterconcentrated in only a few places (mostly the river) the animals are easy tofind. Of course youll see lots ofelephants, which the park is famous for.And you might also be pleased to spoteland the biggest animal of theantelope family who theMaasai regard as honorary cattle. The thick-coatedwaterbuck are sometimes out in big numbers looking like very largestuffed toys. The tinyDikDik antelope might be flushed out of bushes by your approach. Troops of baboon are as interested in you as you are inthem. Also there are plentiful long tailedvelvet monkeys in trees nearby.And everywhere the most vividly colourfulbirdsyou have ever seen. After finishing the northern sector of the park, you cross theTarangireRiver over theEngelhard-Bridge. This is the only permanentbridge in the park. From there onwards, you can see extended grassland with highelephant grass andacacia trees on your left hand side, on your right handside the grassland is intermixed with forest areas. These habitats arepopulated by quite a large number of savannah animals. Your roundtripthrough the park takes you through very different areas with variablelandscapes.


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Some giraffes keep their heads high in the branches of umbrella acaciatrees, munching between the thorns. Then these tall animals are gliding byon their stilt legs, pausing to stare down on you standing in your tinysafari vehicle. Actually, the giraffe is the most obvious browser in theTarangire Park. As you know it is the tallest animal on earth. An adultbull could measure some 6 m up to the top of his horns (the female isabout half a meter shorter), with almost 2 m of neck and weigh about1,000 kg (1 ton). The size and the speed, at which it runs (up to 35M.P.H.), makes the adultgiraffe generally safe from predators, butlionshave been known to kill them. - The species occurring in Tarangire is theMaasai Giraffe, distinguished from theReticulated Giraffe (only found inthe north ofKenya and in the south ofEthiopia) by the irregular roseateor star-shaped markings (like jagged leaves), which tend to become darkerwith age. By the waygiraffes are calledTWIGA inSwahili. If you havea look at the head up there, you can see two knob-like horns covered withblack hair sitting between the ears. The lips are somewhat pinched allowing them to browse selectively on the leaves of the acacia treeswithout eating the thorns. Because their diet is almost exclusivelyacaciathey are usually not found outside areas where these trees dont exist. And because of their height they do not compete with other species for food, their long neck allows them to browse up to20 feet above theground.

Warthogs scurry away just close to your vehicle, theirthin tails raised likean antenna of a radio call. Despite or because of their grotesque uglyappearance, we all have asoft spot for thewarthog. It is one of the mostcaptivating animals, which you will see in this area. They are quiteentertaining characters to watch. When a predator tries to catch them,they can reach aspanking pace, side-stepping and swerving as elusively asa star footballer. - Warthogs are stocky built, have a short neck and along head. On either side of the face there is a prominent wart, femaleshave only one and males have two. You see them feeding in a kneeling


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position, even when they are drinking. Leopard andlion are their majorenemies. But when awarthog is under attack, it can be a furious fighter:An old report describes a fight between alion and awarthog. It resultedin the death of both animals; they were found lying dead a few metersapart. The lion, a full-grown male, had a deep tusk wound which had penetrated his ribs and, presumably, his heart and lungs. Thewarthogwas badly mauled.

You can spend hours watching a troop ofbaboons as they make their waythrough the open grassland, picking up grasshoppers and fresh leaves. Thebaboon babies ride piggyback on their mothers and some pestered eldersmight snarl at someyoungsters, maybe they had enough for the day. Littleones practice climbing shrubs andlooking fierce. It is a great temptation for you to feed them withbananas etc. but you should never do thatbecause with thebaboon, familiarity rapidly breeds contempt! In a shortwhile they begin to climb on to your car to seek titbits, and a hasty pushor a slap may well prompt aferocious attack which spells disaster for allconcerned.

In the eastern part ofTarangire National Park there isblack cotton soilpredominant. If there has been some rainfall in between, your driver caneasily get stuck in the mud with his safari vehicle. The main type of vegetation in this area is the long-grass savannah, which dries up moreand more after the rains have stopped. Now, in the beginning of Decemberit has become a grazing ground for your biggest find of the day:huge herds of elephants lumbering within spitting distance of yourvehicle.

Actually, literally the moment you enter the park you will be havingencounters with elephants - very close and very many. Your driver will turn the safari vehicle into the right position in order to get you a betterview of their cooling with their flapping ears. Elephants are impressiveand highly intelligent beasts and it is a treat to be able to observe them so


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intimately. You can spend a long time just a few meters away from herdsof maybefemale groups withbabies or young to medium agedbulls, whoare feeding off trees, not at all bothered by your presence. In factsometimes youll have no choice but to watch them as a whole herd mightbe blocking the track while intently shaking the trees for fruit. In thatcase it is wise that your driver let them clear from the way at their own pace. As you might know, inSwahili language the elephant is called TEMBO. If you happen to be really close, you can even see theireyelashesand watch the nimble work of their trunks picking up tiny bits of vegetation. Sometimes they walk just a few meters past your vehicle sosilently you hardly hear their steps; they look so benevolent that its easy

to forget that they can charge at a speed of30 mph.Cows withbabies areparticularly bad tempered if they are approached too close. Like us,elephants are born into families. These families show a lot of interest andconcern for its members. Amothers ties with her young do not disappearwith the arrival of a new baby elephant, but continue as long lastingbonds. There are many recorded cases ofsenile matriarchs kept in tow bytheir family unit after they have lost their senses; in fact, it is in thefemale sector ofelephant activity that wehumansfind manyparallels. As theyoung males reach puberty (from 12 years onwards), they arekicked out of the family herd bysenior females and joinbachelor groups.Thebulls become satellites of the family unit and hang around the fringes.Between the ages of twenty and twenty-five growth accelerates. Thenow-adult male starts to come into musth, a phenomenon only recentlydescribed in theAfrican elephant. It is characterized by a radical changeinhormone balances. Levels of themale hormone, testosterone, soar and thetemporal glands start to discharge. There is a constant dribble of urinefrom the penis. Themusth bull will move out of its normal range to lookforfemales in oestrus, means, thatbull will join afemale herd for mating purposes. After several weeks the hightestosterone levels drop and the


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bull returns to his normal range. Remember not to shout, elephants arevery sensitive and hate highfemale voices.For today your game drive is over and your guide takes you to the

Tarangire Wildpalm Campsite, your Bush trekker camp for this night.Here youll get to experience another special piece of safari life as well.Thecamp itself is located in awild palm clearing, with grassy tent spaces,shower and toilet facilities made as far as possible from local materials.Inside your tent - with canvas floor covering - are three comfortable safaribeds. Here you can enjoy the tranquility of aremote place, the ideal spot ifyou just want to relax and to spend your night in total peace.

After a beautiful sunset behind thewild palm trees, your stomachs startrumbling and you walk to your airy dining place, where a delectabledinner of barbecued beef, vegetable curry, fresh fruit, salads, rice, and bread lines your table. Your dinner is topped off by some engaging safaritales, culled from many years of guiding from your safari driver. Theseenchanting and informing stories of the wildlife and the local people willalso give glimpses into yourdrivers own life growing up inTanzania.Armed withflashlights you three make your way back to your tent afterdinner and have a very relaxing sleep. You listen to theevening songs ofbirds in a tropical bush atmosphere; you can hear the cooing of ring-necked doves, a sound very evocative especially during the melancholy oftheevening andmorning dawn.

3.Day, 8th Dec. 010: The day starts early inTanzania, as youknowthe sun is already up just after six. At 6:30 a.m.youll have yourwakeup call by your driver and you might think its all too early. Butkeep your drivers words from the night before in mind: If you want tosee lions, you have to leave by 7:30 after finishing your early morning


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breakfast, punctuality pays. You better put yourfleece jackets on and some long trousers during these early morning hours. I can tell you, youwill be quite surprised at how cool it actually gets overnight inTarangire,expecting the intense heat ofDar es Salaam!Within a short time of driving around, you might have success and seesome lions (at this time of the year partially hidden by tall dry grass)sitting feasting on afresh kill (could be azebra or abuffalo) just a few feet from your vehicle. Undisturbed by your presence, they tear at the flesh with theirblood-smeared snouts and paws. In the beginning of December they might have cubs, which will be almost disappearing intothecarcass as they gorge. Actually the killed animal gets ratherclinicallydissected. Thelions start at thebelly under the tail and eat the undersideso perfectly thata butcher couldnt do a more precise job. Unfortunatelylions are quitechauvinistic: Once the prey animal is killed by the females(which are theactual hunters), themale lions are the first ones to eat. Ifthey are really hungry, they can finishthirty kilos of meat in one go. Afterthe males have filled their stomachs, thefemales are allowed to eat and inthe end it is theyoungsters' turn. They are the last in thehierarchy to feed from thecarcass and when prey animals are scarce, cubs may starve todeath because theolder ones including theirmothers leave them nothing toeat. Cubs can also die because they are deserted by theirmothers or killedbymales who have recently taken over the pride. Occasionallyhyenas willkill alion cub, but otherwise they have nonatural enemies.Around the kill, jackals andhyenas might be around and pace in the tall grass while vultures circle above, hoping that some scraps might remain

and dutifully waiting their turn in thisdining hierarchy. It will be quiteinteresting for you to see their assertiveness in approaching the lions andtheir meal. Although the sight of a fresh kill is not all that appetizing,you will be really excited by such an early event of the day. Yourdriver


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has proofed his keen awareness of the wildlife once more and sometimesyou think, he must havebinoculars in his eyes.You continue with your round trip through the park. In its western part

you pass theKitobong Hills. Here you might see somebuffalos; they occureither in mixed breeding herds or as oldmale animals living either alone orin company with other old males. They weigh up to 700 kg and carrymassive, heavily bossed horns. The buffalos are the only animals it isreally a contest to hunt as they can kill you - and sometimes do. Buffalosare entirely grazers, but generally avoid the open grass plains. They preferthebush country where shade is available to them during the heat of theday. They need to drink regularly and are especially fond of wallowing.Thats why youll rarelyfind them far from water. Except when they arevery young or on the other hand, when they are really old (with bad eyesight and hearing!), the bull buffalo has virtually no enemy to fear. If lions are bold enough to approach a herd, the buffalos form a defensivesemi-circle, with the bulls on the outer flank, and the cows andsmallcalves in the centre. I once watched four buffalo bulls charge, and driveoff, astalking lion in the moonlight.There is no question that one of the most beautiful and graceful of EastAfricas antelopes is the impala, and happily T arangire has plenty of them. Theelegant lyre-shaped horns are present only in themale, but bothsexes share the rich chestnut coat and large eyes. You will see Impalasoften in big herds (up to 50 or more) composed of a herd male and avariable number of females and young. - Not far from such a breedingherd you might see a group ofmales, some of them youngsters, which werepushed out of the breeding herd by theherd male, othersolder males whichintend to start their own herd. The time comes when the herd male ischallenged by anothermale, which wants to possess the territory and theharem. Then a serious fight starts, impalas are known to fight to thedeath. Butmales usuallywrestle with horns locked, each trying to throw


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the other off balance. Theweaker male, quite often theherd male who isin poorer condition than his challenger, will give way when he has had enough and wander off to join one of the bachelor herds and awaitanother day. - The impala is bothbrowser and grazer,thats why youll seldom find them far from cover. They are constantly on the alert as they form a favourite food of manylarger predators, particularly leopards.When the herd moves you can easily spot thedominant male, not only byhis horns but also because he usuallybrings up the rear.In theswampy area toward the south of the national park you might spota creature at the edge of the water or coiled in the branch of a tree: itstherock python.Youll see itsbeautifully patterned skin; they may reachsix metres in length. The reptile is non-venomous, but has a fearsomearray of teeth, capable of inflicting nasty wounds on a victim (similar to adogs bite). It hunts its prey by lying in ambush and flinging itselfat itsvictim with hugeopen jaws before entwining it in itstightly contractingcoils, preventing it from breathing. It can strike with surprising speed,knocking down animals up to the size of a big warthog or animpala. Inrare cases evenhuman beings were found in theirextended stomach.Very special in this park are the chimney-shaped termite mounds. Theseare extremely beautiful and quite a few meters high in Tarangire. By theway, termites are not related to ants, although sometimes in literature,they are called White ants which is actually a mistake. More closerelatives to the termites are the cockroaches. Lots of termite mounds inTarangire, which are not in use any more, are populated by mongooses.Slender, pygmy andbanded mongooses you might frequently see on and inthe vicinity of termite hills. The Slender or Black-tipped mongoose is avery lightly build animal, about 40 cm long and it is covered with wirygrizzled brown fur. It is asolitary species and can be recognized by itshabit of carrying its long tail curled into a careless question mark. Likethe other species, they live on snakes, lizards, rats andmice, birds eggs


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andfledglings, grubs, fruit andberries. Pygmy mongooses, no bigger thanchipmunks, aredark reddish brown in colour and are usually seen in small groups. These live more frequently indisused termite mounds than thefirst mentioned species. TheBanded mongoose you can also see in troupes.It is slightly grizzled dark brown, with conspicuousdarker stripes (bands)running along the body and is slightly bigger than the slender species. Although it takes a variety of other food it is known to be principallyinsectivorous. When crossing the termite hill in a rope-like chain, somewill stop to balance on their hind legs. Theyll stare curiously at you andyoursafari vehicle before carrying on. In the end they disappear down thetunnels of the termite hill. From there, after some time, you might seeanxiousheads poking up, curious to know, what is going on.Thedaysyield of wildlife spotting was amazing again, so now you finishoff your safari in Tarangire National park and your driver takes youtowards your next safari destination, theLake Manyara National Park. After a drive of about20 minutes from the gate of Tarangire Nationalpark, a turn off toNgorongoro is made atMakuyuni, a village on yourway which you have reached now for the second time. From here it is

another 40 km drive on a newly built track to the next big settlement,Mto wa Mbu.Description: After having passed the Makuyuni junction you set outacross the floor of the Great Rift Valley towards Mto wa Mbu(translated this means 'Mosquito Creek'), the village right in the vicinityofLake Manyara Nationalpark. The Rift Valley escarpment dominatesthe view ahead as you approach the place. It is adramatic fracture whichresults from20 million years oftectonic movement cutting a jagged scarthorough Tanzania as it squeezes and moulds the land to form lakes,valleys, craters, and highlands. It slices through theearths crust from theMiddle East tosouthern Africa and provides some of the mostdramaticscenery imaginable.


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As you approach theGreat Rift Escarpment, almost instantly the endless,golden dryness of theMaasai Steppe turns into a fertile green. -Mto waMbu is quite a busy settlement where vegetables and the famous redbananas grow abundantly throughout the year. At thecolourful market fully packed with locally grown fruits and vegetablesbut also a good selection ofebony carvingsyou can shop around forsouvenirs and enjoyyour tropical fruits. After this short stop over, you get again onto yoursafari vehicle and by the time you are close to the entrance of LakeManyara National ParkLake Manyara National Park nestles beautifully at the base of theescarpment of theGreat Rift Valley. It is not a much extended park, buta masterpiece with itsdiversified habitats: therift valley wall withrockoutcrops, the ground water forest, the Acacia woodland, the opengrassland andswamp. And thebiomass of animals found in the park defies description: The grasslands host numbers of wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck,impala andThomsons gazelle. In theAcacia woodland - mainlyAcaciaxanthophloea, the yellow fever tree - the bushbuck with ivory-tipped spiral horns together with the little Kirks DikDik steps gracefullythrough the dappled undergrowth. Thescrubby bush is where you shouldfind the massive and unpredictableAfrican buffalo, standing1.7 m (5.5feet) at the shoulder.The parks230 square km of shallowalkaline lake shimmer with a pinkmantle of flamingos. Bothgreater and lesser flamingos are resident, thelesser in much larger numbers. Thealkaline water provides ideal growingconditions for the blue-green algae (Spirulina) on which the lesserflamingo feed by filtering them through fine plates (lamellae) which linethe inside of their beaks. The algae contain pigments (carotenes), whichgive the richpink colour to theflamingos plumage. In contrast, greater


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flamingofeed onmolluscs andsmall crustacea, which theyfilter from themud on thelake bottom. With differentfeeding habits thetwo species donot compete for food. But not onlyflamingos are abundant in this park:over380 other bird species have been recorded.The nameManyara derives from theplant Euphorbia tirucalli, a thornybush, from which the Maasai build a hedge to protect their cattle frompredators. In theMaasai language Maa, emanyara means akraal. As you drive through the gate, adense groundwater forest literallyswallows your safari vehicle. This forest is not supported by rainfall directly but bysprings bubbling up. This means thatrivulets and rills arerunning everywhere in streams even during the dry season. It is greatscenery, very peaceful and a trueTarzan jungle, with toweringmahogany,giant figs, tamarinds and sausage trees. Calls of the wild areoverwhelming. Baboons will no doubt be the first to appear on the scenein strong troops of100-200 animals.As you drive on, you are likely to seevelvet monkeys, blue monkeys, guinea fowls, hornbills, crowned hawk-eagle andbushbuck. Also Nile Monitor lizards can be seen sunningthemselves on the banks of the streams. They occasionally grow up to 2meters in length and look mighty fierce, but for humans they are quiteharmless, although they are carnivore like their relatives in Indonesia, thefamousKomodo Dragons (largest lizard on earth).Past the firstbridge of Marera River you see to your left a large grassyarea, popular forbuffalos. After a short drive past this bridge, a fork tothe left leads towards the eastern tip of thelake bounded by largealkalinegrassland that provides grazing forzebras, wildebeests andgazelles. Theextensive grassland is only divided by the so-called Simba River, whichagain supports schools of hippos. Beyond the hippo river, wildebeestsandzebras scatter the plain.


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At theconfluence of the River and the Lake, the number of birds isstunning. You can even smell an overlay of guano. Cormorants line thebanks and the trees on the other side are speckled with Yellow-billedStorks. They have a lot of pink on them as they are in breeding flush. Hereon thehippo pool you may also see two species ofheron. TheGrey Heronis a big ashy-coloured bird with a whitish head and a black eye-stripe.They stalk along slowly; their necks stretched forward, intently peeringinto the water for unwary prey within range of their lightning thrust. Theblack-headed heron is a bit smaller, the top of its head is black and inobvious contrast with its white throat. White Pelicans circle down and land splay-legged onto the water. They plane the surface like water-skiers

before they sink. Some of them are very grey, these are the youngsters. Inthe distanceGreater Flamingos line a stretch of the Lake and make thebackground pink through the shimmering haze. Most of the water birdsare there by the grace of thehippos good work of efficientlymanuring thewater so that more plants grow for morefish to eat which are eaten up bythe birds. Dozens of hippos in pods in the pool are resting their bigmuzzles on each others rumps. When one gets up to walk around, youcan see that the water is very shallow.

Once you have passed the bridge of theMsasa River, there is a good placeto watch the black-and-white Pied Kingfisher. They hover, wings fluttering, over the river. Once they spot their prey they plummet like astone to the water. You can watch while they are doing this, but oftenthey are unsuccessful. Having caught their selected fish in the end, theyfly to a nearby tree branch where they quickly swallow it.

There is some beautifulAcacia tortilis woodland southwest of theMsasaRiver. This is the area where you are likely to witness the Manyaraspecialty oftree climbing lions. On your lucky day you may chance to seethem sprawling lazily on stout limbs, about twenty feet above the ground. They look placid as they doze off, allowing close proximity of


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cars. The reason for this behaviour oftree-climbing is unknown, althoughvarious theories have been advanced: to avoid the unwelcome attention ofbiting flies, which are more disturbing on the ground because of thespecial eco-climate; to catch the breeze; to obtain a view for the prey; tokeep out of the way ofbuffalo andelephant herds while dozing.On your way aherd of elephants may form a roadblock again, but yourdriver will give them the right of way. Although the Manyara elephantsare quite placid, it is still dangerous to approach them too closely on theirtrack. This is especially the case, if they showsigns of aggression such ashead shaking orspreading of the ears.Further isEndabash River, its abounding area popular forgiraffes. Thespecies occurring again is theMaasai Giraffe. One curious feature of thegiraffes social organisation you might be able to observe here inManyarais thenursery. A group of younggiraffe may be left in the care of one ortwo females, even occasionally unattended. Thenursery is usually on highground to which themothers return periodically.Beyond the river there are hot springs Maji Moto over 60 degreesCelsius welling up from adelta fan at the foot of theRift wall. The wateris fresh, but a small emission of sulphurous fumes takes place.Surprisingly various forms ofalgae have established themselves in the hotwater, looking like lumps of soft rust-coloured cheese. Klipspringer andRuppells Griffon Vultures are popular inhabitants of the rocks of theescarpment. Klipspringers are those rough-coatedantelopes, about the sizeofsmall goats, and are adapted for leaping from rock to rock. They standon the very tips of their narrow, almost cylindrical hooves.

Here at thehot springs you have a chance to get out of your vehicle andmove around a bit. If you see a line of reddish coloured ants brisklycrossing your path these are most probablysafari ants. They are extremely


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fierce creatures with sharp pincers, and several hundred of them canswiftly devour a small animal. They can also give you a nasty nip.

Maji Moto is the southernmost point of the park and from there youreturn back to the gate. On your way back you are accompanied by thesounds of the bush -songs of birds and achorus of cicadas.With Lake Manyara Nationalpark you finish off your day and yourdriver takes you toTwiga Lodge, your todaysaccommodation place. Sotoday there is no pitching of tents which makes things a lot morecomfortable for your cook. Here at the lodge, which is only 5 minutesaway from Manyara entrance, you can have a swim in thepool forcooling down a bit and getting rid of the safari dust. After your swim, you sit and relax up by the table fordinner. Yourdinner menu is quiteextensive again and caters for all tastes from salads and toasted sandwiches through to curries and stir fries. After eating, you might beentertained by some African dancing which you can join if you want.Then you retreat to your room, which is clean and well kept; there iswarm water and a proper European style toilet. Above your beds youhavebig mosquito nets as mosquitoes are quite common here in this area.4.Day, 9th Dec. 010: You have an early light breakfast atTwigaLodge, and then you are off again with your driver taking you to yournext safari destination, the famous Ngorongoro Crater. Your strong 4-wheel drive vehicle climbs the ridge of theGreat (=Georgian) Rift Valleyand reaching the upper cliffs of the escarpment you get a stunningviewpoint, overlooking the spectacular panorama acrossLake Manyara.Have your binoculars at hand and youll spot giraffes, zebras andantelopes in thePark area. You continue your drive towardsNgorongoroCrater, and it is another30 km drive up to theConservation Area through


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dramatic rolling green fields and tiny traditional villages on the fertilehilly Mbulu-Plateau with its rich volcanic soil and abundant water.

All of a sudden, thecultivated land stops abruptly just before theLodware entrance gate to Ngorongoro and gives way to magnificentmontane rainforest. The air becomes a bit chilly so again try to have yoursweater at hand. After the steepzigzag climbyoull emerge at the rim ofthe Ngorongoro Crater and catch the first glimpse of one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries, sometimes called paradise on earth or theeighth wonder of the world. This microcosm of African wildlife coversan area of about250 square kilometres, is about20 Kilometres across andranges in depth from rim to floor about650 meters. Its gigantic bowl was formed somethree million years ago when this huge volcano (it wasthought to be larger than Kilimanjaro) blew its top and then collapsed inward, forming a caldera, a great basin ringed by slopes. Again thismeans the more accurate description of the Ngorongoro crater isNgorongoro caldera, thisimploded volcano which you find today. It isthe largest intact unflooded caldera on earth. As you look down you cansee open plains, grasslands with stretches of short and long grasssavannah, marshes, swamps, streams, forests, rolling hills and the sodalake, Lake Magadi.All these different habitats support a vast and variedarray of animals and plant life.

Looking through your binoculars, herds of buffalos, wildebeests, zebrasandgazelles can be seen on the crater floor just like in a virtual Noah'sArk. The crater is home to over 25,000 large mammals, and because itcovers a relatively small area, the wildlife feels dense and close once youare at the bottom.

Your driver will follow the road on thewestern edge of thecaldera rim.Driving on this rim road, you encounter again small groups of Maasaiwomen andchildren at the roadside, and Maasai men with their cattle


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herds. Their proud culture is quite rich and complex. They revere cattleand believe Engai (their God) gave all the cattle in the world to them.This frequently brings them into conflict with their non-Maasaineighbours who dont realize that what they thought were their owncattle could be claimed by theMaasai at any time. You also might comeacross groups ofyoung Maasai boys, dressed completely in black and facesof white paint and/or beads. The distinctive dress reflects the time of circumcision they were going through, and they are definitely easy to spotcompared to the typicalred toga-like Maasai blanket, they normally wear.As theSerengeti plains come into view, a track on the right branches offand drop down thecraters escarpment and onto the floor of this sunkenNgorongoro volcano cone. It is aone-way traffic route, which is narrowand rough. The track coils alarmingly among rocks and soon the dotted black stones you have been seeing from the top turn out to be herds ofanimals. Tall succulent trees, including Euphorbia candelabrum andEuphorbia bussei, line the roadside. When flowering (pink or white), theyattractswarms of bees but the honey they produce irritates and burns themouth, it is not edible.

At the end of yourdescend, after about20 minutes, you reach theSenetoSprings, where you can get out of the vehicle to watch all sorts of wild animals and absorb the veryspecial atmosphere. From now onwards, youhave quite a few hours to quench your thirst in game and scenery in general. Dotting the vista near and far are hundreds and maybethousands of animals -zebra, wildebeest, cape buffalo, gazelle, eland andhartebeest grazing peacefully side by side, roaming, and frolicking. -Your vehicle frequently inches through, parting these masses of animals. As you stop to watch a herd of zebras envelop and pass your safarivehicle, you can spy across the plain and might discover something therethat parts the herds even more efficiently - the hyena. More than400 ofthesespotted predators live on thecrater's floor, and the grazing wildlifetakes them very seriously.


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Sometimes you see them on the margins of the larger soda lake in themiddle of thecrater bottom, Lake Magadi, where they try to get hold offlamingos. Clouds of pink and white feathers indicate the sites of these feasts. For part of the year, Lake Magadi is ringed with thousands of pink flamingos, feeding again on thoseminute algae within the water asthey wade. Youll hear theirperpetual humming and if you see them up inthe sky, they fly in long skeins or inV-formations.A bigbuffalo herd might be approaching from the hillside, emerging froma cloud of dust. - The swampy Lerai Forest is a bit of an eerie place Lerai is the Maasai word for Fever Tree, the alternative name for theyellow-barked acacia tree and generally you can see large-tusked solitary bull elephants (70 to 80 years old) and small bachelor groupsdebarking Acacia trees and breaking off big branches. The matriarchalherds remain on thecrater rim; this is possibly because of the nutritionalcontent of their forage with females in calf needing a higher proteinintake. - A couple of cheetahs take the shortcut on thelakeside; from timeto time they shake the fine white soda dust off their paws. -Jackals shadein the mounds and dens, waiting for sick animals to prey on. - Quite

unconcerned, prides of lion just lie at your car wheel, posing for greatpictures. Male lions haveblackish manes in thecrater and together withthe females they love it to sleep under shrubs. Lions are nocturnal creatures and hunt mainly in the dark with the pride - although thelionesses almost always do all the killing. Lions in the crater are notbothered by humans, or indeed any animal. But if they see Maasaiwarriors approaching with theircattletheMaasai are permitted to taketheir cows down to the Crater floor for water and salt the lions giveway as they know, theMaasai are their sole enemies.Thecrater is an extraordinary place, almost like aninteractive zoo. Mostof the animals never leave it and have no fear of humans so it is possible


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to have very close sightings. But it is a finite amount of territory and youdo run into other vehicles, so you will not be the only tourists down there.

Near Lerai Forest you might have your find of the day, a few of thecraters Black Rhinocerosnearly extinct and on theendangered specieslist, but known to inhabit the Crater, browsing on the open grasslands.You wont see them very active; actually they sleep during the heat of theday, either standing motionless or lying down in an upright position withtheir legs curled underneath their bodies. Female rhinos are heavier thanmales and can reach up to1,300 kg. An adult stands around1.6 metres atthe shoulder. Usually you see them solitary; but if you spot two of them,

it is most probably afemale accompanied by hercalf. If you are extremelylucky, youll find amale and female together which only happens duringtheir brief mating season. As you watch in silence, themale rhino mightmark histerritory with aurine spray of fire hose force, quite an impressivesight.

The horn is not a true horn but is made ofthickly matted hair, lacking abony core. The horn will grow again if it breaks off. Dehorning wasactually proposed as a way to protect the rhinos frompoachers; thehornis their dilemma and the reason why they have been poached to nearextinction. In Asia, rhinoceros horn is always in demand for use intraditional medicine and it is still used to treat all kinds of differentailments from colds to heart disease. However, it is rarely used as anaphrodisiac as is widely believed. Most ofhorn went to theNorth Yemenwhere it was used fordagger handles. This serves no other purpose but toshow that the owner is sufficiently wealthy and can afford it. As the

result of beingpoached for theirhorns during the seventies and eighties,the population in thecrater has declined from108 individuals in1966 toonly17 at todays date. Although numbers are still dangerously low, anti-poaching efforts have helped to stabilize the population. The only reallyplentifulrhinos left on theAfrican continent are inZimbabwe & South


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Africa, but most of them belong to the bigger, more placid species - thewhite rhino.The nameBlack Rhino is misleading, as it is no blacker than theWhiteRhino is white, both are dark grey. TheBlack Rhino has a hooked upperlip that enables it to browse (eat leaves and grasp twigs) and therefore itis also referred to ashook-lipped rhinoceros. The largerWhite Rhino has awide square mouth (itsname derives from wide), thats why it is alsocalledsquare-lipped rhinoceros. It is a pure grazer and has never beenfound inTanzania.You wont be able to spot giraffes on the Crater floor. Giraffes candescend thecrater walls but as you know, they arebrowsers, eating largequantities of the shoots ofumbrella acacia trees, which are not found onthecrater floor. Other mammal species absent from thecrater floor includeImpala andTopi antelopes.Where theMunge River divides the extensive grassland, there is a freshwater lake which supports schools of hippos. Lying hidden within anatural fold in the ground, the area is known as Hippo Pool and is quitephotogenic withnumerous birds: geese, spoonbills, storks, plovers, ducks,ibises and other fowls parading on the banks. Most of the time, you willsee thehippos submerged in the muddy water. They dont feed on waterplants as you might think, but are almost entirelygrazers. They leave thesecurity of the water at nightand also wherever they feel safe by day -and travel often more than10 kilometres to feed. Hippos seem unable tostand the effects ofstrong sunlight on their skin, so the weather has to bea bit cloudy to see them outside the water. So in general the hippo willshow you only its back, which is often covered with white bird droppings.Hippos breathe quite noisily and although still far away you hear themgrunting distinctively. Thebaby hippo is hidden in clumps of reeds or tall grass at thewatersedge, thats why by the time you leave the car, youshould avoid stepping beyond a certain rock line: This rock line was put


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down by thenational park authorities and is marking theterritory of thehippos. Not following this regulation might put you in danger; hipposshould really be treated with respect as they are known to wound humansbadly. But usually they are quite o.k. when unprovoked. Many visitorsask us how longhippos can remain submerged. I think, it is safe to saythat in natural circumstanceshippos rarely stay underwater for more than3-5 minutes. They even mate andgive birth in the water, which, whenyou are as heavy as a pick-up truck and built like a barrage balloon, seemsto make sense.

At times you might see anAfrican Jacana walking nonchalantly along ahippos back, though thejacana (sometimes known as theLily trotter),has evolved to walk from lily pad to lily pad, or across other floatingvegetation. Its toes are disproportionately long and spread out and as thehippo pool is sometimes densely covered with Nile cabbage the residentjacanas are often in their element. On waterholes like that, this water plant frequently extends across theentire surface in abright green mat,buthipposdont touch it.The Crater area supports also an astonishing diversity of bird life. TheAugur Buzzard, searching for prey from a high vantage point or soaringabove the forests, is one of thebirdsyou are most likely to see. HelmetedandCrested Guinea fowls, hornbills andHildebrandts Francolin are alsoamong the many differentbirds that can be spotted in these areas. In the grassland and bush you can see theSuperb Starling, already mentioned above, one of the most frequently photographed birds in East Africa.Other photogenic birds are the sunbirds, which often hover around thebushes and flowers. Also noticeable are thebigger grassland birds, whichinclude theMaasai Ostrich and theKori Bustard.Theostrich is the only flightless bird indigenous toAfrica and the largestbird in the world. You can easily pick out the cocks by their


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predominantly black and white plumage andflesh-coloured neck andthighs. These parts of the body turn into a bright pink during the breedingseason. Females and young are greyish brown. The females belong to asingle cock and lay their eggs in one communal nest (15 50 eggs).Nesting duties are segregated, the male sitting at night, when his darkplumage is far less noticeable, theduller female by day. Eggs take over40days to hatch and contain the equivalent of about 24 chicken eggs.Ostriches are principallyplant eaters, but also eatlarge grasshoppers andlizards. You might be fortunate enough to see the intricatemating displayof these birds, in which the receptive female engages in an elaboratedance, repeatedlyducking and ruffling her otherwise redundant wingsbeforecrouching to allow the cock to mount.TheKori Bustard is the largest and heaviest flying bird inAfrica (about1m in size); males weigh around12 kg. The birds quarter the plains lookingforgrasshoppers,snakes but also vegetable matter. You can identify thembest by their thick looking grey neck of loose feathers. During matingseason these feathers are used in spectacularbreeding displays, raising thisdistinctive white plumage on the neck and tail in a peculiar way.- ThebeautifulCrowned Crane, thenational emblem of Uganda, is also to be found throughout thecrater (mostly in pairs). Less beautiful but equallyinteresting, are thevultures, often spotted in the grasslands feeding fromthe predators kills. African Black kites join you at thePicnic site locatednear the stream. You should learn to hold your lunch package firmlyotherwise the kites find it a great fun to swoop down serving themselves from your hands. White egrets and ox-peckers are riding on the back of buffalos. The ox-peckers feed on ticks, horseflies and other external parasites that pester the game animals.Theascend road climbs the southern wall of the crater and is a bit morechallenging than thedescend road. It is in these moments when you reallyhave to have full trust in yourdriver, as the road is steep, bumpy, single


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lane and theescarpment of thecrater very close to where your tyre seemsto be is straight down. Looking back, there aredramatic views of thecrater all the way up to the forested rim. Finally you have made itwithout any trouble, apart from an elevated heart rate! Your driverreaches therim road and looking down the seemingly empty caldera, you feel like having been riding in amagic train. Your todays game driveconvinced you that the Ngorongoro Crater earns yet another label: TheGarden of Eden.WithNgorongoro Crater you finish off your safari in theNorthern SafariCircuit. Your driver guide takes you back to Arusha and to your hostel,where you spend your last night before you are going back to Dar esSalaam tomorrow.

5. Day, 10th Dec. 010: After a good night sleep and yourbreakfast at theLodge, your driver is picking you with all your luggageand taking you to the bus terminal, where you catch the bus back toDares Salaam, arrival time there at about18 hrs in the evening.OUR SAFARI-TEAM IS WISHING YOU A

PLEASANT TRIP

Program Erika, Leah and Danielle

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Transcript of Program Erika, Leah and Danielle