Ana_Tanzania (Safari)

Tanzania June 20 – July 7
First days in Dar es Salaam…

I really don’t feel like writing. I’m finally done writing about Ethiopia. It took forever to catch up.

Enough complaining…we’re here in Dar es Salaam. Our last day and we’re trying to catch up with our blogs. Good thing we have a separate journal. Tim keeps making fun of me because I don’t feel like writing. I don’t like writing that much. I prefer just posting pictures. But I’m sure I’ll look back at the blog to remember this great trip.

I have mix feelings about Tanzania. I love it and I hate it. I wonder if once I leave I’ll have a different perspective. Coming from Ethiopia the people seemed a bit rude, a little more aggressive on selling stuff. Dar es Salaam, the main city to move around the country is nothing special. One of the annoying sides it’s sometimes you have electricity in some areas and in others you don’t. All major businesses have generators but some don’t. So when we arrived in the afternoon of June 20th, it was MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 to get money out. Either the banks were closed or they didn’t take our debit MasterCard, just visa cards. When we decided to eat something we went to the first place we saw opened. It took like 2 hours to get a chicken sandwich that had no chicken in it. We send it back. Tim was not a happy camper anyway. He had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that day. Went back to our loud hostel we just sat around the lounge area to watch another soccer match.

The only good thing that day was we met a nice couple from New Orleans. They were interested in doing a safari, but had not chosen a company yet. They arrived a day earlier. So at the end of the night they asked us to go with them to Arusha, the main city in Tanzania you can arrange safari’s to the Serengeti National Park.

The following day we ventured out early in the morning to get money out. We did finally! Bought the bus tickets to Arusha for the following day – June 22. Things here are more expensive than Ethiopia. The exchange rate is about 1,250 Tanzanian Shillings for 1 USD. Our room in Dar cost 18,000 TSH per night. So roughly $15 USD a night. Our bus ticket was 20,000 TSH each. Not bad just more expensive than Ethiopia and Egypt.

We waited for the bus nearby the hostel. It came by at 8 am. As we were putting our luggage on the bottom compartment, the guy checking our tickets said it was an extra 6,000 TSH per couple to store our bags. YEAH RIGHT! News to us!!! We’ve never had that happened. Usually you just paid one fee for the bus ticket. We later found out it was a scam. Didn’t get us this time. I couldn’t believe he just plain lied to us. He claimed he was from Royal Coach, the bus company. We did ask the office and they said it was not so. Nice try!

Riding the bus to Arusha I started feeling sick. Just achy and feverish, not feeling 100% at all. We got there and to our surprise a guy holding up a sign up spelling out “Tim Van Kouwenberg x 4” was for some strange reason waiting for us. We thing somehow the hotel gave Tim’s name, which is funny because it was Scott and Rachel who went to several tour offices in Dar to find info about the Safari’s. Somehow they saw we left together and call their hook up in Arusha. What a small world! But we ignored the sign. Weirdo!

We did go with another guy, Biggy to tell us about the safari options. He was nice enough to drive us to find a hotel. Good thing, cause I was not feeling up to walking. My head was really hurting at this point. Catch 22 was to have dinner with him. He was easy going guy and he had a small company. So many companies organize safari and it’s hard to know which one to go with. We had a list of company names recommended in our guide book but in Arusha you find like 30 more. So we were going to look at 2 more places the following day. Biggy sounded like a good option except when it came down to the payment. He didn’t accept credit cards.

At the end we went with Sunny’s Safari, reliable and it has been around for a while. Pretty straight forward. Didn’t try to hard to sell. Turnout to be just fine. We did 4 days and 3 nights.

The day of the safari I was feeling sick. My nose felt about to fall off. I was sneezing up a storm. I went through one toilet paper that night. I didn’t sleep much. Poor Tim I kept waking up. One time I felt like I was going to choke, couldn’t breathe at all.

So driving in the car I was not a happy camper. I pretty much slept on and off until we got to the Serengeti Park. Our driver, Martin, kept asking me if I was OK. Arriving at the park was very peaceful. Beautiful fields of grass and trees and right away we saw some elephants. The top of our land cruiser opened upwards. So we can stand up and see from the car. I didn’t feel like getting up, I felt miserable. Couldn’t resist seen the beautiful elephants. Soon after we saw a couple of giraffes. I love looking a giraffe’s; they’re my favorite animals to look at. I manage to get up and watch them just eat some grass. It was so cool to see animals just wondering around in the fields. Kept driving few meters more and we saw two female lions just walking. I know I sound like broken record already, but they were beautiful too. Martin would stop the car so we didn’t scare them away. One of the lioness walk right next to our green car. It walked right by my side. I didn’t manage to get a good shot, they came out fuzzy. But it was awesome to see it so close. I felt like petting her. Come here kitty, kitty…YEAH RIGHT!

Before arriving at our campsite we saw bunch of zebra’s and wildebeest’s, like tons. At the time we went to the Serengeti we saw the last bit of the migration. They where moving northwest of the park, towards Kenya.

The sunset that day was amazing. The sky was lit in beautifully with tones of oranges and purples. I felt like I was watching the Lion King but in real life. By the way, the do say here “AKUNA MATATA”. It does mean “no problem.” I’ve also learned few words in Kiswahili. The locals love it. I’ve learned to say a few words like: hello- jambo; water – maji; thank you – asante. And respond to my favorite greeting “Mambo,” which means “How are you” and you respond “Poa,” which means “I’m fine thank you.” Oh, and “Karibu” which means “Welcome.” Often walking down the street we were called “Mzungu” which means “white person.” I the pronunciation it’s a lot like Spanish so it’s easy for me to say some things.

Back to the first night at the Serengeti, at camp I just sat and waited for dinner. Part of the trip included the food. Our awesome cook, Nurr, made some pasta for us. I loved the vegetable soup. I couldn’t taste a thing, but having something warm felt really good. I kept sneezing all night long. But good thing I only woke up twice that night. We had all tent set up with mats and a pillow. It was pretty comfy. After dinner I pretty much went to sleep. I could hear the zebras which they sound kinda like a cross between and donkey and a dog, a funny noise. The wildebeest also made funny noises. So all night long we were serenaded by the zebras and wildebeest.

Here we had no showers. Just whole-on the ground-toilets and a tank of water to wash our face at least.

Next morning we had to be ready by 8 am to have breakfast and then drive around the park to spot more animals. We couldn’t get out of the car just get up and see the view through the moon roof.

Driving along we saw more zebra’s drinking water and wildebeest just hanging out. The most of the safari cars have a radio so the drivers can speak to each other if they spot some cool animals. The hardest animals to spot are the lions, cheetahs and leopards. They blend in so well with the golden grass. That morning we saw a male lion for a split second then couldn’t see him anymore. We also saw a cheetah with her five cubs, but from far away. We wished we had binoculars. None of us had any. You knew there was something in the horizon cause you would a lined up of cars just parked.

Went back to campsite for lunch, took a nap. Nice nap. I started to feel better.

In the afternoon we drove some more this time it was to see hippos in a specific dry up lake. Since is dry season the water spots are limited and for some reason hippos like this spot. Apparently hippos like to be in the water during the day since it’s so hot and they actually eat at night. Martin warned us that this spot was stinky, since they poop in this water and just stay there. The good thing about being sick was I couldn’t smell a thing.
There was bunch of hippos in this small pond of water. I could count like 40 of them. We sat there and watched for like 45 minutes. It was so disgusting to see them fart and poop. They wiggle their tail sideways as they poop, splashing the poop to other fellow hippos. It was grouse and cute in at the same time.

At night we drank some wine. I think it made my nose stuffier. I was hoping it would knock me out. I didn’t sleep much.

I was not a happy camper next morning, had to wake up a 6 am to drive one more time around the Serengeti Park before heading the Ngorongoro Crater. I felt like shit!

We did see a male and female lion walking together, Rachel spotted them from far away. Martin tried to follow them in the car but they never got closer to us. It was still nice to see them just cruising along the grass, very gracefully!


Came back to camp for early lunch, felt much better after eating something.

We stopped at one Masai village along the way. This tribe is very well known in Tanzania. They have beautifully beaded jewelry and colorful wraps in purple, blue and red. This time we only had to pay one fee to enter the village after that we could take as many pictures as we wanted.

They’ve very use to tourist. Some of them speak a little bit of English, enough to give a tour around the village. As we got out of the car the men gathered in a line and started singing so did the women. Our guide said it was a welcome song. I love their voices, so deep and pleasant. They enter the village in single line and kept singing and doing their dance. Scott joined them. Tim didn’t want to. Our driver said they like when the tourist participates. I wasn’t up for it. I was just wanted to watch and enjoyed.

Our guide took us inside one of the villages and explained a little bit about the tribe. They too have many wives, up to five. Here the men are in charge of the cattle which are mainly cows and goats. They also move every two years because of the crops, where the land is fertile they go.

Before leaving the village the guide took us to the village grade school was, basically a small hut with a chalk board. They teach the kids of ages from 4 to 6 years old. It was all set up when we walked in the kids were sitting down on a bench and starting singing for us. PRECIOUS! Suddenly they stopped and one girl came up to the board with a stick and started calling out the numbers on written on the board starting with number 11 and the other kids would repeat after her. I caught a QuickTime of it! I was feeling better already just to see them.

We arrived at the top of Ngorongoro crater to camp right before sunset. It was full with other campers as well. To tease us Martin, the driver, told us they had hot showers. NOPE! Wishful thinking... Of course in the men showers they did have warm water but not in the ladies. I was feeling nasty after not taking shower for two days and feeling sick. Also it was really cold at the camp, so a cold shower was not an option. I did manage to take an “airplane” shower just wash the wings the motor. I know it’s a cheesy line but I got from my uncle Tito in Panama. It sounds better in Spanish. =)

That night I wore every piece of clothing I had. I was so cold. Good thing I had brought my thermal underwear thanks to Tim. He said you better take it you always get cold. I hate to admit but he was right again. =)

First night I slept of the trip I had slept all the through. I didn’t even hear the alarm. Tim heard it not me. It’s usually the other way around. But anyway made it on time for breakfast.

The last day of the safari, we drove down to this big crater where many animals live. Lucky us we got to see to cheetah very close starring at a zebra from far away. Poor zebra just stood there. It was fascinating just watch their interaction. Tim wanted the cheetah to start chasing the zebra. But wasn’t the case.

We all were happy to see the cheetah’s so close. Kept driving and to our surprise we saw a pride the call it, of lions eating their killing near the road we had to go through. They had killed the wildebeest that it seemed it was going for the water nearby. Even though they were surrounded by jeeps they kept eating away. Tim counted ten lions including the two cute cubs. It was so amazing to see them eat out in the wild. According to the driver they eat every 4 to 7 days and it’s only the female lion that hunts the food. I didn’t know where to look it was all fascinating, just right there outside of the car. One of the lions walked right in front of our car. You could even see the bloody mouth.

Drove couple of meters and saw the papa lion resting. He was huge. You could see him breathing so heavy and his tummy was full. We were so close you it felt like you can open the window and rub his belly with a stick. Not happening of course. I loved seeing the pronounced veins around his belly. As we watched him rest he suddenly lifted his head up. WOW! What a view! His head was just huge, beautiful mane. His eyes were so big and yellow. He looked around and put his head back down. AWESOME! What a way to end our safari. Can’t complaint!

Arrived in Arusha around 5pm. This time we upgraded to a nice new motel with a TV. It felt nice to lay on a bed and have our own room with TV. SO NICE!

Next day we decided to stay in Arusha one more day to be lazy and just watch TV. Lucky us there was electricity all the long. Tim’s tummy was off so it was nice for him to relax. I was finally getting over the cold. =)