Two Safari Stories

Jon: After our stay in Bavaria, we made our way back to Salzburg and on to Tanzania.

After our first night near Arusha, we decided to venture into the city to find a safari tour operator. I noticed a group about to board one of the iconic safari trucks from our hotel and inquired about the company. It turned out that one of the women had used the company before and she said they were the best. Okay! Amy and I made our way into Arusha, a bustling city where many safari companies operate. Arusha – wow, a little overwhelming.

With feet on the ground we started to take in the city. Beautiful flowering trees provided an interesting contrast from the dusty and dirty roads scattered with people. We made friends almost instantly – or so it seemed. Young men approached offering to take us to the local museum, the market, or set up a safari. We politely declined all offers and then the merchandise came out of magical hiding spots under shirts, inside pockets, or the like. Beautiful paintings, bead bracelets and rings, safari hats, and t-shirts were common. “Hapana asante” (Swahili for no thanks) became a key phrase. We did glean one useful bit of information from a “friendly” salesman. We learned where the recommended tour company was and quickly made our way there to discuss options.

After some discussion, we had a plan. We would go on a five day, four night safari that would take us to three frequented national parks – Tarangirie, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro.

We were picked up the next morning and headed out with our driver, Ally (pronounced Ali – like the fighter). We were told to make the vehicle our home and do as we wanted – sleep, stand, move around, whatever. Tarangire was our first day’s destination and did not disappoint. It actually spoiled us. As soon as the top was popped up on the Land Cruiser, it was on. Almost immediately, we saw zebras. Ally told us to not bother taking photos because they were too far. Whatever, I thought, there are zebras about 50 yards from the truck! Trust in your guide pays off. More zebras were much closer a short time later. We watched a herd of elephants come in for a drink and then another herd came in. There was trumpeting and amazing posturing as the groups sorted each other out – awesome. The day continued and just got better. We saw giraffes from a distance, but Ally didn’t stop – why? Because, we’d be closer to others later. Then, “how’d you like to see something special?”. Hadn’t we already seen something special? We turned a corner and there were two male lions resting in the shade just a short distance from us. Wow! Baboons, warthogs, various hooved animals, birds (even ostriches), and lots of other goodness.

From Tarangirie, we went to our safari operator’s campground. We made our way inside, excited to see other campers, but found that we were the only couple there. The electricity wasn’t working, which is common in Tanzania, so we dined by lantern light. The place had an odd feel. We ate while the staff watched us from a distance. It was a little awkward. Or, perhaps, we were weary from travels leading to this point. As dawn broke the next day, all seemed fantastic at camp. We took a stroll around the grounds and admired the flowers that grew inside. We had breakfast and were off to the Serengeti.

The Serengeti provided a different contrast to the lushness of Tarangire. It was dry with savanna grass, bumpy roads, and dust devils (dust tornados) swirling in the distance. In some ways, the park proved to be more of what I expected. It was easy to imagine a lion stalking its prey through the tall grasses. Little did we know that we’d actually see this more than a few times later on. Our days in the Serengeti provided ample wildlife viewing and much of what we saw was very close. I’m fairly certain that I could have reached out the window and grabbed a lion’s tail. We had two nights of camping in the park and were joined by groups from different tours, which provided some energy in camp.

Our final morning in camp was quite memorable. We’d heard hyenas in the distance over the past nights, but these were much closer. I sat up in the tent and listened as the whooping and yelping slowly got closer. Of course, sounds are amplified in the dark – right? No, these were close, very close. I listened some more and was almost convinced that the hyenas were on the edge of camp. I dismissed the notion and relaxed for a moment. Another couple calls that were much closer cut through the night before silence set in. I was relieved that was over. I was just about to lay back down when I heard the pattering of paws in front and behind our tent. I sat back up, woke Amy, and prepared for whatever may come. Nothing. A few hours later, we met Ally and I noted his bloodshot eyes. I asked if hyenas had really come through camp. He confirmed they had and spent the morning sifting through a trash bin next to his tent – hence the weary eyes. I later discovered paw prints in the sand through camp – and that hyenas have no interest in campers, a little bit of info that would have been welcome beforehand.

We concluded our time in the Serengeti with an early morning drive. It was a wonderful place full of amazing wildlife.

As the day wore on, we made our way to our final night’s lodging. We stopped to check out of the Serengeti and it started to dump rain. Toto’s Africa (“I bless the rains down in Africa”) came to mind. We ascended from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater rim, where we would stay at a lodge to escape the cold temperatures and clean off the trail dust. I was skeptical that the place would be more than simple accommodations. I was quite pleased to be wrong. We found ourselves at a paradise in the sky. The lodge was seated on the crater rim’s edge providing a lofty perch to view the entire park below. We unwound with a couple beers and enjoyed an amazing buffet dinner – so good.

Ngorongoro Crater is much smaller than the other parks and protected due to the black rhino and limited acreage. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but had hoped to see a rhino and the larger species of elephants. We were lucky to see one of the 18 remaining rhinos from afar. It was more or less a black blob in the distance. A super blown up photo later revealed the horns, but it was too far to truly appreciate. We did, however, get up close to a large male elephant. They are said to be around twice the size of those in Tarangirie or the Serengeti. This one seemed to exemplify that. Most sightings in the park were at a further distance than those that had spoiled us in the past days. The elephant was a highlight. I also enjoyed visiting the near pristine lake where hippos lazily bathed.

All said, safari was absolutely amazing. I loved seeing the animals, learning about them and conservation efforts, sharing stories with Ally, and watching Amy when she’d spot a lion or giraffe in the distance. My girl has an amazing eye that rivaled our guide’s.

On our way back to Arusha, the truck broke down. Though we’d had some minor mechanical issues along the way, this one was more severe. We ended up parting ways with Ally on the highway. We had longed to get a picture with our new found friend who’d worked hard to keep the truck running, show us everything he could, and educate us along the way. We will remember him well despite missing the last day opportunity for a photo. We took a somewhat harrowing ride back with a lead foot, never content with the radio station, safari driver who’d stopped to help. Despite some hiccups along the way, this was a true lifetime highlight for me.

Amy: It was the middle of the night. I had finally fallen asleep in our dusty tent in the midst of the Serengeti. Suddenly, I found myself startled awake when Jon grabbed my leg (hard) and said something along the lines of “there are hyenas in the camp, get your shoes on.” This sums up my safari experience. It felt like a rollercoaster of emotions. There were parts I absolutely loved, moments of discomfort, and some tears.

Our travel to Tanzania was over 24 hours with three flights and a stop in Ethiopia for a number of hours. We got our first taste of Africa at the airport and marveled at the bazaar-like feel of the terminal and the huge variety of people and dress. This felt like international travel.

We decide to plan our safari once we got to Africa versus booking ahead of time. This was a challenge for me and my preference to plan ahead. Arusha was a indeed a bit overwhelming for us and we opted for a recommended company after visiting their office. As Jon mentioned, we had a nice guide named Ally and the older safari truck all to ourselves. Tourism in Tanzania was lower than normal due to the impending presidential election, which looked to be the most competitive in their recent history. We chatted with a number of locals about the election and heard many differing opinions and viewpoints during our stay in the country. Due to the dip in safari tours, it was easy to find an option starting the next day that provided a lower cost with camping and one night in a lodge.

The animals on safari were incredible. Unbelievable really. They were so close to the vehicle and living in their natural element. I remarked a number of times about how all of these varied creatures live together so closely. Often you could see giraffe, buffalo, elephant, gazelle, wildebeest, zebra, and warthogs all in the same vista. I loved seeking out the animals and remained excited any time I spotted a lion or giraffe even in the distance. I never tired of the animals, even on our 5-day adventure. We also enjoyed seeing the Maasai people of the region gazing their many cows and goats as we drove throughout the northern part of the country. We even came across some camels that were used by a local tribe.

The other parts of safari were interesting. There was a lot of driving on very bumpy roads to get between the parks and sometimes our experience seemed more informal than other tours we observed. We often were left looking at each other wondering where do we go now, or why have all of the other trucks left, or is this chicken safe to eat, or what do we do in the pitch dark camp all by ourselves, or is it normal for hyenas to run behind your tent? But, it always worked out and I think our guide had the best laid plans in his mind, we just weren’t always informed up front. He knew so much about animals and was very passionate about the wildlife. He would inform us that we would “absolutely” see certain animals and encouraged us to “make a picture” when he thought the animals were in a cool spot.

My first tears came on our last day in the Serengeti when we spotted a lioness who appeared to be on the hunt. We wanted to see the natural spectacle of a lion hunting, but I was fairly heartbroken when the lioness snatched up a little baby warthog. I had commented to Jon just before that about how much I loved seeing the baby warthogs. My heart hurt with seeing the baby perish and I also knew it was part of the life of these animals in this amazing place.

We saw a couple more animals injured or killed by lions and it was hard. Particularly a large buffalo that had been attacked but was still alive. Many safari trucks circled awaiting the lions to come and feast. Both Jon and I urged our driver to move on. We wanted to respect the animal and give it some grace.

On our last night, we stayed in a beautiful lodge with a huge buffet. It was a major contrast to the tenting and campsite cooking we had the previous nights. We also checked email with the limited internet and received sad news. Jon’s uncle Warren had passed away and a former colleague of mine, Anna Helms, was killed in a hit and run car accident. Jon fondly remembered times in South Dakota with his uncle when he was young. I shared memories of my brief time working with Anna, her amazing work ethic, and kind and gentle spirit. We both felt a bit shaken up and and were also reminded of how much we need to be grateful for this journey and each other.

Safari was an experience I’ll never forget. Africa’s diverse wildlife, beautiful sunsets, and sweeping landscapes touched my heart. Even though there were ups and downs, it was one of the best weeks of my life.

PS- Please feel free to share your comments! We love hearing from you.

(Dates: October 11-17)