Lake Manyara
Trip Start
Nov 18, 2002
1
115
157
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Serengeti National Park,
Tanzania
Sunday, May 25, 2008
At 8.30am as arranged, Salhim was outside Arusha Backpackers with the Landcruiser engine ticking. We stopped for a few essential things that we needed to buy such as water, there was no way we were going to pay $5 US for a 1.5 litre bottle at the lodges! And of course chocolate amongst other goodies.
Then we hit the road to our first place of Lake Manyara National Park. It took about 3 hours to drive there and on a good tarmac road too. We arrived at the Park headquarters and Salhim checked us in. In the car park were numerous modes of transport ranging from the usual Landrover, Landcruiser to massive high up open safari trucks.
Once all the papers had been checked it was up with the pop-up roof and away we went. Now we were on the real dirt track roads and bumpy they were too
Baboons
. Within a few yards and after passing a big troop of Baboons (who for once did not do the Long Leat Safari thing of climbing on your car and ripping off anything they can get hold of) there to our left were 3 female elephants and one small baby munching away. They were so close to us and all at the beginning of our journey! We watched in silence with the engine off and took photos and then we were back on our way. Then we came across 2 warthogs who were eating a little way into the woods. Salhim turned off the engine and said to us they are going to cross the road. Sure enough about 2 minutes later they did. Right by our truck. How cool? We carried on and there near the track was a small muddy pool. And who was wallowing in it? A massive hippo.
We were having a fantastic introduction to our safari. Wild animal after different wild animal we came across. Our journey took us to beside the massive massive Lake Manyara itself. There spread out across the horizon were groups (of at least a thousand in each if not more) of Lesser and Great flamingos. The Lesser are smaller and pink whilst the Greater are bigger and white in colour. It did smell rather fishy there.
As we travelled further along the plain we got closer and closer to where the Giraffes were hanging out. They are huge. There is something so serene and so graceful as they walk quietly along
Elephant (with Pieced Ear)
. We got up very close to one that was eating at the branches of their favour food the Acacia tree. Their tongues are sooooo long. Just perfect for dealing with the strong, sharp toothpick size needles that these trees grows in a somewhat unsuccessful defence from animals. The trees are poisonous to us but the giraffe has developed a saliva to deal with this. Nature is quite incredible. There near to the Giraffes we had our first sight of Zebra herd too. We stopped and watched them as they grazed. The sound they make to communicate with each other is a cross between a donkey bray and a high pitch bark. Its really funny to hear when there are a whole load of them doing it at the same time. Off in the distance we could see a group of female elephants with their young. We saw herds of Buffalo too. We passed an acacia tree which had a huge Snake Eagle nest with its resident sitting in it. In all our game drive lasted about 5+ hours. We then headed out of the park and up up to the top of the Rift Valley (the dramatic escarpment which borders Lake Manyara to the west and which carries on for 6000kms from the Dead Sea in the middle east to Mozambique) and checked into our first lodge called Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge.
Our room afforded incredible views of the National Park and lake below. It was quite breathtaking. The evening meal was a delicious buffet with huge selection of starters, main course and desserts plus you could eat as much as you like. Now that's Martin's idea of heaven. We declined a dip in the outdoor pool but other mad people did. Once the sun set the air certainly felt much much cooler. Out came the fleece jacket for sure. Returning back to our room feeling 'stuffed' it was the perfect end to a perfect day. Now what will the Serengeti National Park spoil us with tomorrow.....?
