Wed. Feb 20 2019
Tarangine Safari Lodge
We headed out this AM en route to Tarangine Park. We found a herd of Wilderbeest and actually watched a newborn try over and over again until it was able to stand and within a half hour was running. We saw more lions and lots of gazelles, zebras and giraffes. We drove out of Serengetti and back through Ngorogoro Park. Beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife. Once out of the park Ray brought us to a small Maei village. It had a 93 year old chief who was out with the cattle. The chief had 15 wives so the entire village of 57 were all related. The tribe did some singing and dancing, and the jumping they are known for. We went into one of the huts that was mainly two beds on the ground that five people slept in, and a small open fire pit for cooking. The huts wee made from stone and dried cow manure. We then stopped at a roadside women's co op for some shopping, then arrived at the Tarangine Safari camp around 6:00. The main structure as you enter has an enormous cliff side front deck with all kinds of seating that overlooks a valley and river below. You can watch the wildlife just wandering around.
We are in another tented camp, but this one is large with about 45 tents, and the tents are permanent. Kati Kati is mobile each season and only had 12 tents. Tommorow out to explore, we are hoping to see elephants and another leopard.
Wed. Feb 20 2019
Tarangine Safari Lodge
We headed out this AM en route to Tarangine Park. We found a herd of Wilderbeest and actually watched a newborn try over and over again until it was able to stand and within a half hour was running. We saw more lions and lots of gazelles, zebras and giraffes. We drove out of Serengetti and back through Ngorogoro Park. Beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife. Once out of the park Ray brought us to a small Maei village. It had a 93 year old chief who was out with the cattle. The chief had 15 wives so the entire village of 57 were all related. The tribe did some singing and dancing, and the jumping they are known for. We went into one of the huts that was mainly two beds on the ground that five people slept in, and a small open fire pit for cooking. The huts wee made from stone and dried cow manure. We then stopped at a roadside women's co op for some shopping, then arrived at the Tarangine Safari camp around 6:00. The main structure as you enter has an enormous cliff side front deck with all kinds of seating that overlooks a valley and river below. You can watch the wildlife just wandering around.
We are in another tented camp, but this one is large with about 45 tents, and the tents are permanent. Kati Kati is mobile each season and only had 12 tents. Tommorow out to explore, we are hoping to see elephants and another leopard.
Thurs Feb 21 2019
Tarangine
We woke up to a huge group running and playing right next to us. We went on a morning drive. Our first sighting was a pride of about 8 lions and Cubs. They were only about a quarter of a mile from out lodge M Saw loads of ostriches, gazelles and impalas. We saw about four different groups of elephants. It was really fun watching them at the river. Everyone was looking for leopards. All the guides radio back and forth, and stop to talk to each as they drive by. We were on a riverbank watching a large group of elephants when we spotted a leopard starting to very cautiously cross the river. All of a sudden he stopped and flew back in to the brush. Ray then spotted a large group of baboons coming to the river to drink. Ray told us that baboons will attack and kill a leopard, so leopards Re afraid of then. We returned to the lodge for lunch, watched some elephant in the river below, then got organized for flight tomorrow to Zanzibar. We headed back out for a late afternoon drive. We watched lion hunting for quite awhile. She ran after some wart hogs but did not catch them. We saw a herd over 50 elephants, and multiple little groups. The highlight was watching some young elephants swimming and playing in a water hole, as monkeys sat on the river bank watching. It was a beautiful night, a sky carpeted with stars, and a huge moon lighting everything up. Sadly, our last day of Safari, but on to our next adventure.
Tarangine
We woke up to a huge group running and playing right next to us. We went on a morning drive. Our first sighting was a pride of about 8 lions and Cubs. They were only about a quarter of a mile from out lodge M Saw loads of ostriches, gazelles and impalas. We saw about four different groups of elephants. It was really fun watching them at the river. Everyone was looking for leopards. All the guides radio back and forth, and stop to talk to each as they drive by. We were on a riverbank watching a large group of elephants when we spotted a leopard starting to very cautiously cross the river. All of a sudden he stopped and flew back in to the brush. Ray then spotted a large group of baboons coming to the river to drink. Ray told us that baboons will attack and kill a leopard, so leopards Re afraid of then. We returned to the lodge for lunch, watched some elephant in the river below, then got organized for flight tomorrow to Zanzibar. We headed back out for a late afternoon drive. We watched lion hunting for quite awhile. She ran after some wart hogs but did not catch them. We saw a herd over 50 elephants, and multiple little groups. The highlight was watching some young elephants swimming and playing in a water hole, as monkeys sat on the river bank watching. It was a beautiful night, a sky carpeted with stars, and a huge moon lighting everything up. Sadly, our last day of Safari, but on to our next adventure.
