Oct 09: Lake Tarangire

And so we leave the high altitude of the Crater.  Margy couldn't be happier.  It was a long 5 hour drive, but she was ill the whole way.  If not vomiting, then dizzy and confused.  She can't enjoy this last day of the tour at Lake Tarangire but at least she has high class accommodation in which to rest up.

We're excited because even on the drive in we see loads of game.  The Reserve is renowned for its huge population of Elephants.

Maybe it does, we'll check that out later  on our afternoon game drive.  Meanwhile we adapt ourselves to this new landscape.  On entering the Park we are warned about tsetse flies. Not only did we all have to "Deet" up thoroughly, but the car was sprayed too.  The Sopa Lodge where we are staying is located in an oasis in the middle of the Park.  Very luxurious, and as we ate lunch Al fresco next to the pool we were entertained by the prevalent wildlife.  Not only colourful birds, but monkeys. Tree Hyrax (I think that how you spell it) large guinea pig type creatures who scamper everywhere, along the ground, over the roofs, in the trees.  It's so odd that they climb trees but have no tails!  Their nearest relative apparently is the Elephant.  how weird is that?!!

This park is also famous for the baobab trees, or upside down trees they're often called.  And they really do look as if the roots are in the air

Then there are the cute tiny ground squirrels.  Further afield, the larger animals can be seen grazing the surrounding hills.  The property is  not fenced, and later that evening we passed an elephant right outside our room, making a light snack of the garden beds!

It's very hot, around 34 deg I imagine, and this affected our afternoon game drive:  all the animals seemed to be sheltering again.  A bit disappointing.  Just goes to show, there's a lot of luck involved on these drives.  However, we just absorbed the African landscape, and marvelled at the fact that we accept the elephants, giraffes and buffalo as part of it.

All is not lost however, as we leave the park the next morning - right beside the road we came across a large pride of lions, 14 in all, basking in the morning sun after a huge breakfast: the freshly dissected buffalo 50 meters away.  We observed them quietly for about 20 minutes.  It's amazing how they accept our presence without batting an eyelid.  That is so long as you stay inside the vehicle.  They obviously think the vehicles are huge lumbering harmless creatures.

Just one night here (mores the pity, such a lovely hotel) then we head back to Nairobi.  Horrible long drive back across the border into Keyna.  We were on the road for 11 hours!  The last 2 dragging through Nairobi's rush hour.  Sydney's got it easy by comparison).

Back to the hotel we had stayed at the first night in Nairobi where we had our farewell dinner: in their African restaurant:meat, meat and more meat!  Cooks keep coming to your table slicing off bits of barbecued meat until you cry "stop"' there's beef, lamb, pork, crocodile, camel, chicken.  Got me beat pretty early on, but Alan kept going until he'd tried it all!

Then off to bed for a 4.30 am pickup for the airport.  Groan!