Today we are leaving Ndutu and driving to Tarangire. We say goodbye to Shahoza and the staff and are on our way by about 8.15.
We do a bit of a game drive on the way to the gate. Notable sightings include lots of Adhim’s storks in a tree, a Sacred Ibis and a hyena with cubs.
About 9.45 we put the roof down and the serious driving begins. We pass Olduvai Gorge which has a new monument since we were here last.
We are driving through the Masai lands when we pass a broken down truck. The driver stops us and asks Alladini for food. They say they will be there for 2 days waiting for spare parts. Alladini passes over his lunch box. He says that when someone of that age in that situation asks you for help you know that they are desperate.
We pass a herd of eland close by as we drive up to the crater rim. We stop at the view point for a few photos before driving down to the Ngorongoro Conservation Gate.
The car park at the gate entrance is empty, no safari cars at all......so sad.
We are then on the move again before we stop at the Lake Manyara viewpoint. We can see how much the water level has risen in the last few years.
We drive on to Mto wa Mbu village where we stop at a small restaurant where Alladini can buy some lunch. We sit outside and eat our lunch boxes....very nice. Alladini’s lunch of chicken and banana soup takes a bit longer to arrive and when it does he asks us to have some as well. It is very good.
While we are sat eating we notice that this village that is usually full of tourists is very quiet. We see no other white faces and hardly any safari cars.
It is mid afternoon when we get to the gate for Tarangire National Park. Alladini does the paperwork and then we start our game drive.
This afternoon we see baboons and monkeys, dwarf and banded mongooose, several small groups of elephant and giraffe, some warthogs and lots of new birds for this trip.
We arrive at Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge at about 6pm and are welcomed with the Jambo Song!!!! That’s twice in 2 days!
We are met by Elson the camp manager, asked to sanitise and fill in a Covid declaration form. We are then shown to our tent by Jackson.
The tent is lovely and has a feel of luxury about it.
We have a hot shower and then go to the bar for a drink and dinner. We are the only guests here tonight so enjoy some personal service. Our waiter Frank, speaks very good English and we enjoy talking with him throughout our meal. He, like many camp staff would like to be a safari guide. He is working at the camp in between studying at school. He certainly has the right personality to be a guide and his English is good enough. We even test him on some bird identification and he passed so I hope that one day he fulfils his dream.
Dwarf Mongoose are amongst my favourites.
ReplyDeleteNdhovu looks a nice camp.