Leave Arusha on to Tarangire

Unfortunately no wake up calls from the elephants last night, so we'll have to wait until today to see our first one. From everything we have heard if we see no elephants today we might as well go home.

Breakfast with Paul and Erika, say our good-byes. We are so happy we started with our trip here, we had a great introduction to how our safari will go, met some really nice people and got caught up on some sleep and time change. We had all kinds of talks about what to do as far as giving donations while we were here, some people bring soccer balls, some buy things in town to give to schools and just about just about everything else you can imagine. We decided we would just give some money to people that we thought would look after someone or something for us, so we started with adding some extra to our bill for wine and beer to Paul and Erika to find someone that could use a little hand. Sounds like the are involved with different things in town and we are confident it will go to good use, plus maybe they will think of us when they do share. We also needed to pay back a loan they had made us.  When only brought big US bills with us, and we are not exchanging money until today when we go through Arusha again, so no tip money for the guide yesterday, so loan and liquor bill paid and we are off.

One last climb up the lookout at Twiga Lodge to see if there are elephants

 

Felix our guide was right on time for our 8AM pickup.  We drove through Arusha, changed some money, bought some extra drinking water, and picked up box lunches from some lady that was waiting on the side of the road.

These little vans travel all over the place picking up people until they can squeeze not one more person in

Masai moving animals to watering hole

Masai village

Line up to get water

Collecting honey

 Lots of road work on the way to Tarangire and we experience our first puncture. On the drive to Tarangire there are lots of Masai boys out moving their cattle and goats around for feeding. While Felix is changing the tire one young boy saw us from the distance and came running over with his hand out, so hard to just wave and say hello, but we know it is not good to give handouts teaching them to ask this way. Andre gets to take advantage of a tree, I found the road a little too busy to squat so I decide to wait. 

First puncture - the only car problem we had

Back in the car and drive about another 20 minutes and stop right before turning down the park road to get the tire fixed. I asked Felix if there was somewhere I could use the bathroom, ummm, there is spot right across the road and he asked if it was an emergency, OK I will wait. Andre got out of the car to watch the whole patching the tire process, he said it was just like changing a bike tire when he was a kid. Really fun to watch the whole interaction, there was quite an animated discussion between a younger guy and older guy. This little hole in the wall place looks just like a garage at home where all the men hang out. Of course we didn't understand any of the Swahili conversation, but Felix told us it was about money when we asked him later. It was very funny to watch, no matter what the language the gestures meant it was about money or women we thought.

Our second national park entrance

Arrived at the park entrance gate and had our box lunch here. We have moved on to chicken now, but there as also a veg. Sandwich and veg samosa so I was very happy. Not sure I will eat any chicken that has been sitting around all morning in the heat. Some beautiful birds taking advantage of a bird bath that is set up, Felix is looking after our entrance so we are able to walk around a little at the entrance. There are also a few monkeys about, I love seeing them even if Felix says they aren't nice ones.

Lovebirds , Cordon Bleu and Grey headed Sparrow

Superb starling

Superb Starling

White bellied go away bird

This park has brought us many firsts, and some really amazing vistas, trees, birds, and animals. Finally see our first elephant, our first elephant is in a herd of about 50, AMAZING. All different ages, some nursing babies, some juveniles, and some older elephants.

 We also see two very young giraffes together, I am now so confused what my favourite animal is, what I do know it is not walking with water buffalo. 

Amazing how they get their tongues around all those thorns!

We also see our first love birds, so colourful, Andres favourite is the Secretary Bird, and we also saw our first Ostrich, so many other beautiful colourful birds that we need to look in our book to remember. We also see our first wildebeest, gazelles, antelope,.

Lilac Breasted Roller

Waterbuck

Striped Kingfisher

Red necked Spurfowl

Secretary bird

Elephant ripping bark off tree

Ostrich

Hornbill

Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin

 

There is a river that runs through this park that during dry season all the animals go to, we stop at an amazing spot that overlooks the river and it looks like something out of a movie, this cannot be real. I know pictures will not do this justice.

My favourite part of the day was when we asked Felix to stop because it looked like some animals were heading our way to cross the road. There were about 50 zebras and wildebeest, they came up to a dried up water hole just beside our jeep and split, zebras on one side, wildebeest on the other, well except the 2 or 3 wildebeest that were a little confused and stayed with the zebra. Following right behind these were about 20 elephants. Felix told us to just stay quiet and we would be safe, they passed right beside the van, we were the only vehicle there, can't even explain how fantastic this was. I did notice that Felix was watching them very closely and had his hand on the ignition, maybe not so safe as he led us to believe?

My favourite memory of the day

We have now checked into Tarangire Safari Lodge for the next 3 nights. We are staying in a tent for the first time. The “tent” has a double bed, huge shower, toilet sink, end tables, dressing room, a place to sit outside and the most amazing view. I had read that tent 22 was the best, well it certainly is. The only thing that I am not so comfortable with is there is elephant droppings right outside our door, I guess we do not go back to our tents at night unless we are escorted. Right now I am sitting outside, watching zebras cross the river in the distance, and some baboons running towards the water. A worker just walked by and asked me if I had seen any lion, um no, he said to watch as they come down to drink as well. 

Running joke with Felix, every time we drove by this sign we said "Awesome view!"

Our home for the next 3 nights, what a view!!

A little visitor while I sit outside

Tent 22

 

Wow.....

Supper tonight in a big dining room, breakfast at 7AM tomorrow as Felix wants to be on the road by 7:30 and we will come back to the lodge for lunch. Can you tell how much we are loving this?? We'll see how we feel after the night noises tonight.