| The sultry heat of Africa hit us as we stepped | | | | undergrowth. As we followed at a discreet |
| off the Kenya Airways flight at Dar es Salaam | | | | distance, they trundled down the river bank and |
| and it was only 8:30am, some 23 hours after | | | | across to the other side, eventually disappearing |
| leaving home in Spain, so it was with some relief | | | | into the bush. |
| that we entered the delightfully cool foyer of the | | | | There are no other camps in this area of Ruaha |
| Royal Palm Mövenpick Hotel an hour later. | | | | but one of the other drivers radioed to say that |
| Our rooms were a good size, the hotel pool was | | | | a pack of African hunting or "painted" dogs had |
| clean with waiter service and a poolside | | | | been sighted. Our friend had a particular ambition |
| restaurant so all that a weary traveller could wish | | | | to see these creatures so the hunt was on; not |
| for. The in-hotel Italian restaurant was excellent | | | | bothering with the track, Eric rocketed us through |
| and we all indulged in the enormous local prawns, | | | | the scrub further up the river bank. We quartered |
| which could have been mistaken for small lobsters. | | | | back and forth for a while but the dogs were |
| We made the most of this meal as we had no | | | | gone; oh well, plenty of time to catch up with |
| idea what to expect on our safari to two of the | | | | them. |
| largest and remotest game reserves in Tanzania. | | | | Back at camp, cold beer was gratefully consumed |
| I should explain that there were four of us - my | | | | as we discussed what we'd seen and consulted |
| husband, myself and two close friends - we | | | | one of the waiters, who was something of an |
| hoped that after holidaying together that we'd still | | | | expert, on the birds that we had seen. Showered |
| be that way! This destination was a very last | | | | and changed for the cool of the evening, aperitifs |
| minute decision as we should have been in Kenya. | | | | were drunk, our friends' story of the hippo which |
| However, the political turmoil there dictated that | | | | came out of the river right by their tent was told |
| we make a change so we opted for Tanzania, | | | | and dinner was served on the covered wooden |
| where our friends had safaried previously but we | | | | deck, in case of rain; tuna mousse, chicken in |
| had not. In any event, our two camp safari took | | | | satay sauce with chive mash and vegetables plus |
| in national parks where they had not been so, | | | | dessert - all delicious - not bad at all for the middle |
| happily, a new adventure for us all. | | | | of the jungle. |
| 7:00am saw us en route for Jongomero Camp in | | | | Next morning saw us up at 7:00am for breakfast |
| Ruaha National Park by light aircraft. Despite its | | | | before setting off for an all-day safari. Once again |
| 23,000 square kilometres, making it larger than | | | | the giraffe and impala were much in evidence |
| Wales, Ruaha is so wild and remote that it does | | | | together with water buck. Eric suggested a stop |
| not attract anything like the tourist numbers | | | | for coffee and to our surprise unfolded a table, |
| found at parks such as Arusha, Serengeti or the | | | | laid it with a cloth and arranged coffee things and |
| Ngorongoro Crater. Indeed, one cannot expect to | | | | flapjack for us to help ourselves - how incredibly |
| find game in such huge numbers either, but in | | | | civilised. This stop was by the river so we were |
| some ways the difficulty in locating the game | | | | entertained by cavorting hippos as well as birds, |
| makes a sighting all the more exciting. The time | | | | too numerous to mention. |
| of year of our visit (February) being the end of | | | | For the remainder of the day we continued our |
| the short rains meant that game spotting would | | | | drive, taking in the somewhat unpleasant sight of |
| be all the more challenging as the trees and | | | | vultures squabbling over the remains of a giraffe, |
| undergrowth would all be in full leaf, providing ideal | | | | monitor lizards, warthogs, zebra, kudu, baboons, |
| camouflage for those creatures not wishing to | | | | vervet monkeys and eland. Our civilized lunch stop |
| show off for visitors, but more of the animals | | | | in the middle of nowhere saw us tucking into |
| later. | | | | pizza and a variety of salads, all washed down |
| We were met at Jongomero airstrip and | | | | with local beer. After lunch, more of everything, |
| transported to the camp where we were | | | | especially elegant giraffes, mongooses, baboons |
| welcomed by singing staff and the young South | | | | and birds galore. |
| African couple who ran the place. Our tents were | | | | Back to camp for sundowners, then dinner of |
| well spaced for privacy and followed the curve of | | | | Moroccan lamb by candlelight in the (at that point) |
| the river bank; on the way we passed a small | | | | dry riverbed. We were told that lions and elephant |
| swimming pool and sun beds. This was not the | | | | sometimes came into the camp at night and our |
| stuff of boy scout camping, with a large double | | | | friends saw a jackal as they were being escorted |
| bed, dressing area, fully equipped shower room | | | | from their tent to dinner, but apart from that, all |
| and terrace overlooking the river. But enough of | | | | was quiet. |
| the sleeping tent; a cold beer was beckoning from | | | | Up again at 7am for a nice spicy omelette and |
| the open fronted makuti thatched lounge/bar | | | | the long drive to Msembe at the far end of the |
| area, also with a view of the river, followed by | | | | park. Plenty to see en route including a tortoise |
| lunch of meatballs, couscous and salad. | | | | about the size of a domestic one just wandering |
| Our afternoon game drive was delayed by an | | | | across the track. Down here, it was much drier |
| hour or so by heavy rain but soon enough we set | | | | with less vegetation and we hoped to see lions, |
| off in a purpose built safari vehicle - a four wheel | | | | for which the area is well known. We weren't |
| drive with two rows of tiered seats behind the | | | | disappointed. Shortly after an encounter with a |
| driver designed so that everyone had the best | | | | very angry bull elephant from which Eric raced |
| view possible. We were lucky to have a vehicle | | | | away with all the speed that the safari truck could |
| built for six passengers between four of us, so | | | | muster, we sighted two male lions. They just |
| plenty of room for cameras, binoculars, bird | | | | wandered along for a while then disappeared but |
| books and all the other paraphernalia without | | | | were a majestic sight, nonetheless. After that, we |
| which no game drive would be complete. | | | | were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a serval |
| After the recent rainfall, the tracks were | | | | cat, which is rare indeed and some rock hyrax |
| somewhat muddy and sliding the jeep was often | | | | playing amongst, yes you've guessed it, rocks! |
| the only way forward. Nonetheless, it wasn't long | | | | Lunchtime saw us once again overlooking a river, |
| before our first game sighting, a dik-dik, that | | | | enjoying another picnic and watching a lone |
| cutest of antelopes, which even fully grown rarely | | | | elephant trudging along to rejoin his herd. It was a |
| stands more than knee high on the average | | | | long trek back to camp so we didn't stop for |
| human. After that a large batchelor group of | | | | much on the way, although we did hear an |
| impala then increasingly giraffes camouflaged in | | | | elephant trumpeting in the trees beside the track |
| the trees or standing sentinel beside, or | | | | and shortly afterwards we had to stop, with |
| sometimes right in the middle of the track. | | | | some trepidation, to change a punctured tyre. |
| Our friend is particularly keen on bird watching, so | | | | The evening beer was more than welcome after |
| there were numerous stops to identify a huge | | | | a long day bouncing around in a truck but the rain |
| variety of bird life. Suddenly our driver, Eric, | | | | prevented another dinner in the riverbank which |
| veered off the track whispering "elephant". He | | | | was now by no means dry! |
| wove the four wheel drive between saplings and | | | | Next morning, after a leisurely breakfast and |
| scrubby bushes until we could see what he | | | | loaded with the packed lunch that was pressed |
| meant; a whole herd of elephant, probably around | | | | upon us, we boarded our flight for the Selous |
| twenty of them, making their way through the | | | | Game Reserve for the second part of our safari. |