Whirlwind blog and Serengeti photos

Okay the big time whirlwind blog entry. We have much to write and little time to do it. So, I being the one in the family not shy about verbal and written storytelling, I’m going to just give’er. We have decide that we cannot keep up with the stories and the photos so this blog entry is going to have many photos to describe the last few weeks and we will catch up with the stories in Swaziland.

Kelly’s quote of the trip: “I’m not worried about it”. Chris’ quote of the trip: “I’m worried about it”.

A big part of the diverging thoughts lays in the fact that Kelly is a bad ass traveler and can roll with the punches. The other reason in my opinion anyway is that we do a great job of sharing the work, and I have taken on the fretting (thanks Mom) and she has taken on the job of given’er. Someday sitting around a glass I am sure I will be able to tick off the stories like the time we had to argue our way out of paying an additional 24 hour fee at the Aberdares for being 15 minutes late. Late because Kelly was, “I’m not worried about it” when we showed up 15 minutes late at the gate because of a side trip when she wasn't worried about it. I am sure Kelly will follow up the story with the story that she didn't take crap from the gate attendant and made the gate person call her boss and get us a letter from the principle allowing us to be 15 minutes late. Kelly will also tell you about the sweet spot we found because she didn't put up with my fretting about it getting dark.

Roads

The roads into Serengeti are the absolute worst, biggest, nastiest and without questions the worst piece of shit roads in the world. We had read many a blog that talked of the horrors of the roads. I swear as the sun at noon is hot here that you cannot from my blog understand how bad the roads are. For my Ki-Be friends just consider that washboard gravel road going into the Tucannon would be the absolute best by a factor of ten thousand then the average section of road here. The 175km (100miles or so) took us 4.5 hours of hard getting after it driving. When I wasn’t fishtailing or trying to power out of the ditch I was being passed by a tour company fishtailing right past me. In the Serengeti it is the low season, but still there are probably 100 vehicles in the park. We are the only self-drive we have come across, every other vehicle is a guide company. Not giving up the center line, throwing gravel everywhere and travelling with kids we are getting some respect from the guide companies and some downright generosity. We had a guide stop to check everything was okay after a mud section and another stop and show us to some Cheetahs on the hunt (never materialized but a great offer none the less.) The campsites are full of companies with travelers. These campsites have cooking shelters and for all the companies they have cooks feeding the staff and clients. The cooks have been very helpful and like seeing the boys run around.

KIDS.

It cannot be stressed how much the Tanzanians and Kenyans love and respect kids. The absolute best device we have for polisi stops is to roll down the tinted window and have George say “poa” (“cool”, and typical kid reply.) We have been told it works and we have seen it work incredibly well. Any sticky situation we just show them the kids and don’t get flustered. Well actually that is my technique; Kelly just doesn’t take any shit!

Camping in the Bush

We had a freaking 60 pound Hyena (a small one) come within 20’ of our fire at dusk! We were taking it pretty well and not too concerned, but after about 15 minutes of pacing and not leaving we decided it was best to move the prey sized kids back into the tent. We have a hatchet and a Panga (Machete) at an arm’s reach. However I am not sure what a hatchet will do against an elephant. At the camp we saw a couple trees up rooted (20’, 10” diameter) and many trees mangled. Apparently the night before the elephants came through camp crunching on trees! Oh yeah we heard a male lion chuffing as we went to sleep.

Sun!

Holy crap, we are from the far North. Just spent the last hour in the car with A/C running. We, like the animals, chill out and plan for cooler hours during the heat of the day. We did a game drive this morning at first light and then will do a game drive tonight when the equatorial sun is starting to chill out.

Roads again.

I know I have complained and patted myself on the back for dealing with bad roads. NOTHING can compare to these devil devised roads. All I can figure is that they keep them so bad to keep out self- drivers and other riff raff. They tell me that they work on the road regularly and they “just get bad the next day”. I call BS. It seems that part of the “experience” is to have a guide drive like a mad man possessed and be on verge of death for 4 hours. Anyway we are here and I am giving the family the full experience. Hey I found something that worries Kelly, my driving!

Time and Electricity

Both are in short supply and George needs an electronic fix so I need to sign off. I am sure I can add to this gem before we find a chance to post. The boys have not seen TV for 7 weeks now, and have seen less that 4 hours of videos in the time. Both times on the video were in the car with the A/C blaring because… well we suck at “Africa hot.” Speaking of weather, Africa has a much bigger weather variance then you would imagine. Our cottage is Nanyuki was low 50’s every morning and night and low 80’s each day, very nice…

Okay I must go… I really must.

Okay I am back, albeit in another country. So obviously no chance to post this to the blog since the Serengeti.

Weather, okay I complained about Serengeti being Africa hot. Well I have found a new marker for Africa Hot. Malawi is sweltering, apparently just this week? I would be a bit surprised if it went from pleasant and 27 to 100 and melting hot. The heat is tough but Malawi is amazing. Lake Malawi is by guestimation about 80 F and has a nice breeze on the shore. We hit the lake about 8am and it is very nice. Lake Malawi was not on the original plan, but with some travelling stories we were convinced to make a change. We are very happy to leave Tanzania a day early and be here beside an amazingly beautiful lake. Our second to last day in Tanzania left a bad taste in our mouths. It is too bad because three day before we left Tanzania we had a couple of the best days.

Great days in Tanzania.

A couple days into our Africa travels we met a family of Swedes at the beach south of Dar es Saalam. The father Andreas by the way was sporting an old school Sonics ball cap. The mother Sara actually studied and lived in Seattle for some time. So with their English skills and adorable little Agnes we made quick friends. Fast forward a couple months after the Swedes went South to Iringa, Tanzania and we went North to Kenya and we were invited to stay with them on our trek South.

We really enjoyed our time with the Swedes at the beach and figured we would have a good time visiting them on our travel South. It was not only a good time at their home, but it was a little of a homecoming. We felt very comfortable, well taken care and like old friends. So Sarah, Andreas and Agnes live in an amazing African city in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania called Iringa. The city core had wide paved roads that were clean, the bus stage was orderly and calm, and the open air market was well kept. Iringa was big enough and had enough expats to have a proper coffee shop, book store and a few good restaurants.  We look forward to coming back North and spending more time with them.

We were also so grateful for the opportunity to hang out with another friend we met at the beach.  Arturo the linguist, as I like to call him and his family welcomed us for the night into their home in Arusha.  Chris and I had a great time getting to know Georgio, Arturo's Dad and the kids picked up right where they had left off at the beach. We were only there a night so didn't get photos of the family this time but we are sure to see them also on our return north.

close call with a lion?

2 cheetah on the prowl

rock hyrax

good mama vervet monkey

vultures and maribou were fighting with some jackals for leftovers

puff adder....run over

hard to see but chris spotted this big lion eating breakfast 

this guy and his brother walked right by our car.  amazing!!

Add caption

leopard eating

leopard relaxing with full belly

lion with tracking collar.  We saw the guy driving around the park in the tracking car.  If we were smart we would have just followed him.

Egyptian goose

Peaceful campsite

Not!!!  Well the first night it was anyway.

red billed hornbill

secretary bird

We came across this guy on our way out of the park and thought for sure he was on his final breaths being so skinny but a guide said he would make it.  

If not....

Ngorongoro Crater