We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.

Leo Tolstoy

Ok now in process of moving from western Tanzania with Serengeti and animals to the east and Zanzibar with a whole new culture. On the Indian Ocean and beach. Yesterday flew from Serengeti to Arusha where spent night at lodge stayed at on 2nd night out. hence yesterday on arrival while others went shopping I loaded four days of writing.

Here are a few pictures I may have already posted or not. numerous of these photos were taken with iPhone as easier to work than the bigger camera and definitely could get close in the vehicle. Animals have habituated to the cars.

And so we move on. Another flight this pm and a new adventure. Hope all is well with you.

The only lasting truth is change

Octavia spencer

A long day started 6 am listening to lion roaring seemingly outside our tent. But turns out was 2 k away. When up for coffee Simon says let’s go find lion so we did. Amazing.

Finally depart about 8:45 and arrived here at north end of Serengeti park about 5:40. Very hot lots of animals. Wildebeast going on forever. A lion kill hyena tearing apart the remains with jackal and vultures going for whatever. Rhinoceros, and at end of day hippo pool with about 100 hippo spending the day in water.

Now exhausted as was very Hot.

He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions

Confucious

Well the dilemmas continue. Tourism is it good or bad? Vouyeristic tourism

A wondrous afternoon and departed at 4 in search of a cheetah, driving a lot, wild cross country.

Saw a lone Wildebeast calf. Which began following us. Apparently somewhat common, as if imprint on mother does not occur within that 15 minutes when they can walk and run they will follow anything. Birth can be interrupted by a predator or whatever. The calf will then follow anything, have even been seen to follow a lion. It followed us for a while, and all agreed it would not make it through the night, unless it found a herd of Wildebeast, of which we saw none.

We did see a cerval cat and a family of black backed jackals and a mess of hyena. And managed to get stuck but other truck came along and just gave us a push.

Then we started to return to camp. Doudee saw a cat way off in distance. Turns out a cheetah and we followed it a bit, then got a bit ahead as cat sat down and rested. Doudee thought it was full from just eating. But then along comes the Wildebeast calf. Totally unexpecting it was a very short chase and the calf was down. And for the next 36 minutes we watched and filmed the cat begin its dinner. Simon says it was in a hurry because there were hyena around and they would come in and chase the cheetah away, so the cat had to eat rapidly. Meaning the calf was not dead with an occasional moan and squeal and kick.following is a video and if queezy do not watch.

The sun was beginning to set and and the storks went into the trees to roost. Got some I believe incredible sunset pictures to complement the sunrise pictures.











It’s kind of fun doing the impossible

Walt Disney

Interesting – awoke to absolutely first light gorgeous sunrise out tent door. I say no mountains to block the view. Breakie and off for a hike, 3 kilometer taking 3 1/2 hours looking at sign but no big animals except giraffe. But dung beetles (quite entertaining), harvester ants and the ants in galls of whistling acacia. Now having a delightful quiet time over an hour seemingly the biggest break of able to relax. Just sitting and looking. Possibly maybe figured out why camera is running through battery. (I chose the camera with AA batteries rather than rechargeable).

Turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the camera.

Concerning gear quite happy with gear packed so far. Concerning camera camera I had 5 to choose from. Each had its attributes I played with all chose this one Nikon cool pix 500 and I thinking working better than I give it credit for Important thing concerning gear is play with it first and know how it works.

A very nice break for lunch

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

John F Kennedy

Ok because of no internet or Wi-Fi or communication in our remote camp in southern Serengeti I wrote each day but could not post. Hence here back in Arusha I am posting basically each day’s consecutively. I would label each day date but have not a clue what day it is, and have no interest in that. As usual there are errors which are mine because of either typing or I heard something different than what was actually explained. Feel free to correct me in comments

Well another great day although a bit of diarrhea or maybe just upset stomach feeling much better now. So really only one day if it extends no farther But day a little off just feeling other riders.

But made it here not sure how Simon and doudee navigated as no gps no mountains, and endless plains, which happens to be what Serengeti means. Endless plains. A lot of off-road and unsure how I feel about that but it was fun I confess. Doudee is a great driver but others feel they must give advice.

At one. point came across car very stuck in mud. Amazing how it looks very solid but a few tracks and it is a mud hole. These were rangers who had gotten lost. But amazing as I only had an inkling of direction.

But again the amazing part was the animals thousand and thousands of Wildebeast. Seemingly always in motion. Calves running jumping and kicking being babies. Apparently they can be up and running within 15 minutes of birth at full speed. With lions hyenas leopards and anything else no wonder. One area the Wildebeast a were walking the beach of a lake which was filled with pink flamingos. Then they came to a narrow section and they had to cross which they just kept going.Amazing with the zebras mixed in, but when the zebras reached the crossing the zebras all held back. Doudee says because they are waiting to see if safe from crocodiles or whatever. ( there are no crocodiles in this lake. ). Also mixed in we’re Thompson’s gazelle and grants gazelle, and saw 4 big elan. Before we reached the treeless plain there were the forest of acacia trees with numerous giraffe. Seeing the animals is not a maybe you will see but how many. Maybe for leopard and rhinoceros but others common. And saw some lions today and a fair number of hyena.









And a visit to Oldevie (actually mispronounced and misspelled oldepye)gorge, some of original anthropology and archeology was done to find homo erectus. Interesting.

Again a tent camp. Nice. Currently it is 9:15 and can hear crickets but also Wildebeast not far. And may have just heard a lion. We are instructed ok to go out and pee, but before going out scan with flashlight first for eyes if seen go back inside. Especially if red eyes. Yellow ok as Wildebeast or gazelle but red is lion leopard or hyena.

Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping.

Thich Naha Hahn

Morning here dark for another hour. Want to get out early to climb into the ngorongoro crater where apparently there are 25000 elephants, rhinos, buffalo, and who knows what.

Yesterday a drive reverse of going there. Rough in beginning ending in pavement stopping for lots of birds. I identified and saw 15 new species. Amazing birds.

Feeling bad about the bad writing on previous blog. Little explanations. Sorry. But primarily it was Hadza. They are a hunter gatherer tribe, one of 5 or 6 left in the world. They do have contact but limited. They can go to school but one fellow had returned after school. He liked the lifestyle better. Interesting but as I noted I would starve.

Anyway off again shortly have a very short window of Wi-Fi here.

Aging is the extraordinary process whereby you become the the person you always should have been.

Dave Bowie

Day 5:Well this is interesting. Began yesterday with another drive about, again with lots of animals and birds , but this time add in the lots tourists. The day called for and acknowledged a long drive When asked Simon how far he had difficulty answering and now I know why. Basically last 2 hours was 4 wheel driving. But began on highway heading west to see the eastern rift rising above the Savannah’s. Lunch before the climb was near a beautiful waterfall but could see little of it die too hot outside of forest and in the sun.

Then began a steep climb I estimate some as steep as 20%. Very windy then down the rift into the valley at about 1600 meters whereas high point was at 2000 meters (6200 feet) and the park yesterday at 1200 meters. Wondering if road is passable as worsening, at one point Simon saw a fellow sleeping on side of toad and asked him if road was passable to the health clinic where we wanted to drop medical supplies from Esther. He said yes but still some in other car opted out of one section and walked it. Clinic closed as it was Sunday but somehow they found head village officer and he accepted the gift.

Then a road at what they called the swamp, rough although drivable. Then onto “hadza ” land finally at camp just after dark, after a very rough drive. Who know/ how far the day was. GPS says 80 km from last night but long drive. Dinner and the locals had killed a genet cat in camp. And we ate it.

Slept to a rain storm, our awning came off during night when stake’s ripped out which then covered door keeping it dark until after we had dressed and opened door to find it light outside.

Day 6: Off to a hadza camp to learn hunter gatherer life. Dug out tubers, shot arrows and and I was able to stop a tree in its tracks from attacking us I got up to 20 feet which was close enough. Just missed it by inches as close as the kids (maybe young teens ) who shot from 100 feet. They demonstrated how to make a fire, just with a stick. They took their time explaining it, so took 4 minutes to finally light the grass. I failed at my attempt to start fire although I did get smoke from base of turning stick. Off to collect honey from some trees with bees. Nice. One hive inside the baobab tree had already been taken when the one fellow braved going in. Probably another Hadza family a bit ago.

Now in siesta, which was nice to have a break and from the go go activity. Afternoon the Hadza came to our fir and demonstrated making arrows. Dorobo had brought some nails and they were pounded out to make arrowhead. One nail 15cm(6”) makes two arrowheads. The stick from a local bush charred in fire , bark peeled away, straightened, and ends made flat where arrowhead drilled into end and the other end feathers fastened with ligament. The builder makes decorative marks and we now have our own arrow.

Up to top of rock above camp with all, for “sundowner” then dinner and bed. Tomorrow we hunt

Hunt was good although no results, although our hunter, Jeanne and I did travel a bit. 5 k (3.4 miles)

Maybe 10 arrow shots although only maybe 4 real potential. Did bend 3 arrowheads when hit rock. Mostly Hyrex (a non rodent closed related to elephants, looks sort of like a rabbit.) Simon before we left gave us three hadza words so we could sort of communicate. Because my memory at language is horrible I wrote them down. “Semama” is stop. “Cambini” is camp (like return to camp)- and “pole pole” is slow down. All one needs to know to communicate while hunting with someone who speaks no English.

Most interesting seeing this culture. A hunter gatherer group in is true sense. They are nomadic hence have no address. (A problem for census takers) They do no preservation as no way to store food if moving. Apparently one of 5 or 6 remaining hunter gatherers in the world. Dorobo our tour company has worked a system with them. Basically barter but not paid and we are warned to not give them anything. It is a cashless society and sharing. In our case Dorobo brought the nails for arrowheads and some beads. They will go into town for some items traded. The kids can go to boarding school if desired, but one fellow after school came back because he liked the life here better. And a happy people always seem to be laughing. Akuma Matada (no worries),

A evening up on rock sundowner. Questions back and forth between Hadza and us Simon and founder translating from English t9 Swahili and Hadza. Our hunter wanted to know if Jeanne /nd I saw the leopard prints. And another wanted to know about problem of Israel and Palestine and if Jesus looked like us. Then after dinner they presented us with sons and dance.

Ok enough of this. We had a day of driving and time to enjoy this resort. Sorry for the mid editing and such but a busy place