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.