East Africa Safari

Day 12 – June 10: Tanzania Bush Camp
I loved the morning routine at this lodge: 6:00 am – coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies delivered to the tent. We left for our safari around 8:00 after breakfast. The first photo of the day was of a sign over the toilet in a bathroom in Ikoma village.

PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH
Hand Towels
Tampons

Wildlife sightings began with two serious-looking hyenas in the wind-blown grass – creepy, and unsettling, but not dangerous to us. Down the road a little, we saw a stunning cheetah (duma in Swahili) perched on a termite mound. Cheetahs differ from leopards (chui); they are less agile, don’t have strong retractable claws, and usually don’t climb trees. They find places like termite mounds for lounging while watching for prey.

A line of stately giraffes appeared behind the cheetah in the distance. We traveled on and saw zebras, many of them bobbing their heads, something they do for various reasons – swatting flies, helping them balance, and also as a way to initiate social interaction – to get attention! Fun fact: Zebras have black skin under their white stripes of hair. Shave a zebra, and it would be black.

Our next sighting was of two lions resting under a tree. Typical lions – walk a little, rest a lot. We drove on a bit more and were awed by a very pregnant female hartebeest, and a little distance away, an agitated male, stomping and bobbing his head.

Our driver then took us to a very sad spot, where some Maasai had been killed by lions. In that same area, we saw lions atop rocky outcrops called kopjes (pronounced kahpees). The name is Dutch and means “little head.” Lions on the rocks enjoy a panoramic view for spotting prey. Disney’s “Pride Rock” was inspired by Serengeti kopjes.

Other animals we saw were hippos, a crocodile, Thompson gazelles, and baboons. While in the water, hippos vigorously swish their tails and fling their poop – sometimes called “dung showering” as a method of marking territory and even as a courtship ritual. Yuck. I learned that they are not only dangerous but also super stinky, and they’re proud of it.

We witnessed a male lion kill a male cub. Our guide explained: if a male lion mates with a female and she has cubs by another male, he may kill the young males to eliminate rivals and protect his lineage.

As night fell, later back at the lodge, the bush came alive with calls of lions, zebras, hippos, and those scary hyenas, but we felt perfectly safe in our compound.

Day 13, June 11
The day began early with loud animal sounds echoing through the camp around 3:30. We dressed by 5:30, had breakfast at 6:45, and left at 7:45 for our 9:00 flight to Arusha, Tanzania. Our pilots—both named Ali—treated us to a scenic detour around Oldonaya, a live volcano, circling it for a better view. Once in Arusha, we spent time at the Cultural Center, welcomed by a lively local band whose music set a joyful tone.

As we left, we happened upon a Lutheran first communion parade. The children, dressed in crisp white shirts and vibrant yellow pants and skirts, sang enthusiastically as musicians played alongside them. It was a beautiful, spirited celebration.

By 4:30 pm we arrived at our new camp in Mkomazi National Park, where we were greeted by a troop of mischievous monkeys. Though undeniably cute, they were far from sweet—food thieves, every one of them. Dinner was served in an outdoor tent, and afterward we gathered around a large round campfire pit with stone seating. Our guide casually mentioned that a hyena was watching us from behind some trees, just fifteen feet away. Later that evening, the same hyena had to be chased out of the men’s bathroom by some brave rangers, who had been watching a soccer match on the dining tent’s TV.

Day 14, June 12
We had breakfast in the big outdoor tent, only to be interrupted by a monkey determined to steal our food.

Our driver, Nassary, shared a story about waking up one morning to find seven lions—two males and five females—just outside his tent. He had to wait from 6:30 until 10:00 before it was safe to leave. One of the male lions whipped his tail with such force as a clear warning to stay put.

Later, we drove to the top of a hill with picnic tables, though one of our drivers accidentally took a road so steep that the front left tire lifted off the ground. We all got out and headed for the picnic tables so Jerry could carefully back down (without us) and try a safer route to the top.

The day’s sightings included a majestic Goliath heron, young giraffes engaged in neck-fighting, and a baby elephant crossing the road. The elephants in this park are known to be not-so-friendly because of long memories of mistreatment by humans. Sad. We kept a safe distance.

We learned that locals burn elephant dung and mix it with milk to create a treatment for arthritic joints. They also burn dung to relieve vertigo, believing the smoke carries medicinal properties because elephants have such a diverse diet that their excrement must certainly include healing properties.
As we drove through a grassy stretch, the air filled with the sweet, refreshing scent of wild mint. It was another amazing and magical day.

Day 15, June 13
We were up by 5:00 and had breakfast at 6:30. Nassary, one of our driver guides, told us about a traditional dish called loshoro, made from maize, beans, green bananas, and milk. He said his mother makes the best version of it, although sans beans.

The meals throughout our trip have been consistently delicious. At the safari lodges, food is typically served buffet style with a wide variety of options. The coffee is exceptional—some of the best in the world—and there’s always an abundance of fresh fruit and juices. The whole experience feels like a luxurious Sunday brunch at a high-end hotel.

We learned that our other driver, Sande Willis—pronounced Sandy—is from the Luo tribe. He shared that his grandfather had sixty wives, which made us laugh, imagining the scale of those family reunions. Sande also pointed out that western women who’ve lived in Tanzania for a while tend to wear skirts or dresses out of respect for local customs, while newcomers might wear tight pants.

He taught us many fascinating things: ostriches feed close to the ground and don’t actually bury their heads in the sand; the yellow bark acacia was mistakenly called the fever tree because people once believed it caused yellow fever; trees often die from damage from misbehaving elephants, or beetle infestations; wires and yellow beehive boxes are placed along roadsides to deter elephants from wandering into unwanted areas; black-faced vervet monkeys are notorious for stealing food and damaging crops; and bird watchers use a technique called GISS—general impression of shape and size—to identify birds by their overall appearance.

Tamela is a proofreader and book editor; she hosts paint parties for adults, art and drama camp for kids, and is the art teacher at May River Montessori. www.tamelamaxim.com www.artposseproductions.com