Tanzania

After all our adventures, everyone was really hanging out to get to the beach and give our internal organs time to rearrange themselves in the proper order and just relax.. had a few drive days to get to Dar es Saleem and was great to be by the sea and swim. The place we stayed at called Mikadi Beach was great and everyone had a great night fuelled by the infamous vodka slushies. When the tide went out discovered these little glow-in-the-dark plankton that lit up when you stood on them – was really amazing so we sloshed and stomped or way out for several hundred metres making them all glow. Somehow by the end of the night most people ended up in a reasonably drunken state and being thrown in the pool – typically was wearing my only clean, dry clothing. There is another Oasis truck heading down to Cape Town that has been pretty much shadowing us from Nairobi and despite a much younger age group on board they seem to be very quiet in comparison and were horrified that we were all in the pool fully clothed!!

Next day we headed over to Zanzibar on the ferry which took several hours and disturbingly several coffins were loaded on board first. Then another few hours to our beach stop at Nungwi, one of the northern beaches. At first impression our accommodation H&H Bungalows was seriously uninspiring but it had beds (first in 4 weeks – yeah!!!) and a bathroom so was positive luxury. The beach was amazing with the turquoise waters of the Indian ocean, the dhows anchored in the harbour and restaurants and bars right on the beach front. Basically ate loads of yummy seafood, had real coffee, real chocolate cake, lazed on the beach, had a fabulous massage right on the beachfront… bliss. The next day a group of us went out diving, the rest snorkeling at Mnemba Island a few hour boat ride away. Hadn’t dived for awhile so a few of us did a quick refresher, then explored the reef with all the amazing fish (think Finding Nemo) and on the second dive even saw a turtle!! Was really great diving and great day out, followed by more chocolate cake and coffee… didn’t ever want to leave. The only dampner on the whole experience was the damp washing episode – while it had been fine all day out at the island, it had rained all day at the beach so all our washing was wet, not hugely clean and worse we had to go and track it all down so several people lost stuff in the melee.

Next day took the early taxi back to Stone Town to go on a spice tour at a local spice plantation. Was really interesting seeing how everything grows (and in the most haphazard manner), most of the plants I wouldn’t have recognized even by smell as many are quite different fresh. Saw, tasted and smelt a big range of spices – nutmeg, citronella, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, tumeric, pepper and also tasted a mangosteen fruit (yum) which is a delicacy here and super expensive. The guides had woven cocunut palm leaf necklaces, handbags and rings for the girls, and hats, glasses and neckties for the guys so we looked very stylish on our return to town. Had a quick tour around the market, the church and the old slave market, then the fortress, though have to say it was really hot and switched off listening to much of the information as brain was in meltdown stage.

Phil arrived on the late taxi and woke me up from a sound sleep on the nicest bed (four poster each!!) in the Safari Lodge hotel. We delighted in the novelty of having a TV and lazed about for a few hours watching it as had already slept through the sunset, so missed out on the traditional sundowners!! Ended up venturing out in search of food, past the seafood markets which looked really tempting but had been warned that was not the safest around so resisted. Glad we did as found a really nice Italian place by the water and had the most delicious meal, including my first ever taste of tiramisu. What was also nice was that it was just Phil and I rather than a big group of us - probably a good thing as made embarrassing noises of enjoyment over such gastric-orgasmic food. Also it was appropriate as it worked out to be a celebration - one month to the day that we had been tent buddies.

My most serene moment in Africa to date and the most scary all happened within a couple of hours of each other in the Serengeti…

We bush camped in the Serengeti and another very early start in the dark for me as had decided to fulfill childhood dream of ballooning in the Serengeti. Hilarious beginning to the flight with all 16 passengers having to climb into the balloon sideways to take off, so was very much like a fairground ride. We gently floated over the plains, watching the sunrise light the trees and animals come to life below. To start with we were so close to the ground we could just about tickle the giraffe's ears then we rose up to several hundred feet for a full vista across the park. We saw antelope, foxes, giraffes, hyenas, loads of hippos, a baby vulture in the top of an acacia tree and heaps of antelope and impala bobbing around. It was so peaceful and worth every cent of the small fortune it cost (for those in the know, it cost the same as the insured value of my car!!!). Afterwards we had champagne (as you do), followed with a full English breakfast. It was a completely surreal experience to be sipping on champagne in the middle of the Serengeti and feeling quite nicely by 10am!! Got a certificate of survival and then hooked up with the rest of the gang on our Fun Safari (name of company) adventure.

We did a bit more of a game drive, packed up the tents and then we were up for a 6 hour trip back through the Serengeti, then Ngorongoro and back to Arusha. However we didn’t make it too far… we all thought we were going to die as our driver completely lost control and we careened off the road and into a small ditch. Thankfully we didn’t flip but it was definitely a close call. The reason for the crash was that crazy Eric had been driving way too fast – over 100km on roads that should be done at around 50km- and the front left hand axle shaft had snapped, which meant we were really rather err… shafted and stranded in the middle of the Serengeti. Loads of vehicles passed us and we were like animals on display… it was funny at first but really Fun Safaris became a whole lot less fun after an hour or so of waiting around and hoping not to be eaten by passing animals.

We were eventually dropped back to the visitor centre by another company and told that they would fix the car and use it to take us back to Arusha which we were seriously unhappy about. While none of us are mechanics anybody could see that the landcruiser would be out of action for some time and not safe to drive. However in the day and age of mobile phones (I hate that traveling has changed so much that everyone is always connected but was deeply grateful at this point in time!!) we eventually managed to get hold of Oasis and they sorted it out with Fun Safaris that we got another vehicle… the only thing was that it was now late in the day and you have to be out of the national parks by 6pm as they lock the gates. The next driver was great but still experienced a completely surreal video game drive home as we had near misses when zebras leaped out in front us, some masai goats, a car door at the wrong time, then a few guns and arguments at the locked gates in Ngorongoro (but they let us through)… was definitely an adventure but so pleased to get back to Snake Park and crash out into the safety of bed!!

Passed through from Kenya into Tanzania and enjoyed watching the scenery change from quite lush vegetation to the vast open plains, with a few acacia trees scattered about the place (think 'Gods Must be Crazy') and the Masai people dotting the landscape in their colourful kangas, herding their livestock from one place in the middle of nowhere to another. Border crossing was crazy and we were swamped by bejewelled Masai woman selling all kinds of adornments and getting back on the truck without purchasing something was mission impossible. Passed under the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro, but so hazy actually didn't even get a peek at the famous mountain.

Our camping stop was at Snake Park in Arusha, where as the name suggests there are a lot of snakes.. thankfully the only ones that we saw where behind glass... still enough to give you bad dreams and jump 10 feet in fright when certain members of the truck tickle the your ankle!! The park was chock full of overland trucks which meant a busy bar and cold showers. The next day we did a village walk, some of us atop camels where we saw inside one of the huts, with walls cleverly built out of cow dung, dirt, ash and water. It is the woman who build the houses and in fact do most of the work in their society, men seem to only attend livestock and rest on their laurels. The Masai people are polygamists so of course had to ask all the questions of how many wives our guide had (two but looking for a third) and how much it costs to get a wife (anywhere between 12-15 cows).. definitely glad that I am not living in that society, or if I did would definitely come back as a man!!

In the afternoon we headed over to the Ngorongoro Crater campsite ready for a few days of game driving. Upon arrival, the vehicle carrying our gear had a flat tyre, so we retired to the bar, only to discover when it did turn up that our tent bag was missing all our tent pegs. Managed to beg, borrow and steal enough to hold our tent up for the night. Pretty quiet evening due to the early start the next morning, though everyone enjoyed having food cooked instead of doing our own cook groups and eating our beloved truck food (actually food has been surprisingly good, just that cooking and shopping for such a crowd is a real effort).

Striking camp in the dark was pretty easy since our tent pretty much fell down of its own accord and then into 4X4's for the game drive into the crater. There were six per vehicle and one crazy driver - our group landed driver named Eric who was intent on training for some kind of African Formula one doing 100km plus on gravel, potholed track. After a lenghty delay at the gates sorting passports and travellers cheques (things always done the most torturous, lenghty way here) and avoiding the marauding baboons, we finally made it into the Crater. It was a bit of a traffic jam situation going on at the bottom with up to 30 odd vehicles all kicking up the dust and jostling for position around the animals, however having said that it was amazing, we saw lions, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, wilderbeast and the usual line up of antelopes, gazelle and zebras.

While passing some of the most amazing wildlife around, our group made the awful realisation that we had not got lunch as none of us noticed the lunchboxes at breakfast (to be fair it was dark and 5.30am)... so it was a mad scramble in the back seat to find the elusive Maryland cookies which took on the utmost priority when faced with the prospect of not eating for another 8 hours. Was hysterically funny and confused the heck out of our driver... hunger does strange things to people. Thankfully we did get some food at lunchtime as someone had noticed our error and brought the lunchboxes for us. Then with lunch in hand went outside to eat only to be divebombed by a hawk, so ate in the car.

Following all the drama and craziness, we headed back up out of the crater (about 600m deep) and onwards into the Serengeti. A crazy 3 hour drive with Eric at the wheel, speaking of which we actually lost one of the spares off the back due to travelling at such crazy speeds. Had an evening game drive in the Serengeti, though didn't see anything too spectacular, the actual park itself was the most interesting part with the rolling grass going on for miles and miles around us and successfully hiding the elusive animals.