Tent @ nighttime in the Serengeti

Too many noises.

Serengeti Day 1 - Cats

Now that we are in the Serengeti, it's time to see cats!

We woke at 6:30 to see what there was to see in our area. Our first pride that we came  across was just eating their meal. There were about 14-16 lions here of all different ages.

The second was a male / female pair, picking at a kill from earlier in the day.

<Picture yet to come>

And our third was a female pair, still trying to suffocate the kill once we drove up. Shortly after we arrived the herd started to make it back to the watering hole and the lions had a second chance to get more... No luck.

<Picture yet to come>

Here we are on the drive back.

Here's a selfie of me blogging during siesta.

After siesta we headed back out to see what we could see. We made it back to the third kill and saw the lionesses feeding their cubs, who had been under cover earlier.

Beyond that, we didn't see any other cats. I would say that should tide me over until tomorrow.

Grateful and happy (by Kim)

I am so grateful for this opportunity to enjoy such an epic trip with Greg and Dad. What great guys - both of them. Once again, such a privilege to share this together. The vastness of the nature here is incredible. I must admit it gives me the same feeling for the wonder of nature that we have scuba diving. We are at awe with the variety of animals and ecosystems we are seeing, we are learning about behaviors by seeing the animals in action, we are learning about the local culture(s) as we go along, and we are enjoying the interactions with the others in our group and with our trip leader, Josh. 

So far my favorite things are the giraffes and zebras. But then a baby elephant is pretty heart-meltingly cute too. And seeing thousands and thousands of wildebeest grazing, MANY with newborns, along with thousands of zebras is pretty darn powerful. Now add in some strong female lionesses hunting a wildebeest (easy-peasy given the billions of them to choose from), watching the others split with a dusty thunderous escape, then seeing 5+ lions and cubs ripping the carcass apart and devouring it is mighty impressive. Raw wild nature in action. In front of eyes and cameras and they don't flinch at our big metal boxes since they were born in a national park and know they have nothing to fear. The conservation vision that the Tanzanian government had back in the 50s and 60s to preserve this global natural heritage is just incredible. Let's all do everything we possibly can to make sure that generations to come get to enjoy such a spectacle as well.

How about some pics?? This set is through the Tarengere National Park, a Masai village and also along the road before we entered the Ngorogoro Conservation area. 

Pics split over multiple posts.

Ok maybe no pics. This internet connection tethering to my phone that has a Tanzanian SIM in the middle of a national park the size of Connecticut can't handle my pics it seems....

Serengeti tented camp

Wow.

To the Serengeti

We are off to the Serengeti for the next four days. We're leaving some stuff at the farm house due to the fact that we will be out in the middle of nowhere... As nowhere as I have ever been. I can't wait.  Along the way we will make some stops and see a tease of the Ngorongoro Crater which we will see later in our trip. The scale of this place is unreal.

For lunch, we stopped in the middle of the plains under an enormous Acacia tree where some locals were having a nap.

After lunch we visited the Oldupai Gorge where Louis and Mary Leaky discovered many fossils which led to their theory that homo habilis was an early ancestor of human kind.

Before getting to the Serengeti we made a stop at a park which allows us to actually drive of the roads to see animals, which allowed us to see our first big cat. We were not alone...

This was a cheetah who had clearly just eaten a large meal.

The Farm House Lodge

Before heading out to the Serengeti for the next four days, we are stopping for one night at an old coffee plantation to rest a bit.

We had a chance to go on another coffee tour, so we took it. This place also grows Arabica coffee, only the shade is much denser with more trees overhead.

They also have an extensive organic garden which they maintain for the restaurant, but I have to say, they use a lot of water compared to everywhere else we've been.

Safari!!! (by Kim)

Kim here. What a privilege to be here! Thanks so much to Dad for making this special trip possible. And thanks a ton to Don, Sarah, Norah and Caitlyn too for you support in so many ways. 

So... The safari begins! A few of Kim's pics below. 

The Hempstead men radiant after an incredible game drive. 

Sister. Brother. 

Just pretty in Tarangere National Park. 

There is nothing quite like seeing actual giraffes and elephants wandering close to  you. And the numbers of animals in this first park were incredible. 

Masai Village

This morning we headed back to the area of Tarangire National Park to visit a Masai Village. They are a migrant herding people who live a polygamist lifestyle. Each village is comprised of a father, his wives and, their many children. We were greeted by the father of this village and the chief of this territory.

The people shared their song and dance, then taught the women how to do some typical chores. Apparently the men don't do much except take care of the cattle and the sheep, killing the occasional lion or other predators.

Each wife has her own hut in order to raise her children and they are responsible for maintaining the roof and stucco.

The women prepare stucco by hand using cow dong, dirt and water, then spread it on the walls by hand as well.

After demonstrations we had the opportunity to buy beadwork and jewelry.

An Afternoon Hike

 This afternoon we went on a hike from our lodge down to lake Burunge to explore local plants and wild life. No steel horse this time. Along the way we saw a number of tracks, skat, and learned about native trees. Once on shore we were presented with some beautiful views of this large inland lake.

...and came across some new tracks.

There are two known Hippos that inhabit this lake, and the lake is big, so we were lucky to even see evidence like this...

Upon further inspection of our view, we saw this off shore.

And a third hippo.

On our return trip, we came across a group of about five zebra ON our path. After frightening most of them away with our conversation, I got this shot.

Now I know at least a few of the things outside our tent. Thank goodness for shelter.

Tarangire National Park #2

Then We headed back to Tarangire National Park for the second time, leaving our lakeside camp at sunset.

We started the day with the mighty water buffalo, one of the most dangerous big mammals in all of Africa.

We then made our way to the river and saw baboon, elephant and many Impala.

At times it seemed like paradise lost.

No luck with the Lion to date...

And it's a good thing, because my father really needed a better angle on his Lanscape shot.

Another beautiful day.

Lake Burunge

After our first trip to a game reserve we headed to our new home for the next two days, Lake Burunge Tented Camp.

On the way, the other landcruiser with our group saw a wild dog... Unfortunately, I missed it. These dogs are very rare and on the brink of extinction. Our tour guide Joshua  has only seen five since he started touring 15 years ago.

We are sleeping in tents, but these are the nicest damn tents I've ever seen.

Full en suite, a porch with a terrific view and a lockable door.

Tarangire National Park

After traveling in the AM we arrived at Tarangire National Park. Immediately upon entering the park we were met by droves of animals. Big animals.

Amazing.

Headed Out

We started the day by loading up the Landcruisers for our first Safari. 

On our way to the reserve we visited the Cultural Heritage Gallery. It was set up like a museum but everything was for sale...

Then we drove about an hour and a half to Tarangire National Park. We met these guys along the way. They are Masai teenagers who were just recently circumcised and preparing to become warriors.