My Safari into the wild Tanzania, First part

content:
photos:
Vote this travel review

We arrive at the international airport of Kilimanjaro and we will move all'Ethiopian Hotel (a small hotel very nice and clean decorated with lovely paintings naive) in the city of Arusha. The hotel was very clean, has among other things a very good continental cuisine is Ethiopia (the excellent Zighinì).
I took contact with our agency and carried out the paperwork, spent the afternoon walking wandering through the pretty town of Arusha.
The agency, with which we are already in contact by Italy during ns. meeting in Arusha has convinced us to do a safari without the task of cooking. Now think Deo (the cook) occupying the kitchen will make the safari more relaxing, fun and safe. Making a safari with the cook to follow makes it possible to address the vacation home without the burden of domestic work as boring, cook, wash dishes, tidy up the field.
Ah, we are in Group 6: Massimo, Andrea, Marcela, Luisa, Manuela and Pinuccia. We are friends and even in Italy we often frequented.
So the next morning we get up early and after an excellent breakfast we meet our guide (James) with whom we share the travel program.
Loaded the luggage into the jeep (around 10) finally aprte.
After about an hour we reach the village of Mto wa Mbo and here we sit in our camp. Deo while preparing lunch, we assemble the tents and we rilassiami before a fresh beer in Africa.
After lunch we visit the village, which boasts among other things, a very picturesque and rich market of crafts in wood, but ... while also keeping an eye on the clock. At 15.30 it is partly due to the fantastic first game drive in Manyara National Park, whose entrance is only 5 minutes from the village.
The name of the park and the lake are derived from the Masai word "Manyara, which is the name of a plant: the spurge Tirucalli used by the Masai to build fences and fences.
The first part of the park consists of a lush rainforest, much like a tropical forest. Here, however, the abundant water comes from underground aquifers of the Rift Valley, rather than by rainfall. The vegetation includes tall trees and species specific (baobab, sausage tree, breadfruit). Here we encounter baboons, several species of birds, but also elephants, antelopes, giraffes, buffalo, dik dik, vervets. Everything is a discovery and our first instinct is to take pictures for fear of a repeat visit us again in favorable conditions.
It 'a mistake. If we continue as we return to Italy with 10,000 faoto moderate ... Better ...
The area adjacent to the shore is more open. Here we spot hippos, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes and even three lions. We are shooting in the park until 18.30 when the park closes. Being punctual is important to avoid discussions and fines by the rangers). Thus ends the first game drive. How exciting! I dreamed for a long safari in Tanzania.
James who has diligently made our service, have an eye of lynx. You see the animals for hundreds of meters away. One thing not to believe.
After the game drive we return to the field where we find that in our absence Deo has already prepared a delicious dinner of pasta and sauce and tropical fruit salad and omelet. The bar in the camp sells excellent ice-cold beer. Dinner with flakes.
At the end of the day we are tired but satisfied. In the evening we lie down early to be out in force the following day. And then we all cooked anyway ....
So the next morning we get up around 7.30, we have breakfast and partiramo for the second game drive in Manyara. The game drive is a replica of the first and we see more or less the same things the previous day. But we live to experience shock due to an elephant that comes close to 50 inches from ns. jeep. And if you put in the trunk and scrambled someone shoving here and there?? The guide advises us to be silent and a bit 'scared, we follow his instructions to the letter. After 30 seconds (the longest of my life) met the elephant goes away and returns to the group from which it was detached.
James says that he behaved in this way because there were children in the group.
At about 11.30 we return to camp, we will dismantle the tent and enjoyed the brunch prepared by Deo.
After lunch, dismantle the camp and move towards the second half of our trip, the village of Karatu, where we arrive after about an hour.
Here too quickly assemble the tents that we are guests in the resort and, after a nice hot shower and another beautiful African beer served at the bar, we can take a stroll wandering the streets of this picturesque villaggino Tanzania. The houses are all low. The village is full of life and children. The surrounding landscape is very beautiful. Rough and full of crops. Remember Tuscany. During the tour he had met some guy and a group of children to whom we purchased the sweets store.
In the evening dined with a good South African wine bought for a few dollars in the canteen of the camp. Still night in camp but we really enjoy all the comforts. The bar of the resort is warm and we can watch the news via satellite.
The next morning we wake up early and head towards the Ngorongoro conservation area full of. We arrive at the lodge where we leave the luggage at the reception before moving to the vault of the main crater. The entrance proper of the crater is about half an hour from the lodge. We have done well to wake taken. So let's not waste too much time and we can enjoy the safari Craterre.
The view is enjoyed from the edge of the crater is spatial. It looks like a plastic but it is reality. Below we see in the distance, herds of elephants and buffaloes. We are at over 2000 meters and the animals are 600 feet below us. Arrived at the bottom begin to turn and enjoy the numerous wildlife that surrounds us. It 'like being in a zoo ... but on the contrary: we are prisoners in cars and a paradise on earth all around us, wildebeest, buffalo, gazelles, zebras, eland, elephants, lions, antelope, jackals, hippos, hyenas, flamingos, rhinos , serpentaries, eagles. The animals are many. Hard to believe .... Remain in the crater throughout the day and return to the Lodge until the late afternoon. From the terrace there enjoying a nice hot chocolate from the lodge. It's a little 'cold but it is logical to us beyond 2000. From the terrace overlooking the crater. What a sight this sunset! After a good dinner the day ends nicely before the great fireplace, which here is particularly appropriate given that the temperature is close to 0 degrees.
The next morning we get up not very early. The guide explains that it is better to get to the gate to the 13:00 to optimize the Nosrati stay in the Serengeti. We stop first and then to visit a Masai village we see along the way and then the Olduvai Gorge, one of the most significant for human paleontology.
The Masai are friendly but for us access to their village must pay $ 50 per car. After we paid for dancing for us and are willing to be photographed in all the sauces (perhaps a bit 'fake this village).
At Olduvai instead where there is a small museum shows the evolution of man. He also admired the gorge below us as a gentleman explains the history of the gorges and the major discoveries that were made in this place in over 30 years of paleontological research. It is very hot.
We go to the gate of the park where we arrive as planned around 13.00.