Travel in Tanzania. My adventure into the wildest Africa

... ... .. Leaving Kenya, along the road between Arusha and Namanga, a thousand things go through my head were so intense and full of emotions the first few days in Africa, Tanzania, will give us more surprises? The bus is so crowded that Veronica, petite, is literally hidden in the back and I, more fortunate, I found a place next to a kid who came home from Nairobi. Joshua was called a couple of hours to meet us, he tells me his school (three months in Kenya, three in Tanzania and so on ...) look at our photos Kenyan, let's talk '. And about twelve hours it is on this bus, begins to be very tired, cold and not well. I offer my jacket. ... I'm happy to see him fall asleep almost immediately. Arriving in Arusha we're really tired, it was a long day and Veronica starts having a fever high enough. The "boys" of "The Masai Expeditions" lead us to the hotel, Le Jacaranda, tomorrow we will come back to start our safari Tanzania. Lake Natron, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire our stages. Before you leave a jump in the offices of Precison Air to define the plane flights in 9 days will take us from Arusha to Zanzibar, and at the end of the journey from Zanzibar to Nairobi will bring us back to the coincidence with Brussels. Now bad news, the reservation we had made from Zanzibar to Nairobi via direct flight there was canceled and the only solution that remains is to make 2 stops in Dar Es Salaam and Kilimanjaro Airport. Enhances the prospect there, but ... .. we are Africa, Akuna Matata, we'll do in 20 days. In Tanzania safaris are used for real off-road, fairly experienced, but very sturdy. Here, the roads and dirt tracks are much more insidious than in Kenya. In addition to our guide Bryson, will accompany us Limo, the cook. With us boys Belgian Olivier and Kathrin. We stop at a convenience store for supplies. Limo back with dozens of eggs, vegetables, rice, fruit, and the menu is very boring ... .. I'm sorry it thought, just a moment, I look around and realize that for many this is a privilege. After a few kilometers on a nice paved road, we leave the route that leads to the parks of the north, we head towards Lake Natron .........

 

....... This area is a bit 'out of hand and we waited 5 hours of dirt road along the way, it becomes increasingly sandy, dusty, hot. I did not know exactly what to expect but often arid horizon seemed endless, eddies of sand, cracks, craters, and the unmistakable sign of a region geologically very active and always moving. All around us the utter desolation and vegetation scorched by the sun. See for the first time the baobab. By now the dust had stuck everywhere. Passing through villages Masai finally see the cone of the volcano tick Oldoinyo Lengai. Finally arrived, we camped in tents near a river. We are in 6, we, the Belgian girl guide and cook. I feel a sense of total isolation, the silence is absolute, I seem to be out of the world. The place is wonderful, is not a hospitable place for humans but the atmosphere is unreal and indescribable. Veronica remains let her have the fever and sleep in a tent, I climb the hill to watch the sunset and the red sun set behind the mountains. When they returned from the pasture with the animals. Some of them stop to look, approach, do not speak a word of English. They are courage and begin to touch my hands, comparing, I think that they rarely come into contact with a white man. Remains a little girl next to me, we sit on a stone and watch the volcano. It's really beautiful eyes ... ... I will give you the photos and she is happy to make do, and I finally brings his animals can not understand his name, perhaps the age .... little else. She did not ask me anything in return and I would have liked to know so many more things I dreamed of being able to help in some way, but how to communicate? Impossible! She gave me a unique gift, his spontaneous and sincere smile, say hello before I leave some colors I have in my pocket, I seemed to have made her happy. The same child as soon as I saw the day after she ran toward me to greet me. ... I wanted to say ... ... but to tell you what .... Tomorrow we would leave and when ever I would see .... Just a moment, the animals away and with them my little friend goes home. Lake Natron flamingos also means, villages and Masai Masai children who sell beads, rivers that arise suddenly from the rocks and hidden waterfalls where you can bathe. In a desert horizon, we resumed our drive to reach the Serengeti, climb the mountain to remember what has been in recent days and thought about many things, certain experiences taught me something? I can not forget what I saw? Another lump in my throat and a few tear ... .. I finally fall asleep ... the road is long and about 9 hours after arriving at their destination. Let's start with the classic safari: Serengeti, the park cut off, after seeing a myriad of animals migrated to the Masai Mara, here I was a little 'disappointed. All matter of seasons. ... In any case remember it as the oasis of hippos. Still craters, lush but this time, we are at Ngorongoro. From the top, before descending into the volcanic caldera, it is cool and the view is breathtaking, the slopes surrounding an oasis of peace where animals find shelter, there are lots of animals .... But at the same time there is also a lot of people. When we stop for lunch, it seems to be a Jeep rally. ... But the crater is so big that when we put in motion seems that there is nesuuno. We allow ourselves the luxury of a night at Lake Manyara Lodge. Finally managed to wash it properly and to eat a big meal. ... Too abundant! Cuddling the Lodge does not displease us but in the end ... the sense of freedom that reigns in the isolated bush camping is another thing. The park of the Lake Manyara which I think was the most disappointing in a relatively small area, we saw many animals. We must say that I, after about 13/14gg safari I had arrived at a level of fatigue that I could hardly keep my eyes open during our excursions. From Lake Manyara to Tarangire is a short step. Set up the tent again for our last night in camp, I head immediately to a classic shop "on the road" for the purchase of local crafts. Until that moment I refused to weigh down my luggage with statues, masks and so on but the point of shopping at some point was too strong, especially when I could enjoy the typical local painting, naive "Ting Ting". The set of colors is a visual representation of the bush and with his animals is best classic. Happy to have put something in your backpack so pretty and characteristic that I will remember this trip a long time ... back to the campsite. The Tarangire parks believe it is one of the most underrated, for me it was a pleasant surprise as an endless expanse of Bao Bab adds a good variety of animals and breathtaking views, say hello to the latest antelopes, giraffes, lions, elephants ( Quantity ... .!!!) Back in Arusha for the conclusion of our Tanzanian safaris, 8 hard days of work have passed, we regret having to say goodbye to our Belgian friends, but let us meet in Zanzibar to spend one more night together. The warm atmosphere of Hotel Le Jacaranda ahead, putting away our things and think of how many things we saw and how intense were the last days. We moved to Moshi in the Kilimanjaro airport and along the way our hopes of seeing Kilimanjaro are baffled by a blanket of clouds. The plane takes off and after a few minutes, again, we see the haze over the clear silhouette of snow-capped. ... Finally a glimpse. ... Just for a moment. Time horizons are changing dramatically, no longer animals but savannah and beaches and tropical sea: will this really happen?
Zanzibar, here we come ... ...