Day 6 – Soaking up the views of the Last Eden

We started early, just as when the sun was rising in the Serengeti. Our picnic box safely tucked away at the back of the Land Cruiser, our batteries loaded and our hearts filled with excitement for another game drive in the Serengeti.

The Serengeti. I let the word flow from my mouth, like a sip of a good Amarone, many times over during the trip. The Serengeti, a place that seemed so far away, so unreachable, so impossible to visit when I was watching it on tv. The Serengeti, the last frontier for the wild life of Africa, where lions and cheetahs roam in their natural habitat and where the rule of nature is above the rule of men.

Rogarth suggested that we should see a part of the migration in the afternoon. We all agreed. But first we would explore Central Serengeti.

During my safari trip in #Tanzania, it was the female lions that earned my admiration above all wild animals. They are the hunters, the ones bringing food to the table, they keep the pride together, they are extremely tactical and they are are great mothers, fiercely protective yet very caring to their offsprings. @robinkuijs snapped this tender moment between a young cub and a lioness while I sat on the jeep for 15 minutes watching this loving moment between mother and child. Today is World Lion Day and this post is dedicated to all lionesses and the ones celebrating their birthdays under this zodiac sign. . . . #serengeti #tanzania #safari #animalplanet #travel #reizen #reisblog #travelblogger #afrika #natgeo #natgeotraveller #africa #lonelyplanet #lpfanphoto #wanderlust #destinations #gamedrive #lions #leeuw #worldlionday

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Not even 30 minutes away from Tortillis Camp, we already encountered a group of about 12 lions, warming themselves up on a patch of sand. We watched them for about half an hour, about 10 of them sitting together, surveying the nearby hill where the zebras were grazing, and then after a while positioning themselves for an ambush. Not very far from the group were a cub and his guard, playing together like normal house cats. When another Land Cruiser pulled over beside us, we drove on.

A little farther down the dirt road, Robin spotted a small group he initially thought were lions. But they were cheetahs, a family of cheetah marching slowly, intently watching our car because they wanted to cross the road.

I find the cheetahs to be the most beautiful animal I’ve seen in this trip. Nature is really a design genius, splashing this big cat with black dots all over its fur, few circles at the end of its tail and that long line from the side of its eyes extending down the side of its mouth, giving the animal a melancholic face.

“At some point, you’ll stop taking photos because there’s really no other way to capture the beauty of this unique place but to see it with your eyes and feel it with your heart. Then the memory would live forever.” – Our 6th day of #safari in #Tanzania up on the blog now. Photo by @robinkuijs. Link in profile.

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That’s why when we finally found the Leopard (ticking off the fourth in the Big 5’s list), I wasn’t so impressed. Also because the animal was so far away, I couldn’t appreciate it so much.

Leopards are called the “ghost of the Serengeti”. Together with the rhinos, they are the most difficult to spot. They usually lounge on their branches all day long. And because this is the Serengeti, we couldn’t get as close as we would want to. We needed to stay on the roads. Unless of course, they were out on a kill.

Some of these wild cats look so fluffy up close and I was imagining how it would feel like to stroke their soft fur. But of course that would be stupid because once when an animal like this gets comfortable being touched by human beings, they ceased to become wild.

Today I was so heartbroken about the murder of #CecilTheLion. Having seen these beautiful animals up close, I couldn't understand why people would want to kill them for the sake of sports, for shallow virility and vanity. As I said in my safari diaries, "there is and should be a respected distance between wild life and humans because that's the only way each could live harmoniously in this planet." Killing of endangered wild life should be banned once and for all. It is very barbaric. Photo by @robinkuijs taken in the #Serengeti. #notopoaching #notosportshunting #savethewildlife

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We continued searching for the herds of wildebeest joining the Great Migration this year. I think we must have driven two hours in the Central Serengeti to find them. This new experience and the difficult of the roads made me very tired so when we are not spotting animals, I was sleeping. Due to the rapidly changing temperatures in the savanna, I feel a bit ill with fever, chills and a bad sore throat. Thankfully the sight of different wild animals gives me an adrenaline rush every time.

At some point, you’ll stop taking photos. There’s really no other way to capture the beauty of this unique place than to see it with your eyes and feel it with your heart. Then the memory would live forever.

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After a rather luxurious picnic lunch, we continued spotting for animals. But we didn’t get so lucky anymore. They were the occasional lions mating but for the rest, we saw only the usual packs – zebras, giraffes, wild pigs, elephants, gazelles, etc. We headed back to the camp early to enjoy the sunset.

P.S. I started writing this when the news about Cecil, The Lion broke out. I was so broken hearted that I couldn’t continue with the story anymore. That’s why it took me quite a while to finish the Serengeti series. I don’t understand how man can be so cruel especially after seeing these wild animals up close. But Nietzsche is right, men is the most cruel of all creatures. I hope that this disgusting trade of trophy haunting will be stopped once and for all.

Day 5 – First game drive in the Serengeti (all photos by Robin Kuijs)

If you are following me, The Weekend Traveller and Robin Kuijs on Instagram, you’ve probably already seen the amazing photos of the wild animals. But let me start my Serengeti diaries with the sad, the bad and the ugly.

Life in the Serengeti is survival of the fittest, for the people living there but especially for the wild animals. The big cats are kings of course so are other large animals like elephants, rhinos and crocodiles. The cute and cuddly zebras, gazelles, wildebeest and even the buffalos (one of the Big 5) are all but meals for the big ones. Nature also has its own cleaning team, the scavengers , who clean up the carcasses after the big ones have had their meals. They include the hyenas, the vultures and the marabou storks. Here they are in their best moments, looking so ugly that they become beautiful.

The skeleton of a wildebeest dragged to the tree and eaten by a leopard.

This one is having a blast up there in the ass.

He certainly wasn’t the first one to eat.

On a safari trip, you have to have a stomach for this. A vulture picking the eyes of a wildebeest, killed by a car.

After our Maasai village visit, we drove quickly to the Serengeti. Our group couldn’t keep our excitement anymore. We wanted to arrive already to the Serengit or the “endless plains” of Africa as the Maasai calls it. We wanted to see the National Geographic and Lonely Planet images of the savanna and the wild animals that thrive on it.

We reached the gate at about 3pm, enough time to do a late afternoon/early evening game drive. We were treated right away to a group of tree climbing lions. Five of them were occupying a lone tree, resting on th branches, cooling themselves down from the biting savanna heat. We could have stayed there the whole afternoon, dotting over the lions looking so adorable in their siesta. But it’s getting dark so we drove on. On the way to the camp, we saw a lone giraffe going for his afternoon acacia snack and a lone, old buffalo who is about to die.

When a buffalo becomes old and weak, he separates from the herd and wanders alone, awaiting death. In the old times, a Maasai dies in exactly the same way.

This lonely dikdik would be an easy prey for a hungry lion.

An old buffalo awaiting his death in the savanna. What better way to die than when the night is stealing the day’s light.

Have you ever see something so beautiful that you only wanted to cry?

Just as we were nearing camp, we were treated to two other spectaculars – the amazing (yes, I will be using a lot of superlatives like amazing from now on) African sunset in the Serengeti savanna and then a parade of zebras, giraffes and wildebeest crossing the road. The zebras leading the way and the giraffes patrolling the surrounding areas for hunting lions. It was way better than any National Geographic episode on TV.

By about 7pm, we check in at Tortillis Camp, the best luxury safari camp we stayed in the Serengeti. After a delicious dinner of herbed chicken and a bottle of South African Merlot/Syrah, we were off to bed.

This time however, I didn’t sleep too deep. I was kept awake by the sound of the Serengeti, the heaving lions and the laughing hyenas resonating louder than the others.

Day 4 – Lake Manyara

As a first time visitor of Tanzania, I was glad that our travel agencies, Matoke Tours and Easy Travel, incorporated cultural activities in our itinerary. And because it was a Dutch group, I think they thought we would appreciate a mountain biking trip to Lake Manyara and the villages in Mto wa Mbu.

After a failed search for that elusive leopard in Tarangire, we drove to Mto wa Mbu or roughly translated as mosquito river in Ki-Swahili. No kidding, there were lots of mosquitoes and one the way back to the village, you could see a swarm of mosquito forming a halo on everyone’s head.

We were met by three local guides whose names escaped me except for Eleanora, the girl from the Changa tribe. After a quick briefing, we chose our bikes. I opted for the red one of course. Our first stop was the village where Changa tribe members were making beer from bananas. The guide explained the process briefly and told us afterwards “You can have your photos taken and then we can proceed.” There couldn’t be a more touristy line than that. I didn’t want any photos so I walked straight back to my bike.

So mountain biking. I thought that when you learn how to bike in a remote Filipino village where roads are not asphalted and your cousins let you bike down a river bank – you could consider that as mountain biking. But boy, how wrong I was!

In addition to rough roads (which is how most roads in Tanzania are except, for highways) a part of this road going to Lake Manyara was under construction so it was basically a gravel path. Under no circumstances would I drive a bike of any sort in a gravel road. But didn’t I come here for adventure?

I was cursing the poor road for being extremely difficult. I almost fell several times and was riding as if I’ve only learned how to bike that very morning. But the irritation went away when we reached the lake.

The water was so flat. You could see the reflection of everything floating on it. The dark silhouette of the Great Rift Valley looms in the background surrounded by dark clouds promising rain. There were flamingoes and storks gathering their early meals on the grassland while from a distance, you could see some fishermen coming back with the limited amount of catch they were allowed to fish from the lake. It looked like they were walking on water. Old, rusty bicycles peppered the lake bank while small groups of fishermen were grilling the day’s early catch, their small, wooden canoes parked just a few feet away. A cool, gentle breeze brings relief to your sore muscles, carrying the purity of the lake to your nostrils. Nothing could be more serene.

We biked back to the village just around lunch time. We stopped at a banana plantation where Eleanora lectured us about bananas – the different types, how to plant them and how important these are to the Tanzanian food sustenance, second only to corn.  I couldn’t be excited about this because I came from a tropical country where banana is a part of our diet as much as rice is. Not to mention that it was already 12:30pm and we haven’t lunch yet. To make matters worse, we had to take the same gravel road on the way back.

After the banana plantation tour we still couldn’t eat. We need to visit the wood carving centre of the Makondi, a tribe which is originally from Mozambique and was driven away by 1970 civil war. Many of them decided to stay in Tanzania and continued with their wood carving craft here. It has been their primary source of income ever since.

We were told that those wood carvings of thin, African people were a reminder for the Makondi tribe of the time when they were starving during the long journey (by foot) to escape the war.

Finally at 2pm we could eat. We were welcomed in a small commune where the local folks prepared a typical Swahili spread consisting mostly of vegetables and beef. Again I am reminded of the meals we eat in the Philippines. There’s just so many similarities between my country and theirs that you can almost forget the differences. The money spent on this lunch will be used for either education or water system in the village and by cooking food for tourists, the locals are doing their part in improving their community. Talk about socialism.

I was spent after the bike tour. After lunch, all I wanted to do was lie down, scratch my belly and sleep like a pig. But our itinerary was packed until sundown. First we were toured to an art centre selling paintings made by local men. Then we went to another game drive to Lake Manyara. There was a promise of tree climbing lions. I should have been excited about that.

But I wasn’t and we didn’t see any lions at all. Probably they were also lying down somewhere under a shade, as tired as I was, from the morning hunt. We did see a lot of baboons, gazelles and birds. After a disappointing search, we drove to our next lodge.

Lake Manyara Wildlife Camp was such a respite in the middle of the rolling grassland of Mto wa Mbu. It was the first semi-luxury camp that we’ve been booked. Our tent was bigger than our first accommodations in Arusha and Tarangire and we have a view of Rift Valley escarpment.

We spent the afternoon watching the amazing African sunset from the camp’s terrace with a bottle of Chardonnay, enjoying this unique landscape that Africa affords to travelers who has money to pay for it. There was an electricity cut during dinner so we had a candle light dinner for at least 15 minutes, a regular part of an African experience.

We went to bed lulled by the sound of the hyenas out on their evening hunt.

Honestly, we could have skipped this whole day and drive straight to Serengeti. At least we were guaranteed a much better game drive. But all was rewarded by the serenity of the Lake Manyara, the sun setting behind the Rift Valley forming silhouttes of a Maasai herder and his cattles walking back home and finally a chilly morning the day after, sitting on our terrace. watching the sun slowly enveloping the Lake Manyara region with its soft, golden glow.

Day 3 – The baobab trees of Tarangire (photos by Robin Kuijs)

Baobab trees. In the age without Internet on an island with only six towns, as a child, the only thing I knew about baobab trees was from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s well-loved book The Little Prince. During my early months in the Netherlands, when I would spend almost the entire day watching television, I saw how it actually looked like in one of the shows about meerkats in Madagascar. It is in Tanzia that I finally saw the legendary tree.

Upon entering the Tarangire National Park, one would be welcomed by a billboard that says “Tarangire: Home of the Baobab Trees”.

When I saw the baobab, I became emotional. This was my childhood story unfolding before my eyes in the slowly waking dawn of Tarangire. For the Maasai however, the baobab tree symbolizes the wrath of the Gods, who planted the trees upside down, with the roots of top that’s why no leaves are growing on it.

On our first day at the park, we had a late game drive so we were driving through the sunset on the way to our next lodge. I couldn’t put into words how beautiful it was – a fiery ball of red sinking behind the baobab trees.

I watched a movie once about a couple who decided to chase the sunset all over the world. Would that be a selfish journey for me to take?

Distress call
When one sees a herd of elephants, flapping their ears, stamping the ground, trumpeting a deafening sound and heading towards your vehicle, one would panic, no matter how much one is told that escaping animals would choose the path of less resistance.

My heartbeat was racing fast but my eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from an action that I’ve only seen on tv – a herd of elephants running away from the mighty Lion King to protect their calves. Even after they have safely crossed to the other side of the road, my heart was still palpitating. What an amazing gift after only a couple of hours game drive.

We saw a lot of zebras, Thomson gazelles, baboons and buffalos in Tarangire but the national park is home to a large number of elephants. It has in fact the most concentration of wild life outside the Serengeti because there is a constant supply of water from the Tarangire River.

Have you ever seen a blue-balled monkey before?

Lots of action in the wild.

A lone spring buck refuses to move despite the number of cameras pointed at him.

These Thompson gazelle are so cuddly I wanted to take them home together with the dikdiks.

A kind of wild guinea fowls heading to the river.

We were constantly stopped by herds of zebras crossing the road.

The lilac-breasted roller, which reminded me of Ibong Adarna.

Finding Ibong Adarna
Ibong Adarna is a Filipino epic about a prince who had to find a colourful bird to save his father and their kingdom. Honestly, I don’t remember much of the story but I remember how beautiful the bird was. And I found it at Tarangire (well Robin did), resting on a branch in all its beauty. It is called the Lilac-breasted roller and can usually be found in woodlands and savannas. It is not as regal as the one mentioned in the story but have you ever seen a bird more fitting?

I don’t know why but somehow this trip has taken me back to the times of my life when I was happiest, to the places I’ve left a long time ago – my childhood and nature.

Just as we were leaving Tarangire, a few kilometers from the gate, a pack of lions decided to show themselves to us, the lions that we have been looking for all morning. There were about 12 of them, the lionesses leading the pack to cross the road while the cubs are still playing farther behind them. But we were not alone in basking in that scene. In fact, there were at least 10 cars lined up on the road photographing the lions. Some have tele lens longer than me, others have selfie stick. Either way, seeing too many people gathered around a small pack of lions somehow lessen the excitement. So we moved on.

Our search for the wild life in Tarangire was short. I wish we had stayed at least a day more, spend more time finding that elusive leopard. But there was a paradise waiting for us farther in the north of the country. And that’s what we came here for.

It started snowing heavier when I left the Church on Spilled Blood, a feeling of being incredibly amazed by something so beautiful still throbs in my heart. The lamp posts along Griboedova Kanal burned bright, making the snow-covered canal and its entire surrounding shimmer under the yellow light.

I started taking photo, wishing to capture this breath-taking scenery with my humble digital camera but the snow falling into its lens quickly melted, creating spots on my photos. I gave up after a while  and put the camera away.

I thought the best and only way to remember this scenery is to feel it.

There was a young couple before me walking hand in hand in snow-covered pathway.

I heard him telling her, “You finally got your white Christmas,” and planted a quick kiss on her forehead.

My heart started to get warm as I watch the couple walking away, the shimmering lamp posts, the colorful lights on the towering buildings around Kanala Griboedova and the falling snow – making this moment all the more dreamy and magical.

I slowly walked towards Nevsky Prospect, taking my time to enjoy this rare moment of happiness. I started thinking about my life back home where I never dreamed of a white Christmas but got it anyway. I uttered a prayer of gratitude to my parents who raised me with so much love and inspired me to be proud and ambitious. If not for them, I would never have the chance to enjoy this beautiful life. I also thought of Robin, who never restricted me, even if my travels usually mean that we will be separated during special occasions like Christmas and anniversaries. And my co-workers who allowed me to leave my Herculean responsibilities on their shoulders for two weeks. Their love brought me to this place, a place that feels so much like home. Their hearts be blessed.

I felt my throat tightening and warm tears started rolling down my checks. Have you ever felt happiness so intense that the only way you can express it is by crying?

That was exactly how I felt while walking along Kanala Griboedova, my face buried in my snow-covered coat, my body so warm and my heart throbbing with happiness. It was almost perfect, if only my loves ones were with me.