acacia treeArushaelephantgiraffesKilimanjaroMaasaiNational GeographicSafariTanzaniaTarangire Parktravel
Let's go on a Safari
It starts with an early morning flight with Fastjet to Kilimanjaro Airport. The plane itself looks nice, with a birdhead painted on the tail and the flight attendants wearing tasteful yellow uniforms. On the stairway leading up to the plane, I spot a large praying mantis. I suppose this should bring us good luck.
And then we arrive at Kili Airport only an hour later. Time to hit the can first, Axl accompanies me. On our way out, there is this plump heavy weight Indian tourist who stands frozen outside the exit. He is staring at this critter sitting in a doorway. I have no idea what that thing is, probably a spider. The fact that it is big, hairy, yellow, and black suggests that this might not be your average fly eating spider, more something that would be jousting with scorpions or rodents.
Outside is Masagi, our guide, and a native of the area. We drive almost an hour until we reach Arusha, a nice little city that looks almost organized compared to Bongo. Until now, the roads have been narrow but steady. Until now, we've dealt with the botanical walls of Tanzania in all of their splendid glory: there are thick forests of banana palm trees, hills that restrict what you can and can't see, where you can and can't go.
After Arusha, it's almost as if somebody pushed down a plunger and triggered a gigantic explosion. The country opens up to all sides, gone are the walls of forest, rock, and brick. There are wide open plains with thatched straw huts, the Maasai villages you often only read about in the west. Looking at the side of the road, it's apparent that the Maasais like to herd all of their animals in one fell swoop. There are the cows, followed by the goats, and finally the donkeys, all being lead to the local water hole. I am impressed by the natural order of things here. The only thing missing is that the animals don't march in a single file.
Then a sudden turn. The pavement ends, and here Masagi has to work the 4x4. We drive another ten minutes, there's a traffic circle with a statue of both an elephant and a rhino, and presto...we are at Tarangire Park, an impressive looking, although lesser known, gamepark.
We have lunch before we open the top of the Landcruiser. Showtime. It starts off with a few teasers-some exotic colorful birds, here and there a warthog, then the impalas. Next, the zebras, followed by the giraffes. The giraffe is the national animal of Tanzania, and we encounter an impressive thirteen foot bull picking leaves out of the upper canopy of an acacia tree, the distinctive multi-armed, flat topped African tree.
The barks of the trees are shredded, thanks to some thirsty elephants who hoped to squeeze every drop of liquid they could out of them. A large troop of baboons waltzes across the road. Some of the babies are riding on their momma's backs, while the bigger specimens gaze at the tourists, visibly bored. The interaction between the monkeys is impressive, and the fact that it mirrors that of human beings so closely at times. The smaller ones are playful and chasing each other around while the adults are vigilant and more serene with their actions.
This, then, is what a real game park looks like. This is not the Wild Animal Park in San Diego anymore. From here on out, it's all National Geographic, as if the Masai villages outside the park didn't already drop plenty of hints to that effect.
The best is saved for last, as we find a herd of elephants marching off into the distance. These animals are enormous, and Masagi tells us that they create all sorts of havoc. A lot of the animals are limited to the park and must follow the sun or the rain, while the elephants adhere to no such rules. They go wherever they please. If that path happens to take them through a Maasai village, then the tribe is well advised to step aside and applaud the elephants as they pass, should they be so inclined.
Tarangire, the sixth largest national park in Tanzania, will do for an appetizer but will pale by comparison to what awaits us the next couple of days, once we venture further up north.
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