Doing A-rush-A round

Hmmm.....They say it is dangerous in Arusha
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To get to Arusha the gateway to the Northern Circuit of Safaris yu presently have to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport.  Then you have to luck out like Glenn and I did and meet three Scandi girls heading the same direction who will find the shuttle even though all the taxi drivers swear none exists.  So instead of spending $50 USD each for a taxi we paid under 10 for the shuttle which took us to the tour company in Arusha called Bobby Tours.  They fixed us up with a hotel for the night and we ate in as everyone warned us don't go out at night in Arusha.  Too dangerous.  The town is like a Tanzanian 2007 version of a wild west town with guards at all the banks standing outside and a fast and furious growth cycle.  We used the extra time to read about the upcoming parks we are to visit.

I love giraffes
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We got picked up in the Land Rover we are to spend the next 6 days touring in.  We headed out of town and to our first park, Manyara with our driver Abbas and our cook for the two camping nights, Bahat or in English Lucky.  Lake Manyara is the smallest national park in Tanzania.  Dominated by the lake which expands exponentially in the wet season (that being now).  Most areas are forested with stretches of open grassland leading down to the lakeshore.

First let me describe the experience.  We are in the middle of the Land Rover with luggage and equipment in back.  The top pops up and you are able to stand and ride through the park and have easy sighting for photos.  We move at a pace of about 15 MPH.  There are no paved roads in the parks.  Many times there are deep ruts and water to cross.  So you get your share of jangling back and forth jerking motion.   We stop for lunch and for the night either at a lodge or camping site.  Otherwise we are moving the whole day.  Our stops being sightings of animals or just to take a moment to take in the sound and scope of the place.

Baboon being shy
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It had poured rain all night and the streets of Arusha were flowing with water when we left.  Arriving at the park the clouds were breaking and rain had stopped.  Even before entering the park there were Ostrich and Giraffe in the distance from the road.  The whole area about these parks is inhabited and many people are Masaai.  You can see on the hillsides dots of deep and bright reds, purples and blues as the primary colors that Masaai people are draped in.  A sharp contrast to the browns and greens of the countryside.

Kiss me you fool
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the park entrance has been nicely renovated.  The bathrooms may be the most up to date in Tanzania.  Our driver pays the fees for entry and we head for the animals.  A quick list of the first day includes Elephants, Hippos, Giraffe, Warthogs, Cape Buffalo, White pelicans, Crown Cranes, Hornbills, Plover and a multiple variety of other birds, Mongoose,

The best posers are the Giraffe.  They seem to take an interest in your passing.  the impala are a bit skittish but will stand and stare for quite some time.

A close-up of my new sweetheart
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The Most attitude of the day came from an Elephant who did a nice front then side pose then turned backside and farted right at us then dropped a load.  You could imagine a wink and a grin on his face.

The most colorful balls award goes to the vervet monkey whose otherwise grey and black coloring is enhanced by a pair of robins egg blue nuts.

We ended the day at a posh lodge set right on the rim of the lake area.  Every room has a killer view of the lake and the hotel offered a swimming pool and even has massage on hand.  The only other guests were an American couple from Boulder who were big talkers and we idled a few hours after dinner chatting away on our traveling experiences as they were on a year plus journey.