Tanzania Tales #3 - ENROUTE TO SERENGETI
Our long journey to the endless plains started at 7:23am after the check out in Arusha. Guess what? Our drive was close to 325 kms for approximately 11 hrs to reach Serengetti camp with few stops & sightings in-between😍
Glimpses on the way-
Few kms from Arusha…
—unusual sighting of Arabica coffee plantation with white beautiful flowers (that will last for 45 days and then become coffee beans),
—Ebony workshop and gallery,
—Tanzanite market(Did you know that Tanzanite is blue colored gem stone exclusively available only in Tanzania..and hence the name by Tiffany & Co. in 1968 after it’s discovery..the scientific name was “blue-violet zoisite” for these brilliant blue crystals and they felt it was not customer friendly!),
—Partial view of Easter branch of Great Rift valley(which is 6000 kms and extends from Lebanon),
—Marvellous view of Lake Manyara(Speciality of this salt water lake is- it has only inlet and no outlet..only incoming -no outgoing-:))
Fauna sighting started with Yellow Baboons in the highway, and then the list extends to…
Group of One-humped dromedary camels,
Quite a number of Giraffes(pretty close),
Large number of Zebras crossing and grazing here and there everywhere (like zebra crossing stripes on the roads😄)
Most importantly, we need to cross the gate of Ngorongoro Conservation Area enroute to Serengeti.
We crossed the Loduare Gate1 and drove again hours together to touch the paradise on earth- “SerengetI”.
At 2:02 pm we entered the gate of Serengeti national park!
Game drive on the way…offering views of
few huge ostriches & marabou storks,
few Wildebeests,
lots of hippos & reed bucks in a water pond,
a spotted hyena lying pretty close under the tree on the roadside,
a solo elephant(guide said that he should have been kicked out by Matriarch as he might have shown his adolescent tantrums)
And of course.. so many deer families - Thomson Gazelles & Grand Gazelles, Impalas, Topis, Dik diks, etc..
We heard that the name "Serengeti" is derived from the word "seringit" in the Maasai language, Maa, meaning “endless plains”.
Yesssss.. it is absolutely proved…either side of our eyes were only plain lands…with a green carpet view… going on and on…endlessly meeting the sky at both the ends!
Guide shared a rare story and a couple of symbiotic relationships - of a plant called whistling thorn acacia with Giraffe and one more of zebra & wildebeest - which I will share tomorrow! Also he posed a question to both of us - on what is the difference between a conservation area(Ngorongoro) and National park(Serengeti)..We gave couple of not-so-correct answers after which he explained and we got to know…Will share that tomorrow as it’s getting late to bed after a tiring journey on bumpy roads!
Loads to share about the wonderful tented place surrounded by animals and wild life only!
Very first sight of the camp stole my heart….will share more soon..
Asante to Appa for unique experience today.. expecting more next 4 days!
Ciao.. Good night!
⁃ Amma
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