The last few days have involved much driving: driving to the national parks, driving around the national parks, driving back from the national parks, so big thanks to our driver and guide, Boneyface, for navigating miles of dusty, furrowed dirt roads covered in cows, tuctucs, Masai, ancient lorries, other suicidal safari vehicles and other sundry obstacles.
The scenery of Ngorogo Crater and the Serengeti plains I can only describe as "expansive", yellow savanna stretching away into the distance.
Wildlife wise, the last few days have yielded some new species, and close up viewings, but not so much action, we have been spoilt by the previous drive in the Masai Mara and by tales and photos of fellow tourers recent experiences, seeing leopards making kills etc.
Anyway, a thoroughly worth while trip.
Yesterday stopped almost in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro, and had a local tour including local plantations, a swim at a rather picturesque waterfall, and a visit to a complex of underground tunnels dug by the native Chagga people to escape from raiding Masai, who were historically forced to steal and rob in the fertile higher altitudes during periods of drought on the plains.
During "normal" weather conditions, the two tribes would be amicable traders, swapping cattle products from the plains for vegetable and metalwork from the mountain, but in desperate times resorted to maiming and enslaving, hence the construction of the tunnels which provided a hiding place and safety. Any Masai that entered to attack would be conked on the head in the darkness, chopped up and thrown into the river at midnight. The Masai subsequent tried to flood the tunnels, fill them with poisonous gas, and locate ventilation holes, all without success.
Now sitting out a couple of long drive days to take us to the coast at Dar es Salaam for the ferry to Zanzibar.
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