A couple of long drive days through Mozambique, with a sadly cloudy bush camp in the middle.
The poverty in Mozambique even more evident, more clay and straw huts and less brick.
Passing into Zimbabwe the land starts throwing up bulbous rock formations and hills, and the roads are frequently lined with blooming purple Jacaranda trees.
The suburbs of Harare are a monument to the glory days of colonialism: wide tree lined avenues with massive mid 20th century detached houses with pools and tennis courts - although everything has an air of neglect about it other than the large barb wire topped security walls surrounding each property.
Our hostel is located a few blocks away from "old Bob's" mansion, and we are warned not to take our cameras out near any governmental looking buildings.
Walking around the city feels safe, and local taxi / minibuses are 50 cents for a ride anywhere, which is great in contrast to private taxi fares, food, etc, which are all at western prices.
They use US dollars, alongside local "bond" notes worth up to $5. All the $1 bills on circulation have been worn so much they are barely readable!
In the afternoon visited the Balancing Rocks, an area of interesting naturally occurring formations.
Unfortunately being a Monday, galleries and museums were closed, but it was interesting just walking around the city centre, where street vendors sell everything under the sun and school kids pass by in super cute uniforms with blazers and hats.
After returning on the ferry from Zanzibar we had three very long drive days through largely nondescript countryside, to reach the border with Malawi. There was one bit passing through a national park with a few giraffes and elephants off in the distance, but they are old news now.
Other excitement was provided by our driver getting thrown in a jail cell for a few hours.
The police in Tanzania are notoriously underpaid and corrupt, frequently stopping trucks at roadblocks and demanding fines for spurious offences. Sometimes even photo shopping together fake speed camera pictures. Our driver is a bit fed up of this and asked to speak to the boss, but upon arriving at the police station had his shoes removed and was manhandled into a cell covered in faeces. Next time probably better to pay the $10 bribe with no arguments!
The nights between were spent bush camping, ie waiting till dark and then just pulling off the road down a dirt track. Thus meant zero light pollution so a great chance to admire the night sky and get some photos of the Milky Way.
Approaching the border the landscape became more hilly and tree covered, though as usual, mostly cultivated for farming. Entering Malawi brought another immediate change - initially very flat, with fields of tea, then views of the lake, appearing like a sea shore, with no obvious distinction of where the lake meets the sky at the horizon.
Everywhere these clay brick baking kilns pepper the villages.
The road also snakes up steep hills to avoid the crocodile infested river mouths, as the altitude increases, encountering troops of baboons.
We've had some days of relaxation at lakeside resort campsites with sandy beaches. Unfortunately I've had a bit of, shall we say "travellers tummy", so missed out on a hike up to Livingstone's mission, but recovered enough to try a first freshwater dive in the lake - quite different obviously for the lack of a colourful coral reef, but still some colourful fish, crab, catfish, and a few sunken boats, a jeep, and some interesting rocks to swim around. The lack of salt just meant no weights required (normally would have 3kg ballast to be able to sink).
Malawi is another very poor country, but you wouldn't guess it by the resort prices and the well stocked supermarket, where I was able to get a steak and kidney pie and roast potatos for lunch.
Last night we had a spit roasted pig for dinner, having earlier been invited to watch it's slaughter - the butchery process made to look quick and efficient by the practiced local villagers. Tasted good too, great crackling.
Arrived in the capital Lilongwe tonight, crossing the border into Mozambique tomorrow for single night, worst value for money visa on the trip!
Other excitement was provided by our driver getting thrown in a jail cell for a few hours.
The police in Tanzania are notoriously underpaid and corrupt, frequently stopping trucks at roadblocks and demanding fines for spurious offences. Sometimes even photo shopping together fake speed camera pictures. Our driver is a bit fed up of this and asked to speak to the boss, but upon arriving at the police station had his shoes removed and was manhandled into a cell covered in faeces. Next time probably better to pay the $10 bribe with no arguments!
The nights between were spent bush camping, ie waiting till dark and then just pulling off the road down a dirt track. Thus meant zero light pollution so a great chance to admire the night sky and get some photos of the Milky Way.
Approaching the border the landscape became more hilly and tree covered, though as usual, mostly cultivated for farming. Entering Malawi brought another immediate change - initially very flat, with fields of tea, then views of the lake, appearing like a sea shore, with no obvious distinction of where the lake meets the sky at the horizon.
Everywhere these clay brick baking kilns pepper the villages.
The road also snakes up steep hills to avoid the crocodile infested river mouths, as the altitude increases, encountering troops of baboons.
We've had some days of relaxation at lakeside resort campsites with sandy beaches. Unfortunately I've had a bit of, shall we say "travellers tummy", so missed out on a hike up to Livingstone's mission, but recovered enough to try a first freshwater dive in the lake - quite different obviously for the lack of a colourful coral reef, but still some colourful fish, crab, catfish, and a few sunken boats, a jeep, and some interesting rocks to swim around. The lack of salt just meant no weights required (normally would have 3kg ballast to be able to sink).
Malawi is another very poor country, but you wouldn't guess it by the resort prices and the well stocked supermarket, where I was able to get a steak and kidney pie and roast potatos for lunch.
Last night we had a spit roasted pig for dinner, having earlier been invited to watch it's slaughter - the butchery process made to look quick and efficient by the practiced local villagers. Tasted good too, great crackling.
Arrived in the capital Lilongwe tonight, crossing the border into Mozambique tomorrow for single night, worst value for money visa on the trip!
Zanzibar, Zanzibar, a name to conjure with, the island famed for spices, beaches and slavery...
Spice tour was informative walk around an agricultural research centre, smelling and tasting leaves, roots and fruit.
Beaches are sandy, sun is hot, sea is warm and blue, however the beach is also roamed by touts offering snorkelling tours, cruises, etc etc, even some dubious looking Masai with a herd of cows on the beach, also offering boat trips?!? Gift shops abound, full of paintings which, whilst created live on the spot, all follow a handful of presumably popular common designs...
Went scuba diving at Mnemba atoll, first time in 16 months, and due to the choppy weather reducing visibility, not the best. Not the greatest coral either, and plentiful trumpet fish and moray eels OK but not new and exciting.
The capital, Stone Town, is a hugely interesting place with narrow alley ways forming a maze between staunch colonial houses with impressively grand studded doors.
A trip to the site of the old slave market was suitably sobering, the scale of the operations, the brutality and callousness of the "traders", the confusion and suffering of the victims....
Ending the stay on a more cheerful note with rooftop sunset cocktails and a night food market with BBQ meat, Indian somosa, schwarma, and savory "pizza" pancakes.
Early start tomorrow for the ferry back to the mainland and the start of the long drive towards Malawi...
Spice tour was informative walk around an agricultural research centre, smelling and tasting leaves, roots and fruit.
Beaches are sandy, sun is hot, sea is warm and blue, however the beach is also roamed by touts offering snorkelling tours, cruises, etc etc, even some dubious looking Masai with a herd of cows on the beach, also offering boat trips?!? Gift shops abound, full of paintings which, whilst created live on the spot, all follow a handful of presumably popular common designs...
Went scuba diving at Mnemba atoll, first time in 16 months, and due to the choppy weather reducing visibility, not the best. Not the greatest coral either, and plentiful trumpet fish and moray eels OK but not new and exciting.
The capital, Stone Town, is a hugely interesting place with narrow alley ways forming a maze between staunch colonial houses with impressively grand studded doors.
A trip to the site of the old slave market was suitably sobering, the scale of the operations, the brutality and callousness of the "traders", the confusion and suffering of the victims....
Ending the stay on a more cheerful note with rooftop sunset cocktails and a night food market with BBQ meat, Indian somosa, schwarma, and savory "pizza" pancakes.
Early start tomorrow for the ferry back to the mainland and the start of the long drive towards Malawi...
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.
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.
After a marginally stressful border crossing (for our tour leader and driver, who are questioned about not having some spurious special permit), we return to Kenya, and have to rethink currency values by a factor of ten.
In the afternoon, a brief stop for a tour of a soapstone carving workshop, seeing the craftsmen in action and how many hours go into producing each piece. Many beautiful things in the shop, I got a leopard to add to my growing animal figures collection.
Masai Mara
mountain rock mara springs camp
The landscape more and more resembles the wild west, an eroded landscape with weak grass poling through the dusty soil, herds of goats, sheeps and cows being driven to find pasture.
After two hours on a bumpy dirt road we reach camp just outside the park, and set out on the first of two game drives.
A rainy evening drive brought first views of sweeping plains covered in hundreds of dots - wilderbeast.
Two lion families brought safari vehicles flocking together out of nowhere in their dozens, before the lions got tired of attention and sauntered deeper into the bushes.
Finally with dusk approaching, first sight of elephants, a small family of four.
Darkness has fallen by the time we get back and I'm glad it's not my turn to cook tonight!
Dawn drive next morning yields corpses a plenty, first up a whole pride of lions lazily ripping apart and digesting a recently ex wilder beast, then a pair of chubby looking hyenas, and then over a crest to see open plains covered in thousands of live wilder beast. Apparently after the rains they can die from greedily overeating, much to the delight of many vultures and maribu stork who bicker over the carcasses
Gory stuff!
Oh and another small group of elephants, a jackal, and the usual zebra, impala, giraffe etc
The game drives are conducted in 4x4 rascal vans with pop up roofs so everyone gets a good view.
Now just a bumpy 5 hour drive back to Nairobi!
Our driver has an Ace of Base medly mix on repeat...
In the afternoon, a brief stop for a tour of a soapstone carving workshop, seeing the craftsmen in action and how many hours go into producing each piece. Many beautiful things in the shop, I got a leopard to add to my growing animal figures collection.
Masai Mara
mountain rock mara springs camp
The landscape more and more resembles the wild west, an eroded landscape with weak grass poling through the dusty soil, herds of goats, sheeps and cows being driven to find pasture.
After two hours on a bumpy dirt road we reach camp just outside the park, and set out on the first of two game drives.
A rainy evening drive brought first views of sweeping plains covered in hundreds of dots - wilderbeast.
Two lion families brought safari vehicles flocking together out of nowhere in their dozens, before the lions got tired of attention and sauntered deeper into the bushes.
Finally with dusk approaching, first sight of elephants, a small family of four.
Darkness has fallen by the time we get back and I'm glad it's not my turn to cook tonight!
Dawn drive next morning yields corpses a plenty, first up a whole pride of lions lazily ripping apart and digesting a recently ex wilder beast, then a pair of chubby looking hyenas, and then over a crest to see open plains covered in thousands of live wilder beast. Apparently after the rains they can die from greedily overeating, much to the delight of many vultures and maribu stork who bicker over the carcasses
Gory stuff!
Oh and another small group of elephants, a jackal, and the usual zebra, impala, giraffe etc
The game drives are conducted in 4x4 rascal vans with pop up roofs so everyone gets a good view.
Now just a bumpy 5 hour drive back to Nairobi!
Our driver has an Ace of Base medly mix on repeat...