The Serengeti - Tanzania & Nairobi - Kenya

At midnight we saw in Christmas with a couple of Drambui's, we had heard Lion calling off and on all night but as it was getting chilly we decided to head off to bed, however, no sooner had we put out the lights and zipped up the tent when we heard heavy movement in the bush nearby.

Almost human but sounding bigger like an Antelope, we couldn't work out what it was at first then suddenly there was a lot of growling and we realised it must be the Leopards again. Shining our torch revealed nothing but then a Lion roared very close by with other's answering a little further away. Perhaps the mating Leopards had attracted the attention of the Lions as they won't tolerate Leopards if they come across them, however after that it went very quiet but it was certainly turning out to be a Xmas to remember.  

Despite getting to bed late we woke around 6.30am to a sound that made our hearts sink, torrential rain was once again lashing the tent. We could hear vehicles going out on their game drives but the rain was so heavy we couldn't see any point, (a) the light was poor and (b) getting around would be very tricky - far better to stay warm and snug and listen to the thunder which was getting very loud indeed.

At 11am the rain had eased off so we got out the tent to cook the traditional full monty Chrimbo breakfast with Bucks Fizz. Except for the mobile safari operators cooks who were all hunkered down in the kitchen area the camp site was deserted, the drivers and guides having taken out their clients on game drives.

The problem for these guys is they have no choice but to try and make a go of it even when the conditions are atrocious, the poor clients having spent a small fortune on their safari obviously expect it, luckily we can afford to be more choosy as there will always be another day.      

Around midday the weather began to brighten up but the ground remained sodden, the other campers were arriving back from their game drives and the cooks were all hard at it in the kitchen preparing their Xmas lunch. The young couple who had arrived the same day as us were by now almost surrounded by the newcomers and looking a bit bewildered so feeling sorry for them we went over to say hello.  

It turned out they were from Australia and on their honeymoon to boot so it was a shame they were not seeing the Serengeti at it's best. Their game drive that morning had been a bit of  nightmare as all the tracks were flooded and they had ended up watching some Lions with about 15 other vehicles, all jockeying to get the best position which just resulted in making the track so muddy a number of them got stuck - not the best thing to happen when Lion are close by.

After brunch we phoned the UK to wish everyone a Happy Xmas then left camp at 4pm to enjoy what by now was becoming a very nice late afternoon. The combination of the sun with the deep black of the sky and the brilliant yellow and greens of the bush were making the scenery quite stunning.  (see photo's in Jan 2007)

Reaching the main track we found the causeway which you have to cross when coming from the Ngorogoro crater was completely under water which meant no one could get in or out of the park until the waters receded.  Although it was Xmas Day a whole convoy of vehicles with tourists needing to get to their lodge or campsite where already stranded on the other side.

Some of the drivers and tourists had come down to check out  the situation and were looking longingly at us on the other side probably hoping we would try driving across and prove it was safe. However, after our experience in Kasanka, Zambia we knew how treacherous these crossings are when you cannot see what's under the water so we just waved back and turned around - the way things were looking they would either have to return to the gate and camp there for the night or else spend Xmas in their vehicles in the bush. 

We had never before driven down the track we ended up going down so we didn't know what to expect but even here pretty soon we ran out of dry land and were wading through waters about a foot or so deep. The danger is you don't know what lies underneath like the deep potholes which you can avoid in the dry. Eventually we reached a point where we could go no further without taking too many risks, there was very little game about anyway, the rain having dispersed them into areas we could not reach.

The good thing was the afternoon sun meant we were having a lovely end to the day with stunning colours in the early evening light so we parked up and enjoyed it with a couple of sundowners.  On the way back we stopped again at the causeway to see how things were going, still no one had managed to get across and by now loads of people were standing around waiting - poor sods what a way to spend Christmas Day.

We arrived back at camp around 7pm to find somehow more people had arrived while we were out, luckily once again they had not camped near to us but as we anticipated had all tried to get as close as they could to the kitchen area so now the poor Ozzie honeymoon couple and the Russian/Americans were now completely surrounded.

The last of the Lapa's had also been taken so we were very glad we had taken time to pick our spot so carefully. We had invited the Ozzie couple, Hamish & Debra, over for a drink after dinner, they were a bit bewildered by the sudden influx of people and the setup in the Serengeti, not what they had expected when they planned their trip. They were certainly not impressed with their local driver and guide who had not brought any liquor so they were thankful we had something to help them celebrate Xmas with. 

As we were enjoying our drinks sitting round the fire an unbelievable amount of vehicles suddenly started to drive onto the site. Clearly the floodwaters had subsided but where they would all fit was anyone's guess. By now it was around 10pm so the people must have been sitting on the road for over 6 hours, with all the noise there was no way the Leopards or anything else for that matter would come around again so we all decided to get to bed early.

At least all the vehicles had stayed away from us but as this was our final bush camp for the trip it was a shame to end it like this.

Boxing day, 5.30am, we had decided with all the people now on the site and with the constant threat of rain it was not worth staying any longer in the Serengeti. Each day was costing us around $200 but most of the park was impassable so we decided to leave and start the journey back to Nairobi before heading back to Malawi and our flight to the UK.

We had just two choices to go back the way we had come via Lake Victoria or take the much shorter route via the Ngorogoro Crater. The first would take us at least three days, the second just two but it would cost us $100 to transit the crater - which we really begrudged as this was just for driving along a public  road which overlooked the crater in just one or two places however the weather had finally beaten us and we just wanted to get back to Nairobi asap so we opted for the crater.

As we were packing up a group of Dutch travellers pitched up and started to wait for us to move, competition for space was so bad by then and it was not yet 7am! With the sudden influx of people the toilets had become a definite no go area and the kitchen area was so full fights were breaking out between the cooks, which was quite funny really. Normally we feel sad when leaving a national park but this time we were happy to be going, like the Masai Mara the Serengeti had turned out to be a major disappointment.

It took about two and half hours to reach the Naaibi Hill Gate exit from the Serengeti beyond which lay the road to the Ngorogoro Crater and Arusha, the gateway town to the safari areas of Northern Tanzania.  On the way we had to cross flooded areas and muddy tracts which would trap you if you made the wrong move.

At the gate we found loads of vehicles waiting to come into the park, it was unbelievable how many people travel at Xmas. We duly paid our $100 to transit the crater, $30 for each of us and $40 for Rupert, daylight robbery but we had no choice as this is the only route Eastwards.

People may think that once you pass through the gates of a national park or reserve you leave behind the wildlife, not true in some the areas outside have just as much game, the Serengeti and the Masai Mara being good cases in point. Not long after leaving the park we came across a big male Lion just plodding through the long grass, his belly looked very full so even though there was Impala around he just ignored them.

In the Serengeti we had seen absolutely no Wildebeest, the animal which is synonymous with the park. We had also seen very few in the Masai Mara, although we knew we would be too late for the migration we had expected to see a quite a few at least.

However, as we drove we suddenly came across a huge herd, thousands upon thousands, for as far as the eye could see. It was ironic that after spending so much time, effort and money in getting to the Mara and the Serengeti we should see them outside of the parks. We guessed this was the last of the hundreds of thousands that annually make the trip to Kenya and the Masai Mara before returning to Tanzania and the plains around the Serengeti.

This was what we had been hoping to see but now we faced a dilemma, if we were to reach Arusha, our planned overnight stop, before nightfall, we could not afford to dally yet equally we did not want to miss this so we decided to spend some time here and worry about the consequences later.  

The herd was spread over the hills to our right so we needed to leave the main road to reach them, we took a small track and headed down it.  The Wildebeest were all around us as we drove, the track was wet but not bad and although overcast the scenery was beautiful as we headed through the hills.

We could have driven for longer but frustratingly time was getting on and we were actually heading in the opposite direction to the one we needed for Ngorogoro, so it was time to turn around and get back on the road.  At 5pm we reached the Lodoare Gate on the rim of the Ngorogoro Crater, from here we would be on good tar road to Arusha about two hours drive away.

As we left we could see the Crater stretched out below us, one of the largest caldera's in the world, it's steeply wooded sides and large concentrations of game make it is one of Africa's best known wildlife venues. Everybody who goes raves about the Crater, we had visited it back in the 90s but hadn't liked it that much, somehow it felt too contrived and then the weather had been nice and sunny not dull and wet as now, so we had no intention of going there.

However, if we had wanted to drive into the Crater it would have cost us $US50 each for 24 hour entry, $US40 entry for Rupert plus an horrendous $US200 to allow Rupert onto the Crater floor - absolute daylight robbery, the Tanzanians are now in real danger of pricing themselves out of the market.

It was after 7pm and dark by the time we reached the outskirts of Arusha, our plan was to check out the Snake Park an overland truck stopover but having never been there before we missed it on the road in and ended up in the centre of Arusha itself.

When we did eventually find it it was raining heavily yet again, the bar was in full swing with lots of overlanders and people from Arusha, it looked the ideal place to relax after the long journey, the only problem was we needed a room but they only did camping.

Sure we could have quickly put the roof tent up but the place was so jammed there was little room for Rupert added to which the rain was now torrential so we thought not. We would be off in the morning to go onto Nairobi anyway so all we wanted was a room with a bathroom and power, in search of that we headed back into Arusha.

Arusha is the safari capital of Tanzania where most tourists start their holidays of the Northern Tanzanian game parks so whilst it has quite a few hotels, some not so salubrious, by now it was almost 9pm, in Africa quite late to find somewhere. The first two we tried were full then we tried The Jacaranda, a small hotel away from the centre. Here they only had one small room with shower, loo and double bed available, however the room was so small the manager felt embarrassed and gave us it for half price, so happy days, best of all the restaurant was still open and we could get a meal and a beer, luxury!

Next day we left for Nairobi, there were no signs showing the way to the border and when we found the way it was little more than a single track, not what you would expect for the main route between the two countries. As it was it took just two hours to reach the border post at Namanga, the main crossing between Tanzania and Kenya.

We had never used this border post before having entered Kenya in November via the gate at Taveta near Marangu. There it had been relatively quiet and friendly, Namanga was different. The place was crowded with officials, truckers, travellers and various hawkers trying and sell you anything from currency and third party insurance to car bumper stickers.

Our Kenyan visa's were still in force so to the chagrin of the immigration officials we were spared buying new ones however  we still had to pay for new road tax as this expires as soon as you leave the country. At Taveta we had been charged $US 20 now they wanted $40 claiming Taveta had made a mistake, we tried arguing but to no avail, clearly they wanted their pound of flesh although to be fair the following year we did find Taveta had under charged us.

If the road from Arusha to the border was bad the road from the border to Nairobi was ten times worse. In general the quality of Kenya's roads in comparison to other's in the region is poor, there is no denying that, but the road from the border was particularly bad added to which as you enter the outskirts of Nairobi the traffic becomes absolutely chaotic and all rules of the road are abandoned as it becomes every man for himself.  

We were relieved therefore to reach Indaba, our home in Nairobi, in one piece and with time to spare for a few drinks before dinner. Being just before New Year the place was empty apart from Henie & Lausanne the managers and David & Leticia a Kiwi couple whom we had met back in November.

By co-incidence they had just returned to Nairobi that day after a month in Morocco so we ended up having a boozie re-union party with Henie bringing out the champers to celebrate Xmas.

It was exactly a year to the day since we had left Cape Town on our long adventure. In that time we had visited nine different countries, some more than once. Some we knew from previous trips to Africa while others were almost unknown to us and in Botswana's case it had been a real trip down memory lane.

We had camped in glorious isolation amidst stunning scenery and wildlife and also in busy crowded camps in towns and parks surrounded by hordes of people. We had travelled for days on end without seeing another soul and then been cheek by jowl with the masses in the cities and towns. 

We had met many fantastic and interesting people and made some great lasting friendships, many people had helped us on our way and our network of contacts from Cape Town to Nairobi was now good.  

Through it all Rupert had performed brilliantly, despite taking a lot of punishment especially in Tanzania and Zambia, and we were pleased that our only accident had been backing into a tree in Kasanka, Zambia.   

Now we were due to return to the UK in a few weeks time but first we would see in the New Year then get ourselves back to Malawi ASAP in order to leave Rupert with Taffy & Jenny, no rest for the wicked then.