[After a couple of days break from sending blogs due to a lack of time, a lack of internet and a lack of mental capacity, I am finally back to torture you all...]
We had delayed heading north by a day as we had heard that conditions up north were a little tricky. Whereas in the west, the smoke had started to overwhelm my bronchioles, in the north the problem was the water-sodden soil. Much of this savannah had been turned to bog. The frogs loved it, the trucks; not so much.
So the day has finally arrived to leave this smouldering part of the Serengeti. We set off early (surprise) leaving the smokey horizon behind us.
Even the high and mighty ones came to bid us farewell.
We had not got far before seeing our first pride of lions.
An ideal place for breakfast.
A goshawk looks on...
Our host and guide chose a short-cut to the northern part of the Serengeti by leaving the Serengeti and passing through some local villages where running repairs could be done on our undercarriage. Our joints having become a little stiff...
All our joints...
We re-enter the Serengeti here:
Here you will see a list of rules and regulations. Amongst them:
3. Please refuse and expose corruptive practices, advances or gestures.
I, of course, complied...
Shortly after entering northern Serengeti we stopped for lunch by the Mara river. A quick refill (although someone had forgotten the wine 😠) and we were off.
Here, our search had changed. We wanted to see rhinos, but seeing anything has become a trial as leaving the main tracks presents huge challenges. In fact, staying on the main tracks themselves is, in places, impossible.
This was anathema to our brave guide. His normal disregard of local rules as far as staying on-road were concerned had changed. Before; we searched the horizon for species rare and bizarre. Now; we searched the ground just in-front of the truck for solid traction.
One clue to the problems here were the widespread numerous water-holes, normally quite rare. This young elephant was in his element.
After some time spent navigating this bog-ridden landscape, we came across a broken down truck with another truck to help out. The guests within were without. Unbeknownst to them, danger was not far away.
Skirting the repair crew we headed uphill, to find:
Some of this pack were staring down at the broken-down truck and its tasty tourists
One of the lions in particular showed a lot of interest, eye-balling the unknowing tourists and flicking her tail. It seems likely that she has already tasted human flesh and wanted more. This is not unusual. Tourists, such as ourselves, are well protected within our large trucks. Stay within and you'll be ok. On foot, however, and you are fair game. This seems fair as the likely victims of these top-predators is the predator the most top-of-them-all: poachers. Some of them fail in their task and become victims of their own prey.
Eventually these lions took their kill (a warthog, not a tourist) and we followed.
Only to get completely and utterly stuck in a bog.
After about half an hour of trying to outstare five lions, another truck arrived and, guess what, got stuck in the same bog as well.
We checked our supplies for a potential overnight stay in hostile territory. Enough food but still no wine...
I really should have got out of the van to take a picture of all these goings on, but apparently lions have a preference for Europeans.
Finally the cavalry arrived (two trucks and a tractor) and heaved us out intact. Sadly they too had forgotten the wine.
After such an adventure we headed home, stopping by this immense beast. This elephant is at least forty years old, and on his last set of teeth.
Talking of which, our supply of toothpaste was now dangerously low. It has been suggested that we use ash instead. Well, why not? It works on our wood stoves. It might just help grate off the coffee stains.
As we neared our objective, that of getting to our camp for the night in a place of security (in a canvas tent), we came across this majestic beast:
A leopard absorbing the final rays of a dying sun.
Then the usual sunset pic before returning to...
… oh… hang on.
We’re stuck in a bleeding bog once more…
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