travelbynatasha

Just let the pilot get it for you

Posted on December 8, 2014 by travelbynatasha

Nuremberg Christmas Market, Germany
©Jean Janssen

We are headed to Germany for another Christmas market adventure. Once again we are doing a Uniworld cruise. The Christmas markets originated in Germany and we are excited to see where it all began-ok, well, Boris is mostly excited about the beer and sausages.

Our level three cabin aboard Uniworld’s River Queen
©Jean Janssen

Our transportation didn’t start out too well; our flight left Houston a hour late. Since our layover in Frankfurt was only a hour long, things didn’t bode well for making our connection. Having experience on these new large Lufthansa planes, I selected an aisle seat near the front on the lower floor (economy class). Next to you is the center section with small closets. No overhead room-no problem. I could lean over from my seat and get things out of my carry-on stowed in the closet. Select something in the first three rows (row 50-the first row on the lower level- has more legroom) for easy access to one of the four small closets on both sides of the plane.

For some reason, while the flight attendants spoke to guests in German and English until they learned their preference, they always approached me the first time speaking only German. Boris got a real kick out of it. Sometimes you can figure out the question from context, other times it was tougher. I did know how to ask for my favorite-champagne. The important things translate.

Unfortunately, the large screen in front of us was flashing updates long after the rest of the plane went dark. Periodically, the screen would go bright white which would shock you even if your eyes were closed. I decided I was going to see if they had any complimentary eye shields. I have one I really like from Magellen’s-it has curved eyes so you can actually open and close your eyes while it is on and it won’t mess up your eye make-up. It was also my only travel accessory that I could not find while packing.

Nuremberg, Germany
©Jean Janssen

The galley behind me looked empty so I opened the curtain to the open area in front of my seat and asked the handsome flight attendant relaxing in the jump seat if they had any extra eye shields. He smiled at me and suggested that I ask “the ladies in the kitchen in the center of the plane”. About then I noticed his uniform and realized that had just asked the captain or one of his copilots to fetch something for me. The good news is that I did find an eye shield in the kitchen galley with the help of one of the female flight attendants. The bad news is that I didn’t get invited to the cockpit.

Holiday Decor aboard Uniworld’s River Queen ©Jean Janssen

I got almost no sleep and also realized about the time they served breakfast that we had not made up all the time we lost on departure. We finally landed and got to the gate 10 minutes before our next flight was boarding. Those of you that have been to the Frankfurt airport or have read the blog know that the airport is huge and moving from one terminal to another is a long walk. We came into Z and had to go to A. While next to each other, we had to go the length on both terminals, a walk that would take at least 30 minutes under the best conditions. We also had to go through passport control.

Uniworld’s River Queen
©Jean Janssen

We got off the plane, confirmed the gate, and literally ran, which is really hard for Boris after this accident. He had one arm out of front of him like he was a football player to warn people coming toward him that he was coming through. Since it was a Sunday morning, we got lucky and passport control was not crowded. We actually made it through passport control and to our next gate in 15 minutes. After scanning our boarding card, we waited for the bus. Arriving at the plane, we found that all the overhead space was full, but I rearranged a few bags to get my small carryon in and the flight attendant helped Boris find space for his larger bag.

We waited a while before takeoff and hoped this meant our bags would make it too. I had pre-booked an aisle seat and there was a woman in the center seat. I found out she was also going on our ship and she invited Boris and I to join their group of 6 for dinner.

Uniworld River Queen

Boris and I were trilled when we found our luggage had made it. We joined the Uniworld group after clearing the baggage area and were taken by bus to the lovely River Queen docked outside the city and about 30 minutes from the airport. There is no river that runs through the central city of Nuremberg. The boat is different than the layout of the River Beatrice that we took last year. The levels meet in the middle, but you can’t go the length of the boat on the same level.

Holiday decor aboard Uniworld’s River Queen
©Jean Janssen

The decor is different too and the Christmas spirit abounds with often simple, yet unique holiday decorations. There was a nice buffet lunch int he Lounge after check-in. We arrived at the boat about noon, but the rooms are necessarily ready until 3 pm. The plan was to freshen up, have lunch, and then take the shuttle into town for the Christmas market. I had accounted for the rooms not being ready. There was no shuttle although a cab could be arranged. We were also told the market was extremely crowded as it was the weekend.

We ended up just hanging out in the lounge and even ran into a mom and daughter that we had met the year before on the Beatrice. Fortunately the rooms were ready at 1:30. I unpacked, but was so tired. After watching Boris sleeping, I decided the unpacking could wait and I was going to take a nap. I got up just in time to shower before the fire drill. I went to the lounge with wet hair-hey I’m on vacation. Boris had nabbed us a nice seat by the fireplace. After the captain’s safety briefing, the hotel manager spoke as did the activities director.

Nuremberg, Germany
©Jean Janssen

Afterwards was dinner; the German specialty Sauerbraten (translates as sour roast) was on the menu, so my selection was quickly made. After a lovely dinner and some nice wine (included in the cruise price), we went back to the cabin. Boris was quickly asleep, but I finished his unpacking and decided to update this blog post. Bed time now…our German adventures await.

Posted in international, River Cruise | Tagged Lufthansa, River Queen, sauerbraten, Uniworld | Leave a comment

Leaving Tanzania

Posted on July 21, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

With Zachariah at the air strip just before our departure from Selous.

This is our last day in Tanzania (not counting the few hours I will spend here in the wee hours before our 3:30 am departure tomorrow). Our tea and wake-up call was at the usual 6:30, but this morning we are packing for the return flight to Dar es Salaam. After breakfast we paid our camp bill and said goodbye to the staff. On the way to the airstrip, Zach tried one more time to spot the baby hyenas with no luck.

©Jean Janssen
Landing at the domestic terminal in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Our charter plane took our group on the short flight back to Dar. Our pilot this time is from Nigeria. Our bush pilots have been from all over-Spain, South Africa, and Nigeria. Most of our group is transferring from the domestic terminal to the International one headed to Poland, Dubai, Kansas City, and California. The rest of us have early morning flights and are staying in local hotels.

©Jean Janssen
“Tree of Life” Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Donna and I are back at the Southern Sun and this time we have the opportunity to enjoy its many amenities. After check-in and our welcome drink, we headed upstairs to enjoy the air conditioning and free Internet service. It was my opportunity to let everyone at home know I was doing fine.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Later we went downstairs to have lunch by the pool. It was a lovely setting, looking more like a pool at a villa than a hotel pool. The water was too cool to get in and there was no privacy from all the business people there to have lunch outside. We also visited the hotel gift shop and found some colorful items. The traffic in Dar is just horrible, so neither Donna nor I wanted to mess with a cab ride to and from the market.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

We finished out the afternoon with massages. They were a little more extensive than a woman’s massage at home (Having spent the week having to use the open toilet in front of each other and stripping off wetsuits and swimwear on our countless dive trips together, Donna and I no longer have any modesty in front of each other.) Two lovely African women came to our room and we each had a massage on the two double beds in our room. When my tummy massage made a funny slapping noise, Donna asked the masseuse to just “massage the fat off of us”. That got one of the ladies laughing and after she translated the other joined in. It was a funny moment shared by women of different backgrounds and cultures.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Unsure of what kind of meals we would get on the planes home and knowing we would miss breakfast in the morning, we decided to have a light dinner at the hotel. Packed and ready to go, we got a couple of hours sleep before our 12:30 am wake-up call. Reed and the driver were in the lobby when we came down and after a quick checkout we were headed to the airport by 1 am.

©Jean Janssen
The Ruaha River, Tanzania

The check-in process was a little confused. Donna wanted to try to upgrade her ticket, but she was told that they didn’t sell any tickets at the airport. They did a lot of the entry by hand. Fortunately, they can check the luggage through all the way to Houston. Both of our flights are on Turkish Airlines. We have an eight-hour flight to Istanbul and then a thirteen and a half hour flight to Houston.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

We enjoyed the time in the “executive” lounge with Reed before the flight. It was a little more rundown than most airport lounges, and the snacks looked like they had been there at least 8 hours, but there was internet service and we did a final email check and looked through some of the pictures we had transferred from our cameras.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Our fearless leader, Reed Hoffmann. The new “do” comes courtesy of a fly swatter used to rid ourselves of the tse tse flies in Ruaha National Park

Just before we got on the plane, we saw Ken whose flight left two hours after ours. Ironically, Reed, Donna, and I were all on the same row-Donna and I in aisle sets on the plane to Istanbul. I got lucky and the guy next to me moved. Donna and Reed were not so fortunate. The middle seat guy wanted Donna to change (She refused.) and then proceeded to spill into her seat anyway. He spent most of the flight with his head on Reed’s shoulder. (That I wish I had a picture of.) We said goodbye to Reed at the transfer point.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

In Istanbul, Donna and I enjoyed the Star Alliance Gold Lounge, which offered all kinds of beverages; a full lunch buffet; a pool table; and even a child’s play area. It may have been the nicest airport lounge I have ever been in. We just had time for lunch and a potty stop before our next flight.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Boarding was extremely confused and we were bussed to and from the planes for both flights in Istanbul.. This time we are in the same row with a seat between us. At the last minute, a tall Ukrainian man sat in the middle seat. He had been on a month-long holiday with his family at home. Sergei is a first officer on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. He comes from a seafaring family in Odessa. He is married with two children and told me he actually enjoyed his work on cargo ships better than the cruise line; on the cruise ships people are always complaining to him about things he has no control over like the food. He doesn’t drink at all while he is on the ship, so he is enjoying the free alcohol on the long flight over. He said he doesn’t sleep well on planes and has spent most of the time walking around or talking to Donna or I. We both enjoyed the company.

©Jean Janssen
Hippos on small islands in the Ruaha River, Tanzania

Well, I will sign off here, as this is the end of my international adventure. We are about to hit the US coast and have about 4 hours left in the flight. Fingers crossed that the bags make it. Now I can look forward to seeing Rocky who is picking me up at the airport.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

A photo safari in Africa was a top priority on my bucket list and nothing about this trip disappointed. In fact it exceeded my expectations. I would absolutely recommend the camps we stayed at-Jongomero and Siwandu (both operated by Selous Safari Company). From the people I spoke with, the caldera (with rhinos) and the Serengeti (wide open areas with large herds of animals) are the other two Tanzanian locations to consider. This is not an inexpensive vacation, but I promise you it is worth every cent. Until the next adventure…Natasha

©Jean Janssen
Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged giraffe, hippo, impala, lion, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, zebra | 2 Comments

Our final day at Siwandu, Tanzania

Posted on July 19, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen
The beautiful Blue Starling, one of my favorite birds in Africa.

Our last day in the camp they offered a different safari experience, the walking tour. This is an excellent opportunity for people who want to see small things or study tracks. The walkers also are now dung experts and can identify what animals have been in the area. Several of us wanted to do a jeep tour instead and see the larger animals with the idea of better picture opportunities. The group was evenly split 6 and 6 and Zach was once again our guide.

©Jean Janssen
Early morning light on the lake’s edge. Tanzania

To assist the walkers and avoid the heat, the safari left at 6:30 am, so our morning wake-up call was at 6. Breakfast upon our return. After yesterday’s lion sighting it is hard to think we can top that. There were people that had not been with Zach before and I had been singing his praises at dinner, so we stopped to see a few things he had already shown me. We also stopped by the den of some baby hyenas, but they were either still sleeping or out early.

©Jean Janssen
The hippo “yawn” is actually the male trying to impressive the female hippo and it this instance was a prelude to mating.

©Jean Janssen
You can also try to attract the hippos from shore with a wave like Ken

We did some hippo and bird watching along the water’s edge with Ken waving his arms like crazy on shore in the hope of getting the hippos to “yawn”. We learned from Zach that actually the hippo is not yawning when he opens his mouth, but showing off his power and strength to attract the female. We were treated to some hippo mating with the female completely submerged under water. We didn’t even need Zach to tell us what was going on, but he did confirm.

©Jean Janssen
Black ants swarm out of the whistling thorn acacia when the plant is attacked.

We found some animal bones along the shore and Zach pointed out the strange dried balls of palms that result from the elephants chewing on the palms. (Kind of an elephant fur ball.) The elephant only digests about 65% of what it eats. This is why the drivers avoid the elephant dung on the roadway. Elephants eat all of the Whistling torn acacia. The in tact thorns are in the dung and will blew out a tire if the jeep is driven over it. The whistling thorn acacia, which get their name from the gall at the end of each thorn that has holes that result in the whistling sound when the wind passes by. This plant also has a unique defense mechanism. Black ants enter the plant through the holes and live inside it, eating the sugary sap it produces. If an animal tires to eat the plant, the ants come out an attack, biting and crawling into the eyes and noses of the animal. It doesn’t bother the elephants that eat all of the plant, but the mother elephant will keep the unknowing baby away. Only one ant in their trunk disturbs baby elephants. They begin thrashing the trunk and can cause brain damage.

©Jean Janssen
Our restaurant staff prepares a safari breakfast in the bush.

Zach got a call on the radio about 9 am that the walkers were waiting on us for breakfast. While we though we were headed back to the camp, we found a wonderful picnic breakfast laid out for us nestled in the trees at the water’s edge complete with multiple courses and made-to-order eggs. It was a total surprise and a wonderful treat.

©Jean Janssen
A dazzle of zebra. Note the baby second from the left.]

After breakfast, the walkers set out for a return hike around the lake and the rest of us set out in the jeep. We had a lot of luck finding groups of zebra, known as a dazzle, and herds of wildebeest and waterbuck. While many of the animals at Siwandu were less skittish around the jeeps than at Jongomera, the zebra ran from us. Only when in the company of the giraffes (who offer the protection of being able to see long distances and provide early warning) did we note that the zebra were calmer.

©Jean Janssen
The lilac-breasted rolo with a grass frog.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

There was more bird watching and Zach showed us an area being taken over by non-native plants. We saw a single male hippo resting in the mud there. I also spotted by favorite bird, the LB R, the lilac breasted rolo. I got a picture of it and its beautiful wings and flight and we also saw one with a small grass frog in its mouth. Its squeezed the frog with its beak until it died and then ate it.

©Jean Janssen
Mongoose on a dead tree

We are also fortunate to see a mongoose perched on a dead log (their preferred location). All the others we had seen had run away quickly. While our original understanding was that we would cut off about 10 am. The tour lasted until 12:30 and we had a full morning of jeep safari. That was especially good news when we arrived at camp to find we were going out in the boat for the afternoon-we had just completed our last jeep tour.

©Jean Janssen
Waterbuck. The white ring around their bottom, a distinctive marking, is off referred to as a toilet seat.

©Jean Janssen
I practiced catching birds in flight.

After lunch I enjoyed the pool on this hot day, but was surprised when it started to rain. We sat in the lounge with Reed looking at some pictures that Liz had taken and discussing photo taking strategies. When the rain stopped, I headed back to the tent to get dressed for the afternoon boat tour. Not everyone was excited by the selection, but the plan was to spend more time along the shoreline in the hope of seeing animals come to drink. Perhaps the rain had kept them away, but we only saw a mud boy, a single older male cape buffalo that was now on his own. Like they did with the elephant, the birds followed his footsteps and ate the insects in the mud that had been disturbed.

©Jean Janssen
Waterfowl trolling for food.

Other than that it was mostly the same as our previous boat outing-more crocodiles, birds, and hippos. When no one was able to get the open-mouthed hippo shot we all wanted, most people became bored. Although we though there would be a limited time at bird island, it was once again a long stay until sunset. I didn’t need more pictures of the same birds, so I practiced with my camera and different settings it offered. We returned to the shore after sunset.

©Jean Janssen
I practiced trying to catch birds in flight against the sunset on this cloudy day.

This was our final dinner in camp and I was bound and determined to check out the fire. I was there alone for a while and then the girls joined me. It was nice. I had worn shorts with lots of insect repellant so I wouldn’t be too hot to enjoy the fire and wouldn’t get eaten by bugs. The girls, Liz and Becca joined me. We heard the (very loud) bush babies in the trees but were never able to spot one with the girls’ flashlights. We also heard two hyenas calling to each other. We visited with the restaurant manager and got around to discussing the stars that are so easy to spot in the bush with no lights around. He had the guard check the area and we walked out a little farther to the shore with the guard’s rifle for protection and got a better view of the stars from this vantage point.

©Jean Janssen
Mother bird feeding her young

Our host and activities coordinator (and one of the camp managers) Brian joined us for dessert and I enjoyed getting his take on the camp and its management structure. Brian is from South Africa so I talked to him about the places I had visited there in January as well. We had a nice evening. It was too dark to pack, so we headed to bed knowing that was our first order of business for the morning.

©Jean Janssen
Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

We fell asleep under the stars and the constellation of scorpion on our last night in the bush.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged blue starling, hippo, lilac-breasted rolo, mongoose, Selous Game Reserve, Siwandu, waterbuck | Leave a comment

Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Posted on July 18, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Even though the jeeps seat eight, we are still in groups of 4 and Reed mixes it up, so today we are with Doc and Carol who are from California. Doc is the photographer and Carol likes to ride in front and take a few pictures with her iPad. The older jeeps are a little harder to get into, but Siwandu offers cheater steps. Zach is our guide and he was very generous with information not only about the animals, but his country and personal life as well.

©Jean Janssen
Bats. Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen The rare dessert rose is poison and is used by poachers. The introduce the poison to the water and it removes the oxygen so the fish can't breathe. Poachers then collect the fish. It is also used by bushmen on the end of their spears and knives for hunting purposes.

©Jean Janssen
The rare dessert rose is poison and is used by poachers. They introduce the poison into the water and it removes the oxygen so the fish can’t breathe. Poachers then collect the fish. It is also used by bushmen on the end of their spears and arrows for hunting purposes.

Selous is the largest game reserve in all of Africa and is roughly the size of Switzerland. It is “one of the last great wilderness areas on the continent.” 85% of Selous is available to big game hunters under control directives. It is a dying sport due to the high cost and the lack of big game in the hunting areas. The animals can roam freely and are smart enough to move to the protected areas. Today, revenue from photographers and those just out to see the animals is higher than what is brought in from hunters.

©Jean Janssen
The mating ritual

21% of all the hippos in Tanzania live in Selous. They live in family groups with a dominant male for approximately 20-25 years and eat only plants. Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal. A hippo can cut a man in half with one bite. We saw hippos mating from the shoreline; the female was completely underwater with the male on top. Female hippos give birth in the shallow water. If the baby is a male, the mother will stay with it on the land for a longer period of time than with a female baby since the dominant male will chase other males off. Baby hippos nurse underwater and can stay under a minute and a half. They have three eyelids with a membrane that acts as googles and they keep their eyes open underwater.

©Jean Janssen
Giraffes are the symbol of Tanzania and are protected. Giraffes give birth standing up. The drop stimulates the baby much like the slap given to a human baby’s bottom at birth.

Zach was also generous with information about his country. Tanzania gained its independence in 1961 and added Zanzibar in 1964. There are 120 tribes in Tanzania. The country’s first President cleverly eliminated the chiefdoms by giving each chief a position in the government. The main language is Bantu-Swahili which was not an existing language, but was created as a business language so there could be communication among the tribes. Zach knows three tribal languages because of his family origins.

©Jean Janssen
A young waterbuck.
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
The waterbuck’s distinctive “toilet seat” bottom.

We saw lots of giraffes and impala, crocodiles and birds. We came into some open areas where we saw a few waterbuck. Their “toilet seat” ring was not as wide as that seen on the waterbuck in Jongomero, a regional difference we learned is true for many animals (like the color variations in zebra as you move north and south in the continent). The toilet seat ring gives off a particular scent during the first three weeks of the baby’s life when its eyesight is very poor; that’s one way to find your mom. Predators don’t like the taste of the hair, fat, and meat layers of the waterbuck; Zach has never seen one eaten.

©Jean Janssen
We loved watching the baby baboons play

©Jean Janssen
Baboon searching for food. Note the bend in the tail.

Next we came to the highlight of Donna’s morning. We found a troop of about 100 baboons. One way to distinguish them from monkeys is the bend in their tails. Donna went crazy with the photographs. The young baboons were very entertaining. They crawled all over the trees, their parents, and each other. Our goal was to get some good shots of the mothers carrying their babies. When they are really young or there is danger, they cling to their mother’s underside while she runs. When they get older, they “saddle ride” a term I had never heard and a practice I had never seen. I got lucky and got one shot with young riding in both fashions.

©Jean Janssen Note the different styles these mother baboon use to carry their young.

©Jean Janssen
Note the different styles these mother baboons use to carry their young.

While we were watching the baboons, we got word that there had been a kill (by a pride of lions). Zach said we could go see but that the site was about 45 minutes away and we were nearing lunch time. Another option that would give us more time was to go there directly at the start of the afternoon safari. He assured us that the lions would still be there feeding later in the day and that animals would feed on the kill for as long as two or three days after. We chose option B and decided to head back to camp, although it was hard to tear Donna away from those baboon babies.

©Jean Janssen
Wildebeest Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

On the way back, we finally saw wildebeest. We were told we would not see them at Jongomero, but we had been on the lookout here at Selous. We couldn’t get too close; they were very skittish. What a morning we had! And with the promise of a lion kill viewing in the afternoon, it looked like the day was only going to get better.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
On the trip out to the kill site we saw Greater Kudu, the first time we have seen them on the trip. Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Had a nice lunch and then got in a little pool time. It may not be the rainy season, we got showers. I ended up spending time in the lounge reviewing pictures with Reed and wishing I had spent some of my break time on other days in a similar fashion. Reed is with us this afternoon. At 4pm, all the camp jeeps headed out to the kill site. We were traveling a little slower due to back problems of some of the jeep passengers. We have to travel over an hour on rough roads to see the lions. We went through one ravine where I thought a vehicle could not pass; Zach did it.

©Jean Janssen
Hyena waiting for his turn at the kill. If you zoom in you will see that there is drool coming from his mouth. Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
vultures at the kill site
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

As we got close we saw a large barren tree with dozens of vultures waiting their turn. We got a little closer and saw a hyena ready to go in when the lions move on. We saw the many jeeps looking into a deep ruts. We were on the other side of the ravine and saw three lions leave the site and head over to another area with coverage from the sun and pooling water.

It was almost comical when we got closer. The lions were so full they could barely move. One just laid down by the water and would turn to head to get something to drink not moving the rest of her body. We were very close and Carol, who was at ground level in the jeep with Zach, remarked that she was not comfortable with this. Zach assured us that the lions were satisfied and that they had no interest in us.

©Jean Janssen
The pride that killed the zebra includes three young lions on 5 months in age.
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Check out that lion’s belly after a feeding. The remains of the zebra are in the background.

We moved from the open remote area where some of the lions had moved to the other side where we could see where they had moved the carcass of the zebra. We saw the lions just laying on their backs with bellies so full they didn’t even want to move. Talk about a “food coma”. They still guarded the kill, but I was shocked at how much they had already eaten.

Although they will eat every day if food is available, after this kill the pride won’t need to eat again for 5 days. A few of the innards had been pulled off and were being enjoyed by some vultures, the lions themselves fully satisfied. The hyena will enjoy the bone and any meat left on them.

Some of the other jeeps had seen a young lion trying to steal food from its mother, but all we saw was a lot of very full lions. It reminded me of the nap I love to take after Thanksgiving Dinner. (In my dreams of course. Someone has to do the dishes.) Most of the jeeps left, but we had time so we hung around for a while.

©Jean Janssen
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

As the sun began to set, the lions were on the move and we were there to follow them. With Reed as our good luck charm, we saw three of the lions move through the grasses to a tree with a bent trunk. Then they climbed the tree and looked into the sunset. At some point the matriarch began to bay, calling the other lions to her. It was an amazing sight. I have no doubt that this will be the highlight of the trip for us. To see these beautiful creatures in their natural environment doing the things movies are made about, is beyond words. Talk about a photo op! Hopefully you will enjoy this sampling of what I saw.

©Jean Janssen

We saw the little one take a tumble and return to climb the tree again. Zach said it is very rare to see the lions take to the tree. He is out 4+ hours each morning and 3+ every afternoon; he has not seen a sight like this in 2 and a half years. Wow!! Before I left for Tanzania, I asked the CEO of a nonprofit I volunteer with (a shout out to Mary Vitek with the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council) what animal she would like a picture of and her reply was lions in a tree. I thought the odds of that were 0% . Today, I am happy to deliver.

©Jean Janssen
Facing the setting sun.
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Posted in animals, international | Tagged baboons, bats, giraffe, Greater Kudu, hippo, hyena, lions, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, vulture, wildebeest | 1 Comment

Ruaha National Park to Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Posted on July 16, 2014 by travelbynatasha

Our new camp is waterside and offers a unique opportunity to see the animals by pontoon.

@Jean Janssen
Our tent at Jongomero, Tanzania

Today we depart Jongomero. There was an extra ride added for the morning, but it left at 6:30 am and Donna and I were not packed. We passed and used the time to get ourselves organized and take a few photos around the camp. We saw those from our group that took the ride at breakfast and I don’t think we missed anything we hadn’t already seen; it was also very cold. We made the right call.

@Jean Janssen The lovely pool at Jongomero, Tanzania. The temperature was too cool to partake. Note the pool in the middle of the steps. It was added when hippos decided to make sure of the pool regardless of the weather. Their access is now restricted.

@Jean Janssen
The lovely pool at Jongomero, Tanzania. The temperature was too cool to partake. Note the pole in the middle of the steps. It was added when hippos decided to make use of the pool regardless of the weather. Their access is now restricted.

Natasha with her safari guide, Frank.

Frank is driving us to the air strip so we get to see him on this last day. He has been an excellent guide and Donna and I have had the privilege of riding with him during the entirety of our stay. We went to the airstrip early with a send-off from the entire staff. The park rangers are there to insure the safety of the animals. Pilots have to circle until the field is clear. Frank put my bag on first. There are no facilities to weigh them, which is good thing since I have downsized and put all but my photography gear in the duffle bag stored below. We had a nice send off with David in the copilot seat for our flight to Selous.

@Jean Janssen
Our Plane to Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Our plane with filled with our group and we flew directly to the Game Reserve’s air strip. There are multiple camps in the area, but fortunately ours is closest to the air strip. The jeeps at Selous are older and designed to seat 8 passengers. Jeeps at Jongomero sat 5 passengers. Jongomero sits at a higher elevation and is much cooler; it is also thick brush. Selous, while not the plains of the Serengeti, has more open areas and its bush is less dense. Sitting at a lower elevation, it is much warmer, a warmth we felt immediately upon exiting the plane.

Siwandu sits by the water's edge and is full of African crocodiles. They don't have to even hunt as the water offers so many options for food.

©Jean Janssen Siwandu sits by the water’s edge and is full of African crocodiles. They don’t have to even hunt as the water offers so many options for food. Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

We were driven to the camp by Zachariah, one of the guides. It is obvious that he is quite knowledgeable about the area. Our camp name is Siwandu. It started at its first location 25 years ago and remained there until flooding resulted in a move. It has been at its present location 17 years and predates Jongomero. Both Siwandu and Jongomero are operated by the Selous Safari Company and many of the staff work at both camps. The safari company also operates a third camp which is a beach resort.

@Jean Janssen
Our new tent felt much more open and had big porches on both the front and back. You can’t see it in this picture, but Donna and I were both thrilled to find we had a ceiling fan at this location where it is really needed. Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve.

Siwandu has a north and south camp and our group will use all six tents on one side. Since the north and south camps each have their own lounge, pool, dining facilities, boat dock, and jeep station, we will our own private group experience. Upon arrival, we are dropped off at the main office (only shared facility) where we meet our room stewards and are shown to our tents. Siwandu offers the option of a pontoon ride on the lake and we will have the chance to experience that today.

©Jean Janssen From the back porch of our tent, you can sit at the writing desk or on the lounge and enjoy a view of the water. we were warned however not to venture past our porch and closer to the water.

©Jean Janssen
From the back porch of our tent, you can sit at the writing desk or on the sofa and enjoy a view of the water. we were warned however not to venture past our porch and closer to the water.

We had lunch by the pool and after collecting our camera gear, we went down to the water to catch the pontoon for our first outing at Siwandu. Zach was aboard. Due to the heat, the afternoon safari leaves a little later at Siwandu at 4 pm (rather than 3:30 like at Jongomero).

©Jean Janssen
Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Immediately upon leaving we saw an elephant walking along the lake’s edge being following by a flock of birds. The elephant steps into the mud bringing small insects to the surface and the birds follow along to enjoy the unearthed food. In the middle of the lake created by the rainy season were several small islands; all had lots of crocodiles along the shore. In the trees were eagles’ nests. We even spotted a pair feeding their young. Their position on the branches was almost stately.

©Jean Janssen
Hippos in the water at Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

The water was just teaming with hippos, often in very large groups. I was sitting on the very front of the pontoon when one of them surfaced just in front of me. Ok. I admit it. I screamed. I think I scared the hippo though, it went right under. I felt bad that people missed the shot. I was also certain that I was not going to live this down. We saw many more hippos in the water after that, but none got as close to the pontoon. Zach told us that the hippos reported our presence to the other groups.

©Jean Janssen
From the pontoon, Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

The pontoon was excellent for shoreline viewing of the animals that had come down to the water. We saw elephants, cape buffalo, and giraffes. We also got some wonderful shots of the waterfowl out collecting food. You could see that they were ever watchful of the crocodiles. There was quite a variety. Many we had seen along the Ruaha River and others that were new to us.

©Jean Janssen
Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Our last stop in the pontoon was bird island. It had no sandy shoreline and so the crocodiles come not get in there. Hence, the birds had found a safe place to build their nests and there were hundreds of them including the unique spoonbill which I have never seen up that close. Their behavior was fascinating and the air quite pungent.

©Jean Janssen
We stayed at bird island until sunset and I captured the colors reflected off these spoonbills. Siwandu, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Sunset meant it was time to return to shore and we went in to get ready for our candlelit dinner in the lounge where they make a fabulous gin and tonic. Like Jongomero, we were escorted back to our tents after the lake safari and to and from dinner. We look forward to our first jeep safari in Selous tomorrow.

©Jean Janssen
Our first African sunset in the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. This one is for Rocky who loves sunset.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged African crocodile, Jongomero, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, Selous Game Reserve, Selous Safari Company, Siwandu, spoonbill, Tanzania | Leave a comment

Last Day in Jongomero, Tanzania

Posted on July 13, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen
It wasn’t until our last day at Jongomero that we saw zebra in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

©Jean Janssen
Vervet Monkey in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

The next day brought another cool morning and our final full day of touring from Jongomero. Reed is back in the jeep with us for the morning, as is Donna. We haven’t yet seen zebra so they are on the request list for the day. Our first find is a baobab tree with a hollow opening where bats have made a home. Of course the only picture where I captured a bat coming out includes the hand of one of my fellow jeep mates. Frank told us that the large opening is also a common place for poachers to hide and sleep during the day, coming out at night to get the ivory tusks. A park ranger driving by during the day would never even know they were there. The rangers have gotten wise to this practice and now look for signs of human life near the trees during their rounds.

©Jean Janssen
Verver monkeys in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

There is a particular area where Frank usually finds zebras so we went next in that direction. We found both vervet (blue ball) monkeys and baboons, although not together, before hitting the jackpot with a dazzle of zebra (yes, a large grouping is a dazzle, not a herd). They were quite skittish around us and we couldn’t get as close as I had hoped. Frank carefully maneuvered the jeep so that we had a good view and the zebra were in the sun for better pictures. Zebra are often found near giraffes whose long necks afford them a better view. The zebra react when the giraffes do.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Sometimes you just have to scratch.

I had a lot of questions for Reed, particularly how to photograph the tall giraffes with the bright sun in the background. I feel like my skills have begun to improve under his directions and I am certainly learning a lot more about my camera. It is fun to have him back in the jeep again. We did more practicing capturing the birds in flight under his direction and followed another herd of elephants that we found breaking through the bush. We saw a lot of the burned out areas, where controlled burns take place in as much as 1/3 of the bush lands to encourage new growth.

©Jean Janssen
Five-year-old male lion. He just wouldn’t come out of the shade for a better picture (and I wasn’t going to go in there and ask him). We were about 20 feet away from him.

Another request we had had for Frank was a male lion with a full mane (having seen the lionesses and a young male the previous day). He delivered on that as well when we found a 5-year old male in the shade of the bush. While we maneuvered around for the best shots, the lion remained in the shade and a fabulous picture eluded us. We found his pregnant mate further down the road and she posed for us before taking a position near the water bank to wait for prey.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Heading back, we found a herd of giraffe posing for us near the wonderful (and iconic) baobab and acacia trees. I like to think of the acacia as canopy or umbrella trees because of their shape. Reed was full of ideas for these shots, reminding us that we need pictures wide enough for people to know we were in Africa and not shooting close-ups at a zoo.

Our last sighting before lunch was another herd of elephants literally knocking over trees in the bush. When they had enough of our close proximity to them, a large male pushed down a tree and pulled it across the road so we could not pass. The elephants were on either side of the road and I kept wondering what the ones out of sight were doing. Of course the joke was on them, we had already passed through and were able to head back to the camp with no problem. The other jeeps…well they were on their own.

©Jean Janssen
Blocking the road
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park,
Tanzania

For our last outing at Jongomero this afternoon I was sure Frank could not top our morning and indeed it did start out slow. Well, only slow because we had already seen so much. First was a family of elephants exhibiting what was now familiar behavior. We saw some unusual birds, lots of impala, lounging hippos-in and out of the water, and a family of warthogs.

©Jean Janssen
If you study this picture you can learn a lot about elephant behavior. Check out the water line on the large elephant. The smaller more playful ones completely submerged themselves. When they reach the other side of the river they cover their backs with sand. The smaller one decided it was just earlier to roll in it. His “sibling” decided it was a great time to rest his feet on him. This is at the Ruaha River, Tanzania.

Near the water, we came across a new herd of elephants we hadn’t seen before. We watched them for a while and then rounded the corner to find even more…and then more still. Suddenly we found ourselves in the midst of a herd of 120 elephants split up into smaller family groups. Frank knew just what to do. He positioned himself near the riverbank where the elephants cross down to the water, but not so close as to keep them away.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
I just loved the ears on this little elephant.

What followed was nothing less than spectacular. Entering and leaving in family groups (they wait for one family to leave before the next family enters), we saw this herd cross the river. Apparently what we saw yesterday was just a teaser, for the sight of all these elephants crossing the river, playing and spraying water, rendered us speechless and we watched as the sun began to set. Just when I thought nothing could beat our morning, we witnessed this marvelous ritual.

©Jean Janssen
Jackel at sunset in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

We rode back to camp, knowing nothing could have topped this day. Each evening just before reaching camp we always saw a jackal that was always too quick for me to catch a photo. Tonight he obliged and I got my photo. He seemed to say that just when you think you have seen it all, more of life’s adventures wait around the corner.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged Elephant, jackel, Jongomero, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, Tanzania, zebra | Leave a comment

Water for Elephants in Tanzania

Posted on July 13, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
The African Elephant and those amazing ears. Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Donna resting, there are only three of us in the Jeep this afternoon with Frank. We quickly came across a herd of elephants with three “babies”. They were curious, but one of the “teenagers” did a mock charge to let us know not to get any closer. I noticed what looked like gashes along their faces. Frank explained that these were sweat glands that become more prominent when the animal becomes stressed. With little ones to protect, I am sure our presence was not exactly welcome.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

We found more giraffes and I have now begun to notice their details. Their color varies just like ours; in giraffes some are whiter, some orange. The dark markings vary in shape and are unique to each individual animal. Some look like geometric shapes, others like leaf patterns. (I love this rented zoom lens and the close up views it provides.)

Our elephant herd was moving toward the river. We headed down to the dry riverbed to get a good vantage point to watch their bathing and found our lion pride still resting in the shade. We got even closer this time. They almost seemed to pose for us. Farther down the dry riverbed, a large extended family of baboons moved across. We repositioned ourselves just as the elephants got to the water. I am so sorry that Donna is missing this.

©Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

The matriarch led them into the water. While the little ones would completely submerge themselves, you could see the waterline across the larger elephants. We saw two play-fighting with their tusks and trunks. They used the crossing to drink, bathe, and play in the river.

Once again, it was the matriarch that led them out when they reached the other side. Then they used their trunks to throw sand of their backs to protect themselves from the sun. It seemed kind of backwards since they had just bathed, but I am sure the water helped to keep the sand stuck to their backs.

©Jean Janssen
Dusting after the river bath, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen
Hippos on the small islands in the Ruaha River, Tanzania

After the show, we decided to cruise along the riverbank and see what we could see. There were lots of beautiful waterfowl and we found some hippos lounging on a little dry patch in the river. Frank said that when the water gets cold, they get out to warm up for a while. We took our break along the river. The chef always sends snacks to go with our preferred drinks.

We passed through the bush and saw more giraffes, baboons, impala, and waterbuck. I was able to capture a dik dik on film (think very small deer). They always seemed to get away before I could snap a picture. My last shot was the setting sun reflecting off a hippo eating grass in the shallow water of the Ruaha River.

©Jean Janssen Dik Dik in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Tonight dinner was in the middle of the shallow riverbed of the Jongomero River just behind the lounge. The staff had lit luminaries to lead us out. A big bonfire
was built off to the side and a guard watched the banks and trees for “visitors”. After dinner when the night became chilly, others lingered over coffee. I walked over to the fire to enjoy the warmth and noted the guard’s watchful eye on the surroundings. Although you might not have even spotted him during dinner, he walked over and spoke to me as I approached. Even while exchanging friendly conversation, he never overlooked his primary goal of protecting the guests.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged african elephant, Elephant, giraffe, hippo, lion, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, Tanzania | Leave a comment

Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Posted on July 1, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen Everyone was enjoying breakfast in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

Today is our first full day at the Jongomero safari camp. We have preselected a 6:30 am wake-up call and our room steward brought hot tea and cookies to our room. It is light by breakfast time at 7 am so we are able to walk to breakfast ourselves. If the weather is clear like today, we are able to eat out under the trees. There is a serve-yourself cold table with water, juice, sliced fruit, cereal, sliced cheese and veggies, and fresh bakery items. Tableside, you are served made-to-order eggs and extras like the bacon and mushrooms I ordered.

©Jean Janssen Frank would say Pumba and I would think puma. Instead, he was referring to the warthog (of course named Pumba in Disney's The Lion King.)

©Jean Janssen
Frank would say Pumba and I would look for puma. Instead, he was referring to the warthog (of course named Pumba in Disney’s The Lion King.)

Reed rotates among the jeeps so this morning Donna and I are with David and Ginger, a couple from the Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. We made Frank an honorary Texan so we could be an all “lone star” jeep. The mornings in Jongomero are cold, so much so that it was hard to get out of bed. I have a jacket on over my long-sleeved shirt. I didn’t take it off until about 11 am. Others were wearing fleece.

©Jean Janssen
Cape buffalo in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. Note the bird on the female’s face (right side) and the scar on the middle buffalo.

©Jean Janssen A baboon sits on a termite mound in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

Our first sighting were baboons, much smaller than the ones I have seen in zoos at home. They stayed under the trees in the shade, so not the best subject for pictures. We next came across a herd of Cape Buffalo, much like the ones I had seen in South Africa. We noticed a lot of birds sitting on them. They even had scars from where larger birds’ talons had grabbed them. Cape Buffalo will just stop and stare at you, so everyone had an easy time with the photography.

©Jean Janssen
Frank asked us each day what we wanted to see. I was always up for giraffes like this young one with the mountains in the background. Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen Lioness along the dried river bank of the Jongomero River, Tanzania.

Next we came to large group of giraffes, my favorite. The only thing that could tear me away from them was a lion sighting. So off we went to the spot where the dry Jongomero River bed meets the Ruaha River. There the lionesses were lounging in the grass next to the dry river bed. I am not sure how recent their last kill was, but their bellies were full and they showed no interest in us, only looking over occasionally. Frank pointed out that one was a young male about two years of age. Ginger asked how he knew it was a male and he answered factually: his balls. Ah, the facts of life.

©Jean Janssen This young male lion is about two years old and is just beginning to get his mane.

Frank also pointed out that his mane was beginning to come in and with binoculars or a zoom lens you were able to see it. We were later able to move a little closer, about 20 feet away and you could really see the mane. The young male got some water from the Ruaha River, but other than that they just lounged around and moved up and down the river bed to find a more comfortable spot to doze. Of course at this point we were getting to the heat of the day.

©Jean Janssen I decided this was a Mother/Son moment between this lioness and young male. Jongomero River, Tanzania.

One thing I was surprised by was that the lions had spots on their underside. I don’t think I had ever realized that or saw it before. We spent a long time watching them. One of the lionesses was sick and much thinner than the others; you could see her ribs clearly. I had never felt sorry for a lion before, well maybe when I saw it in a zoo in a cage. Not sure how I will react the next time I go to a zoo.

©Jean Janssen On the upper bank of the Jongomero River, Tanzania.

©Jean Janssen Our break spot along the Ruaha River, Tanzania

It was quite a treat to watch the lions from this close vantage point. In the Ruaha River to the side of us, hippos lounged in the water and would call out, but it was the lion pride that kept our attention. When we finally decided there was no new activity to see, we went to take our break next to the flowing Ruaha River and finally give the hippos some attention. I also spotted a kingfisher in the tree; not surprising to see them near the water as they eat fish. Frank picks the best spots for breaks.

©Jean Janssen Kingfisher at the Ruaha River, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen A trio of hippos in the Ruaha River, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen Weaver nests in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Heading back for lunch and our midday break, we noted trees with lots of small nests in them. These are the weaver nests, always found on the west side of the tree. They have two openings, the regular entrance and the secondary escape one. The second one had thorns pointing out so a predator could not enter that way. If one attempts to get in, the bird can get out via the second opening. The weavers are very clever. They also leave lots of unused nests in the tree so the predator has to look in many places and often gets discouraged.

©Jean Janssen Baboon in a tree, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

It was fitting that our last sighting was a baboon, as that is how we started the tour. What a morning! So much to visit about at lunch and then I was off to download my pictures to the computer. It was a little cool for the pool, so I got in a short nap on the sleeping porch as well. Donna has decided to take the afternoon off. After all, it is her vacation. I am off to take more picture of animals!

Posted in animals, international | Tagged baboon, cape buffalo, giraffe, hippo, impala, Jongomero River, kingfisher, lion, lioness, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, warthog, weaver nest, weavers | 1 Comment

Jongomero in Tanzania

Posted on June 30, 2014 by travelbynatasha

©Jean Janssen Jongamero, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

This is just the first of many days I will be getting up early to enjoy Africa. After a hotel breakfast in Dar es Salaam at the Southern Sun, we met our safari group of 11 and our photographer guide, Reed Hoffmann. We were transported to the airport that handles domestic flights-think really small planes. Our checked luggage had to be less than 32 pounds, so we left a few things behind in Dar and shifted some items to our carry ons which are now pretty heavy.

©Jean Janssen great seat on our bush flight to the Jongamero air strip, Tanzania

When one of our three vans ran out of gas on the way to the airport, we were worried about a rough start to the trip, but all was well and we made it in plenty of time for our flight. Nine members of our group are riding in one plane and Reed, Donna, and I are on another plane with multiple stops. I got a seat in the first row with plenty of room for my carry on bag and got to see the control panel because of the open cockpit. The plane only sat 10 passengers so when the last couple got on, he sat across from me and she sat in the copilot’s seat. He got sick on the flight, but I loved my spot in the front, especially watching the altitude gauge.

Luckily the Jongomero air strip was the first stop. It was literally just a cleared patch of land. The plane just pulled over to the side to let us out. We were met at the air strip by one of the safari guides and taken the short distance to the camp. This air strip only serves our camp, so flights are all chartered in.

©Jean Janssen Our tent at Jongomero, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

There was an Italian couple on our flight, but other than the two of them our group will be the only ones at the camp. There are only 8 tents plus staff quarters. Reed has a guide tent which is smaller than ours and has no view. We got a warm greeting by the staff upon our arrival and were shown into the lounge for our orientation meeting. The host Emile was so warm and friendly, we immediately felt at home. After a welcome drink and a chance to enjoy the view of the dry river bottom (full during the rainy season) with impalas and monkeys, Emile personally took Donna and I to our tent, stopping along the way to show us the wonderful pool. The temperature at Jongomero is warm during the day and it cools off at night with chilly mornings. Not sure if the weather will fit with pool use. As Tanzania sits below the equator, it is winter here.

©Jean Janssen Interior of our tent at Jongamero, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

Our room is a large tent with a roof structure overhead. There is a bedroom area and bath area with a toilet, shower, double vanity, and open closet. The sleeping area included twin beds, night stands, a desk, and two chairs. There is a porch that faces the river bed with cushioned chairs and a sleeper bed. The bathroom area is not too private so it really isn’t a suitable setup for people who don’t know each other or are modest in front of one another. I was very impressed with the accommodations.

©Jean Janssen note the distinctive red beak and feet on these birds. Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

The other plane didn’t arrive for a while and Donna and I had time to unpack and get our camera gear ready for the first safari. We met at the lounge for lunch and had a wonderful meal on the lower patio where we watched the monkeys playing. We took some time to get to know our fellow travelers, mostly an over-50 crowd with the exception of 24-year-old twin girls who were traveling with their parents. At 3:30 our jeeps left on the first safari with Donna and I sharing a jeep with Reed and Ken (An American now living in Warsaw, Poland).

©Jean Janssen The baobab tree, aka The Tree of Life, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen Impala in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Almost immediately, we saw lots of impala who ran when the jeep approached. We saw many of the baobab tree which looks like its roots are on top. (Disney Animal Kingdom fans will recognize this tree from the safari ride and the Tree of Life.) The birds in Africa are distinctive, most of which I have never seen before. Our excellent guide Frank knew all the varieties and I determined that I wanted to bring my journal along for the next ride so I could take notes and remember all the wonderful information and stories he was sharing.

Our first big find was the elephants who liked to roam through the brush and knock over trees. They were not always cooperative when it came to pictures and often stayed behind the bush. The African elephant has very big ears which it uses to cool itself and stimulate circulation. Because of the demand for their tusks, evolution has resulted in some of the females never developing tusks. It is probably nature’s way of discouraging poaching and the killing of elephants purely for the ivory of their tusks.

©Jean Janssen Lizard, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Our jeep was really comfortable with four captain style seats on multi levels. There was also a seat next to the driver, but that didn’t offer the best view. Each seat also had a step for resting your feet and a pocket for small items. Our larger bags fit on the jeep floor. One of the coolest things were the fly swatter made out of animal hair. The tsetse flies are really bad in the park, so the driver burns elephant dung on the back of the jeep and the smoke keeps the flies away. It works pretty well and doesn’t have an odor. The flies are annoying, but they do not carry disease. That said, I did have to take malaria medication (before, during, and after the trip) to help if I am bitten by a carrier mosquito.

©Jean Janssen Giraffes, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Our next find was my favorite, the giraffe. Never with the same pattern, the giraffes are plentiful in Tanzania. They are a national symbol and are protected. They move gracefully or lumber as Frank put it. Their movement is different because of their long necks and the balance issue those necks create. You will often find other animals near the giraffes, like the impala and particularly zebras. The giraffes’ height gives them the advantage of seeing predators approaching and the other animals are able to react when the giraffe run away.

@Jean Janssen
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen Hornbill in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

I am usually not much of a bird watcher, but Africa has such beautiful unique varieties that I found myself taking note of many of these lovely winged creatures. We saw hornbills of many varieties. (Once again Disney fans will think Zazu from the Lion King.) In the water areas, one of the really fun birds we saw was the kingfisher who did its helicopter move hovering above the water until he spotted an insect or small fish at which point he dove down to capture his meal.

©Jean Janssen XXX River, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

©Jean Janssen Our guide Frank and our picnic setup along the Ruaha River, Tanzania.

The Jongomero river is dry now, just a month after the end of the rainy season, but the camp is also near the Ruaha River and Frank choose a lovely spot for us to take an afternoon break. In addition to a drink of our choice, the chef had sent along an afternoon snack. Frank pulled a picnic tray down from the front of the grill for a nice set up. While we partook of the treats, we got to enjoy the beautiful view. We even spotted a hippo enjoying the cool water during the heat of the day. Hippos come out of water at night when it is cool to feed. In fact there is a hippo trail just beside our tent in the camp.

©Jean Janssen This hippo is enjoying the cool water of the Ruaha River, Tanzania.

©Jean Janssen Waterbuck crossing the Ruaha River, Tanzania

On the way back to the camp we spotted a waterbuck along the river and just before entering the camp a dik dik on the road and a jackal in the bush. It was almost dark when we arrived back at camp. After a cordial and a warm towel, we were escorted back to our tents. You are not allowed to walk around the camp at night unescorted. Each tent has a whistle inside if you need to call for help. Our host Emile asked what time we wanted to come down for the 8 pm dinner. (There are drinks and appetizers in the lounge and by the campfire if you want to come down early.) Security provided escort services to and from dinner. We fell asleep to the sounds of the nocturnal animals of Ruaha National Park.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged Elephant, giraffe, hippo, impala, Jongomero, Ruaha, Ruaha National Park, Ruaha River, Tanzania, tsetse fly | 1 Comment

Natasha is going on Safari

Posted on June 29, 2014 by travelbynatasha

I am off on a “bucket list” adventure. I have always wanted to go on a photo safari in Africa. My dive buddy Donna (we are the original dive princesses) suggested the trip. We have roomed together on many dive trips and get together for lunch so we stay in touch and have experience traveling together. The added element to this trip is that we are traveling in a small group with a photography professional, Reed Hoffmann. Reed’s clients include USA Today, The New York Times, The Associated Press, and NBC.

©Jean Janssen Our fearless leader, Reed Hoffmann

Reed did a great job of getting us ready with lots of tips on things we needed to packing. He even exchanged emails with me before I signed up for the trip and beyond that as I selected equipment to purchase or rent. I am nervous about the structure of the trip because I am a true beginner and have never had a photography class. But as anyone who reads the blog knows, I love to take pictures. Donna has traveled with Reed before and has even taken his Nikon class in Houston. She said he is a real “sweetie”.

The trip includes overnights in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam and two safari camps in Tanzania. We are staying in luxury tents, but I usually leave off the luxury part when telling people I am going; I am trying to sound more adventurous. We have to take three flights to get to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. To reduce the trip expense, we are both using miles to pay for our airfare. Donna suggested that we upgrade our seats so we are not tired when we arrive. I have been saving miles and had enough to go First/Business First one way. Donna, who just retired and has traveled extensively for work and pleasure, used a small portion of her 1.8 million miles to make the trip. I depleted my account.

We live pretty close to each other, so the morning of the trip we shared a cab to the airport. Our first flight was on United to Washington Dulles. It didn’t matter that it was a relatively short flight; I used the controls to make my seat a bed. It was really neat. I tried to be cool about it, but I am sure it was pretty obvious that I was not a regular in that section of the plane. We had a quick transfer in Dulles, but were fortunate that our flights were both in the same terminal. A terminal transfer in Dulles can take a long time because they wait for the large pod (kind of like sticking people in a boxcar) to fill before the move from one terminal to another.

©Jean Janssen
Impala are plentiful in Tanzania.
The guides jokingly refer to them as fast food for their speed and the McDonald’s M on their rear side.

We were in an older United plane to Zurich and the bed was narrower, but still functional and off to sleep I went. Now that the travel is international, Champagne is served and during the two international flights I enjoyed 5 free glasses of champagne-only to help me sleep of course.

©Jean Janssen Waterfowl, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

For our final flight to Tanzania, we are transferring to Swiss Air in Zurich. I have never been on this airline and had to relearn all the controls. The man sitting next to me was very nice and helped with the tray, bed, ect. A new airline meant new movies and even better food. I usually don’t eat on planes, but enjoyed all the in-flight meals on this outbound trip.

I went to sleep pretty quickly, but when I woke up needing to go to the bathroom, the man next to me had taken advantage of his bed. No pictures of me straddling him to get in and out. Later in the flight, just before we landed in Nairobi, Kenya (our only stop) I had to chance to visit with him and learned that he worked for the United Nations and was currently CEO of a Food and Agricultural Division based in Kenya. He has worked around the world and his life experiences were fascinating.

©Jean Janssen Hippo enjoying the water after the rainy season. Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Most of the passengers got off in Nairobi and after about hour on the ground, we had just one more hour before we reached Dar Es Salaam. Upon landing, we filled out the necessary forms and went straight to purchase our visas ($100 for Americans). It was very disorganized and no instructions were posted. You gave your passport and cash to a representative roaming around outside the office and then waited for your name to be called. Donna and I gave the rep our passports in at the same time, but I was finished about a half hour before she was finally called. When I got mine, the officer came outside the office and called my name. When he handed it to me he had it open to the page with my picture and he questioned whether I was indeed the same person. Give me a break. The picture was nine years old and I had been traveling for 28 hours. No picture of how I looked at that point either. We also found out that we could have gotten a visa before arriving; I highly recommend that.

©Jean Janssen
One of the things I tried to do with Reed’s instruction and my new camera and rented lens was to catch birds in flight.

Fortunately the transfer driver was waiting for us when we finally got out of the airport. He took us to the Southern Sun Hotel. It was formerly a Holiday Inn, but you would never guess that from its current condition. The foliage was lovely and there was lots of the beautiful carved African wood. After we each had a much-anticipated shower and a reorganization of our luggage for the lower weight restriction on our next flight, it was bedtime. We have to be up early to meet our guide and the rest of our travel group for the bush flight to the first camp. Breakfast begins at 4 am; our departure time is 6:45 am. Welcome to Africa, Natasha.

Posted in animals, international | Tagged Africa, Jongomero, Reed Hoffmann, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania | 2 Comments

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