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Up at 6am this
morning - in preparation for our foot safari. We were picked up by the
park's safari vehicle and taken for a quick cup of tea at the dining
banda before being driven out for 4.5 km, and walking back through the
bush and along the banks of the Ruaha River. 11 of us had elected to
take this optional ($25) early morning safari. We were given a quick
briefing - to ensure safety on the walk, and to maintain position
between our two armed guides, Martin and Fajara. It was wonderful to be
out in the relative cool of the morning, with our guides seeking out
evidence of any |
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night-time
activity. Before too long our guides identified fresh lion tracks in the
sand. That, however, was as close as we got to seeing them - I think the
roar of a nearby lion whilst out on foot might have been a bit too much
for some of us. We sighted many new birds to add to our list. Hippos
were crossing the river, baboons were feeding around the river banks and
we came across a lone hippo close to our path, hiding within the bushes.
We gave him a wide berth - This often-looking lumbering beast is the
most dangerous in Africa, responsible for more deaths than any other. |
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We paused to look
at the damage inflicted by elephants, as they chew upon the bark of the
trees, with huge slivers being torn off. The trees however seem no worse
for the damage however, as they all appear strong and healthy with - to
this layman at least - just cosmetic damage. Here, at Ruaha, is
the only "National Park" in Tanzania where you can take a foot safari -
although we were able to do so again later in the trip at the Selous
"Game Reserve." At 9.30 am it was time to return to our dining banda
for a well-earned breakfast of fruit, cinnamon bread and a "full
English." |
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Copious cups of tea followed by toast
and marmalade, all taken at a leisurely pace on this occasion. As we had
a "free morning" With time on our hands, we took a short walk along the
river bank to the prime riverside position of the bandas of Robin and
Heather, with next-door neighbours Mel and Ann. Here, there was
a section of the river that allowed the hippos to wallow in pools. I had
changed my footwear - from sandals to trainers - in the event I had to
make a sharp exit. The hippos however seemed quite relaxed in the water,
and those that were moving up the banks were doing |
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so on the far side
of the river. I set myself up with my camera and monopod on top of a
large rock (snakes were also prominent in my mind amongst the boulders
on the riverside) I was hoping to take a shot of a yawning hippo, and
was set for a bit of a wait. As I set up, I scanned the waterline - to
find a crocodile lying motionless about 50 metres away at the water's
edge. Nancy was with me fortunately, to keep watch for any movement of
the croc, as I panned amongst the wallowing hippos. Also at the waters
edge was a pair of striped swallows - really attractive little birds. |
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Before too long, I had snapped a
yawning hippo - not too much of a wait, but we remained, watching the
hippos settling down for a morning sleep, with a family of mother,
father and youngsters snuggling up to each other in contented sleep. We
ordered 2 x cream teas from Robin and Heather, then tried Chrissie and
Maggie - but sadly, the service was lacking!! and as the nearby
croc was now on the move, we headed back for lunch - and for
dessert we had rhubarb crumble and custard !! (They must have known I
was coming). Time for a quick shower after lunch, and to |
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relax a little before our game drive at
3pm. Lions were the priority on this drive - but we were to be
disappointed. Unlike the plains of the Masai Mara, lions here
appeared to prefer the cover of the bushes, and consequently were
very hard to spot. We saw plenty of wildlife however - including our
first close-up encounter with a fish eagle - a grey kestrel also gave us
some wonderful views. Along with the plentiful giraffes we had zebra,
impala, mongoose - and a tortoise !! The highlight of the drive was an
encounter with a group of 5 elephants - who protectively circled the
baby of the herd. We |
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returned for dinner at 6.45 pm - Red
onion soup, sesame bread, roast lamb & potatoes, peas & leeks - followed
by banana cheesecake - excellent!! A couple of cool "Kilis" once again,
and as this was our last evening here, we settled our bar bill - 26,000
Tz.shillings - around £13 - not bad considering all the soft
drinks during the 3 days we had been at Ruaha. Today had been hot and
sticky at the peak of the day - with a temperature of 38°C - 100°F. Thus
far the daily temperatures had been around the 34-35°C mark - not too
bad providing we had a bit of a breeze. Time for bed, though we had to
wait for our Masai escort back to the banda. |
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Other
Photographs of The Day |
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