Jo and Sarb's Year Off

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Day 23 (Sun, 30 July) - Tarangire

Woke up to sunlight streaming through the tent.

After breakfast we drove for about a half hour to the park entrance. Whilst we waited for Reuben to sort the tickets out we were kept amused watching the little mice nervously running around the edge of the road.

Drove into the park and Reuben soon learnt that a pride of lions had recently made a kill. We headed off to the site and soon found the lions lying in long grass some 60 yards away. They had clearly fed well as most of them were lying around relaxing as only cats know how to do.

Whilst we watched them we noticed a small jackal moving furtively through the grass towards the lions. Some distance away from them he disappeared and then reappeared, at top speed, with a lump of meat in his jaws. He padded off over the road and a little while later returned to repeat this performance three times.

Drove on through the park spotting some giraffes. The landscape is dominated by the distinctive Baubau ( [1] ) trees. They have huge trunks and the branches that sprout from the crown of the tree resemble limbs. They really do look like the Ents in the The Lord of the Rings!

Had lunch on the top of a small hill that overlooked the river. Watched the zebra and kudo drink as we ate.

After lunch we drove into the East of the park. Came across a river where a large number of zebra and wildebeast were milling about. Reuben spotted a dead impala that was hanging from the branches of a tree nearby; clearly a recent leopard kill.

The weather started to become a little cloudier with the threat of rain as we drove on into the park.

During a light shower we stumbled across a small herd of elephants complete with a tiny infant. They cautiously moved away and into the dense vegetation.

We also saw a rebellious punk zebra.

As we drove out of the park a bird flew out from the side of the road and struck the windscreen with some force. We stopped and reversed back to where the bird lay in the road. Unfortunately its wing was broken. Reuben was mortified by the incident.

Got back to camp where we relaxed before dinner.

For dinner Roger had gone to town and roasted a whole leg of lamb. Very nice it was too!

We turned in before the evening's entertainment started.

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