Safari - day 2 - Lake Manyara

We came to Lake Manyara national park after a day in Tarangire [link].

Lake Manyara, as the name would suggest, was a little more watery than the previous day. We were joined by another pair of tourists (who were from South Africa where they had been on safari before in Kruger) in our car so the five of us had to decide where to go that would work for all of us. It worked out well as everyone was quite open and friendly.

• When we initially drove in, there were lots of monkeys on the roads which we obviously didn't want to run over - and fairly comically, we also had to wait for a tortoise to cross the road. Manyara had many different elephants and it felt a little more green than the other parks - green with trees and vegetation. Other than the actual lake area, the vegetation meant you could not see the animals from far away so you had to get quite close to the animals.
• Near the lake, there were some hot springs - bit risky for me to dip in though. Near that area, the flamingoes were phenomenal - the pictures do not really do justice to the swarm effect. 

Check out the photo album below by clicking through.

Lake Manyara 2011 - click here for album

The next day, we made our way to the exceptional Ngrongoro Conservation Area.

Safari - day 1 - Tarangire

The safari that had been planned was for three days (and two nights) to visit three separate parks which each had their own feeling:

Tarangire

Lake Manyara

Ngorongoro Crater

I didn’t think they would be that different but they really were, as you will hopefully be able to tell in the photos. I had my camera with me with a fairly cheap 70-300mm zoom lens [link] and some binoculars were also provided by the safari company.

Arusha is a pretty common base for safari as we found out in the morning by looking at the vehicles on the road. The Toyota Landcruiser is a classic of its type due to its reliability and quality - and the safari variant was everywhere. The variation was that the roof popped up on little stilts so that you can stand up and look out but under a roof.

The setup was that the guide (called Benny) would drive around the park and stop when he saw things. He was excellent and a very fun guy. We were somewhat reliant on his guiding and spotting skills but this was not a worry at all as he was brilliant.

We went to a supermarket first to stock up on some supplies before making our way to Tarangire which was about an hour away.

In all honesty, I think the photos do a better job of explaining the day’s joys than my words so check out the photos in the album:

Tarangire 2011 – click here for album

Driving in to Tarangire Park, there were not so many people there and I was pretty excited and when we first saw the elephants, I went a little crazy with photos - eventually I became a little jaded. It was still amazing, but obviously moreso when it was the first time. To be honest, it was more densely packed with wildlife than I was expecting. The lunch was packed by the safari company and we had it in a picnic area which I found quite strange. Logically, it makes a lot of sense of course, but it still felt odd.

We returned to the car after the day was over and went to the camp/lodge we were staying at. We stayed in a camp that was convenient for the three parks we were going to. There were a few different lodges in the area that were aimed at different price ranges and stuff and ours was very much the basic end - this meant not much electricity, not much entertainment and some pretty dodgy showers (cold rather than anything else...). The food was provided by the safari company and we had a "chef" that travelled with us who prepared our dinners and lunches. It was nothing special but they were at least thought about and not bad. I did find the popcorn starter a little odd though. Once dinner was over, we retired to the tents we had and, with very little light, we had little to do. It worked out pretty well as the main reason was, of course, the safari itself. 

The next day was Lake Manyara.

Dar to Safari, in one smooth movement (pt 2)

A continuation from part 1 [here]

Once we got on to the bus, we actually needed to organise the next few days and so we did so on the bus and chatted through the options. We did have some details for a safari company and so we wanted to call them. As it happened, TC's mobile from Malawi was locked out and his British one was playing up and very low on battery so we wanted to use mine – all we needed was a SIM card. I had only recently got this particular phone^[1] and I knew it was unlocked so I could simply pop a new SIM in and these were readily available from street sellers. As we were going to stop for toilet breaks and food, we could do that later.

The purchase was very simple, the installation a little less so. Although the phone was unlocked at the hardware level, it was locked by the OS (I had a bit of security software installed, by default) and so as soon as a new, unrecognised SIM was inserted, it then locked up and asked for a passcode...

Obviously, I did not know it so I requested a new passcode and what this does (and I did not know this at the time) is send a text to three people from your contact list and if they respond, it will unlock. So, from TC's mobile (running very low on battery) I sent texts to explain what was needed as otherwise getting a strange text from me just after landing in Tanzania might be a little worrying. After a little while longer than I expected (and with VERY good reason^[2]) my friend sent through what we needed and so it was unlocked. This was about 4pm and so we really needed to organise the actual safari that was supposedly starting the next day and so TC got on the phone and the company said that they'd meet us at the bus stop to discuss. This was great customer service (no doubt helped with the fact it was low-season).

With that headache out of the way and only some irritating girls listening to terrible music through their mobile phone speakers left as an issue, normal chat continued. It was nice to catch up and there was plenty of opportunity to as, even though it was getting dark, we were still nowhere near Arusha.

My eyesight is not the best, but as it got dark, I really could not see a thing. The coach had no lights inside and the roads, as mentioned earlier, had no lights on them either. The fact I'm writing this would suggest nothing major happened, and it didn't but I was out of my comfort zone.

We eventually reached the bus station at about 11pm (and so we'd been in the dark for about 3 hours!) and there, we were indeed met by the Safari company. Amazing!

They took us to a lodge which was actually really rather pleasant (for the one night we were there) where we discussed what the plan would be, which places to go to and how much it would cost.

Once that had been sorted, we were pretty hungry (I'd not eaten since breakfast) and it was now midnight. We went over the road to a large hotel and asked if they would do us some food, they did and so we ate. it was weird for me to have to get a cab across the street but this was the way it was done, and it seemed fine. And then to bed to be ready again. It was to be the last night in a bed for a few days.

<sup>1. It would be lost in Penang a few years later[link]↩
2. The friend in question was actually in hospital - but for pleasant reasons. A little while later, I received another text from him to say that his wife had given birth to a (particularly cute in my opinion) baby girl.↩</sup>

Dar to Safari, in one smooth movement (pt 1)

The day after arriving in Dar Es Salaam [link], I checked out and heard from TC that he was allowed to board the plane this time and was on his way. One missed connection - this already felt like it would not be the last time.
It was decided that we needed to get to Arusha to start our safari (still unplanned at this moment in time) and so I made my way to the bus station to be met, as soon as he could make it, by TC. What a wonderful phrase "as soon as I can" is, it has such a broad meaning really.

Dar Es salaam is the biggest city in Tanzania and has quite decent international connections, the best rail connections and a pretty large selection of buses to other cities in the region. We had discussed some pretty spectacular train rides actually, in the planning, but it was not going to quite work with the timings so we had decided our route ignoring the option of the train (which was disappointing for both of us). The road network in Tanzania is not amazing but passable with one notable thing to consider for inter-city travel - the roads are not lit. Bearing that in mind, this means that there is a de facto deadline for the departures to Arusha from the coach stop, and so we checked the last departure to be at about 10am (8 hour journey, reaching Arusha at about dusk).

I got to the bus station in Ubungo (by cab) a little earlier as I thought I would check the times and prices before meeting TC so that we would be armed with information and be ready to go but I was not really sure what to expect and I don't think I could have expected it – my imagination has always been a little lacking...
The bus station itself is massive and the cabs have a bit of a cartel so once you are inside, you will only be approached by licensed cabs (as at the airport in fact) with an attached premium but there are plenty of people there – passengers and touts. There were lots and lots of touts approaching me as I entered, but the cab driver took me to the very end and I then waited. The touts came up to me and told me their prices so I got a rough idea but I was more worried when they told me the last coach had gone or that there were not many left. This information was simultaneously worrying and probably a lie. But how probably?

TC called me when he landed and so I knew he was still some way away, he might be able to get there for 10am which was when the last bus was but it was looking increasingly unlikely. As I waited, with two massive bags, and looking very much the international tourist, I was approached and then two touts just waited near me and constantly kept talking about how I needed to buy tickets. It was actually pretty intimidating but there was not a lot I could do except wait. And wait.
At about 11am, a gleaming white taxi drove right to the back of the station where I was and out jumped TC, with a broad smile and an air of nonchalance. Bloody nonchalance. I was pleased to see him but he had appeared to leave the cab with nary a care in the world as I had been a little worried, but this was his way and I think I'd have been the same. And what it meant was that he was ruthlessly efficient.

“So, this is your friend? Tell him he must buy a ticket.”

And we did as he said, what option did we have? We bought the ticket and bundled into the coach for Arusha – the last one and it was about to leave. It wasn't the greatest coach in the world, seats were a little cramped but it would get us there and it was relatively empty. Our bags were put in the hold and we were ready to go. I'd not seen TC in a while and so we had a lot to talk about - logistics aside, I did want to know what had caused the delay and where we were going^[1]. An hour and a half later, we were still just as ready to go as we had moved within the bus terminal only. Slightly nearer the entrance but not quite out. This was gong to be a long trip – we eventually left the bus station at about 12:30 and out onto the open road [next].


^{1. The delay on that day was caused by normal airport stuff. The previous day's cancellation was due to overbooking and, even though TC had turned up 2 hours in advance of the flight (and Lilongwe has a fairly small airport), it was already full at that point so he was offered a hotel room (which happened to be next door to his flat anyway) and a flight the next day. And we were going to Arusha – further details to be sorted on the bus. ↩}

Dar Es Salaam I

I'd never been to Africa before so it was a trip into the unknown. I was essentially going to visit a friend who was temporarily working in Malawi but we were to meet in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania as we would then be able to go on a little trip. The little trip was partially "organised" while I was away on holiday elsewhere¹ and partially over the last few days in London, but all I really needed to know was the hotel to meet at as my friend was sorting a lot of it out.

The flight, on Kenya air via Nairobi was pretty uneventful although I had bought a Nintendo 3DS in the airport so I played a little super Mario land 3D² which used up some time.
The airport in Dar is not particularly large so I got out fairly rapidly and looked for transport. I was pretty naively thinking that I'd be able to get into town on the bus, so I waited. It was an unsuccessful wait so after a while I got a cab to take me to the hotel.

The hotel [link] was in an area called Kariakoo but, as TC³ was to be my guide, rather lazily I'd not found out too much. He was due to arrive a few hours later and I was tired so I thought an effective and efficient use of time would be to have a nap so I'd be alert when he arrived and we went out. It is that fun-loving nature that makes me so popular.

It didn't take too long to be awoken (I may have been playing Mario to be fair) by a phone call from TC - and not a good one. He called to say he was stuck in Lilongwe and there were no more flights that day. This was less than ideal.
As it was going to get dark, I did want to see something of Dar that was not just the inside, and outside, of a hotel but at the same time, I was not entirely comfortable with going out alone (I later found out that this caution was wise on my part). I get cabin fever at the best of times but I'd been enclosed since London, essentially so I did go out for a quick walk⁴ which took maybe 25 mins though I cannot remember much of it. I ate in the hotel as it then became dark - at about 7. This was going to be an early one...⁵
In many ways, the holiday would really start the next day [link], I would hope...

<sup>1. I went to Japan in September, ostensibly for a wedding.↩
2. An enjoyable game and some of the 3D effects were astonishing.↩
3. "TC": travelling companion. Where possible, names are avoided unless necessary, or approved.↩
4. I like to feel some kind of connection with where I'm staying, or going to be which is why i'll often do a scene setting walk and, I recognise in hindsight, I often visit friends in the UK and walk through a town to get to their homes.↩
5. Actually, I was thankful for the amazing popularity of the Premier League as I watched a few games.↩</sup>

coalition of the willing

A. Right leaning leader of party that ostensibly leans to the left.
B. Right wing leader extolling virtues of compassionate conservatism whilst voting record and plans show lack of it.

A & B make speeches together, seem to get on very well personally although a cursory glance at their supposed political positions would suggest little in common.

A makes many decisions that are contrary to the party's supposed direction, on the basis that it is better to be in there with influence. B does not appear to compromise at all and it is difficult to see the influence of A in overall plans.

Media fed information about terrible state of affairs, parroted dutifully by supporting newspaper which are the majority.
State of emergency means that decisions are forced through, some may say too quickly, with little forward or contingency planning by those with little experience against the advice of experienced seniors.

What happened next?


http://zfacts.com/p/340.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2874075.stm


Clegg may not be a fan of the iraq war but, seeing how the government is working, maybe for different reasons than we thought.

time gentleman, please. Please.

A month on, so how is the new government working out for you? Dave and Nick (let us not forget Gideon "oik" Osborne) are leading us now. When they say "prime minister" on the news, they mean him. The sequel to "Four Weddings" and "Notting Hill" is now our government, oh the japes.
As a country being marshalled together by someone who has only a job in PR as their "previous experience", we should be well aware that it is the impression created that will be most important.
There are plenty of disappointments but a few good things too. Well, they appear good.
We are £20bn better off than expected apparently.
Bizarrely, Osborne used his time to say that things are worse than expected and also that the figures have been massaged. Obviously, if he had any idea on finances, he would have a more accurate expectation. And might realise that making things sound worse does actually start making things worse - such as running down GBP and causing a minor downgrade of currency.
It is a shame that Mr Laws had to resign so quickly - he'll be back soon. He is very clever don't you know, that is what everyone tells me. Clever enough to think that having principles would get him caught out? That was why this millionaire felt the best way to hide his sexuality was to claim voluntary living expenses. Not because he is a twat.

As the cabinet was announced, it all started to feel a bit samey, but PR Dave won't let you down, we had a token woman as Home Sec and, unbelievably, as Equalities Minister. Nice to see that Dave felt that the position required somebody with a homophobic voting record. But, agreed, equalities for bigots too, they are people aswell. As we are all about to find out.

Refusal to attend Question Time unless the panel had been approved, that is new politics. Why go on the most popular political media output - by far - if you do not like it? It is better to go on Sky News, at least you will get fairly explicit support from them, actual probity is a bit risky. This is remarkably like the present Mayor of London - talk about transparency a lot in the papers but close down any opportunity to actual scrutiny in the media.

First interview by the transport second was used as a way to eulogise the car, and driving. Next thing was to talk about how the war on motorists was to end, and public transport required to sweat their assets.

IS it any wonder that the opposition has seen a surge in membership? What a shame that we, as humans, usually need to be prompted into action.