Philmont Staff Association and Friends Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari Dispatch

June 23, 2011 – The Safari Begins in Tarangire National Park

John Privitera set the tone for the day as we checked out of the Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha and climbed aboard the Land Cruisers destined for the Tarangerie National Park. “Let’s go find some hefalumps,” he said, and while the list may have fallen short of that particular species, we were up close to just about everything else the African wild has to offer.

The drive to the park took us through Maasai country where we saw many young boys herding many cattle from one grazing area to the next. Once we entered the park, humans disappeared and wildlife abounded. The park is, according to signs at the entrance, the size of the Netherlands. The day was warm with a high overcast and refreshing breezes. We popped the tops of the Land Cruisers so that we could stand and get great views and photographs of all we saw.

And we saw so much. Wildebeests and zebras by the dozen, wart hogs, mongooses, gorgeous birds, impalas, dik diks – everywhere we turned there were more animals. Berg Adventures drivers David, Paul, and Godwin are master naturalists who could spot wildlife in the most unlikely spots and then explain exactly what we were viewing. We watched for many minutes as a lion stalked an impala, then made its rush a few steps too soon and gave its prey just enough distance to escape. Around another turn we studied a leopard that had killed an impala and dragged it high into a tree to feed on it out of reach of predators.

And then there were the elephants. We saw our first at long distance and delighted. By the end of the day, we had seen elephants by the dozen, young and ancient, some so close to the Land Cruisers that telephoto lenses were a bother rather than a help. The same with giraffes and ostriches, though the enormous herd of water buffalo going to a river to drink stayed at a dusty distance.

Of the animals high on everyone’s list to see in East Africa, we spent time with elephants, water buffalo, lions, and a leopard. Not bad for our first day, especially when you add in all the smaller creatures and enormous abundance of birds.

We arrived at the Tarangire Sopa Lodge at dusk, tired and a little road weary, but completely satisfied with the day. Others in our group are at Tarangire Treetops Lodge tonight. In both settings, the lodge staffs helped Berg Adventures celebrate our success on Kilimanjaro with a delicious dinner and then cakes baked in the shape of the great mountain and frosted with a few more glaciers than might really exist. All in all, the end of a tremendously satisfying first day on a Berg Adventures safari.