Tarangire National Park - Day 1

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I spent my first night in Tanzania at a lovely lodge on a coffee plantation outside of Arusha -- about an hour drive from the airport.  Although my plan landed on-time at 8pm -- the visa process took forever -- so I didn't get to my room until 10pm -- and then left at 7:30am the next morning for the drive to Tarangire National Park.

Tarangire has the second-highest concentration of wildlife of any Tanzanian national park (after the Serengeti) and, during the dry season, reportedly the largest concentration of elephants in the world.    It's a bit off of the safari circuit (although only two hours from Arusha) -- so lots of day-trippers -- but not a lot of people who venture far into the park.

I stayed at Sanctuary's Swala Safari Camp (it's in the park) for two nights.  I think it might have been my favorite camp.

The park is also famous for its baobab trees -- their thick, sturdy trunk and stunted root-like branches make up an instantly recognizable symbol of Africa.  Its unusual form gave rise to the traditional belief that the tree displeased a deity who promptly plucked it in anger and thrust it back into the ground upside down.  (note:  the baobab trees drop all of their leaves in the winter -- so I only saw bare baobabs)

Tarangire's baobabs can reach up to 30m high, some trunks have an 11m diameter, and some trees have reached the grand age of around 1,000 years; the oldest recorded baobab, attaining a venerable 6,000 years, was in South Africa.  Elephants love baobab bark -- although it's rare that elephants can actually kill the tree; most baobabs regrow their bark with no lasting damage done.

The only negative thing about Tarangire NP was the tsetse flies!  Fortunately only a problem in one part of the park -- unfortunately that was on the road to the camp -- fortunately only attacked for about 15 minutes (and fortunately no bites).

Note:  the Maasai don't like to have their photos taken without permission.  My guide asked the boys if I could take their picture -- and I also gave them some money.  The boys are in the midst of their Emorata -- a rite of passage that marks the coming of age of Masai boys who are 12 - 25 years old.  The boys shave their heads and pain their faces with white chalk -- and then put on black cloaks and ostrich feather headdresses.  They are then circumcised (without anesthetic!) and then live amongst themselves for the next 4 - 8 months (always in black with the white chalk on their faces).

video alert:  lions mating & falcon w/dead animal!
Location: Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

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