There were several things we saw today that we did not on our previous safari: African Cape buffalo and zebras. We did see active lions today, also.
After viewing a few who were sleeping, we came upon a small watering hole alongside the road where there were giraffe watering along with some baboons. All of a sudden, the baboons started screaming and out popped a female lion from the bush heading for the giraffe. But the baboons had warned everyone in enough time that they were at a distance - and the lion really didn't seem that intent on killing anything since it takes more than one lion to take down a giraffe. And, giraffe can kick a lion to death.
So we thought there was going to be some drama but not the National Geographic drama you see on television.
The zebras were shy so we couldn't get really close to them but I got photographs of two young ones "horsing" around.
We saw this awesome black heron too, who - because of poor eyesight - covers his body with his wings so as to create a shadow over the water so he can find food.
Then we came upon a young male lion who was scavenging an impala carcass - well, it was no longer a carcass, just bones and skin. We watched him until he was done feeding, then followed him - quite closely - down to the water to drink.
You can't believe how close we get to these animals, and they don't pay no mind to us.
We stopped for lunch in the shade of a 3,000-year-old baobob tree, the oldest in Tanzania. It was easily 40 feet across the trunk.
The baobab tree is an icon of the African continent and lies at the heart of many traditional African remedies and folklore. The tree is a prehistoric species which predates both mankind and the splitting of the continents over 200 million years ago. It is native to the African savannah where the climate is extremely dry and arid.
For the locals, the baobab tree is a symbol of life and positivity in a landscape where little else can thrive. They refer to it as the tree of life because it is a succulent and absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid.
Because the trees live so long, they are considered a god, and the locals frequently pray through the tree for help, especially when there is little rain or too much rain. They also bring their infants and ask that their infants have a long life, as the tree does. They can eat the leaves like spinach. Elephants eat the bark, which contains water. Sometimes, bushmen hollow them out and fashion living quarters.
So as we were eating under the baobab tree, I was thinking that we were on sacred ground on which many have preceded me, asking for help and a long life.
Some things about the Rufiji River on which we fished yesterday: it is the largest in Tanzania, draining most of the southern part of the country and navigable for about 60 miles. It is formed by the confluence of the Kilombero and the Luwegu rivers, flowing for about 175 miles northeast and east to enter the Indian Ocean opposite Mafia Island.
The river has major potential for irrigation and hydroelectric power developed. In fact, the road from the airstrip to the village is being widened to accommodate heavy equipment to build a hydroelectric plant near here. Right now, the road is nothing more than sand, and we saw an 18-wheeler with a small load stuck in it the other day. The driver was trying to dig out he front wheels - by hand. The wheels easily were three feet under the surface of the road, and the driver was chest-deep trying to dig it out.
We headed back to camp because I wanted time to download photos and do the blog. It rained on us as we were heading for the gate of the reserve. It felt good. Maaruf said it was quite unusual to get rain during the dry season. The climate is changing, he said.
We plunged in our little pool before Happy Hour at the bar, then had a few drinks before we were escorted to the "bush restaurant," a special place where - I guess - they take guests on their last night here. It was away from everyone, down in the "bush," and they had a nice fire for us. It was a lovely way to end our time here.
A few notes about our stay at Selous River Safari Camp: the staff is very attentive. We had a guy - Chanda - who took very good care of us. He would bring us coffee nearly every morning as a wake-up, then he was waiting for us when we returned to make sure we got everything we needed. He would seat and serve us lunch and dinner every day. He was great. He's from a village that's about 50 kilometers from here; he has a wife and two children.
The staff gets off four days a month, and they save them so they can visit their families for 12 days at the end of three months. Chanda doesn't have to travel far but Maaruf is leaving tomorrow at 6:30 a.m., taking public transportation to his home in Morogoro. It's nine hours on public transportation. Yuck. But he will be with his family 12 days.
There are a lot of Masaai from northern Tanzania working here too. The Masaai watching the boats, then we have Masaai warriors patrolling the camp all night with their machetes. They also escort us back to our tent in the evening when it's dark.
The staff here are all men, and they make sure the tent is fumigated each day (mosquitos, don't 'cha know), the bed is made, things are straightened up and put away, and the pool is clean. In the evening when we're eating dinner, they come in and put down the mosquito netting.
It's been very pleasant here, and we've seen all the big game we had hoped to see as well as some beautiful birds.
We're off to Arusha tomorrow, a travel day. Arusha is in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro so the environment is going to be totally different. We're going to drive in the foothills of Kilimanjaro on Thursday so we're hoping we can see her in all her glory.
These are African Cape buffalo.
This young female lion pretended she was going to take down a giraffe. The baboons warned everybody of her presence, and she didn't seem that intent.
The giraffes got far enough away from her that she gave up.
We found this young male lion scavenging an impala. There wasn't any meat so he was eating the bones and the hide, which he has in his mouth here.
We followed the young male lion to a watering hole after he got enough of the impala. Maaruf videotaped it - you can see how close we were to it.
Some water after lunch.
These two young zebras were having a good time teasing each other.
This is what the guides called a cordon blue but its identified as a blue waxwing. They're very tiny, about the size of a warbler.
Here was have an egret on the left, a spoonbill on the right and in front is a squaccor heron.
Pelicans.
This guy is a black heron. It's about the size of a green heron but this one is more interesting. It has poor eyesight so it flips it wings in front of him to provide shade but the shade also attracts the fish that he eats. You can see him casting his wings below.
The giant baobab tree under which we had lunch.
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