Ruaha Safari Walk, fly from Ruaha (Msembe) to Arusha, May 29, 2024, Terri F

Safari walk with Maasai guide 

Ruaha Safari Walk, Fly from Ruaha (Msembe) to Arusha

Outbound to Iringa, May 29, 2024
By: Terri F

The day started with an amazing sunrise of orange hues reflecting over the Ruaha River viewed from our veranda and the dining room of the Ruaha River Lodge where our breakfast awaited with the delicious cinnamon roll and coffee aromas!

After breakfast, we broke into 2 groups, and had a safari walk around the lodge grounds led by 2 Maasai, Leyeyo and Lasayo. They were so knowledgeable of the landscape and environment. Our group felt honored that they shared their knowledge and culture with us.

Some of the highlights included the excitement of many discoveries:

1. The ant lion holes which the Maasai dug out to show us the larvae which can live in the ground 5 years!

2. Acacia trees: we learned Tanzania has 25 different varieties but one on this adventure was an umbrella Acacia with small fruit the animals like. One "ah, ha" moment was discovering that the younger trees have more spikes than the older ones. Roots of these trees can be mixed with water which filters out the harmful elements making the water drinkable. The safari made me feel like I was living back in the early days of the Maasai who are so resourceful.

3. We also saw hippo and baboon footprints which made me think of how close and grateful I was to be able to stay near the Tanzanian wildlife.

4. We learned the name of the black and orange butterflies that have been gracing their presence, called "annoto".

5. The Maasai pointed out the wild basil plant which leaves are used for tea and to deter mosquitoes because they don't like the basil aroma. We smelled the basil and some tasted it!

6. I think the most astonishing highlight was learning all about the "fire tree". The sticks of this tree can be used to start a fire for cooking or warming up. The Maasai demonstrated how to use the sticks and started a full blown fire with smoke and red flames. Then they ignited elephant dung on fire!! We could all smell the smoke and some actually touched the dung! We were in awe of the Maasai's perseverance. It was the first time some of us had ever seen a fire started without a match. We reminisced about how it brought back boy and girl scout memories of trying to earn our fire badges! The Maasai put out the dung fire with their shoes made from tires!

7. Another highlight was learning all about the baobab tree which can live 3000 years! Elephants eat inside the bark because it has moisture, provides medicinal purposes and is a good source of calcium. The tree flowers in October and bears fruit for animals. Some tree bark is whiter than others because some get more sunlight. Elephants can shelter in the trees and some people use them for making houses.

We also saw several baboons crossing ahead of us on the path! All of our senses were stimulated on this informative walk. We heard a variety of birds and owls; saw a variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, and animal footprints. We smelled smoke, dung, and basil. Some touched dung and all of us touched leaves, sticks and flowers. Our group was very grateful to the Maasai guides for sharing their knowledge and culture.

We left the beautiful lodge, loaded the land cruisers and headed to Ruaha's Msembe airstrip for our flight to Arusha. Along the way we saw giraffes, elephants, and impalas. Our 12-passenger plane was there waiting for us and we had a delicious box lunch before boarding. Our pilot had to chase a warthog off the runway by gliding the plane to scare the animal off so we could take off. After the warthog scampered into the bushes the pilot was able to turn around and take off! It seemed as though the animals we saw along the journey to our plane were saying goodbye and giving us a send off to remember!! I was reminiscing on the plane as I could see the many roads in Ruaha and wondered if they were the ones we had traveled to see the first of the Tanzanian wildlife!

Takeoff from Msembe airstrip; our last view of the Ruaha River 

After landing at Arusha Airport, we were enthusiastically greeted by our guides, Noel and Denis!! It was a good feeling to see familiar faces knowing we had made friendships with them that are sure to be memorable.

We arrived at the Masailand Safari and Lodge and settled into our rooms. Some of us took advantage of the nice pool and bar! We had a briefing from our guides about the next several days' adventures that were in store for us! All are excited to hopefully see more of the big 5! It was relaxing to enjoy a drink and almonds courtesy of George and Lynn. Everyone enjoyed a typical Tanzanian buffet dinner and then retreated to our rooms to dream about our upcoming safari adventures!

Masailand Safari Lodge, Arusha

In Friendship and Peace

Ruaha National Park, May 28, 2024, Teresa B

Ruaha National Park

Outbound to Iringa, May 28, 2024
By: Teresa B 

The night was spent at Ruaha River Lodge in our own grass roofed cabanas.  The windows were just screens so we could feel a cool breeze and hear the deep grunts of hippos throughout the night. 

Luxury by the Ruaha River

This place is simply luxurious. But let me explain. It is elegant in its simplicity and style reminding me of what Indiana Jones’s accommodations would look like in the 1920’s-an oasis with cold beer, clean sheets, solar-heated water for a shower, and homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The dining room was all open-air facing the river.

We loaded up the two land cruisers. The tops were popped up so we could stand up for the best viewing. 

All eyes were peeled on the landscape looking for any signs of wildlife. At first it was our guide that would stop and point out the groups of Impala, or the very mischievous vervet monkeys, but as the day progressed, we all became adept at spotting wildlife. 

The giraffes started appearing. 

We kept seeing evidence of elephants: dung and the peeled back bark of the Baobab trees. I wasn’t sure we were actually going to see them. The landscape was a thick scrub where anything could hide. After lunch though we drove through a Savannah type landscape with grasses, Baobabs and Acacia trees. It was then that we saw the grazers, elephants and zebras in multiple different groups. We even saw a pod of elephants at the river drinking. Other sighting from our Land Cruiser: baboons, dik diks, gazelles, an ostrich, a warthog, a monitor lizard, and a kudu.

I was impressed with how calm and unafraid these animals were. It was so calming to watch them.

Toward the end of the day, our driver got a call from the other vehicle telling him that he had to drop us off at the lodge and go back to pick up the other vehicle full of people as they had car trouble. We weren’t aware at the time how much of an adventure our co travelers would have. I will let George continue with that story.

In Friendship and Peace 

Farewell to Iringa, travel to Ruaha National Park, May 27, 2024, Steve F

We say Goodbye to FF Iringa and they say Goodbye to us

Farewell to Iringa, travel to Ruaha National Park

Outbound to Iringa, May 27, 2024
By: Steve F

Monday, May 27, was a day for saying goodbye, travel and getting an introduction to Ruaha National Park.  

Terri and I woke up around seven.  I had a refreshing cool shower.  The six year old twins, Winnie and Freddie, had been very shy when we arrived on the 22nd, but greeted us today and asked Terri to read them a story.  Winnie liked to practice the English words she knew.  After one last breakfast, we said goodbye to them, as well as 18 year old daughter Angel and foster daughter Babette, who had done most of  the cooking during our stay, as well as laundry. Dr. Sully had to leave for her shift at the hospital at 0600, and we had said goodbye to her the night before.  

Rev. Winston drove us down the bumpy dirt road to town and the Lutheran Center.  We talked about the number of unfinished and unoccupied structures along the way, due to the fact that bank credit is unavailable for most people, and houses are built in steps, whenever the owner has any extra cash to put toward it.  Many houses are occupied as soon as they are roofed in, and some languish a number of years with only walls.  

At the Lutheran center, we chatted for a while with our new friends.  Amos of Migration Venture Africa safari arrived with guides Thadei and Onesmo (pronounced Onay) and the two oldest Land  Cruisers in his fleet.  

We said goodbye to our Iringa friends and loaded up.  We gradually worked our way through the city traffic and into the countryside.  For the next two hours we drove through small farm areas mixed with villages and stony hillsides, which, as geologist Dave reminds us, are two billion years old.   We pass several signs which seem to indicate that the park boundary is very close, but it is about 12:30  when we reach the gate, stopping to register and take a break. 

Entrance to Ruaha National Park

The roads inside the park are the reason all the guides drive land cruisers.  We start our leisurely "game drive," not to be confused with the kind of drive in which a large group of hunters try to herd the game toward the shooters.  We soon see our first group of impala, a medium sized antelope.  Later we spot a slightly larger species, identified as a waterbuck.  We also logged several bird species, including guinea hens and others for which I have lost my notes. Around 1:45, we reach the Ruaha River, an impressively powerful channel in the dry savanna.  

The guides spot a group of hippos on the bank downstream, and a huge crocodile.  We have our box lunches at the picnic area next to the bridge.  

Our lunch stop

About 5 pm, we arrive at the Ruaha River Lodge, a rustic group of thatched roof, stone cabins adjacent to the river, designed to be unobtrusive in the park environment, and solar powered.  It gets an A for ambience, but the solar outlets don’t seem to have enough juice to charge all our devices, and the lights are dim.  The solar shower is nice and hot at the end of the day, but cool in the morning.  

Happy hour at Ruaha River Lodge

Dinner, drinks and companionship at the dining room were great.  Innkeepers requested that we be escorted by their Maasai staff back to our rooms.  This seemed at first to be an annoyance, but the hippos, which we could hear across the river, have been known to come over to the hotel side, and can be very dangerous.  

Lodges overlooked the river; deep grunts of hippos could be heard even across the river

In Friendship and Peace