Lake Maynara

Dec. 27 - Day 12

Time is zipping by. Every day has so much happening, so many new and exciting sights, that each memory crowds out the last. I tell people that’s why I keep travel journals, otherwise when I get home, I can only remember about 10% of the trip!

First thing out, we head into Arusha for a dentist. This is the capital of Tanzania and it is a dump; crowded, filthy, run down. We’re a little nervous about going to a doctor as the level of cleanliness is not what we are accustomed to, but since we just need some assurance and possibly some dental cement, we’re willing to try.

Fortunately, that’s just what the dentist suggests. He put some stuff on Kathryn’s tooth to prevent pain and told her she would need a crown once she got home. Made a pit stop for batteries and pain killers, a mixture of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, the pharmacist said. Everything here was behind the counter; you had to ask the clerk for everything.

After this, we head off for Lake Maynara. This place is gorgeous! I keep expecting to see Tarzan swinging by.

There were reportedly 390 species of birds here, but we really didn’t see all that many, probably lost in the thick foliage. We have become quite fascinated with African birds. With their multi-colored feathers, they remind us of tropical fish!

What sticks out most in my mind now, a day later, was a large herd of elephants drinking from a river. They’d suck water up their trunks, then hurl it over their shoulders to bath themselves, or stick their trunks in their mouths for a drink.

 

Again, we are ridiculously close to them. They are such huge, majestic creatures that it is a never-ending pleasure to watch them. And they’re always doing something!










Also saw two young bulls wrestling, trunks entwined, tusks clashing!

 












Also encountered a HUGE troop of baboons cavorting along a steep hillside. One dangled from a swing-like vine, gently swaying above the tumult, watching the antics of those below. The young ones scampered along screeching, while the adults scolded. Much like watching people at a park! Mothers ambled along with tiny babies clinging precariously to their bellies.

There was also a hippo pool! We came across a large herd of hippos, all sleeping together in a big circle, facing out, maybe 15 or 20 of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then one by one, these huge pinkish behemoths lumbered slowly to their feet, yawned with their cavernous mouths, and plopped headfirst into the water.

This was the first place we saw lots of primates, undoubtedly because it’s so heavily forested.  We got good views of the blue monkey, so black it’s almost blue...

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the little black-faced monkey, its fur a khaki color with a black face, duh!










 

We saw one of those Dik-Dik’s, the tiny antelope about the size of a Chihuahua.

One of the most fascinating things was the “upside-down tree”, a mammoth tree that lives 1000s of years, and resembles Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life. Its bulk is not like wood, almost sponge-like, and its bark will actually repair itself. Very cool looking.






 

On the way back, I stopped at the toilet by the main entrance. As I came around the corner, a baboon was perched on a fence post about 20 feet in front of me. A much smaller one was in the sink attempting to get a drink of water. I stopped, and the large one walked along the chain connecting the posts toward me. When he got right where I was, he stopped and sat down. Here we stared at each other, close enough to touch. Finally, he jumped down, nearly brushing my thigh as he wandered into the foliage.

This place looks like what we Tarzan fans imagine Africa to look like.

I don’t remember what else we saw, but I know I left very excited and satisfied. This was probably due to all the monkeys! I love monkeys!

We showed up at our hotel, which is an actual working coffee plantation, and is beautifully landscaped. Every hotel greets you with a glass of fresh juice, and cool, wet towels to bathe the dust of travel from your face and hands. A porter meets you at your vehicle and loads your baggage into a wheel barrow. Then the hostess takes you inside, sits you in a lovely lobby, and gives you a briefing of the hotel amenities, meal times, etc. Sometimes this includes “bitings”, their quaint term for snacks.

Our room is gargantuan, more like a house, and we sit sipping beer on the veranda and enjoying the view. I take a quick dip in the salt-water pool – this has been the hottest day of the trip so far -  before repairing back to our room to freshen up for dinner.

 

We decided to try the wine Justus had given us, so with the Raiders of the Lost Ark soundtrack blaring from my phone, we sipped wine and got dressed in our most “Hollywood” safari outfits. Then we cruised up to the main house for a lovely buffet dinner.

While getting dressed, we heard monkeys scampering across the roof, but by the time we got outside, I only caught a swaying tree and a dark form bounding along a branch.