We have just spent four days travelling through the Selous Game Reserve. Camped wild on the edge of the lake- totally alone except for the nightly visits from elephant, hippo, hyena and a very forward genet.Very broken sleep but thrilling stuff!
The map they sold us at the gate was so old that we got lost within an hour - borrowed GPS co-ordinates from Sasha, the Beho Beho Game Ranger (bumped into after chasing a light aircraft that luckily landed at the bush lodge)
and only then did Lindsey's growing tracking skills get us through the wildest park we have ever visited. Selous is a great park with plenty of game and breath-taking scenery.Lots of 4x4 Landie stuff. On the way out we camped at a cute lodge on the edge of the Rufiji river and again had a huge elephant walk straight pass the tent ( more like a large mosquito net because we had not put on the flysheet!)Reached Dar-es-Salaam yesterday, via a very African ferry crossing, and booked into a swanky five star hotel. Great room with sea-views and most importantly- a bath! Dar (as they call it) is the first real city since Johannesburg- a suprising contrast to the endless small villages that we have passed through for the last month.
This trip is half gone and we have LOVED it! We remain very happy campers and are still enthusiastic about the remaining month , which is a relief to me since I am the one who dragged them into this mid-life crisis Africa exploration thingy.
My final comment is that Africa is anything but remote. We have covered more than five thousand kilometres and only two stretches of 100 kilometres have been bad bad roads. For the rest the roads have been excellent. The big surprise has been the Human traffic- endless lines of people on bicycles, people walking or packed village markets.
On to Zanzibar tomorrow and then up to the northern Tanzanian game parks. Wish you where here!
Love what you doing Mark. Its a big brave and wonderful move. There not many people out there who at our ages still have it in them to explore and go on an adventure like you have. And doesnt that make life all the more exciting. Well done. Good luck and enjoy cos its a special thing that you doing. My god just thinking about being here in the UK. Now that I have been here for a few years and really settled into the way of thinking here, the average Pom or European would think that you were absolutely INSANE doing what you doing. The problem here is that everything is SO safe and PREDICTABLE. Life is so mapped out - people are bored, frustrated and dull. However, they are safe and generally secure and successful . You and your family have managed to combine the two.
ReplyDeleteLots of love to your wife and daughters and yourself.
Jeff
ps please let me know that you get my comments. I have already posted a couple but dont see them anywhere on your blog.
Jeff, so glad you like our blog. Lots of love lins.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff. Thank you for your warm words. It means a lot to the three of us and we look forward to finding a way of getting together with you in hopefully the not too distant future. From all reports from Leigh it sounds like you are in a good place too. Regards, Mark.