Jean's Blog
The awesome English on location next to the Mara River
The awesome English on location next to the Mara River 2010/09/01 13:52
Not all fun and games!
A bit delayed sorry but there was a big ‘spanner in the works’ the past few days to say the least.
After a nice few days walking on the Mara River with an awesome group from the UK our crew packed up camp and moved to Oldonyo Lengai for a few days of culture and scenic Tanzania on the edge of Lake Natron. This area is so spiritual and unbelievably scenic, almost mystical and spiritual with the soda lake and the volcano towering over everything. No wonder the Masaai call it the ‘Mountain of God’. It was on the way back to Arusha that the fun and games started for the camp crew and Rose our GM and myself. Apparently....a new law was passed stating that ALL animals outside of National Parks and the Crater Conservation Area belongs to an authority called the Wildlife Department (WD)....and...if you even take one tiny glimps of these animals you have to pay WD, nothing for nothing no more... Now according to the man in the white, (2 sizes to small suit) with a short, non matching flowery tie and one too many fat rolls in his neck....this law has actually been in place since before Moses hit the rock to get water. It was just coincidental that WD decided to start to enforce that law in the late afternoon of the 29th of August...and our crew was the poor sods to get on the wrong side of the law, wrong place wrong time! Long story short, our guests did in-fact have a ‘glimps’ of some little Elephant shrew (there isn’t to many animals around Lengai, its a desert...) but shrews are animals and BELONGS to WD so we were suppose to pay for this privilege. Payment was suppose to happen 4 weeks prior to the safari in a small office in the back end of Arusha. The crew were supposed to travel with the receipt. Not having this receipt put us in to the same category as Osama on September 12. So car, equipment, guides and all were arrested there and then. At least the guests got through before the curfew and didn’t spend the night in the 5 star luxury of a Tanzanian prison...
Not all fun and games! 2010/09/01 13:43
Back walking - Yipee!
I just got back in to Northern Serengeti for a three day walk and cant wait to get out there. Flying in the area seemed full of beests and the grass is turning green fast now. I’m spending one night in our game viewing Green Camp set up in some hills and then we move camp down to the walking area tomorrow for a few days on foot. It has been an exiting week on the filming front, getting a few new show ideas down. We are planning to start filming a new TV series in September. At the moment we might look at the entire migration and follow the big herds across the Serengeti from North, through the center of the park in to the Southern Short grass plains and then back through western Serengeti in to the North. This will be a very interesting and epic journey since we will look at everything that affect and is affected by the migration. Basically that is the entire Serengeti/ Mara/ Ngorongoro ecosystem and everyone living in and around the park. Watch this space! To the adventure!
Back walking - Yipee! 2010/08/24 04:51
A weeks walking (anti-poaching) report...!
Its been a busy week walking with little reception (the way it should actually be when in the bush). Long live the days of the HF radio only getting 50% of any message, that is if the Somalis were not occupying all bandwidth with their coded whistles! I am back home after an 11-hour drive from Northern Serengeti. This time I opted for the road over the Crater and Gian...my Cruiser got me home with a lot less rattles than the Rover would have ;-) For the last week I had a nice family from Holland on safari. I am sure they will be enjoying the week relaxing in Zanzibar since there was little sleep at night. With the Mara Rivers level dropping the hippos are spreading more evenly across the river and not only hanging out in the shallow pools. With this we had quite a bit of chomping around the tents at night. I always encourage guests not to zip up the entire tent but to leave the front flap open with only the mozzie gauze closed so that they can see outside. That is mainly see the sunrise. Off coarse that also mean looking up at a 2 ton animal with 40cm long teeth and with stats like killing more people in Africa than any other 1 meter from your toes! It was all taken in stride and they loved the experience (or so they say...). We saw on average 2 river crossings daily, really amazing stuff. Sadly with all the wildebeest moving in so did the poachers and every walk also took on an anti-poaching theme. We were removing snares and cutting trapped animals out of them. With 5 million people living directly on the border of the Northern Serengeti it is hardly surprising that there is a need for food. 99% of the poaching happening in Northern Serengeti is for meat. Poachers either set wire snares that trap animals or they chase them in to ditches at night, killing them by hand. The amazing part is that every thing gets carried out that same night. So they will carry a few wildebeest all weighing well over 100kg each back to the village. A trek that can be over 30km’s. One cant help but respect these poachers. They are real bush people and has been doing this for hundreds of years. It must be hard to suddenly be told that this is now a National Park and they can not continue with what they know, hunting wildebeest and that it is now called poaching and that they will go to prison when caught. I have seen a huge decline in poaching since last year and I am sure this is due to a combined effect of the walking safaris and more vigilant efforts by the parks. By having this activity in previously remote parts of the park have pushed the poachers out. The National Parks has also been great even though they have to work with very limited budgets and resources. We reported seeing many lights at night and the next night a ranger camp was up and operating in the area and a few poachers caught. This is all good but in my view not the long term answer. An alternative source of income needs to be provided for the poachers outside of the park boundaries...easier said than done! I have a week at home hoping to get through all the admin and get to spend time with the family then out again for a quick walk the week after. Since I am sure no one is interested in Wayo admin I don’t think I shall be writing much during the next week. To the adventure!
A weeks walking (anti-poaching) report...! 2010/08/16 06:23
Last walk for a while
I am waiting on the top of a hill (only place with reception...) for the last group to get to camp. We will again be walking for three days. More and more wildebeest are coming across the river. From where I sit I must be looking at about 50 – 70, 000 animals. The hills on the other side of the Mara are black with Wildebeests and they are all moving towards the river. There are more clouds building so more rain is on the way. Stay tuned for more!
Last walk for a while 2010/08/12 09:07
Wanyama mingi!
With more rain and more green grass the wildlife in the Kogatende area has been doubling daily. This morning some of our guests viewed a wildebeest crossing that continued for more than an hour. They had to leave the crossing in order to make their flight to the Selous! Seems like huge herds of Wildebeest are moving out of the Masaai Mara in to the Lemai wedge and back across the Mara River in to Northern Serengeti. If I was an agent and had some safaris planned in the Masaai Mara for the next few weeks I will be getting really nervous! Speaking to some guests who left this morning; they had 3 different sightings of leopards, one of them chasing Guiney fowls and another around their tent last night. Other guests had a lion dragging a carcass across the road right in-front of the vehicle. I did an afternoon game drive yesterday and had an amazing time with a heard of Elephants playing in the water 20m from the vehicle. Here are a few pictures of the last walks. I was walking in the back with Prim guiding when the entire group walked over this little Puff adder who didn’t move an eyelid! Today is another admin and cleaning day. Getting water, drinks and food back in to camp and getting everything ready for the next groups arriving tomorrow.
Wanyama mingi! 2010/08/11 07:11
A hippo moment
We almost had a hippo moment today...walking along the river where a small stream runs in to the main river and thick bushes on either side I thought...there is never anything in there and we might as well cross through. At the last moment reason got he better of me and I thought nope, this will be a bad way to start a groups walking safari and opted for the longer route around. Just as bloody well since as we turned Moto Moto in a really bad mood woke up right where we would have crossed. After watching a few Mark Sulluvan DVD’s...and let me just add, I did that out of obligation to see what ‘real’ animal charges look like and NOT AT ALL out of pleasure. As a friend recently said, that is wildlife pron. Horrible stuff, what a plonker! Anyway the one and only thing I took from those DVD’s is that hanging head of a hippo before he charge. Moto Moto had a hanging head so we didn’t stick around for pictures. Rest of the walk was great as always. I am eyeing a new area on the other side of the river that needs some exploring and I am working on a plan to get my happy feet over there to check it out...
A hippo moment 2010/08/09 05:38
Shower toilet tent
I had to include this one. How about a shower (and loo) with a view! Imagine the view for that vulture!
Thanks,
Jean
www.wayoafrica.com
Shower toilet tent 2010/08/08 23:50
Tent on the banks of the river
Tent on the banks of the river 2010/08/08 10:59
In the bush for a week
I managed to slip home for a lovely four days with the girls and just got back to camp in the Serengeti. Amazing how things can change in only four days! The game drive side of this area is now completely black. The entire place is burned down including a few camps and many near misses on camps. Well done boys and girls for stopping that fire. It must have been huge. Hope you are all getting a 'rescue' bonus this season! We decided to move our camp from the hill on to the river banks (pics will follow) and it is stunning and a very different feel. Sadly a major crossing must have gone wrong up river since the river is littered with wildebeest carcasses. Nice for all the birds and predators around but I do suspect we will have a fresh smell in camp for the next few days. O well, it's all about the senses on these walks isn't it? Since a lot of the other areas are burned many wildebeests moved in to the plains around us. Looking out from camp I can see a few thousand on the far bank all aiming to cross over to our side. The grass where we are must have burned a few weeks back since it is all ready turning green and with rain in the air the black will be gone soon. Yet again the camp crew did an amazing job getting camp in here in time. They had to move this camp about 500km's over the crater and in to Lake Manyara for a one night camping! Bad safari designing by their boss! They made it back now and that was with a busted cylinder head casket and Hamisi having malaria! These boys are tough and the back bone of these operations - Africa is not for sissies!
In the bush for a week 2010/08/08 09:54
Night sounds
I suspect there will be some bad sleeping tonight. We just had a hippo almost walk in to the dinning tent (again) and they are snorting all around camp right now. There were a few tense moments around the table. There is also an elephant breaking down a tree right outside of camp making quite a racket. Today's walking definitely was waking with Elephants. The one large group of about 40 ellies broke up in to at least 5 groups and they all crossed the river to our side. So this afternoons walk was all about finding gaps between these breeding herds. Not knowing how these herds react to people on foot I didn't feel brave to push our luck and was giving them all a lot of space. Seeing how they treated a small herd of water buck made me relieved that we didn't try to get in under their trunks. Mel produced (thanks) and I am off to Arusha for a few days from tomorrow!
Night sounds 2010/08/02 14:35
Untitled
The rains finally started in the northern Serengeti. This sad, black soot looking landscape will be transformed in to luminous green wonderland in weeks. Last night the mess tent with chicken curry and all almost went airborne as a thundershower hit us like a steam train. 20 minutes of fury and it left us as fast as it arrived only soaked with rivers running under the tent. I hope it took the bloody siafu with!
To my standards this was a great days walking. Is there anyone out there who knows how to judge the emotions of a 14 year old girl. Apparently they are not allowed to show emotion...super cool kids I have on safari but one really need to pull every trick out of "guiding 101" to keep them engaged. It seemed like the few breeding herds of ellies with males pushing each other all over the place to win the interest of an estrus cow got the attention for about 13 seconds (or maybe I just don't know how to read this signs. It might have only been 7 seconds). I suppose I have two girls who will eventually teach me the finer art of teenage girl emotions, can't wait! The highlight of my day was a stunning pennant winged nightjar who flew over and around me. They are such weird looking birds and so much bigger than what one think, really cool creatures. Tomorrow is the last full days walking then I am hopefully going home for a few days. That is if lovely TFC (aka Mel) can squeeze me in the caravans luggage hold. Can't wait to be back with the girls for a few days. Im back out for another few walks next Sunday. Till then to the adventure!Untitled 2010/08/01 14:21
Evening in camp
Just arrived in camp and a stunning sunset welcoming the new guests.
Thanks,
Jean
www.wayoafrica.com
Evening in camp 2010/07/31 11:48
Chameleons and crocodiles
What a few days! So since the last post quite a bit took place in this little bush camp. I don’t always think guests know just how lucky they are when they start getting lucky. After that awesome wildebeest crossing we went on another walk in the afternoon and managed to get ourselves on the opposite side of the river facing about 60 elephants walking past us in perfect sun light. As if that wasn’t enough there was 30 hippos in the river in front of us, how does a walk get any better? I was quite relieved that those 60 Ellies didn’t decide to cross the river. We would have been in a not so happy spot then...! Thanks to the water, ground and air God the next days walks were a bit more ‘normal’ since I don’t think we would have survived had the quality of the sightings increased. Actually, a Golden Cat on a walk would be nice...yes apparently we get them here. Paul decided now that we have seen all the big stuff that is was time for more of the smaller things so we were off on a very serious Chameleon hunt literally combing through every bush. We didn’t find one (and didn’t get bitten by a snake)...big surprise as they are the masters of camouflage! Marijn was on another quest for crocodiles and there we did succeed. There is one big bend in the river in-front of camp. Here the water is a bit deeper and the river wider and the ‘big-boys’ have made this there home. This is definitely not a place I am going for a dip. Paul and Marijn left camp this morning to join a few more guests in our game viewing camp set up a bit further from the river. Well...it is set up now after quite some sweat and tears. The National Parks wanted us to relocate this site from it original place and it took a bit of searching to find a new location. We were happily setting up two camps when my little angles in the office (Rose and Odilia and they really are my guardian angles) reminded me that we should actually set up three camps....anyway...three camps are in place and everyone is happy (obviously been on safari with Wayo :-)) I have four more guests arriving tomorrow and are looking forward to a few more days on walks. My feet are not so happy after the 15km’s a day but hey, tough guys don’t cry... To the adventure!
Chameleons and crocodiles 2010/07/30 14:41
Sunrise
Sunrise 2010/07/30 03:43
Crosssing and crocs
This morning we sat in the mess tent having breakfast; nice and early just as over eager hikers does. While sipping away on the second cup of Burka coffee a heard of Wildebeest moved out of the trees on the far side of the river bank. Since none crossed for the past three days we did not think much of it and took our time with the third cup of coffee. Needless to say just as we started walking, 100m from camp in the perfect place with good cover and nice big termite mounts to hide behind this group started to cross the river! Totally amazing! We were able to get right on to the river bank with out them seeing us and were able to site hidden in the grass enjoying the entire crossing. The river makes a large ox-bow in-front of camp and we followed the banks of the river enjoying sneaking up on massive crocodiles. We do this by going on our tummies and ‘leopard-crawling’ to the river bank that is about 10 feet above the river. Doing it this way doesn’t spook the crocs and we can get right on top of them with out them noticing us making for some awesome pictures. The ‘leapard-crawling’ didn’t work so well on a family of hippos and they were not so impressed with these lot of white monkeys slithering through the grass. Last night two of them almost walked right in to the mess tent while we had dinner. Hippos are creatures of habit and since our camp is in one site for a few days at most the hippos don’t expect a dinning tent to suddenly be along their trail. Ok, ok I didn’t notice the trail before we pitched the tent...there are many trails! Back in camp now for a rest after a much to exiting morning. Now will it be to hot for a snooze...?
Crosssing and crocs 2010/07/28 05:14
Sayari Camp
I had an unexpected night at Sayari Camp last night. If you ever want to treat yourself come here! It is one of the most stunning lodges in the bush. Getting water is always the big challenge when doing these small camps and Sayari have a borehole and very nice managers...! Barbs, Jo and I went on our own game drive in an area called the Lemai Wedge yesterday afternoon and it felt like the whole migration was out on those plains, really amazing! It was just us and thousands of animals. New guests are arriving today, a Dutch couple so will start a new walk (3-days) today. It is getting cooler at night and every afternoon is starting to feel a bit more like rain. It will be fantastic to get a shower or two since the area is very burned and need some rain. The Serengeti is amazing, with just a small amount of rain the whole park turns green in days. The wildebeest still are very confused (as always) but are constantly crossing the river going from side to side. I think it is all the fires that is confusing them and hopefully they will settle down once there is some rain.
Sayari Camp 2010/07/27 01:29
Walking again!
It must have been hard not having “bush posts” for a week but rest assured, I am back ITB (in the bush) and will be posting like a mad man again. Only trick this time is that there is almost no reception in camp and I have to hike rather far to get a signal, will keep me fit. I got back in to the bush a few days back and drove to the very Northern tip of the Serengeti on the Kenyan border, collected the walking camp there and drove in to the Northern walking zone for a two day walk. I have two very nice American guests who are sooooo in to all of this. Its great having such exited guests. One have to give it to the Americans, they don’t skimp on the enthusiasm when they like something! They got in to camp quite late yesterday so we only hiked on to the banks of the Mara River and had sundowners next to the river with a setting sun – awesome! Besides the lions, hippos and hyenas during the night we woke up this morning with the noise of thousands of wildebeests on the other side of the river looking for a place to cross. The noise is amazing and the whole morning had a low “humming sound” in the air. We stayed away from the banks of the river trying not to spook them and were hiding in bushes on the hills with a good view down on the river. Not been so patient as them we took a walk behind the hills and followed some large drainage ditches away from the river and had some great birding in the forests. Back at the river the beests had lost interest in crossing and were feeding in thousands along the banks. Among them some Eland and Water buck. The weather is ideal for walking, its a bit windy and over-casted so we stayed out a bit longer just sitting in the shade of a tree looking at the heard. With many vultures around there must have been a fair amount of lion action during the night. We hope to catch a glimps of these later today or tomorrow. Generally if the wildebeest does not cross before 11am they are not going to attempt a crossing again till about 16:00 so we will be back on the hills in the afternoon. There was a very big crossing in front of camp yesterday when we were setting up camp. Sadly the guests were not there to enjoy it. Hopefully today, if not tomorrows crossing will be a monster one! What is interesting about this crossing is that this is wildebeest that is already crossing back from the Kenyan side in to the Tanzanian side. Generally this time of year they should all still be heading in to Kenya. Ok I’m off, back to camp to go get ready for the pm walk!
Walking again! 2010/07/25 07:03
Walking with the Vaugan Jones family
Today's walking has been with a great family from the UK. They arrived yesterday afternoon and that walk was a 'baptism by fire' after we spooked two buffs out of their afternoon slumber and we had to find refuge on rock. A third was awaken by the others gunning it. He could smell us but not see us so was holing us hostage on the rock for some time while walking around us. Todays walk was tame in comparison. We spend most of the morning with a bull Ellie who was very much on his own mission and had no clue we were there. Later in the day we found two more bulls and strangely one of them was sleeping on his side lying on the ground. Normally big ellies don't sleep lying down, they are to heavy and squash their organs. Lunch was on a rock overlooking the area. We just hot back in camp after a very calm afternoon walk and great sunset from a kopje behind camp. Tomorrow is a long day moving camp to the northern Serengeti where there will hopefully be some wildebeest crossing the Mara river!
Walking with the Vaugan Jones family 2010/07/17 12:58
Untitled
Lazy morning in camp waiting for the next group to arrive, if they arrive! We have no clue when they arrive. They are in Loliondo (masaai land) with no comms and the guide have no idea how to get to the walking camp... So we don't know when and where to meet them to guide them in. This have all the ingredients for a good old African bugger up!
Untitled 2010/07/16 01:13
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