Tanzania Journal, part 5

In which our intrepid travelers find lazy cats and friendly giraffes

Wednesday Evening

One of the reasons we decided to transfer to the Migration Camp was that this was in a different area and because in this area the drivers are free to go off the road.

First, let me show you our new digs. These guys take glamping to a new level.

Our first game drive at Migration Camp was a big hit. The camp overlooks a saline lake. It is home to some really cool flamingos, who look even cooler when the rise up off the water. Also a fowl called a “stilt bird” for obvious reasons.

We then heard report of a lioness in a tree. For some reason Amy really wanted to see a big cat in a tree, so she was very excited. It took a while to find the cat, but it did not disappoint:

There were a lot of giraffes in the area, weaving in and out of the trees. Amy named it “Giraffic Park”. This one was nice enough to pose:

Eugene heard report of some cheetahs nearby so we headed that way. They are kind of lazy. Not that I’m one to talk, I suppose.

There were also a lot of Impalas and gazelles of various kinds. Or, as the lions call them, “fast food”.

We made our way back to camp as the sun was setting. We drove through a path in which some friendly giraffes were munching the tops of the trees. At one point Eugene stopped the jeep with a giraffe right in front of us while backlight by the setting sun. He serendipitously lined me up for a couple of my favorite shots of the trip.

You may notice the small bird highlighted on the back of the giraffe. They have a symbiotic relationship with the giraffes, as they feast on ticks and other insects that plague the large animal (and that the giraffe would have a REALLY hard time getting to, even if it had opposable thumbs). So the giraffes get de-ticked, while the birds get a nice meal and a free ride. Win-win.

After a nice meal we were escorted back to our tents, since it was dark. We were then told not to leave our tents, not even to sit on the deck, for we had an uninvited visitor to our camp that night.

But I will tell about that next time.