Tarangire, day 1

"Our first encounter with elephants, giraffes, and the magic of the African landscape. This day was actually about moving but very quickly brought us a comprehensive preview."

Wednesday was largely devoted to the trip to Tarangire National Park. Jabiri indicated we could take it easy, so we left around 8:30. Evita had a restless night due to birds, loud trucks and the heat. I myself sleep surprisingly well - despite not normally being able to handle heat well. During the day it is hot, but so far it is not too bad.

After breakfast, we pack our things. We get lunch boxes from Chanya Lodge and leave for Tarangire via Arusha. There we make a short stop to withdraw money and meet Osman (co-owner of Gama Tours) and Jabiri's wife, who came to bring some forgotten clothes. Their little daughter was also along and found daddy's big car especially interesting. We get a bottle of wine as a gift and I get to borrow a beanbag - ideal for stabilizing my lens while shooting. During the lunch stop, we are joined by a Vervet monkey that sat at the top of the ridge of the building. Then we drive another 15 minutes or so to the park boundary.

First encounter with wildlife

At the entrance, Jabiri arranges the paperwork - as we are allowed to stay in the park for a maximum of 24 hours, so everything is carefully registered. Before we are even inside: elephants! A whole herd crosses the road right in front of our jeep. Intrusive looks, swaying trunks, including hatchlings. Magical.

Not much later we see giraffes, zebras and a male giraffe trying to woo a female. Without success - he then decides to get something to eat. Despite having to be at the lodge in time for an evening drive, Jabiri stops at every animal we encounter. And rightly so. It's beautiful. We also spot several birds, African fowl and the cute dik-diks: small antelopes that always live as a couple. They remain faithful to each other, true love!

Arrival at the lodge

Arriving at the Tarangire Safari Lodge, we check in. As of a certain time, we are not allowed to walk here alone - after all, there are all sorts of things walking around the area. A few days ago, a leopard walked past the tents in the evening. Our tent turns out to be a comfortable glamping with bed, bathroom and an insane view of the park. A fat-thick pair scurries around the tent. There is not much time to enjoy this: in half an hour we will be leaving again.

Our stay in Tarangire

Punctually at 7 p.m. we sit down to dinner. Until then, we are allowed to go to the restaurant on our own. I try an ice-cold Safari beer which is excellent. The buffet is fine - especially the papaya avocado salad. Since we have to move on quickly, someone from the staff offers to keep some fruit aside for dessert for when we get back.

Night Safari

At 7:30 p.m. we report to the jeep. There are six of us: a guide, a ranger, two Americans, Evita and me. They are wearing shirts from Banff, which immediately takes Evita back to her college days in Kelowna. I asked if they are Canadian, to which the man laughingly replied that lately they would prefer to pretend to be Canadian.

The guide explains the rules: talk softly, don't get up, flash is allowed. We drive into the dark. Soon we see a hare - nice, but not very special yet. This is followed by several birds and a chameleon. Then: a tail from a tree. At first Evita thought: leopard! But it turned out to be a genet. A little later we spot a hyena. It stays for a moment in the light of the flashlight, looks at us, and then calmly walks in front of the jeep. A worthy end to the day.

Back in camp

Back at camp, we chatted with the American couple. They were on an extensive safari and had already been to other countries in the region. After this they will be going to Botswana and South Africa. They told us that the camp where we are staying belongs to her cousin - some forty years ago her uncle built this otherwise beautiful residence.

We are escorted to our tent. That night we do hear some activity around the tent, probably the dik-diks that were also walking around earlier. The next day is the real game drive and we have the whole day to explore the park and spot animals. In that sense, today was "just" a warm-up.

But what one...