DAY 24: Serengeti to Mwanza Yacht Club

 

Departure time

We woke up early without coffee or a shower.  It was still dark when our tents were folded and keys in the ignition were turned, beginning the day’s drive on an eager note to chase the tail of the migration before 06:00.    

 

Arrival time

Driving through the wide open plains, it became apparent why we upset our beauty sleep as the naartjie red sun rose slowly over the horizon, lighting the sky with a faint pink glow.  Blaring Lion King’s opening song and Circle of Life, we admired the surrounds for which the Serengeti is so well known, acknowledging the magnitude and variety of wild animals roaming the savannahs.  An hour later we negotiated turning back, under the impression we had missed the migration, however, a further 10 minutes down the road we were met by a herd of over a thousand wildebeest.  From there on, the amounts multiplied, hundreds of thousands of the black animals grazing on the yellow grass.  The extent of the migration tail was more than we’d expected with the numbers of wildebeest extending to the horizon and beyond.  Despite the greatness, there’s only so long you can park patiently, waiting for the beasts to cross the crocodile infested waters.  When they hadn’t so much as sniffed the bank, we decided to move on with the knowledge that this movement of courage could take weeks.  By 11:00 we had moved on and exited the Serengeti, satisfied that the migration had been worth the cost.

We’ve discovered that the walkie talkies have different ring tones.  Nico spent over ten minutes playing with the buttons listening to each tone, ultimately choosing the original tring-a-ling.  It’s a good thing Nico discovered the fascination before Elmien; who knows how long she would’ve spent trying to get the device back into talkie mode after pressing so many buttons.  Pleased with the outcome of his expedition, we drove along the Tanzanian roads with Lake Victoria, our planned destination, apparent on the right of the road.  We drove into Mwanza, a rather large town with an Israeli/Turkish appearance with little grey houses stacked against the side of the mountain overlooking the lake.  Pulling into the yacht club rather early, Izel and I decided to explore the neighbouring Tilopia hotel after we had unfolded the roof tent.  Yet another bright orange hotel greeted us as we climbed the stairs to the restaurant, passing a light blue, clear swimming pool and deck chairs.  We returned later that night to celebrate Nico and Elmien’s 27th wedding anniversary with cocktails and dinner, followed by the Ghana/Uruguay quarter final where Izel’s sunshine-yellow vuvuzela attracted much popular attention. 

 

Weather conditions

It’s a wonder our tent didn’t blow off the bakkie roof in the night.  I was fiercely shaken awake on too many occasions by the strong gusts to rest in peace, waking in the morning with our tent at a 30’ angle to the ground as a result.  

 

Campsite conditions

On arrival, we viewed the dirty white walls with scrutiny while paint peeled off the gate, yet we entered and were pleasantly surprised with the clean catholic toilets despite the absence of hot water. 

 

Personal

Our list of highest, greatest and largest was growing.  Having just arrived from the tallest peak in Africa, we camped alongside the largest lake in Africa, soon to visit the biggest waterfall in Africa.  This holiday is going to be one to remember, there’s no doubt in my mind.