Journey to Nowhere

Many years ago, I was a high-school student in Israel. Since I was a fluent English speaker I asked to be excused from English lessons. After a bit of a struggle with the English teacher I was allowed to skip English classes, on condition that I spent the free time widening my horizons in the school library. Luckily for me, someone had donated about 40 years of back issues of National Geographic Magazine to the library and in these I immersed myself. Between the secret lives of Salamanders and obscure tribes of far-flung regions I discovered Jane Goodal and her reports on  life with the Chimpanzees in Gombe Stream. So, when I started travelling around in Tanzania and saw offers of trips to visit this legendary place (now the smallest of the country’s National Parks) – resistance was futile. I had to go there.

On the way to Gombe

Gombe Stream is in the far North-West of Tanzania, on Lake Tanganyka, nowhere near any other popular safari destinations. Not many tourists go there – another larger park with bigger and better facilities attracts most of the would-be Chimp Trekkers.  So it takes some time to set this up, to find some partners to join me, share the costs and the adventure. But now it’s happening!

At the end of our South Tanzania trip (see previous post) while the others are still asleep at the Kunduchi Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Claudia, Monique and I are on our way.  A taxi takes us through silent streets back to the airport for our early morning flight. The turbo-prop lands in Kigoma 2 hours later. Already from the air we can see we are in a different climate zone: it is green , green, green.  At the airport there is a rather strict security check – this is a frontier region: DRC and Burundi are both just a short hop across the lake and Kigoma has a reputation as a busy spot for all sorts of smugglers, refugees and exiled activists (Che Guevara set out from here to liberate  the Congo in the Sixties – unsuccessfully).

At the airport we are Met by Joshua from Gombe Trekking Safaris. I am all set to load our luggage in to his new SUV but he guides us instead to a rather beat-up old Toyota sedan and hands us over to James who will take us to Ujiji for the obligatory visit to the historical site of Livingston and Stanley’s meeting and then put us on a boat to Gombe.

Ujiji

The historical site is all you can ask: a very cute museum, a memorial under Mango trees (descendents of the original one under which the meeting took place) and, best of all, a charming old story-teller who recites the whole saga in a sing-song voice with suitable dramatic inflections.

“Dr.Livingstone I presume?”

Then it’s off to the busy port of Kigoma, where among the larger lake-boats a  nice little motor-launch awaits us.  After introductions to the crew and a brief  entanglement with a fishing-boat’s mooring we are out in open water and heading north along the coast.

I have been following the weather for a while (on the internet) and was worried as it seems to have been raining non-stop in Kigoma for the last month. As we cruise along  the lake the sun shines on  us as we pass by little fishing villages and overtake the larger, slower boats carrying cargo and passengers to Burundi and Congo.

After about two hours the landscape gets much wilder. We are nearing our destination. The forest reaches right down to the lake-shore and there are no more villages.  Here and there some Baboons enjoy a little beach party. It is green and lush and I can’t wait to explore. Clouds are building up and by the time  we arrive and dock at the park head-quarters, check in at the little guesthouse and sit down to a lunch of lake fish and rice, a tremendous thunderstorm hits. Our guide for the afternoon trek, Hussein, is unconcerned by the torrential downpour and asks us to be ready in about an hour.  He is pretty accurate – we only wait about 10 minutes to be sure it really has stopped raining before setting off in to the forest.

We head up the gentle slope of the valley bottom, following a large stream (I guess this is Gombe Stream itself?). Our first encounter is with a young man coming down the path looking rather grumpy – Hussein explains to us that this is the “boy” who keeps track of the Chimp’s location and that he is going for lunch, so we will have to find them on our own, though he has a location for where they last where. We head on up the valley and start to pick up faint distant hooting calls from somewhere  above us. We stop at the gushing waterfall and then it’s time to head up the steep slope to where the sounds are coming from. It is  very steep and the paths are not much more than muddy slopes going straight up the mountainside.  Monique in her sports shoes has a hard time, but we all take some spills; once in a while we hear the Chimps – closer and closer – as we struggle ever higher up through the tangled jungle.  This is hardcore stuff! Hussein leaves us to rest and tries to locate the group – we hear a branch crack in the other direction and discover a solitary Chimp in a tree – our first!

We are totally thrilled but Hussein when he joins us is unimpressed – the group are on the move and he wants us to follow them.  We surrender to his authority, bid the solitary Chimp farewell and climb on. Thankfully, the Chimps are now moving across the slope on a well made path, we see fresh droppings as we follow in their wake. However Monique needs a bit of a breather, so Claudia and I hurry ahead to try and catch up with the troop. We reach the cross path (where we are supposed to wait) and no Chimps – and then Claudia picks up some sound downslope – we investigate, and there they are. It’s been quite a chase but now we can just sit and hang out with the group of a dozen or so Chimps who seem to be in no rush to go anywhere.

It’s an Idyllic scene: Chimps on the leafy forest floor, on low hanging branches, playing, grooming, being very social and (mostly) gentle and loving with each other. Surrounded by the lush forest, chirps of insects and birds we just sit and watch, ignored by the apes (though some of the youngsters seem to give us an occasional wink as if to say: everything fine folks?).  It’s really perfect and well earned after our tough slog up the mountain.  Also ideal for photography/video but either we are too engrossed in watching or too pooped by the climb – we take some decent photos and I get some video when I think of it (see clip below) but not really anything mind-boggling.

Gombe Stream Chimpanzees from David Yekutiel on Vimeo.

Finally Hussein announces it’s time to go – we have a long climb down to the guest house before sundown. We set off and the Chimps pick up the idea and follow – dawdling behind the others, I have to jump out of the way as a long column comes along the path behind me: it’s their right of way!

At sunset Claudia and I have just enough time to change in to bathing suits and dive in to the lake to wash off the mud and sweat of the afternoon. The water is warm and sweet, crystal clear….

Paradise has to have a Serpent in it. Next morning I wander around before breakfast hoping to spot some rare birds ( the Green Twinspot is supposed to occur here). I am looking up at the trees and almost fail to see the bright green Bush Viper warming itself on the gravelly beach: very handsome, but not someone you want to step on!

A troop of Baboons keeps us entertained at breakfast and then we head off in to the park again. I have declared myself entirely satisfied with our Chimp encounter yesterday and mean to spend the morning birdwatching. However the Chimps have other ideas and Claudia (who joins me despite my warnings about the dullness of forest birding) and I keep running in to them.  Still I see some new birds and we take some time to simply enjoy the forest, butterflies etc. We even see a Chimp with a termite-fishing stick and come across the nest he has been pillaging – stripped leaves (from making the tool) and angry termites.

Too soon we head back to HQ, have a quick swim and lunch, wait for another thunderstorm to pass, and then it’s time for our boat trip back to Kigoma. On the way I look at my friend’s faces  – they look different. It has been a very short visit but this place has a powerful magic and it has worked on us, I am sure.

After three days  our little group is starting to settle in to the routines of life on the move in South Tanzania.  Today we have a bit of a drive up in to the highlands to the town of Iringa and from there to Ruaha National Park. It’s a beautiful drive, we stop at some nice spots on the way and make Iringa in good time for lunch at the Neema cafe and a little time to explore.

After lunch we head downhill, into increasingly wild and empty country – and finally arrive at Ruaha where we spend the next three nights.

Ruaha is a wilderness the size of a small country; we explore a small part of it – how can I condense our adventures into a few lines? Not really possible – here are just some bits and pieces .

It is an odd time of the year, the dry season is at it’s peak but the first rains are arriving (on our first evening Shachar, Rotem and I are standing outside our rooms at the Ruaha Cottages when a bolt of lightning hits the ground a few yards away from us!).  Migrating birds are arriving from the north and life is stirring in the ground: masses of insects are hatching (and invading our rooms) and we see 4 snakes in one day – very unusual.

All this makes for an unpredictable situation – it’s not like the Elephants are here, the Buffaloes there etc.  There are very few other tourists around so the guides mobile phone information network is not so busy.  So it’s really a magical mystery tour as we set off with Modest on our game drives and anything can happen. Indeed, the wildlife takes some finding but it is well worth it and we linger long over Elephants drinking out of the wells they have dug in the sandy riverbed, Lions, giraffes, Kudus and more…

For our second day in Ruaha I have arranged something different: what they call a “walking safari”.  Game drives are undoubtedly the best way to cover ground, find animals and get close to them. But I have a theory ( well it’s more than a theory, it’s my experience) that you really get to know a place through your feet. One isn’t allowed to just go for a walk in a National Park (you might be trampled by an Elephant, mauled by a Lion or not pay anybody anything) so we are escorted and guided by two very charming armed rangers as we make our way slowly along the (almost) dry bed of the Great Ruaha River.

I am reminded of so many walks with family and friends; a very familiar situation. Usually there aren’t Hippos and Crocodiles around, still…

I have been noticing more and more migrant birds every day – the onset of the rains is bringing them south from wherever they have been hanging around. Now as we sit and eat our packed breakfast beside some flowering Baobabs I spot a party of small Falcons hunting along the riverbank. At first I think they may be Lesser Kestrels – a common migratory species, but when they get closer I see they are dark grey, the males and females quite differently coloured, like Red-footed Falcons but different…. I know what they are but it takes me almost half an hour to remember the name (I can’t let it go) – Amur Falcons! This is an extraordinary bird: they breed in South-East Siberia and Northern China, migrate across Asia to India, then cross the Arabian Sea to East Africa where they head South to S.Africa. There route back North is unknown. And here they are exactly on schedule! Totally made my day (though it has been pretty good already).

I could go on and on like this, day after day, just slowly strolling along. But it is getting hot and our walk comes to an end as we reach the dusty track by a bridge over the river; the rangers, who have been carefully looking out for Dangerous Animals, relax and only Shachar’s sharp eyes stop us walking straight into a large Hippo lurking in the bushes by the roadside!  We make a detour, meet up with Modest in the car and return to the cottages for lunch.

In the afternoon we go for our last game drive. Modest is obsessed with finding a Leopard (we haven’t seen one) and cruises past likely spots, anxiously scanning trees and rocks; we are not so bothered. There are a lot of animals around, seems they have come out of hiding now the thunderstorms have passed, and there’s plenty to see.

Towards evening we come across a herd of Elephants in a sandy riverbed. They are just hanging out, digging a bit in the sand for water, a peaceful   quiet scene. We stop and watch them for a while; and then Modest quietly opens his door and gets out , we follow , just standing next to the car. We are not any closer than before, but it’s different standing on the ground. Like it is just you and the Elephants. Nobody says anything for a long time….  then we hear a car approaching and all get quickly back in (not supposed to do this). A lovely finale for our time in this truly wild place.

Next morning we head back to Iringa. On the way out of the park there is a moment of excitement as modest picks up some very fresh Cheetah tracks on the sandy road.  We scan the bush all around but we are just a bit late to see this rare carnivore. Instead we take pictures of the carved Leopard at the gate and head off, stopping at a Maasai homestead and visiting Modest’s parents at Tungamalenga village.

I had planned a rather leisurely afternoon – a traditional lunch  in Tungamalenga and then some shopping and sightseeing in Iringa – but our afternoon flight to Dar  tomorrow has been cancelled and we will have to leave in the morning. So tomorrow’s visit to Isimila stone age site and gorge will have to be today which makes everything a bit more rushed.

Still we fit it all in, have a bit of a walk around the town with Modest’s cousin Sam and make it to the stone age site in time to be caught in a torrential downpour. Myself and the older (more sensible?) members of the party opted out of the longer walk through the dramatic gorge; we wander around the eroded gully picking up Paleolithic hand axes until the first drops send us to the cover of the nearby WC. The others appear about half an hour later soaked to the bone but delighted with their little escapade. I run to the car and get my umbrella and Sam helps shepherd everyone to the safety of the little museum, whereupon (of course) it soon stops raining. Good fun had by all.

That’s almost it. Next day early birds do a little shopping in town; we make some awful group photos at the Gentle Hills Hotel  before leaving for our short flight to Dar es Salaam. There we settle in to the comfort of  the seaside luxury/kitsch Swahili coast stylish Kunduchi Beach Hotel. Claudia, Monique and I will be leaving early in the morning for the final part of this adventure. The others have another day here before flying home (flights got changed). The sand is white, the Indian Ocean deep blue;  The coconut palms sway in the wind and the restaurant get my order wrong . I love Africa.

Walking Safari, Ruaha National Park

For months I have been trying to get this trip together; people have been joining and dropping out and every time it seemed to be coming together something or other has forced a postponement. Finally now, at the end of the year it happens: we have a full group , everyone says yes, the dates are OK, they can afford it – let’s do it!

It’s family and friends: my mother, niece and nephew; Maggie, a family friend from London; Claudia, a friend of mine from Austria and Monique whom I met last year in Tanzania and has been keen to join another trip.  Quite a mixed bunch, but cohesive.

From  the start the trip is a bit off kilter: flights are changed, timings are off and I have to keep changing my carefully made plans; perhaps I have over-planned, perhaps having my mother along is affecting me – I worry and stress while the others have fun. The weather is pretty hot, the landscape yellow and  dry – I can’t help comparing to the lush green of February when I was last here. Entering Mikumi National Park, at first there are very few animals to be seen ( I worry). Then we run in to some Elephants and finally hit the jackpot at the big waterhole – this is where the action is!

Nearby two Lionesses are resting in the shade; when a dainty Reedbuck gets stuck in the mud by the water, one of them immediately goes into a stalk, only turning away when the lucky antelope struggles free.

And so on – we see all sorts of birds and animals, seems everyone has a great time but I am still a bit stressed and worrying so I don’t quite notice. Really we see a lot, and there is a stark, wild  beauty to the parched landscape – it’s just different to the picture I had in my mind.

From Mikumi we head on to Udzungwa Mountains to hike up through the forest to the Sanje waterfall and hope to see some endemic monkeys.  My plan to beat the heat with an early morning start falls through (I hadn’t counted on the park’s opening hours) and Monique’s ideas of “good shoes for hiking” are canvas basketball shoes; Maggie rents two huge sticks, painted with red and white stripes to help her up the slope. We buy some drinking nuts from the vendor at the trail’s start, load Rotem with extra bottles of water and, somehow , we make it one piece all the way to the top for an amazing view. We head deeper in to the forest to yet another fine waterfall to swim and collapse – or ,for Shachar and Rotem who have plenty of energy left, to explore further.

On the way down the monkeys dutifully make their appearance: first a party of showy Angola Black-and-White Colubus and then masses of the endemic Udzungwa Red Colubus. Maybe things are not going so badly after all – perhaps I can relax and start having some fun!

We end the first part of our trip at the very comfortable Tan/Swiss Hotel with good food and a new swimming pool; even Monique can find little to fault with this fine hostel and we dine happily on a mixed menu of international/Tanzanian/Swiss cuisine.

Part 2 – coming soon!