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Tanzania

I spent about 3 weeks in Tanzania in October 2004. I climbed Kilimanjaro (not Kilimangiro as some people call it), went on Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater and chilled out in Moshi and Arusha.

This is the proof that we made it to the Summit of Kili. We got to the top at about sunrise, but by that time the 11 of us that had set off had split up into 4 groups (3 of which made it to the summit). Just in case you can't recognise us in all of our cold weather gear, the picture is of Ronnie and me (I'm on the left). Carlos and Frank (our Guide) were also in this group. The sign reads: "Congratulations, you are now at UHURU PEAK, Tanzania, 5895m AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level?). Africa's highest point. World's highest free standing Mountain. One of the world's largest Volcanoes. Welcome". We didn't exactly feel welcome, it was snowing and blowing a gale. In other words we were in the middle of a blizzard. We only stayed at the summit for about 5 minutes. It was just too cold to stay there any longer. Sadly we didn't get to see any amazing views or the sunrise, just lots of clouds and snow. Clarence was also with us (in my day pack), but he refused to come out because it was too cold.

After Kili, it was Safari time for Carlos, Marcus, Helen and me. We went to Lake Manyara NP (National Park), Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area.

A Big Bull elephant in Lake Manyara NP. It was showing off and letting us know who's boss - it didn't need to, we weren't going to argue. Lake Manyara is also home to tree dwelling lions. We saw one (well ok, we saw it's paws and tail hanging down from a tree), but my camera didn't zoom that far.

Me with the vast sweeping plains of the Serengeti in the background.

There were plenty of zebras and Wildebeest which just seemed to hang around waiting to get eaten by lions (although the lions we saw looked as though they wouldn't have been able to catch a cold, let alone a zebra).

Some of the ineffectual lions that we saw. Our hunger for a kill was insatiable, but they just didn't deliver. They couldn't even get a baby zebra which had been separated from it's mother. 3 onto one and still they couldn't do it. If the ones we saw are typical of lions in general then they'll be extinct in a few years. I ended up rooting for the zebras.

Carlos (left) joins the Meerkats on tour in our the Meerkat safari Wagon. Sadly we didn't a see any Meerkats coz they don't live this far north, we had to make do with Lions, Elephants and the like. But I promise there'll be pictures a plenty for you Meerkat lovers (Greg and Razor in particular) when I get down to Botswana.

Feeding time at the zoo (in Africa, the animals roam free and the people live in cages). From left to right Helen (Piggius Weaselicus), Carlos (Photolensicus Maximus) and Marcus (Awmaaaan-Spliticus Skullicus).

The Ngorongoro Crater (on my birthday : ). More wildebeest and zebras and there's a Rhino on the hill in the background if you look close enough (yeah, we weren't impressed either).

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