As the sun set over Amboseli National Park, we sat out on the veranda with a couple of drinks and watched the elephants put on a parade. They meandered along a game trail right next to where we were sitting. It was a wonderful way to end the day and relax before heading off to the dining room for dinner.
Our day began in transit. We boarded our game drive vehicle and our driver, Alex, left Amboseli National Park and drove us across the border from Kenya to Tanzania. We first went to the town of Arusha where we would board a flight for Lake Manyara.
Large sections of the road seemed to be in the middle of nowhere... the proverbial "road less traveled". The scenery was interesting. The road was unpaved, rough, and not marked with any signs. We were not sure how Alex knew where to go, but he did not seem to have any difficulties finding our destination.
Arusha was a large town in Tanzania. As we drove through, we were able to get a few photos that show the locals at home, at work, and at play. These photos were taken in the residential section of town.
We were pleased to finally be on paved roads. We saw one of the work crews working on the road as we passed. There were also large numbers of school kids out in their school uniforms. Many had to walk several kilometers to and from school each day.
People found all kinds of ways to transport their goods.
We passed furniture stores, clothing stores, and food stalls. Large crowds of people were out and about in this bustling town.
Next we boarded a small plane for our flight to Lake Manyara. We were the only passengers on the flight and Robin ended up sitting in the co-pilot seat.
One of the most intriguing trees that we saw in Tanzania was called the baobab tree. These trees can live to be more than 1,000 years old. They are deciduous and only have their leaves for three months out of the year.
The rest of the year, they look like someone yanked them out of the ground and replanted them upside-down. It looks like the roots are sticking up and the top of the tree is underground.
We stayed at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Our lodge was up on stilts in a secluded wooded area. We could see animals from our deck and at night the sounds of the jungle were right outside.
At one point in the night we woke to the sound of claws clicking along the floor. As we faded back into sleep we wondered whether the sound was coming from the floor inside the cabin or outside on the deck.
The common rooms of the lodge were all open along one wall so you could sit in comfort and watch what was going on outside. Dinner was served al fresco at tables in a clearing just outside the lodge. There were lanterns and candles all around.
We could hear the bush babies (small nocternal monkeys with large eyes) calling to one another from the trees. After dinner, we were escorted back to our cabin by someone from the camp to make sure that we arrived without being surprised by any animals in the dark.
