To Arusha and beyond!

Yellow Billed Stork

It was our final night in the bush.  We get our first taste of rain.  Charlie reminds us that the wildebeest take full advantage of the rain.  Their migration is following the rain in search of areas where there is water and plenty of fresh new grass upon which to graze.  It will be the area where the wildebeest will give birth.  It was surprising to hear that the mothers will hold back giving birth until the conditions in the environment are just right.

Hartebeest

The wildebeest and other animals are passing close to camp as evening draws upon us.  Patrick is thrilled to follow them off behind our tents.  We have our final night in the camp and refreshing morning sunrise.

The drive back into town continued to bring new surprises.  We pack up and head back to the main road, which will take us almost an hour to reach.  As we head out, Kevin notices swarms of insect in the road.  A quick maneuver to close up the windows was made.  However, these are not bees or other nasty beasts, they appear to be smaller than common houseflies, perhaps little gnats.

Rednecked Spurfowl

Charlie tells us that these flies come out with the rains.  The sight was amazing, there were literally many hundreds of these small funnel clouds of gnats that stood about 10 feet tall and were about 2 feet wide at the top.  We drove along the road for at least a mile passing these spiraling clouds of flies.  It was just another amazing moment of how life just springs alive with the rains.

As we reach the main road we have to retrace our steps back through the Ngorongoro conservation area, the National Park, and out again to get to Arusha.    This means, however, that we go past the Masaai, and we have hopes of seeing the young boys who are in their initiation costume.  Hooray, Mom gets here photo and the world is right!

Bibi advising her Masaai soon-to-be-Warriors

[You'll have to ask Mom about her name "Bibi".]  It is a long road and it takes us over seven hours to get back.  We head straight to the airport east of Arusha, just in time to catch our flight to Zanzibar and our next adventure.