Obserwowanie dzikich zwierząt to bardzo miłe i odprężające zajęcie. Stada słoni można oglądać całymi godzinami i nie być tym znudzonym. Czasami zwierzęta potrafią także rozbawić, jak pewien hipopotam który dał pokaz pływania synchronicznego wykręcając pod wodą korkociągi, pokazując swe różowe brzuszysko.
Noc z 11 na 12 spędziliśmy na małym kempingu prowadzonym przez bardzo miłego pana Augustino, który całe swe życie pracował w turystyce zaczynając od posady pomywacza a kończąc na swym własnym biznesie. Budował teraz na swoim terenie kilka domków, każdy w stylu innego plemienia zamieszkującego najbliższą okolicę. Zaczął od stawiania domu z gliny, takiego jakie budują jego współplemieńcy Hehe. Najlepszą glinę, bardzo dobrze przerobioną pozyskuje się z termitier, konstrukcję dachu robi się z drewna palmowego (zaskakująco lekkiego i wytrzymałego), a pokrycie dachu z trzciny.
Ruaha National Park
We spent the 11th and 12th of September visiting Ruaha National Park. Renowned for its remote setting, the park made a tremendous impression on us. Huge baobab trees stood in splendid isolation scattered across a vast expanse of land, whilst the undulating topography allowed for fine hilltop views of the park’s various river courses. During the hottest part of the day herds of elephants looked for respite in the shade of the bush, giraffes ambled languidly from tree to tree in search of fresh leaves to nibble on, crocodiles sunned themselves on the sandy riverbanks, hippos drifted along languorously, as is their wont, entirely unconcerned by the presence of any other creatures, and lions dozed idly after a successful night’s hunting, with bellies full and self-satisfied grins on their faces. Ruaha is a great place for wildlife viewing, as the park rules allow visitors to get out of their cars to better appreciate the surroundings. It’s also possible to picnic in designated areas, though you have to keep your wits about you and look out for any uninvited guests with the potential to provide a once-in-a-soon-too-end-lifetime surprise.
Observing wild animals is a very pleasant and relaxing pastime. Elephant herds are particularly fascinating, and we came to the conclusion that we could watch them for hours on end without getting bored. We also found the hippos highly entertaining, one of them even produced a display worthy of a synchronised swimmer, doing barrel rolls underwater, giving us a flash of its vast pink belly as it flipped over.
That night we stopped at a small campsite run by the very amiable Augustino, who has worked all his life in the tourist industry, having started by washing dishes and now running his own business. He is currently building several houses to serve as holiday homes, each one in the style of a different tribe from the local area. He’s started with a clay house, as built by his own fellow tribesfolk – the Hehe. The best-prepared clay for a building of this type comes from termite mounds, whilst the roof is made using a palm timber framework (surprisingly lightweight and robust) thatched with elephant grass.
We spent the 11th and 12th of September visiting Ruaha National Park. Renowned for its remote setting, the park made a tremendous impression on us. Huge baobab trees stood in splendid isolation scattered across a vast expanse of land, whilst the undulating topography allowed for fine hilltop views of the park’s various river courses. During the hottest part of the day herds of elephants looked for respite in the shade of the bush, giraffes ambled languidly from tree to tree in search of fresh leaves to nibble on, crocodiles sunned themselves on the sandy riverbanks, hippos drifted along languorously, as is their wont, entirely unconcerned by the presence of any other creatures, and lions dozed idly after a successful night’s hunting, with bellies full and self-satisfied grins on their faces. Ruaha is a great place for wildlife viewing, as the park rules allow visitors to get out of their cars to better appreciate the surroundings. It’s also possible to picnic in designated areas, though you have to keep your wits about you and look out for any uninvited guests with the potential to provide a once-in-a-soon-too-end-lifetime surprise.
Observing wild animals is a very pleasant and relaxing pastime. Elephant herds are particularly fascinating, and we came to the conclusion that we could watch them for hours on end without getting bored. We also found the hippos highly entertaining, one of them even produced a display worthy of a synchronised swimmer, doing barrel rolls underwater, giving us a flash of its vast pink belly as it flipped over.
That night we stopped at a small campsite run by the very amiable Augustino, who has worked all his life in the tourist industry, having started by washing dishes and now running his own business. He is currently building several houses to serve as holiday homes, each one in the style of a different tribe from the local area. He’s started with a clay house, as built by his own fellow tribesfolk – the Hehe. The best-prepared clay for a building of this type comes from termite mounds, whilst the roof is made using a palm timber framework (surprisingly lightweight and robust) thatched with elephant grass.
