The highway is between Safari that I don’t have choice. I have to cycle in Safari where over two hundreds lions are. Hope they don’t like meat of the people.
16th July 2013
I couldn’t sleep longer in the night. It is a nervous day ever that I have to cycle in Safari where lots of animals are such as a lion, hyena, leopard and more. I asked information center and people. They told me that usually a lion doesn’t come to the main road. But never knows what will happen in the life that I am being nervous.
The sign board is interesting that road kill a lion is only 4500$, but it is 15,000$ for a giraffe and an elephant. Do you remember one of my journals? In South Africa hunting giraffe is only 2000$. Isn’t it funny?
Anyway I have to enter Safari to go to the next town
At first here are lots of impalas.
It is very interesting that I can see lots of wild animal besides the main road.
There are a warthog and a black wild beest.
There is huge animal moving!! No way! No way! Watch out!
It thanks that a truck stops and waits. I am wondering how the driver feels about seeing a giraffe at the front.
I am so excited to see a giraffe nearby. We are curious of each other that we look at each other long time.
Giraffe is really huge. One time I was scared that because of their color I didn’t know a giraffe was in front of me. (It was too close to me.)
Hello giraffe!
Impala!!!
In Africa people have told me that the most dangerous animal is a buffalo and hippo.
Warthog
Zebras are resting.
The highway in Safari is 50 km (31 mi). Around 25 km (15 mi) finally I see an elephant!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Although unlikely other tourists I can’t take an awesome photo, I am so happy that I see wild animal during cycling!!!!!!!!!!
The last animal I saw is the elephant. After then for 20 km in Safari there is nothing I can see on the road.
Only there is horrible terror. Tsetse flies, large biting flies, bite me although I cover all my body with clothes. They are too strong. I spray mosquitoes repellent on all of my body and bike. But it doesn’t work!
I think I’ve got bitten every three minute. It is terribly hurt as if I am bitten by bee. Actually it is dangerous fly that it causes human sleeping sickness. Diseases transmitted by tsetse flies kill 250,000-300,000 people per year.
I’ve seen many beautiful bird in Africa. Actually I’ve used “bluebird” as ID since I was in middle school. So, I’ve been so happy to see many different kinds of real bluebird. But this one.. oh man… so gorgeous color that I’ve ever seen.
I think the name of this bird is Greater Blue-eared Starling.
After getting out of Safari, there is no more Tsetse fly. What a weird. I think it is because of wild animal.
Today I set up tent at the school. I ask English teacher that on the road people who wear red fabric are Maasai. He says yes. I say that they look too scared that I can’t ask for picture. He says they are so kind that I don’t need worried about it. He says their village is at the back of school. He wants to show me their village that I follow him.
The picture is Maasai’s house. It looks so simple.
Maasai are nomad that they have many cows. As we close their house, many flies come to us because of cows. Oh, thanks that it is just normal fly, not a tsetse!! But there are too many flies to close to cows that I can’t take of picture of cows.
This is their traditional house.
This is a container for milk.
It seems they always carry stick. I guess it is to control a cow.
People tell that she is over one hundred years old. But nobody knows exactly her age. The left is English teacher who takes care of me. The right teacher is his friend.
According to him, Maasai don’t eat chicken and fish, but only cow. But I see some chickens at their yard, so I ask him “hey, then why they have chicken in their yard?”. “That is for selling!” He says.
I was afraid of Maasai when I saw them on the road, because they carried knife and stick on their waist. But it looks they are not dangerous people. These days they send their children to school, and it is not necessary to wear traditional clothes that I’ve seen they wear other normal clothes. But the thing is Maasai can only get married with same tribe, Maasai. They are also polygynous. I am not surprised of it anymore that I already know many of African tribes are polygynous still.
There are many buildings which is made of cement in the school that it looks not bad. But there is no running water and electricity. I feel sorry about it.
The next morning Guinea fowl is around my tent in the school. Usually it is wild animal, but when people give chicken egg of Guinea fowl, then chicken hatches it.
They are selling meat.
I ask how much it is. The bigger one is 8,000 Tsh (5$)
Even I can keep finding it on the highway. I ask them I can take picture of them. “Give me money.” They say. So I pay for the picture. The left guy makes a face. I think I can keep finding Maasai until Kenya.
Anyway I am still alive after Safari. There are plenty of unexpected things. More to go!
Actually it is my first time to see many wild animals along the way. Many people who have never been Africa think that wild animal will be beside the road. But it is not usual that you can’t see wild animal unless you visit safari.
Mikumi is much cheaper than Serengeti. Usually to visit to Serengeti is 600$. Mikumi will be around 150$ I guess.
Some people told there is really beautiful Safari which is called Ruaha National Park around Iringa. It is said Ruaha is much cheaper than Serengeti as well.
I didn’t know it when I was there. I wish I should have visited Ruaha, because Serengeti is too expensive for me.
Around this time July, August or September, animals in Serengeti go to Maasia Mara for water so that it is better to visit Maasai Mara in Keyna than Serengeti in Tanzania.
English teacher asked me.
“What kind of animal does Safari of your country have?”
“What? Safari in Korea? We don’t have enough land even for ourselves. But we have zoo only we can see seek animal.”
