December 6 - 10

This photo shows a view from where our tents were located during our Serengeti stay.

Our ten tsite was an assigned area in the Serengeti National Park. Since Kibo Safaris / OATs did not have any clients directly preceeding or following our stay, all the tenting equipment was set up exclusively for us. After our stay it would be trucked back to Arusha to await another OATs group. The camp workers certainly earned their tips!

Our Serengeti tents were the most basic of our entire trip, but we were still spoiled. The tent space was relatively spacious, and behind the main tent area there was an attached bath tent which included a flush toilet and shower! The shower water was supplied with warm water from gas heaters in a 5 gallon bucket hoisted up a pole. The toilet emptied into a hole that was expressly dug for our tent. No smells and adequate hot water! Not to mention that hot water that greated us in a basin on our front "porch" each morning and each evening. One of our campers said the best part of the camping was all the manservents!

The dining hall was a separate long covered tent. Since it rained most evenings, the cover was appreciated. As usual, the kitchen area was surprising small considering how good and varied the food was.

The Serengeti is a grassy plain, with a few scattered trees.

The "short rainy season" commenced during our stay on the Serengeti which was heralded by migrating cape buffalo.

Zebras were migrating into the area too.

This balloon could be the same one that Jim used the previous day.

The last 2 photos demonstrate that the rainy nights created enough mud to make passage difficult.
One of our 3 Toyota Land Cruisers got stuck, radioed for help, and was rescued by the other team members.

Some parts of the Serengeti have small rocky outcroppings called Koppies.
The fissures caused by the outcroppings trap water and enable trees and shrubs to flourish.
Lions and cheetahs ofter shelter there.

We left the Serengeti on the morning of December 10, and headed back to Ngorongoro Farm house.
On the way we took a slight detour to Olduvai Gorge.

It was here that the Leakeys made some of their discoveries about the history of human evolution.
In particular, Mary Leakey in 1978 discovered humanoid footprints that were created 3.5 million years ago.