The first two images were taken from the sliding door of our hotel room. The third image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom after we returned to the ship in the afternoon.
As always, the images and any videos in this posting are best viewed on the web page. View the complete set of blog posts here.
We woke before sunrise to meet our guide for our early morning and final safari at Taito Hills. We were hopeful that we would see more and different types of animals.
Zebras – we saw lots and lots of different zebra dazzles, some of which included a couple of young foals. The zebras weren’t that interested in us and generally walked away. The striping on their bodies and their heads is unique, just like a human fingerprint. We simply enjoyed watching them – how they interacted with each other, observing their interesting striping patterns, especially their faces, and seeing the foals and mothers together. Their manes are thick and relatively short-haired, looking more like a broom end than a horse mane. The first three images are videos.
Giraffe – we met this fellow enjoying a breakfast of tree-top leaves. He, too, wasn’t that interested in us and continued munching away. Again, the brown and tan patterns of his fur were interesting to see up close. The first three images are videos.
Jackals – We saw two Black-Backed Jackals run across the road. The first two images are videos. The pictures are a bit blurry as they moved so quickly that I could not take photos and needed to extract the images from the video. The first two images are videos.
Lions – Our guide got a call from a colleague who said that the lionesses were walking on Lion Rock, so pedal to the metal, we headed to see them. We watched them slowly wander around the rock and gather up the cubs. Our guide said that when the lionesses go out for a morning hunt, they leave the cubs with dad on the top of the rock to protect them from predators, like the hyenas and leopards. The first three images are videos.
Grazers – like the day before, we saw many of these animals during the drive. We saw most of them from a distance, which didn’t make for great photographs. We saw a waterbuck, eland, hartebeest, and others.
The next three images are of what we think are two common elands. The first image is a video.
We believe the first two images are of female waterbucks. The last image was taken by a fellow cruiser that Cheryl just loves. We believe it is a Gerunuk, a member of the antelope family, and commonly known as the giraffe gazelle. The pose is quite remarkable.
Just like yesterday, two very happy safarists. It rained first thing in the morning and was a bit cooler. We needed layers! We will likely freeze to death when we return to Oregon.
Greg and Kara enjoyed the day just as much as we did!
Horizon – the views are vast and iconic. One must remember to look up when on these trips. The animals are terrific, of course, but the scenery is every bit as spectacular.
Hotel images.
Another Vervet monkey. The last image is a video.
While driving back to the ship, I mainly looked out the window. Like the previous two days, all you could see was people everywhere, poverty, buildings in disrepair, and trash. In contrast, I was struck by how numerous women wore very elaborate and beautiful clothing. The first image shows a very young girl walking along the side of the road. Women still carry items on their heads, and finally, I am not sure why anyone would need a stocking hat, given the temperature.
I captured two videos that show the weaving, congestion, and people. This is a main highway. Crazy!
We ended the trip at the entrance to the port. A fitting end to a great two days on the African plains. Elijah, our guide, was knowledgeable and delivered us safely back to our ship. We enjoyed local music and dancing on the pier as we walked back to the ship.
Enrichment – “East Meets West.”Discover the importance of Zanzibar in the past as a center for trade in ivory, spices, and enslaved people – Jennifer Caithness
For centuries, Zanzibar (“the land of the black people”) was a key hub for traders from Arabia, Persia, and India. The Swahili culture emerged from the blending of Bantu inhabitants and Arab settlers. The population is 98% Muslim.
Following Vasco da Gama’s visit, Portugal controlled the islands for nearly 200 years. The country was an important stop along the Portuguese trade route to India. Primary trade commodities were spices and ivory. In 1698, the Sultanate of Oman ousted the Portuguese, bringing the islands under Arab rule. In 1840, Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar, fueling the spice trade and expanding the slave trade.
In 1890, Zanzibar became a British protectorate. During this time, the infamous slave market was closed, and the “shortest war in history”—the 1896 Anglo-Zanzibar War—lasted just 38 minutes. Zanzibar gained independence from Britain in December 1963 as a constitutional monarchy. However, in January 1964, a violent revolution overthrew the Sultan.
This enrichment talk was a difficult one to attend. The horrific treatment of people and elephants is incomprehensible.
The Viking band, the on-board vocalists, and both cruise directors performed in the Atrium. The theme was “Rock Night”. They played many really good songs from the last 30-40 years. The image is a video.
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