Into the Serengeti.

Central Serengeti. Nov. 9.

We have enjoyed our time in Ngorongoro and the Sopa Lodge, but it is time to move on to the last part of our safari. Today we head into the Central Serengeti, part of the massive Serengeti plains that cover much of Tanzania and into Kenya. We will experience only one section, within Tanzania.

We are told we have two options.

#1 – we can take the shorter road which is extremely rough and will likely take 4 to 6 hours.

Or, #2- The longer way, but a better road and we will travel through the plains where we will see animals. The journey to the crater was so rough we felt like the filling was being rattled from our teeth. With this still fresh in our minds, we opt for Option Two – longer but better road.

It is not too long before we start to wonder just how bad the first road was. Our route is just a rutted dirt trail through the long grasses of the plains. It is a vast expanse of tall golden grasses dotted with the occasional acacia tree or stunted shrub. The jeeps slowly wind their way, jostling and bumping over the uneven ground.

It is impossible to differentiate one mile of road from another. We can not help but wonder how the drivers have any idea where in this vast expanse they are and how they can know where they are going. There are no markers anywhere.

We stop for a few minutes to visit with a local chief and a few of his people alongside the road. Apparently, Victor, our guide knows him and they greet us warmly.

Giraffes, elephants, zebras are all around. We come upon a pride of lions lazily napping alongside the trail.

Our guides are ever alert, watching for signs of animals. We are hoping to spot cheetah, leopards and rhinos.  Our radio crackles… someone has spotted something ahead and we all head toward an dry lake bed with a small knoll overlooking it. It is a cheetah we are told. We are excited, it is an animal that it seems all of our grandchildren have expressed their desire to see.

And there they are, two beautiful, stealthy, spotted cats. They are stunning. We come in close and they wonder right around our jeeps, offering us amazing opportunities to photograph them. Their magnificent spotted coats look so soft we want to reach out and touch them…. Not a good idea!

There have been a few rain showers in the area. Here, the least amount of rain makes the dirt paths slippery and mucky. The surface soil is very thin, covering rock plates below. There is no place for the water to seep so it sits in dips and low spots and lies in the ruts.

 We are nearing our camp and it is getting late in the afternoon. But the trail is getting softer from the rain. The further we go the worse the road. We slip and slide. There are four jeeps in a convey. Three are larger, heavier jeeps and one (ours) is smaller and lighter. However, it is equipped with a more powerful motor and a winch.

We ford gullies with several inches of water over the road. We slip and slide in the ruts, getting deeper with the passage of each jeep. The jeeps hang in the ruts, sliding sideways at times. We approach narrow bridges over dry riverbeds, no side rails. We close our eyes as our skillful young driver slides onto the bridge, rights the vehicle and manages to manaoever us safely across.

The potholes are getting deeper. At one point, as it gets darker, we hit a particularly deep hole, obstructed until we are upon it. I fly in the air, banging my head against the roof – thank goodness it is padded.

Adam, our savior and our guide, receives a call on the radio. One of the lead jeeps is stuck ahead. We have the winch on our vehicle and must go rescue them. The first jeep is stuck solidly, the second jeep has attempted to push it through and is also mired in the mud. It is amazing how so little water can create this gumbo.

For an hour Adam works to free the two vehicles. Slowly pulling, the winch stretching taut.

Gradually the first second jeep moves, inching backward until it is free.

Adam and his team of drivers, along with Victor, the guide and leader, hook the winch again to the first vehicle. Slowly we strain backwards. But the vehicle is mired so solidly it resists our efforts. The winch strains and finally snaps.

Again they try. Rehooking the winch, we inch further and the jeep resists. We spin, splattering mud in all directions. Finally, it begins to slowly gain traction and we are able to free it.

We continue on. It is dark when we finally arrive at NaonuMuru, our tent camp in the middle of the Serengeti.