Week 3 - African Odyssey

Week 3 began with our fairly unaccomplished horse-riding family deciding to explore the wild by horseback. What could possibly go wrong? Well fortunately not too much bar a few sore bums and legs and Alex had the satisfaction of becoming an accomplished rider by actually falling off her horse with a superb dismount.

She was unharmed but a little shocked having managed to almost land a full back flip. As some of you may know, any good rider will ask a novice if they have fallen off and if they say no, then they are not an accomplished rider.

We were hosted by the incredible couple of Jo and Hansie and their amazing Staffordshire bullterrier called Hoggie. Both are pretty much native Tanzanians after having spent much of their lives in Tanzania. The two are incredible riders and guides. Neither had come across a novice team like ours trying to explore the bushveld but they never complained and happily catered to our abilities. We were also highly unprepared without decent riding shoes, trousers or even helmets. Due to some miscommunication nobody realised we were coming from our boat but thankfully we made it work.

The whole experience was amazing, riding up to giraffes and elephants without a car and the noise of the engine. Being aware that there are lions around because you can hear them. I mean you don’t get more wild than this. My horse was called Bakara and definitely was keen for a gallop but I wasn’t letting her. We briefly popped into a canter but that was all I’d let her do. I am not the rider I was as a younger boy and definitely wasn’t keen to end our around-the-world adventure with a broken leg. Having said that, Arabella was in her element and went out on a ride with the more accomplished riders and had a lot of fun. Even little Azania got her own horse Obie and she couldn’t get enough of horse-riding. The area is famous for the last of the Big Tusker Elephants and we got to see a few pretty big boys which was terribly fun. At night we had a big lone Elephant bull quietly browsing around our tents. Completely surreal.

We slept in mobile tents with very cool bush toilets, and at dinner we gathered around the fire at the main tent. The setting is like a scene from ‘Out of Africa’ - bonfire and gin and tonic, dining table with white table cloth and butler service. You would think that out here far away from civilisation we would get basic food but that was not to be. Delicious breakfast, lunch and supper were put on for us. It really was a treat highlighted on the final day when we head out to a local Maasai tribe and bought a small goat. Marcus, who was still with us was tasked with catching the one I chose which was all the more fun to watch. The goat was grilled on the fire the Maasai way and was delicious as we enjoyed sundowners on a local Kopjie. Reflecting back on this experience, we all agreed to improve our riding skills and return and extend our 3 days to a 8-9 day proper safari expedition. Lookout 2027.

After saying goodbye to Maxine and Marcus and promising Jo and Hansie we will return, we headed to a very authentic Maasai experience where we stayed in the Amini Maasai Lodge on the foothills of Mount Kilimajaro. These kind of experiences can often feel fake or on the opposite end be rather uncomfortable. This beautiful little place was neither. After having checked in and rested a little from the drive which involved getting lost a little which is seemingly part of the course in Tanzania we headed out to watch the assagai spear throwing competition. All the local Maasai men came out with their spears to target a fake lion made from wood. They started quite close from about 10-15m where at least 5 of the 30 warriors hit and killed the lion. Through some selection process various dropped out of the competition as they went further and further away. It was quite incredible to see their accuracy and power from up to 30-40m away. Even though this whole charade was just a charade it made you realise the skills these warriors had honed in their chosen weapon. It is easy to say that modern fighters use guns but in these local tribes they still use their spears from a very young age. In fact at around 4 years old the boys are put in charge of herding a group of goat kids and slowly migrate through adult goats, sheep and then cattle when they are around 12 years old. They are alone in the wild to look after their livestock and must defend them from predators. They will not attend school as their responsibility to the family is to rear the livestock.

After the warriors had finished their competition, the lodge guests were invited to try our arms. I was clearly confident being a cricketer and all but my old rotator cuff (excuses excuses) was not helping. But the the young Horsfield girls certainly didn’t disappoint with both Arabella and Alex hitting the Lion. I was proud and felt confident they could save me if required.

Dancing and singing is another traditional way in which the Maasai enjoy themselves and we were treated to a wonderful sunset rendition of their favourite songs and dances where we wholeheartedly joined as the evening progressed. Even though it’s a performance for the guests, we could feel the immense joy, energy and pride of the Maasai people as they sang, danced and jumped like gazelles in the air.

If anyone is visiting Tanzania I would highly recommend this charming property. Delphine and I would love to come back and stay longer. And if you do find your way up to the top of the few little hills with a couple of chairs on top and enjoy a peaceful meditation.

Our next stop was the Soda Lake of Lake Natron where we stayed at the tented Lake Natron Camp. The lake is very alkaline as it is set alongside the still active volcano of Gelai along the Great Rift Valley. In fact the whole area is dotted with old volcanos and the earth is very black with the ash from the volcanos. This causes a very unusual setting. The lake is full of Pelicans, Ibis, Storks, Spoonbills and Flamingoes and is really the main attraction. Tell me a little girl who doesn’t like Pink Flamingoes and I will show you hens teeth. The bird life was exceptional but the highlight was the waterfalls we hiked up to on the foothills of the volcano. Not an easy hike as we had to cross the river multiple times and climb rocks, but it was great fun and the scenery was magnificent. This was the warmest waterfall water ever and we revelled in it. Our guide Lanjoo built a special bond with Azania and the whole experience was refreshing after the dust of Africa. After days travelling in open vehicles you get used to the dust but spending an hour in the water under the falls of water feels wonderfully cleansing.

Unfortunately the whole experience of the lodge was diminished by the mediocre hospitality and food offering, and a serious issue of muggies (nats) as evening fell and very strong winds at night which flapped the tents noisily. I don’t like to complain but this one didn’t quite hit the spot but I think the place has enormous potential.

Our final stop of the week was the Wayo Green Camp at Lake Manyara National Park. As we were driving south to the park we noticed an enormous lake which as far as I could tell was not there when the google image was taken. Our driver SP informed us that this is a new lake formed by the extraordinary rains on 2022/3 and the effects of climate change and el nino. This same rain had also effected the Manyara lake which had doubled in size and pretty much taken over the only open grasslands surrounding the famous underground water rainforest which makes this park famous. But due to the loss of these surrounding grasslands to the lake, all the wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and other grazers had all but moved on and the wildlife that enjoyed the forest remained but without their grassland neighbours. The forest itself is remarkable. A rainforest without the rain but from the enormous natural spring river which rushes from the escarpment towards the highlands. This forest itself then creates its own climate from the cooler temperatures underneath the vast tree canopy and creates more rain. It is a science project all on its own. One that I was keen to explain to my kids. Geography classes were not a complete waste on me after-all. But this thick forest didn’t allow for much game viewing and with the grasslands surrounding gone and half the park roads submerged, the place was sadly not showing its best. Furthermore a terrible invasive creeper called the Wild Melon has covered at least half of the acacia trees which will soon die from the lack of sunlight. The whole park is in dire trouble without serious intervention. We felt a sense of sadness as we drove around the park.

We stayed at Wayo Green Camp under a waterfall along the banks of the river. It was a very very beautiful setting. The camp itself was recently (3months before) rebuilt because the original camp was washed away by the heavy rains. Even though it was all beautifully appointed the place lacked a soul and the service experience was far from your typical African experience. I will reserve further comments for the proprietors of this establishment.

Our final day here also brought Apple back to us. She has now worked for us for almost 10 years and sailed around the world and we thought this would be a lovely gift to her. This was our opportunity to give Apple a unique and wonderful experience of Africa. She flew in from Thailand to join us for the last 9 days. We are all terribly happy for her to join us again. The full team back together.

The end of week 3 was feeling exhausting and we needed a change. I didn’t feel that I could endure any more welcome drinks and over-portioned meals, and the monotonous introductions to camps and guides was too much. I felt it was time for an intervention. So in typical Horsfield fashion I mixed things up and completely changed the itinerary of our last week in ridiculously short notice to the horror of our agent. All of this you can enjoy in the final week 4 of our African Odyssey where things get a little more rough.