“Crispin, What is it? Amateur hour?” Everyone else’s land rovers were breakin down, but Crispin was a smooth criminal – no problem (Crispin is one of our drivers). Everyone else’s problem was the African massage – hated by many, loved by none, and feared by all. It follows you everywhere, into the savanna and through the towns, these bumpy “roads” that would turn buttermilk to butter. We drove through it all today toward the small hamlet (it was a village but I like that word) of Karatu and our lodge, both standing at the foot of the NgoroNgoro. And as I’ve said before, while driving through what might be considered the “country” I have become accustomed to a few sights. These of course include the selling of samosas and baked goods in glass covered by heated condensation, the huddles of aged men around homemade boards for playing checkers, and the sprawling fields of newly introduced corn.
We later arrived and settled into the lodge as well as our into our customary juice, were served dinner, and later prepared to enter the Endoro conservation area for a hike! There we met with rangers, one acting as our guide (Jakob? Jacob. I dont know), and the others as our security – carrying assault rifles and warning of lonely cape buffalo (they would see a tree stump and let us know “Good spot to hide”). After more introductions and of course the obligatory, additional warning about cape buffalo, we entered the trail intending to survey the elephant caves and experience the power of the Endoro waterfall. And immediately after turning onto the trailhead there were signs of life, retelling a story piece-meal of the the animals which had come through and the behaviors which they had exhibited. Here was a snapped acacia in search of sweet fruits, trees covered in mud from a recent wallow – sign of elephants. In another instance Jakob (Jacob? I don’t know) our guide stopped the convoy, lifted his nose to the air, and sniffed. “Do you smell that?” Yes I did! I thought it was adventure; however, you may be surprised that that was not the case. It was not adventure, no, instead it was the scent of a female leopard in heat, within 300m of us. I know you are wondering and so I will indulge you dear reader (My family and Ruby and Ruby’s parents) it smelt like corn tortillas (Apparently the same smell as adventure!).
We kept walking, we kept sniffing for corn tortillas, were warned of the threat of buffalo, and stopped occasionally at the sight of large white slugs and caravanning Safari ants among many other things.
But perhaps my favorite part was bounding a corner to see such a staggeringly large creature like an elephant (it was an elephant, several of them), on its knees, headfirst into the side of a dirt hill like it was having some cereal on a sunday morning – just eatin dirt. Another example might be your dog after it comes inside on a hot day and just goes crazy on the water bowl, that’s what it was doing. Of course its because the soil has a high number of nutrients, including precious salts and electrolytes such as potassium which they do not receive from their herbivory diet. And even the baby got in on the action, because yes, in fact, there was a baby elephant and yes, in fact, it was very cute. There it was, filling up the hole entirely and splayed out on its belly, later trying to drunkenly walk down the hill and falling flat more than once after such soil eatin inebriation. And now some abbreviated elephant facts for those at home: the babies hold onto the tails of their mothers, are unable to properly use their trunks until about the age of two, and elephants almost blindly follow the command of the “big mama” which is why they have dug this hole into the side of the hill. They just saw what the matriarch was doing and went for it!
And shortly after that experience which was genuinely so wonderful we came to the waterfall, watching as thousands and thousands of gallons slipped over the edge to be buried in the lush forests deep below. The mist would strike your face, the wind lifted leaf litter high above and away, and small birds swooped across the hazy air. There were bush banana plants with bigger leaves than the spans of many men, unidentified creatures and swollen nests of insects. White bodied slugs and signs of behavior, each carrying with it an unbelievable fact, a story, a myth, or a truth.
Being in a place like this reminds you of why it is such a pleasure to learn rather than to know, to experience rather than merely understand. I will certaintly remember much more about elephants after seeing them literally eat dirt, and I will more fondly think of leopards after smelling corn tortillas. In all, I feel that learning is more than just information but rather an experience. That is what makes it so much fun and entirely engaging, that is why Africa is such a wonderful place. Where else could I experience these things?
And unfortunately it seems we have had no luck with the primates as of yet. We expected to see vervet monkeys, blue ones and baboons, but did not see one. My guess is they were just foraging or living farther off trail, although we did find the presence of baboon scat – I have never been more excited to see poop in my life! They are near… very near… the smell of adventure wafts into my nostrils once more.
Pray for the tummies of the elephants, and lets hope we never see a lonely cape buffalo.
Godspeed,
Mr. Kamden
