Steppes In Africa; A Disney-inspired Safari-X is for: Xfer to Zanzibar & Y is for: Yes, I Finally Rested on this Trip! (11/9)

[buzzrelly]

How could this scene be described as anything but Heaven on Earth?!


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It can't! Literally so beautiful

Another morning treat was this mother and baby giraffe pair appearing to “play”.

Awwww...I love them

I was just drinking from my mug of warm delicousness, minding my own, when all of a sudden, I decided to nearly drown myself with a sip. It was one of those fantastic, explosive chokings in which the entire contents of your mouth come vomiting out in a volcano of spray. I then proceeded to sputter for a full 3 or 4 minutes before I could even say “excuse me!”. It was so embarrassing and I’m sure the next camp over was about to send a rescue squad it was so loud. I did recover, but that was a close one!


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Oh my gosh! So sorry but I'm cracking up! . So glad you lived to tell the tale!

On arriving, we first spotted a pair of female lions resting in separate trees, awake and watching.


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Just incredible!

This was absolutely hands-down one of the most fascinating scenarios I’ve ever seen and definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

That is so cool, and most of us will never get to experience that!

From the looks of it, it had narrowly escaped a run-in with a predator, and I was astonished it hadn’t already succumbed to infection. Yikes!

Yikes is right! I was confused looking at the other zebras at first, then I got to him! Ouch!

We turned towards camp under the thick of dusk when Hashim negotiated the truck to give a glorious view the full moon hung beautifully in the sky amongst wispy clouds. He and Sawaume were very patient as I fiddled with my camera settings for many minutes. More importantly, we took time to admire this exquisite display of Creation, content to call this a most successful day!


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Oh that moon

 

[Wood Nymph]

I love the elegance of the Great Crowned Cranes and the cute face of the mongoose.

It was now squarely dusk, a time when other, rarer, animals exchange slumber for prowling. Tanzania has 10 species of feline, but the African Wildcat is perhaps the most difficult to spot.

Where do the felines hide during the day?

And yes, I ate the Ugali and Stew with my hands as you are supposed to. It tastes better that way.

The food looks delicious, as usual. I think that I would want a spoon.

 

[Steppesister]

How lovely!

All of these little pop-up picnics they set up were just so lovely. Elegant in such a natural way.

Wow they captured the likeness pretty well. I can actually hear Rowan Atkinson lol!

HA, now I need to watch it again!!

What a shame. When I was a kid living on acreage we saw a couple of large lizards like that (probably not quite as big - I've just googled 'racehorse goanna' and apparently they only reach about 5ft). They are really beautiful creatures.

Such fascinating creatures!! The largest goanna we saw on KI were about 3 ft long. But I'm sure they can get MUCH larger than that!

That is an epic photo.

It's a Hippo Stink Eye!

Always nice to get photos, but the main thing is that you saw it

Exactly!! And I really didn't think I'd have even the slightest chance of seeing one of the smaller cat species at all. Such a lucky find!

What a shame. I like your idea to somehow utilise the remaining earring in a display.

At least it'll be a nice reminder of such a great time that visit to the little market was!

 

[Steppesister]

Awwww...I love them

Such a tiny little tot!

Oh my gosh! So sorry but I'm cracking up! . So glad you lived to tell the tale!

Oh, trust me, it's funny now. It was even funny then once I was done sputtering. LOL!

That is so cool, and most of us will never get to experience that!

You'd have to go a long way to see that, but oh is it worth it!

Yikes is right! I was confused looking at the other zebras at first, then I got to him! Ouch!

That wound was crazy! Surely, its days were numbered.

Oh that moon

Romantic, no?

 

[Steppesister]

I love the elegance of the Great Crowned Cranes and the cute face of the mongoose.

I will always see them with such fond memory at WDW now. I'm super glad they've included these in the AK(L) animals!

Where do the felines hide during the day?

That's a great question! I honestly don't know except my best guess is maybe in small holes, or hollows of trees or under fallen brush. I think though that the Wildcats are actually very easily habituated to human presence so it wouldn't surprise me that this one hangs out near camp at times. (We found him very near to camp.)

The food looks delicious, as usual. I think that I would want spoon.

Oh we did have cutlery and I did use it for the other stuff. But it was fun to channel my inner African and do like they do with some things.

 

[pkondz]

the staff had set up a little table under the shade of a nearby tree facing the savannah

Very nice. Food looks amazing… again.

Dreamy, no?

Once again, this was a very bird-heavy drive

I’m shocked!
Were the others with you also birders?

The Great Crowned Cranes NEVER got old!

So beautiful.

RED-BILLED HORNBILL!! I FOUND ZAZU!!!

Did he start singing “It’s a small world”?

Hamerkop- the dinosaur of birds

How weird looking!

The first was a sweet little skink. Wouldn’t you like to take him home as a pet?

Yep!

Nile Monitor, easily 6 feet long stem to stern

Such a shame to see such a formidable specimen of its kind now subject to a menagerie of scavengers ready for a meal.

Circle of life… believe you witnessed that earlier in the day.

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Awwww

Notice I said, “next to”; I mean I was able to get something.

Pictures or it didn’t happen.

He and Sawaume were very patient as I fiddled with my camera settings for many minutes.

Nice shots.

she took some time to explain that tonight we’d be enjoying a very authentic meal of traditional Tanzanian fare.

Super nice of her/them.

Holy cow!!!

Indeed!!

And yes, I ate the Ugali and Stew with my hands as you are supposed to. It tastes better that way.

I’ll take your word on that. I’d have no idea.

Sadly, in my packing I noticed I'd lost an earring that I’d bought in the little market near Lake Manyara.

Thats too bad.

 

[Steppesister]

X is for: Xfer to Zanzibar
May 13, 2025​

The day would start early and be a fairly tedious one; travel days always are.

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been able to put another chapter up here, but perhaps you might recall that the camp I was in at this point was very near the village of Kirawira and the Grumeti Airstrip…. not anywhere near the Seronera Airstrip 3 hours away. But that’s exactly where I was headed this morning at 6:00AM. Why?! I honestly didn’t have any gripes about this trip, even remotely. Everything up til now was perfectly amazing in every way, but why the company hadn’t re-booked me out of Grumeti was beyond me. Perhaps the flights were full. Perhaps the times didn’t line up with my connecting flight out of Arusha, but it seemed to make a lot more sense to not have the driver and guide spend 6+ hours driving me all the way back to Seronera and then back. When I had my de-briefing call with Andrew, my trip liaison, there was no explanation given but he did say that indeed that would have been much better and he would take it back to the team to look at.

The sunrise made the early morning not quite as painful

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My flight from Seronera to Arusha via Lake Manyara and Kilimanjaro was scheduled for around 10:30 and the 3-hour drive would get me there in plenty of time for checking in and all. A beautiful breakfast was packed for us which included a “Chaffle”, some yogurt, juice and a piece of fruit from what I recall. Chaffles are basically George Foreman panini-style sammies with ham and cheese, but these are extra amazing because they are cooked in an iron over an open fire. Yum!!

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Before the truck left I had a cup of coffee and some small bites of homemade granola bar and other goodies that had been set up by the fire and were a perfect way to start the day. The truck actually left a few minutes later than Hashim wanted to because one of the tires developed a flat overnight. That had to be changed and a new spare one mounted in its place before we could leave.

The roads were very wet and rutted along the way as it had rained pretty heavily during the night. There was really no time for any game sighting stops, but along the way we did spot the following: Slender Mongoose, Zebra, Buffalo, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Topi, Impala, Lion, Warthog, Zebra, Marabou Stork, Secretary Bird, Lilac Rollers, Guinea Fowl, Francolins, Black-backed Kite, Hamerkop, Elephant, Brown/Meyer’s Parrots, and Wooly-necked Stork. Here is the one photo I got during the entirety of the drive:

(Wooly-necked Stork)​

The impeccable concierge service lasted right up until the minute I boarded the Cessna. Hashim and Sowaume made sure to see me actually ON the plane before they left. I guess I was a bit grumpy that morning because here was another thing that sorta chapped my hide: Before the trip, my tour company gave me very strict instructions and rules about the type of luggage the bush planes would allow. There were hard and fast size and dimension limits, instructions about wheels, etc... and I was very careful to follow them to a "T". I went out and spent a couple hundred bucks on a new duffel bag to keep within the allowed specs only to show up at the airport to see this:

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What the actual HECK!?!?

Anyway, the airstrip was very lowkey and even had some interesting art and information to look at. I bought a little pin for my pin board of the Tanzanian flag for a couple of bucks and waited for my flight to board.

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As we flew over the vast Serengeti one last time, I was able to spot enormous herds of animals that looked like ants swarming below. I was sad to be leaving the plains of East Africa and definitely left a piece of my heart there.

Lake Manyara was still flooded:



Back to Arusha area:

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I arrived in Arusha at 12:40 and actually had a bit of a stressful time getting through security there. Nothing bad happened, it just seemed a little chaotic and I was glad to get finally settled at one of the little airport “cafes” past security. I ordered a latte and took some time to leisurely enjoy the packed lunch that Usawa had packed for me: A little wrap with beef and carrots, chips, fresh fruit, a cookie, and a juice box. I also spent a few minutes browsing in the several gift shops that had souvenirs. Up to then, I hadn’t bought a Massai Necklace and I really still wanted one. The prices were not unusually high and I was fine with what they were charging, but unfortunately, they didn’t have the style or colors I was really looking for. I wanted one with some longer strands that hang off the bottom but not a single seller had one like that. I ended up with this one and am fine with it. If I ever get back to Africa, I will look again and not delay my purchase as I’m so oft in the habit of doing. In hindsight, I should have bought one at the Massai Village on my first day in the Lake Manyara area.

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And then it was time to be off to Zanzibar- a completely different experience in every way possible as you’ll see. The landscape changed below me as the flight went on, from flat, earth-colored hues to the tropical, hilly kind of coastal E. Africa. We approached the shoreline, and the outline of the island came into view. It was surrounded by azure waters and dotted with traditional fishing boats alongside massive freighters. Stonetown, the island’s capital, hove into view- a tangle of densely packed shanties with a mix of rust-colored and blue metal roofs. The thatch and dirt roads of the savannah were replaced with a web of narrow, pot-holed roads and alleys.

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I landed at 5:00 and I was out of the parking lot with my rental car by 5:30.

A word of caution: I’ve never experienced this before but your rental in Tanzania will come with only JUST enough fuel to get to the closest gas station. I’m certain that tourists fill the tank full but don’t use it all by the time they return it. It is then drained off and used by whoever can get it and the cycle repeats itself endlessly. On top of that, they will charge you about a gazillion bucks in exchange fees for using either dollars or your debit card at gas stations, so best to have some local cash on hand at that point. I didn’t. Lesson learned. I can tell you this, when I returned the car, I was incensed enough that I was sorely tempted to leave the car running in the airport lot just to burn off the extra fuel. Or sell it as I could. I dunno, maybe it’s petty, but it really irked me that this goes on.

The car was pretty much a crap-mobile. It was very difficult to see out of and the trunk would barely latch shut. But it got the job done at getting from Point A to Point B. What really made that job tough was the fact that Google Maps was perfectly useless in its directions to the hotel which was on the exact opposite end of the island from Stonetown. Basically, it was a 2 ½-hour drive in Hell with constant re-routings and Google telling me to turn when there was absolutely NO road to turn on. Here’s an example of the shenanigans that are a regular part of traffic in Stonetown:

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Once out of the urban glut of Stonetown, navigating the dark, unlit narrow roads of the villages was even more stressful! There were pedestrians all over the place and it was tough to see them until they were basically run over. By the time I arrived The Zanzibar Queen Hotel, I was an absolute nervous wreck and more than ready to go straight to bed at 8:00. Driving around Zanzibar is NOT for the weak; I don’t recommend it.


Next up: Day 1 of 4 on the Island of Zanzibar…

 

[Steppesister]

Very nice. Food looks amazing… again.

It was!!! But just wait.... my favorite meal of the WHOLE trip is coming up soon....

I’m shocked!
Were the others with you also birders?

They seemed enthusiastic.

Did he start singing “It’s a small world”?

Faintly, yes. And in Swahili, no less.

Pictures or it didn’t happen.

I delivered. I mean, sure, it was a crappy shot on the fly, but it IS there.

Super nice of her/them.

Very! I think all the guests really enjoyed it too, besides myself. It was a very special meal.

 

[zanzibar138]

When I had my de-briefing call with Andrew, my trip liaison, there was no explanation given but he did say that indeed that would have been much better and he would take it back to the team to look at.

Doesn't make any sense to me, but maybe Andrew will find the reason for it. I'm just impressed that you had a debrief call!

Chaffles are basically George Foreman panini-style sammies with ham and cheese, but these are extra amazing because they are cooked in an iron over an open fire. Yum!!

Amazing!

There was really no time for any game sighting stops, but along the way we did spot the following

Would have been wonderful to see all those animals anyway on your final drive. When I was in Africa, our final drive was basically just along the main highway to the airport so we didn't see anything.

I went out and spent a couple hundred bucks on a new duffel bag to keep within the allowed specs only to show up at the airport to see this

As a fellow rule-follower, I also find this intolerable.

Anyway, the airstrip was very lowkey and even had some interesting art and information to look at.

Love that zebra mural!

I was able to spot enormous herds of animals that looked like ants swarming below.

Wow they are so tiny!

If I ever get back to Africa, I will look again and not delay my purchase as I’m so oft in the habit of doing.

Been there. I don't seem to learn though. I should have bought a hoodie at one of our stops in Tassie (Stanley at The Nut), but didn't and then never saw anything else I liked. Then on our road trip through the US I was planning to buy a hoodie at Death Valley, so I didn't buy one of the nice ones we saw near Trona along the way, but then they didn't have any at Death Valley. And then at WDW I nearly missed out on the Fantasia hoodie I was eyeing off because I left it until the last day to purchase and they were running out of stock! Hopefully we will both remember next time!

And then it was time to be off to Zanzibar- a completely different experience in every way possible as you’ll see.

Yep, looks super different, and not really my cup of tea so far! I assume you experienced some much nicer areas than that though

I’ve never experienced this before but your rental in Tanzania will come with only JUST enough fuel to get to the closest gas station.

Dodgy as. I'm pretty impressed that you felt comfortable enough to hire a car and drive yourself. I definitely would not!

Basically, it was a 2 ½-hour drive in Hell with constant re-routings and Google telling me to turn when there was absolutely NO road to turn on.

Yeah, this isn't changing my mind about renting a car

By the time I arrived The Zanzibar Queen Hotel, I was an absolute nervous wreck and more than ready to go straight to bed at 8:00

I hope you had a warm welcome with a lovely welcome drink!

 

[Wood Nymph]

What the actual HECK!?!?

My sister had to buy new luggage for her safari trip, too. She was told that she could bring a second, larger bag that they would hold for her while she was on one of the legs of the trip. I told her that I wouldn't leave any bag behind. You might never get it back again.

She is on her trip now, so it will be interesting to hear her experience with luggage.

By the time I arrived The Zanzibar Queen Hotel, I was an absolute nervous wreck and more than ready to go straight to bed at 8:00. Driving around Zanzibar is NOT for the weak; I don’t recommend it.

I was surprised that you had to rent a car at all! It all sounds like a nightmare.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I would've been very annoyed at the early wake up and drive when a closer option was available! Also SUPER annoyed at having bought new luggage only to find that what you owned would have been fine. Ugh.

Love the necklace you chose even though it wasn't exactly what you wanted. It's a beautiful piece.

You are brave for even attempting to drive there! yikes!! Just out of curiosity, if you hadn't rented a car, what would your options have been for getting to your hotel? I'm assuming Uber is not a choice!

 

[pkondz]

The day would start early and be a fairly tedious one; travel days always are.

Hmmm...
I find that travel days at the start of the vacation might be tiring, but not tedious. More... exciting?
Later on, or at the end...

Yeah.

When I had my de-briefing call with Andrew, my trip liaison, there was no explanation given but he did say that indeed that would have been much better and he would take it back to the team to look at.

Odd that he hadn't thought of it on his own.
Perhaps the reasons you listed did happen, though.

Beautiful! And so different.

included a “Chaffle”, some yogurt, juice and a piece of fruit from what I recall.

When I first read this, I thought a Chaffle was the yogurt, juice and fruit.

I've seen similar! You can get them at camping stores or online. Like this:

The truck actually left a few minutes later than Hashim wanted to because one of the tires developed a flat overnight. That had to be changed and a new spare one mounted in its place before we could leave.

Better than getting a flat enroute.
1. Might be delayed enough to miss your flight.
And 2...

The roads were very wet and rutted along the way as it had rained pretty heavily during the night.

2... Might have been wayyyy more messy!
Flat tire in a deep puddle would not be pleasant.

along the way we did spot the following: Slender Mongoose, Zebra, Buffalo, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Topi, Impala, Lion, Warthog, Zebra, Marabou Stork, Secretary Bird, Lilac Rollers, Guinea Fowl, Francolins, Black-backed Kite, Hamerkop, Elephant, Brown/Meyer’s Parrots, and Wooly-necked Stork.

Holy cow! (note... you didn't say you saw one of those.)
I am shocked that you saw all of that just on the drive to the airport, vs actively seeking them out.

I went out and spent a couple hundred bucks on a new duffel bag to keep within the allowed specs only to show up at the airport to see this:

At first I thought "Guess you didn't need to buy a new bag." But then I thought... maybe the people handling the bags are cursing the people with suitcases under their breath. Or... if you hadn't followed the rules, someone (possibly you) might have had their bag left behind due lack of space. There's only so much room on a plane. I'm betting if there'd been too many large bags, yours would be one that would not be bumped.

I can't tell... is that clay? Or thread? Or...?

Really do look like ants... and so many!

Nothing bad happened, it just seemed a little chaotic and I was glad to get finally settled at one of the little airport “cafes” past security.

chaotic how?

took some time to leisurely enjoy the packed lunch that Usawa had packed for me: A little wrap with beef and carrots, chips, fresh fruit, a cookie, and a juice box.

I'm impressed. They sent you with a breakfast... and provided lunch, even though you were no longer under their care.

Up to then, I hadn’t bought a Massai Necklace and I really still wanted one. The prices were not unusually high and I was fine with what they were charging, but unfortunately, they didn’t have the style or colors I was really looking for.

I do the same... but I usually find that by not buying something, I often come to the conclusion that I really didn't need it in the first place.

And then it was time to be off to Zanzibar- a completely different experience in every way possible as you’ll see.

Dense!

A word of caution: I’ve never experienced this before but your rental in Tanzania will come with only JUST enough fuel to get to the closest gas station. I’m certain that tourists fill the tank full but don’t use it all by the time they return it. It is then drained off and used by whoever can get it and the cycle repeats itself endlessly.

I have two thoughts on this. My initial reaction was "What?!?!?!?" I've rented cars in several countries and the worst I've had is a tank that was 3/4 full and told to fill it back up to there (which you really can't.)
But after thinking about it... I suspect that there's more poverty there (and I'm basing that solely on the video and a couple comments you made... and could be wrong.) So leaving the car with more gas than you started with costs you a bit of money that you'll never miss... but might make a significant difference to the people you rented the car from.

I dunno, maybe it’s petty, but it really irked me that this goes on.

I can see that.

The car was pretty much a crap-mobile. It was very difficult to see out of and the trunk would barely latch shut.

I don't suppose you know what kind of car it was?

Google Maps was perfectly useless in its directions to the hotel which was on the exact opposite end of the island from Stonetown.

Basically, it was a 2 ½-hour drive in Hell with constant re-routings and Google telling me to turn when there was absolutely NO road to turn on.

Oh, geez. That does not sound like fun... at all.

Here’s an example of the shenanigans that are a regular part of traffic in Stonetown:

I thought it was a one-way street and the truck was going the wrong way... but then figured out it was left-hand driving. But the vehicle to your right, threw me.

Once out of the urban glut of Stonetown, navigating the dark, unlit narrow roads of the villages was even more stressful!

More stressful?!?!?

Driving around Zanzibar is NOT for the weak; I don’t recommend it.

Noted! Not that I expect to get to Zanzibar any time soon.

It was!!! But just wait.... my favorite meal of the WHOLE trip is coming up soon....

ooohhh...

They seemed enthusiastic.

Every time Steppesister raised her camera to her eyes, theirs would roll.

Faintly, yes. And in Swahili, no less.

I delivered. I mean, sure, it was a crappy shot on the fly, but it IS there.

Oh, fine.

 

[irene_dsc]

Well, that sounded like an inordinately stressful travel day for a day that nothing actually really went wrong! Besides the flat tire, I guess - but no delayed flights or major snafus - just lots of annoyances baked into the plan.

 

[Steppesister]

Y is for: Yes, I Finally Rested on this Trip!
May 14, 2025- Pt. 1​

As you may recall, my nerves were nearly shot in getting to this resort on the extreme northeastern corner of the island of Zanzibar. Was it worth it? Well, it a pedestrian had been hit in the getting there, and I was rotting in a Tanzanian jail cell, likely not. But no people were harmed in the travel and in hindsight, I’m exceptionally happy I’d built in this day as one entirely made for resting. No early wake-ups, no solid, set-in-stone plan, no destination I couldn’t live without. It was absolute bliss, so come with me now and I’ll show you around the Zanzibar Queen Hotel and its vicinity!

Here is a map to guide you there… (oh, and that 1 hr and 4 minutes? That’s a load of manure. It took me 2 ½)

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I’d taken a few photos of the room quickly before hopping in bed, but it seemed like they’d fit into this chapter better. It was quite spacious, clean, bright, and well-decorated. I really liked it and was very comfortable during my stay here.

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My favorite part was the balcony and it came in handy for people and storm watching several times….

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For the first time in forever, I got up at 9:00 and made my way to the dining room/restaurant. Most of the time it’s configured as an open-air covered area like most establishments I’ve seen in tropical areas around the world. I adore eating in these al fresco places, especially when the air is warm and there is a light breeze, but equally love them during a good tropical thunderstorm. I chose a table near the edge where I could have a perfect view of the azure waters nearby. It was a picture of paradise as I sipped my first cup of delicious hot coffee.

(The bar adjacent to the dining room)





(I took some video of the full buffet the next day, so stay tuned)​

An ample buffet was set up and I helped myself to a good portion and variety of goodies. Mind you, when I’m in Asia, I do not eat an American breakfast. I can get that 365 days a year if I want, but I’d be hard-pressed to find things more local to where I’m at. Nevertheless, I did on this day, choose a mash up of both cuisines. I mean it really did all look so wonderful and tasted every bit as good too. The topping on the waffle was a really nice tropical fruit jam of sorts.

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I definitely didn’t rush and took some time to snap some photos of the lovely grounds. There was a playground for the kiddos, a sandy area for bocce, badminton, or cornhole, and even some small covered areas with swings and cushy chair and table sets to find quiet.

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The reception area was clean and classy, again with the open-air concept and some nice mural art. There was the posted menu and drink specials of the day, a really nice, but small gift shop, and a whole bunch of tour brochures and information on how to book any myriad of outings through the hotel’s guides.

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I found myself on the beach and was immediately approached by several men who had bags of souvenirs they had for sale. At first, I thought the two that hung on longest were escorts from the hotel, but soon realized that they were beach hawkers and ended up being quite annoying fairly quickly.

(He called himself "Simba" but I am skeptical that he was really Massai at all.)


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I knew there was a village nearby and thought I’d strike out to see what I could see beyond the gates of the hotel property. I headed generally to the right which wasn’t where I wanted to be heading in the end which made for a bit of a hot and boring sort of walk. There wasn’t anything to see really other than the treacherous road I’d turned down the night before. I remember thinking to myself, “Surely this can’t be right! This isn’t even a road!”.

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By the time I got back to the hotel I was hot and uncomfortable and was ready for a dip in the pool and a cold adult bevvie to sip on. Drinks were very good and reasonably priced and it was nice that there was a server who came around to take your order.

(View from the pool)​

There were probably 10 or so other guests lounging and I had to roll my eyes a little. One couple had a little girl who was in a floatie who only seemed to want to swim and splash about 2 feet from other folks in the pool. Like, you have an ENTIRE pool to paddle around it, why next to me!?! The parents were either completely oblivious or didn’t give 2 flips. I got out and plopped myself in a chaise and wondered what this fruit thingy was. Google tells me it’s a Pandanus Fruit. Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of this… no one? Yeah, thought so. They are edible by the way.

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From Wiki (skip if not interested in tropical botany):

The fruit is edible. Some varieties and cultivars contain significant amounts of calcium oxalate, and thus need thorough cooking before being consumed.[26] Other cultivars contain very little to no calcium oxalate and can be eaten raw. It is an important food source in the atolls of Micronesia and Polynesia, with the fruit commonly eaten raw or turned into a dried paste (such as mokwan in the Marshall Islands or te tuae in Kiribati)[27] or flour.[28] It is also one of the traditional foods of Maldivian cuisine.[29] The fibrous nature of the fruit also serves as a natural dental floss.[<em>citation needed</em>] It is also used in Samoan culture as a ula fala, a necklace made out of the dried fruit painted in red and worn by the matai during special occasions and functions.[30]

Now you know.

There was a busy colony of Weavers who chose a poolside short palm to build an condo-plex in. Clearly, they're doing well in the real-estate market:

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The birds weren't the only ones building that day. The hotel was constructing another building of guest rooms and a crew was busy on the roofing:

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With nothing by my own mind’s whimsy to guide my day, I opted for another walk on the beach. And why not? The cattle were still there and it appears it was lunch time for both man and beast.

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The local women were out gathering something from the sea or beach. I don't know what but it made for a wonderfully colorful photo!

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This local took advantage of the “meals on wheels”, grabbing his food and looking towards the with likely the same thoughts of the impending tempest about to unleash itself.

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The bright blue waters against the dramatic purple sky made for a striking, foreboding scene. I could see the wall of rain moving in quickly and decided to make a hasty exit in the direction of my room and literally made it just in time with not even one minute to spare.

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And wow did it ever pour! The squall was pretty strong and I took some video from my wonderful balcony before settling into bed for a 2-hour nap. And why not? This was my day for resting. I’ll leave off here and pick it up next time with another walk but a far more interesting one and end with the best meal of the whole trip.

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[Steppesister]

So sorry for the really late replies!!! I finally got my new laptop on Thursday and have been scrambling to get it all up and running. Getting apps and software loaded ain't easy!!! It'd been so long since I'd had to sign in to my Microsoft I didn't have a password anywhere. Just ugh. Some things still problematic, but I'll get there!

Doesn't make any sense to me, but maybe Andrew will find the reason for it. I'm just impressed that you had a debrief call!

Yes, and it was very good too. I would 1,000% use that company again!

Would have been wonderful to see all those animals anyway on your final drive. When I was in Africa, our final drive was basically just along the main highway to the airport so we didn't see anything.

I guess that was the ONE advantage of being so rural and having to drive all that long way back to Seronera.

As a fellow rule-follower, I also find this intolerable.

It smacked of entitlement and rules are only for "some". Really irked me.

Love that zebra mural!

It was very impressive!

Been there. I don't seem to learn though. I should have bought a hoodie at one of our stops in Tassie (Stanley at The Nut), but didn't and then never saw anything else I liked. Then on our road trip through the US I was planning to buy a hoodie at Death Valley, so I didn't buy one of the nice ones we saw near Trona along the way, but then they didn't have any at Death Valley. And then at WDW I nearly missed out on the Fantasia hoodie I was eyeing off because I left it until the last day to purchase and they were running out of stock! Hopefully we will both remember next time!

YES!!!! Some lessons are tougher! WHY?! I'm kicking myself for not buying a particular halter-style top from the Riviera when we had breakfast there.

Yep, looks super different, and not really my cup of tea so far! I assume you experienced some much nicer areas than that though

Oh for sure!! Stonetown is a one-and-done and I definitely saw TONS of other wonderful places on the island, but you gotta get OUT of the city.

Dodgy as. I'm pretty impressed that you felt comfortable enough to hire a car and drive yourself. I definitely would not!

In hindsight I still think I would have. Just with adjusted mindset and expectations. I wanted the freedom to explore the island and saw things I don't think I would have without the car.

I hope you had a warm welcome with a lovely welcome drink!

Nope. Well, warm welcome yes, but no drink.

 

[Steppesister]

My sister had to buy new luggage for her safari trip, too. She was told that she could bring a second, larger bag that they would hold for her while she was on one of the legs of the trip. I told her that I wouldn't leave any bag behind. You might never get it back again.

She is on her trip now, so it will be interesting to hear her experience with luggage.

I agree, I don't think I'd be comfy leaving my stuff behind. Too many logistical changes and itinerary mash-ups that aren't anticipated.

Let me know what she ends up experiencing!

I was surprised that you had to rent a car at all! It all sounds like a nightmare.

I suppose I didn't HAVE to, but sure gave me the freedom to explore on my own terms. Otherwise, it'd been a lot of extra money for a private driver for my many excursions.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I’m exceptionally happy I’d built in this day as one entirely made for resting.

It looks like a really nice hotel, too.

Most of the time it’s configured as an open-air covered area like most establishments I’ve seen in tropical areas around the world. I adore eating in these al fresco places, especially when the air is warm and there is a light breeze, but equally love them during a good tropical thunderstorm.

The open-air dining was one of our favorite things about Hawaii.

Google tells me it’s a Pandanus Fruit. Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of this… no one? Yeah, thought so. They are edible by the way.

I've heard that name but knew nothing about it. It sounds like a very versatile fruit.

The cattle were still there and it appears it was lunch time for both man and beast.

Why are the cattle on the beach when there is nothing for them to eat or drink there?

The squall was pretty strong and I took some video from my wonderful balcony before settling into bed for a 2-hour nap. And why not? This was my day for resting.

The sound of rain can be very relaxing when you are safe and warm.

 

[Steppesister]

I would've been very annoyed at the early wake up and drive when a closer option was available! Also SUPER annoyed at having bought new luggage only to find that what you owned would have been fine. Ugh.

Love the necklace you chose even though it wasn't exactly what you wanted. It's a beautiful piece.

You are brave for even attempting to drive there! yikes!! Just out of curiosity, if you hadn't rented a car, what would your options have been for getting to your hotel? I'm assuming Uber is not a choice!

Yeah, I can’t lie. I was a little annoyed that an unnecessary 3-hour drive had to be done. I could’ve easily use that time to sleep in a little bit and then enjoy a nice leisurely coffee over a nice long breakfast.

One of these days I’ll actually get my travel displays up! Lol!

I guess the other option would have been to either hire a private driver at my disposal for the four days I was there, or just book tour excursions to where I wanted to go. But I did the math and it was just cheaper to get the car for those days. It was definitely more stressful in some ways, but had the freedom to tour on my own terms that way.

 

[Steppesister]

Hmmm...
I find that travel days at the start of the vacation might be tiring, but not tedious. More... exciting?
Later on, or at the end...

Yeah.

Exactly this. The start, at least for me, often involves LONG-hauls which are impossible to sleep on and early wake ups making for long stretches of no sleep. By the end, you're right... just almost annoying. No more adrenaline.

Odd that he hadn't thought of it on his own.
Perhaps the reasons you listed did happen, though.

If that was one of the very few annoyances I had, I'd say it was a resoundingly successful trip! I need to go back!

Beautiful! And so different.

I never, ever got tired of the sunsets or sunrises.

When I first read this, I thought a Chaffle was the yogurt, juice and fruit.

And that would have been just as good a guess as I'd have made.

I've seen similar! You can get them at camping stores or online. Like this:

There ya go!!! This one doesn't look like it was made over a fire though?

Better than getting a flat enroute.
1. Might be delayed enough to miss your flight.

Which would have been horrible!

2... Might have been wayyyy more messy!
Flat tire in a deep puddle would not be pleasant.

Absolutely! I watched countless Vlogs on trips into the Serengeti and loads of them had flats or were stuck in mud. They simply had to wait for another truck to come along for a tow. But the radios they use are good for very long -range and they were talking with other guides and their camps quite a lot.

Holy cow! (note... you didn't say you saw one of those.)
I am shocked that you saw all of that just on the drive to the airport, vs actively seeking them out.

Loads! I mean, the animals are EVERYwhere!!

At first I thought "Guess you didn't need to buy a new bag." But then I thought... maybe the people handling the bags are cursing the people with suitcases under their breath. Or... if you hadn't followed the rules, someone (possibly you) might have had their bag left behind due lack of space. There's only so much room on a plane. I'm betting if there'd been too many large bags, yours would be one that would not be bumped.

My luck? Yeah, mine had been booted. I was told that the cargo holds have YxY dimensions and that's it. If it doesn't fit, sucks to be you.

I can't tell... is that clay? Or thread? Or...?

I think it was sculpted plaster maybe? Then painted? I really liked it.

Really do look like ants... and so many!

I think wherever I was just out of range of the Great Migration herds. I saw plenty, but not the massive herds of thousands and thousands all in one place at a time. Which might be good as the crowds follow that as well.

chaotic how?

It just was always unclear which line to stand in, when and where to go through the security check, my porter didn't speak English and hand gestures only go so far. I lost my tip money for him

I'm impressed. They sent you with a breakfast... and provided lunch, even though you were no longer under their care.

That's the level of service I had throughout the WHOLE trip. Impeccble!

I do the same... but I usually find that by not buying something, I often come to the conclusion that I really didn't need it in the first place.

Sometimes, most of the time, that is true. And to be fair, at heart, I truly am a minimalist. Heck, I've lived very comfortably in a 5th wheel for extended periods of time.

I have two thoughts on this. My initial reaction was "What?!?!?!?" I've rented cars in several countries and the worst I've had is a tank that was 3/4 full and told to fill it back up to there (which you really can't.)
But after thinking about it... I suspect that there's more poverty there (and I'm basing that solely on the video and a couple comments you made... and could be wrong.) So leaving the car with more gas than you started with costs you a bit of money that you'll never miss... but might make a significant difference to the people you rented the car from.

Which is true too. BUT, would have been nice to be stated in the contract too.

Oh, geez. That does not sound like fun... at all.

Nope, not at all!

I thought it was a one-way street and the truck was going the wrong way... but then figured out it was left-hand driving. But the vehicle to your right, threw me.

Like I said... chaos.

More stressful?!?!?

Like, the peds would be walking on the sides of the roads in dark clothing IN the dark and appear out of nowhere. There are no sidewalks whatsoever. Added to the fact, that the roads are narrow with no stripes and the oncoming traffic WILL NOT budge, so there was a lot of brake slamming and last second swerving.

 

[Steppesister]

Well, that sounded like an inordinately stressful travel day for a day that nothing actually really went wrong! Besides the flat tire, I guess - but no delayed flights or major snafus - just lots of annoyances baked into the plan.

For sure! Just too much unknown, unexpected, and unsafe!