Tanzania &
Amsterdam
2008

This was a most exciting day. We left the USA with our 4 children and headed to Tanzania for an Africa Dreams Safari. The 3 families left from their respective home airports and we all met in Amsterdam to continue our trip together to Arusha, Tanzania. All our flights got in on time and we had enough time to eat a bite before we boarded our next flight. We were so excited we did not sleep well on the flight. We arrived late into Kilimanjaro International airport where we were met by our local guide. We were tired and very happy to see our name on that placard; it said Barrow Susan Party, very strange. With our luggage in hand we boarded our bus to Arumeru River Lodge. We were hungry and worried it was too late for a meal to be served. When we arrived they had food, drinks, and lots of information for us. The lodge was beautiful and the people so very nice. With overloaded brains and a full tummy we went to our rooms and crashed

We slept as late as possible in preparation of our big day. After a terrific breakfast with wonderful views of MT. Kilimanjaro, we were driven to the domestic airport at Arusha. We arrived at the airport and had time to look around and get more excited as we awaited our plane. Our little plane arrived and we loaded our bags and found our seats. Our plane was on time and by 8:30 we were in the air. Less than 30 minutes later we started seeing animals. They were so plentiful that we thought we might see the big 5 before we landed. The terrain was lovely also and cameras were snapping. We landed in the Serengeti on a grassy field and were met immediately by Reggie who was our guide and friend for the rest of the trip. We had a 4-wheel drive stretched diesel Land Rover that was specially outfitted to meet our every need. It had a canvas top that was rolled back so we could stand up to get better views. Reggie had a great welcoming personality and we knew from the start that this was going to be fun. We immediately headed out through lightly wooded terrain with narrow dirt paths. We saw lions, elephants, hippos, zebras, and monkeys. Reggie had boxed lunches for us so so we stopped under a tree that had a female lion resting in it. She was actively engaged in following some impala that were making their way to a watering hole. This was the closest I had ever been to a wild animal without a fence between us. After lunch we continued our drive and saw many more animals and even a male kori bustard strutting his stuff. We ended our day at Kirawira Tented Lodge near the Grumeti River. This place was fantastic. It is ranked as one of the prestigious "small luxury hotels of the world" and it was. After we checked in they showed us to our tent which was on stilts and had lovely mahogany paneling and a gorgeous bath. We had a 4-poster canopy bed and a fabulous porch and spectacular views.. Once settled we called for an escort to the pool. You are not allowed to roam about and must have an escort with a gun. We all enjoyed the beautiful pool and it was late before we headed to dinner. It was served outside and the food was gourmet. After sitting for a recap of the day we all headed back for a good night's sleep.

Up early because of jet lag and we met for a delicious breakfast. The birds were all around and making all kinds of noises and trying to steal a bite. We laughed and enjoyed talking about what was ahead today. Reggie came for us and we loaded the Land Rover and headed east into the western corridor into the central Serengeti following the Gremeti River. The western corridor is not often visited and remains unexplored and is abundant in wildlife. Our first encounter was with a herd of elephants and their babies. They were crossing the road and we just sat there and were amazed. I cannot even imagine how many pictures were taken. Then it was on to the Retina Hippo Pool where we saw Nile crocodiles and more hippos than a person could count. There were hippo babies wandering in and out of the pool and large hippos in the pool fighting with one another. There were elephants coming down for a drink and beautiful storks fishing in the pools. The road going in was inhabited by a large troop of baboons. We had a picnic lunch watching the activity. It is so strange to be able to get out and walk around with all these animals so very close. In the afternoon we explored the Seronera River Valley. We saw our first leopard here and he or she was in a tree with a female lion. How cool is that! Here we saw several lion prides and a male and his female who were being followed by another male lion. Reggie told us that after mating the male is often weakened and another male will try to move in. Late in the afternoon we traveled through the Maasai Kopjes to the Sametu Kopjes. Here we saw more lion and we even had one blocking our road. We saw ostrich, bat-eared fox, warthogs, and hartbeest. As we were making our way to Naabi Hill, our next tented camp, we came across an overturned pick-up truck. The people that were in the back had been thrown out and the driver had been stabbed through the chest with the steering column. All were in a terminal state. We stopped to try to help but it was too late. There are no ambulances or EMS in the Serengeti. We drove on with heavy hearts and arrived late into camp. Naabi Hill is a private luxury camp that is set up and taken down after a group leaves. There were 3 tents set up and the cooking tent when we arrived. It was just for us and it was terrific. Each tent had a king bed and dresser and a bathroom complete with shower (they brought hot water heated over the stove when you were ready to shower). The walls were canvas and the floor wood. We were so late getting in we ate a delicious meal and everyone was ready for bed. They brought hot water to wash up in and soon it was all quiet.

This morning we had a treat, we ate a picnic gourmet breakfast sitting under a tree watching male lions climb a tree just in front of us. Reggie showed us how to jump on the hood of the Rover and jump in the car if the lions started our way. We sat enjoying extra coffee and making many, many pictures. This was a sight none of us will ever forget. Reggie asked us what we wanted to see today and we said cheetahs and off we went. We found an area in Gol Kopjes where he had seen cheetah before. We drove around some before we saw 3 heads pop up. As we are photographing them the 2 babies took off after an African hare. They chased and chased but could not catch it. The mother who had been following them took off like lightening and caught the hare in no time. It was amazing, although Reggie said that the amount of effort it took her was more energy than the hare would replenish. We sat amazed at what we had seen and watched the threesome tear into the hare, mom first then little ones. We had our picnic near the kopjes and enjoyed eating and climbing trees for better views. It was good to stretch and relax. It is amazing how tense you get when you are constantly looking for animals, birds, and predators! We traveled away from the kopjes and into the plains. Reggie noticed the flies coming from a certain direction which tipped him off that the migration might be getting to that area. We drove in that direction and suddenly all we could see was a cloud of dust. We watch it approach and suddenly there were more wildebeest than I would have thought existed. We sat and watched as they thundered passed accompanied by zebras. There were lions watching from the sidelines looking out for young or weak animals. We spent the afternoon following the migration as they crossed valley and rivers. It was an awesome sight. We drove back to Naabi Hill and had time to appreciate the camp tonight. Having a camp just for your group is so special and we were pampered. We cleaned up and the people had started a campfire with canvas chairs around and served up champagne as we watched the sun go down. We had a gourmet meal followed by singing. The whole group sang a song to me for putting together the "Barrow Susan Safari". Whats up with this name??????? It was cool this evening and they put hot water bottles in our bed-how lovely!

This morning we awoke to find hot water in the basins outside our door. The guys shaved while talking to one another and then we walked to breakfast in the loveliest light. It was golden across the plains in front of our tent. We had a group picture made with all our new friends. This morning we drove in to a more wooded area and saw more giraffes and elephants. A highlight was lion cubs playing among some rocks. What great pictures we got. Later we saw female lions stalking some giraffe but we did not see them make a move on them. We came upon a herd of water buffaloes and Reggie drove into the midst of them They were so close but did not seem to even notice us. We stopped at a lake and watched a herd of zebras bathing. We had lunch on the hood of the Land Rover. Here we watched weaver birds making their nest.
After lunch we drove into the Moru Kopjes area and saw the black rhino. We felt so lucky to see these animals as they were once hunted to almost extinction. Reggie saw a cheetah running and we drove in that direction. We found a mother cheetah with a fresh antelope kill having her meal. Two cubs were near by but mom would growl and snarl if they got too close. We sat and watched the progression, when mom finished the babies ate and before they finished the vultures had descended and the jackals were waiting in the background. It was fascinating to watch. We continued our drive to Ndutu and continued to see lots of animals. When we arrived at Ndutu we checked into our private cottage. There are 34 cottages and they surround the central lounge and restaurant area. We cleaned up and met in the lounge to play games. As we were playing someone looked up and there was a serval cat in the rafters. He paid us no attention and we let him be. At sunset Reggie took us on a ride around the lake but the black flies were so bad by the lake we drove up a hill to look out over the lake to enjoy a glorious sunset. We went back to the lodge for dinner and then it was off to bed. It had been a long day.

We got up this morning to a beautiful day. We had an early breakfast and drove to the Maasai Boma to tour a Maasai village. We were met by some warriors who posed for us and then took us in small groups to visit the houses and even let us go in. The Maasai are pastoralist and live off their herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. They do not hunt or eat wildlife. They sometimes supplement their diets of milk, blood, and meat with grain. We visited a Maasai school and the children sang the ABC's for us. From here we drove to the Olduvai Gorge Museum stopping along the way for a picnic lunch. We saw where they were continuing to do archeological studies. We saw a cast of human footprints over 1 million years old. After exploring our ancestors we drove toward Ngorongoro Crater. Reggie decided to do a game drive this afternoon as it would be less crowded. We drove up to the gate and Reggie got our pass. When you first see the crater it will take your breath away. This is the world's largest intact caldera. We drove slowly down and we started seeing animals right away. We saw warthogs playing in mud pits and having a great time. We saw fields of wild flowers with herds of zebras and the lake was filled with flamingoes. We saw a female lion lying by the road and under a near by bush were her cubs. We saw 2 rhinos in the distance and in Ngorongoro we could not go off the trails to get closer. As we were ascending the very steep bumpy road to go out, we saw vervet monkeys playing on the rocks. We got to the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge which is built out of stone onto the rim of the crater and checked in. We got to our rooms and checked out the view, cleaned ourselves up, and turned on the heat as the night was getting cold. We met for dinner and then explored a bit before heading to our rooms. This was mine and Hugh's second time here and we just love this place.

This morning we were up very early to head for the crater. The rough roads of the past 7 days finally caught up with Elyse and her neck was hurting very badly and Ron awoke with a migraine. The 4 remaining Barrows donned heavy polar fleeces, caps, and gloves and joined Reggie. We got our pass and headed into the crater. The animals were up before us and we saw a lot of wildlife as we made our way to the floor of the crater. Reggie had packed us a picnic breakfast and we stopped and ate by a lake and the food was delicious and the coffee plentiful. Our first big sighting were rhinos and there were a lot of them. They were much closer today which was nice. The quantity of animals in this 10 mile wide crater is amazing. The scenery with all the wildflowers blooming added so much to the photos we took of the animals. In our time here we saw elephants, lions and more lions, zebra, hippo, eland, buffalo, hyena, and jackals. We observed the Maasai herding cattle up the steep walls of the crater. At lunch we stopped by the Ngoitokitok Springs to eat but we had to stay in the car because the kites would take your food out of your hands. This was a wonderful adventure and we were sad when it was time to head back to the lodge. Back at the lodge we rested some and then met for a lovely dinner. Reggie had arranged for a farewell dinner and they brought a cake to me and sang a funny song. They celebrated me because I was given credit for arranging the trip. Everything was Barrow Susan! After dinner we had wine and sat by a roaring fire and shared our day with Ron and Elyse. It was off to bed early as tomorrow is a very long day because we fly to Amsterdam in the evening.

Lovely breakfast at the lodge today, and then packing the Rover for our 2 hour trip to Lake Manyara. Our drive was interrupted by several stops to shop and find the loo. At Manyara we descended the Rift Valley and into this park. We had an encounter with a herd of elephants almost immediately and we spent a lot of time watching them. They talked to one another, herded little ones, and stopped to munch as if we were not there. We had not gone very far when we stopped to watch a troop of baboons along a stream. They had a lot of little ones and the older babies spent a good deal of time cleaning their parent. We had lunch at a small park area with picnic tables. This was a great way to end a fantastic trip. We made the 1.5 hour drive into Arusha and had time to stop at the craft center. Hugh and I had been there before but the children loved it. We then made our way to the Arumeru River Lodge. We had a day room there to clean up and rest a bit before our trip. We spent so much time saying good-bye to Reggie and exchanging contact info with him that we had to rush. We had a quick dinner at the lodge before heading to the airport. On our drive we had a clear view of Mount Kilimanjaro and it did not have any snow on top. At the airport we said good-bye to our local guides and checked in. We had an overnight flight to Amsterdam. Flight left on time and we were on the 1st leg of our journey home. This safari was so wonderful--thank you Sharon Lyons for all your help in planning it. Anyone reading this who is interested in a safari, Africa Dream Safaris is the way to go. Sharon will plan a trip custom to you and I recommend you ask for Reggie as your guide. Contact info is (877) 572-3274

We landed in Amsterdam this morning, cleared customs, and took the train into the city. We were surprised at how warm it was and because we had packed light (definite advantage) we pulled our bags down the sidewalk to the Sofitel. We were very warm when we arrived and they told us this was unusual but to be expected the next several days. We checked in and we were too early to get into our rooms. We stored unneeded jackets and headed out. Although we had breakfast on the flight we stopped for danish and coffee almost immediately. We went to a tourist info stand and got a map of the city and did our own walking tour. We saw the flower market, the beautiful squares, and even the red light district. We stopped for a late lunch and then decided to take a canal boat tour as our feet were getting tired. the boat ride was wonderful and the architecture was fascinating. Late in the afternoon we made our way to the hotel and claimed our bags and headed to our rooms for showering before going out to dinner. We were able to eat outside at a lovely cafe and then we headed to the hotel and bed. We must not have slept as much as we thought on the flight because we were all exhausted.

This morning we slept in and met for a later breakfast. We had special things to see today and our first stop was The Anne Frank House and Museum. This was preserved very well and the story was not commercialized. We spent a lot of time here and enjoyed it very much. From here we spent time walking through some of the city's beautiful parks and again eating outside for lunch (warm weather we had not expected). After lunch we spent most of the afternoon at the Van Gogh museum. This was one of the nicest art museums we have visited and with the headphones we learned a tremendous amount about the man and the art. We all enjoyed this and I especially liked the art (Ron also). We strolled to the Delft store and some purchases were made. We then broke into groups with everyone having something they wanted to do. Hugh and I walked around making pictures and having coffee while people-watching. We met everyone back at the hotel and Trey and Elyse informed us they had bought a new house (it's in Louisville). We went out to dinner together and had a great evening.

After breakfast we boarded a bus to Keukenhoff Tulip Gardens. Tulips from Holland are world famous. Keukenhof is a park where more than 7 million flower bulbs are planted every year. Gardens and four pavilions show a fantastic collection of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers. We were overwhelmed by the spectacle of colors and perfumes. The gardens are only open 8 weeks a year and we were so blessed to have been there during that time. We had a beautiful day and many pictures were made including our Christmas card picture. There were falcon shows and Holland windmills to see and we enjoyed every minute. The guys slept on the bus ride back to the hotel and we spent some of the afternoon packing and swapping pictures. We had our farewell dinner and everyone was sad.

After breakfast we made our way to the train station on the trolley. We boarded the train and before we were ready we were at the airport, checked in and saying good-bye. Elyse and Trey left first and then Hugh and I with Ron and Lori not very far behind. Tears were shed and we all agreed the this had been the BEST TRIP EVER!!!!!!!! /susan