Monday, October 24, 2016 (Maramboi Tented Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania)

Today we are going back into Tarangire National Park on another game drive. Tarangire is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River that crosses the park...and is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals during the annual dry season. The Tarangire Ecosystem is defined by the long-distance migration of wildebeest and zebras. During the dry season, thousands of animals concentrate in Tarangire National Park from the surrounding wet-season dispersal and calving areas. The park covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometers (1,100 square miles). The landscape is composed of granitic ridges, river valley, and swamps.

Instead of either taking a packed lunch or coming back for lunch and going back out again, we are going to leave extra early and return around 2:00 for lunch...the rest of the afternoon will be free to relax by the pool. So it was early when we headed down to the lodge for breakfast.

There was a family of mongoose on our walkway when we opened the door but they didn't hang around for a photo. During the night we could hear animals moving through the camp. The wildebeest do a lot of grunting...

 A picture of the lodge as we walk up for breakfast...

It's another beautiful morning...this view is from the reception area looking out towards the wildlife watering trough. A Maasia guide is accompanying a fellow out to the lake. Maramboi Tented Camp is located in Lake Manyara National Park. The majority of the land area off the park is a narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and Lake Manyara, an alkaline or soda-lake, to the east.

Just a couple of pictures around the lodge before we head out on the game drive...

Lots of wildlife wondering around the lodge...

African Hoopoe...

On the way to Tarangire park, we passed this child care centre...the kids were too cute!

Red-billed Hornbill on a termite mound....

 Fork-tailed Drongo...

Here I am at the entrance to Tarangire (where we stopped for the guides to get clearance to enter) going back and forth with cameras...too funny! Folks in the other Land Cruiser wanted one of us (in our vehicle) to take pictures of them with their cameras. In the other Cruiser...Kaye, Annette, Byron, Joann, Joe and Betty...

Look what the elephants have done to that poor baobab tree...

Impala...

Red-necked Spurfowl....

Dik-dik...they are so cute! Very small...only 30-40 centimetres/12-15.5 inches at the shoulder and weight 3-6 kilograms/6.6-13.2 pounds! They 'pair up', so there is always two of them together (or not far away)...

The wildlife like having a giraffe as a lookout...

 Marabou Storks...

Giraffe behind the wildebeest...

 Wow! Look at all of the giraffes...nine of them!

Marabou Storks drying their wings...

Wildebeest...

????

No lions at the waterhole today...as a matter of fact, there was absolutely no trace of the wildebeest carcass that they had been feasting on. The animals are freely going in for a drink today...

Baboon troop...

 Today was a big 'elephant' day...lots of them; very, very cool...

Poaching of elephants has been a serious problem in Tanzania. A recent census published in 2015 indicates a population of 43,000 down from 109,000 in 2009! Very sad.

 This little guy was giving himself a dust bath....

 Then it was mom's turn...

 White-headed Buffalo Weaver....

Lush vegetation in this pond...

These elephants have stopped for a drink in this dry riverbed. They dig a hole that fills with water and drink away!

Another herd...

 Waterbuck with his harem

More thirsty elephants...

 Dwarf Mongoose...

Red-and-Yellow Barbet

 Ruppell's Griffon Vulture...

Lilac-breasted Roller...

Parrot...

Another herd heading to the dry riverbed...

We watched these two for quite awhile...

Mom wasn't happy with the little one messing with her watering hole. She would give him a shove with a leg, then her trunk and finally let out a roar of disapproval. The next few photos show her cleaning out the watering hole...

This one is doing the same...

This one is showering itself with sandy water...

Very large termite mound...

A Tent Camp next to the dry riverbed...

Waterbuck...

Baboon...

One of our vehicles got stuck and had to back down to get a run at the hill...

 Hartebeest...

Red-and-yellow Barbet....

Local workers...

Male Ostrich...

On the way back to the camp, one of the other Land Cruisers (Shelagh, Joyce, Donna, Joan, Linda and Anne) stopped for pictures with the kids at the childcare centre...

We arrived back at the lodge shortly after 2:00 and helped ourselves to the buffet lunch...and a beer (oh, by the way, did I mention that all of the beer and wine is included...happy hour and all!)

Our guides...Bahati ("Lucky") on the immediate left...then on the far right, Raymond; middle, Onesmo; and John (not sure who the fellow on the far left is...must be a worker)...

After lunch, we headed back to our "tent"....

...it was pretty darned hot out....

...so we changed into our bathing suits and went to the pool for a dip. Pretty cool walking on the boardwalk to the pool and having Zebras grazing right beside you!

We were the first one there...

The water was surprisingly cold but refreshing!

But eventually others arrived...time for a game of volleyball...

All the while the birds and animals roam in the distance...

After our dip, we went back and relaxed for a bit until it was time to go back to the pool area for happy hour. Some people are still in the pool...as the sun goes down...Beautiful!

Marjorie, Joann, Gordon and Esther...with Alan taking a picture of the sunset...

Byron, Alberto, Brian and Jean...

We had another dinner outside swatting away the tiny flies...and then Gordon, Steve and I joined a couple of women from Brussels around a campfire down on the sand. Esther and Joan followed us a few minutes later. Such a nice end to a truly wonderful day!