24.2. Safari in the Sinya Wildlife conservancy.
After breakfast, I am taken to three days´ outing. First today is the Sinya Wildlife conservancy, with a night in a tent close to the Kenyan border. Today, the journey further goes to Mount Longido, which will be climbed after another night in a tent.
Kilimanscharo is free today.
We drive along an unfortified piste - a bit rough after last week´s rain. In this place, my driver and guide Elias has to get out to check, how it can be passed.
Inmidst the plane a hill, overgrown with Euphorbae.
In the flat grassland lots of zebras.
Zebras.
Thomson´s_gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
View back to Mount Meru
A big her of Wildebeest with some youngsters.
Thomson´s_gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
Mount Meru
Maasai - giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
Thomson - Gazellen (Eudorcas thomsonii)
Maasai with their herds, Mount Longido in the backgound.
The landscape is a but higher here than the Northern foot of Kilimandscharo, which can be seen now a bit between the clouds.
Kilimandscharo
Mount Longido
Arrived at the Engasurai - gate of the Sinya - wildlife conservancy.
Simple housing at the gate.
This road heads for Longido Town and to Mount Longido, here in the background. Trucks are raising lots of dust.
A bush plant belonging to the pea family which one?
One of 700 Indigofera - species (the colour of indigo is derived from some of them)
We now drive into the Sinya area. Kilimandscharo is getting more visible.
Zebras.
Gerenuks (Giraffe gazelle - Litocranius)
Gerenuks (Giraffe gazelle - Litocranius)
Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori struthiunculus)
Break now, Elias has set the table.
Maasai - giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
Maasai - giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Kirk´s Dikdik (Madoqua)
Water is now covering part of the area after last week´s rain. Flamingoes are attractred immediately.
Flamingoes (Phoenicopteridae)
We now meet a familiy of Olive baboons (Papio anubis).
What does dad do with mum?
Ok, let´s climb mum´s back ...
... for a short ride.
Mum is a bit demotivated - let´s try it with auntie.
Between acaciae, the view to Kilimandscharo gets free now.
Kilimandscharo
Arrived at the border to Kenya, and Elias tries out the air on the other side.
Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori struthiunculus)
Kilimandscharo
Kilimandscharo
Late afternoon, we arrive at our camping ground on the foot of a small hill, close to the border to Kenya. We climb the hill for sunset.
Different flowers growing on the hill ...
Spider flower (Cleome hirta)
Waiting for sunset now. View to Mt. Longido.
Not yet ...
As we are close to the Kenyan border, to the left behind Kibo (5.895 m), also the Mawenzi (5.149 m) gets visible in the Kilimandscharo - massive.
The sun goes deeper now and is mirrored in the numerous puddles after lots of rain last week.
Waiting for the sunset behind Mount Longido.
In the other direction, we can look into Kenya on the left side of the picture, beneath the trees our tent is being erected just now.
View into Kenya and the Amboseli National Park - the border is just on the foot of the hill..
Elias joined me up, he even brought small chairs up.
But I cannot sit still facing this view.
Mount Longido - my goal for the day after tomorrow.
Regrettably, clouds are drawing in from the west, so an evening glow on Kilimandscharo on the other side is prohibited
Small panoramic picture comprising the views to Mt. Meru and Mt. Longido.
The sun will have disappeared in a few minutes.