After the food shopping was completed at the market, a coffee stop and some purchases at Neema Crafts (a workshop, shop and café run by people with disabilities) we were on our way to the Ruaha Game Park. Very soon the tarmac gave out and the red, sandy road stretched ahead for miles. At every hill, there was more road to be seen with blue mountains in the background. We were entering Maasai country and at one point, a herdsman with his cows and goats crossed in front of us. It was clear, that in the rainy season, large amounts of water would come down this road and there were run-offs into the forest. We began to see glimpses of wildlife, including red-billed hornbills, a vervet monkey and copious amounts of elephant dung. Suddenly, there were several giraffes in the road in front of us. Once in the National Park there were impala, giraffe and elephants easily visible from the road.

We settled into our bandas on the banks of the Greater Ruaha River and that same evening the park staff had to frighten away two elephants trying to enter the site. The next two days were spent on driving around the park or sitting in the gazebos outside watching the birds and animals. On the first drive out we saw an elephant family trying to cross the river with the adults holding up the baby when they came to a deeper part. There are innumerable giraffes, zebras, impalas and elephants, plus we have seen baboons and monkeys, jackals, mongooses, Grants gazelles, water buck, kudu, crocodiles, warthogs and the birdlife is amazing. No big cats as yet. So far, we have seen one other group staying at the bandas but otherwise we have the place to our guide and ourselves. Many of the animals are easy to see at close hand so despite discovering on the second day of the trip that my 13 year old telephoto lens is not working, I still have some good shots. Tomorrow we leave for Mikumi via Iringa and then on to the Udzungwa Mountains where the biodiversity is even greater. Settling down to sleep now with the hippos grunting down at the river.