Looking for the big ones...
We somehow managed NOT to book a safari trip in Dar, as we wanted to check out the agencies once we got to Arusha ourselves. Turned out to be a good move. But first things first!
It was one h*** of a busride to get there! It's quite a few hours, if I remember right it was 8. So, unsure of wheter the bus would actually STOP anywhere, we bought tickets for the one with a toilet. Worst choice ever! Turns out the toilet has aircon, just as the rest of the bus. And it's an open system. Oh my, the smell! It didn't get any better when one of the girls on board apparently had eaten something she shouldn't. I've never ever been car-sick before, but this time...uuuuh...
Got to Arusha after dark, no problems, had a map and knew where to go.
Picking the safari company was quite a show as well, there are just so many! And they certainly let you know they excist! We chose to deal with one of the smaller companies, much cheaper, and you got to see the same animals whichever you choose so... And the salesperson was just the sweetest, that matters to!
For our safari, we chose to go to Arusha National Park, and the Ngorongoro crater. Arusha was just lovely. You don't get to see lions and stuff there, but it's so pretty, and you can go for a walking safari.
After 4 hours of walking and a fantastic lunch (these safari-people treat you like royalty, almost embarrassing), we went gamedriving for a while, got really close to zebras and baboons and all. I got extremely carried away with my cam, Ole was laughing at me half the time.
After Arusha, it was a few hours drive to the campsite outside the crater.
Camping was cool, slept in a tent in a really crowded site, loads of fun people to discuss the adventures of the day with :) And food - absolutely great!
Got up super-early, drove up to the rim of the crater, and hen all the way down. Spectacular view! (Posting pictures soon!) And the beast were just swarming around the car. It's like nothing I ever experienced! We even got to see 4 of the big 5, not bad in only one day. The cheetah was obviously hiding, maybe next time...
Back in Arusha, we stayed a few days to look around. It's a lovely little city, really. I see warnings posted in guide books about "don't go here and there after dark" and stuff, but we didn't experience anything not nice.
We were in town during Rahmadan, and we lived a little out of the main tourist area, so it was a bit difficult to find anything to eat during the day. Fasting is defenitely not for me, as I get super-cranky when bloodsugar falls, so ate a lot of bisquits. During the night, they sure made up for the lack of food during the day! There were foodstalls everywhere, and it was delicious! I have no idea what I was eating most of the time, as I just went for the same as the guy in front of me in line had. But almost no belly-troubles, and great taste!
I never got used to the mosques, though. We had one minaret in front of the hotel, one to the left and one in the back. And the started doing their thing at 5 in the morning. So, after about a week in Arusha, I left with puffy, red eyes and loads of giraffe-pictures. And a full stomach!
