The Explorer
June 2005
News from the Bush!
Two Black Faced Vervet monkeys, alarm call to each other, across the small korongo behind my tent, undoubtedly caused by the presence of the leopard I heard earlier in the twilight hours. Unfortunately the grass is too long to see whether this theory is a reality, as the sun has yet to rise from the Serengeti plains but as an exercise in animal behaviour it has its excitement!
All around, the plaintive ‘gnuing’ of the migration finally fills the nights and early mornings, after a veritable vacuum of wildebeest absence from the usual paths and crisscrossed migration trails that are normally selected for the exodus from the short grass plains. Now the Musabi plains, where in other years the rut takes place, is dotted with long lines of wildebeest headed west towards Kirawira and the massed rank and file of Nile Crocodiles.
Differing from the calving season, the view of the Great Migration during June, is that of long columns of beasts headed towards better grazing, similar to the calving season is the cacophony of noise, bleats and grunts, panicked brays and comfort calls that announce the arrival and departure of the white bearded wonders, long before actually seeing the herds.
The Wildebeest, sometimes referred to as the ‘Plankton’ of the Serengeti, number up to 1.5 million animals, far outnumbering any other food source and far surpassing any ability the predators have, to make a dent in their population. For now, however, we are content to be lulled by the migrating lullaby as it passes by our camp for whatever destiny might hold in store.
Cheetahs, Chimps and Mountain Gorillas.
We dove into the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika from the arriving Dhow; to swim the last 50 metres of ocean like water, to the white sandy beach of Greystoke, nestled under the forbidding shadow of the Mahale Mountains.
Always such a grand entrance for those that like theatrics, after all, where else in the world can one enter into a world class camp by swallow diving into water so fresh that one can bathe in its refreshingly simple eccentricity?
Mahale Mountains National Park is undoubtedly the finest location in the world to trek for Pan Trogladyte - Chimpanzees - in the wild. Japanese researchers have been studying the different groups of Chimps for decades; long before the luxury camps started catering for intrepid explorers such as us wishing to see our closest cousins.
And what of my intrepid travelling companions? Wildlife Explorer has always attracted interesting as well as interested amateur, and professional naturalists, and this safari was no different! 7 ‘ladies’ ranging in age from almost 15 years old to… well…. A little more mature should we say, all friends of Lois Blalock (Aka Mama Meru).
Some of Lois’s friends had already visited Africa two years before, for a Gorilla extravaganza in Uganda and Rwanda and had decided to return with a couple of new Africa travellers to re-visit the Gorillas in Rwanda, duck down into Tanzania for the Chimps, combined with the Serengeti and The Alamana Wilderness Camp in The Ngaroi, our private concession bordering the Serengeti National Park.
In between bouts of relative good natured ness, I had my work cut out for me, fending off cutting remarks about human male behaviour, salon sessions and general girlie stories that would curl the toes of many a red blooded man!!! Just kidding ladies, it was a fun safari!
But lets return to Mahale, before telling tails or was that tales? from The Alamana.
We never actually found the wandering chimps during our stay, something of a disappointment it must be said, but after all, Mahale is wild, unique and best of all as safe an environment for Chimpanzees from the encroachment of human population as one can find. The Chimps will always be there or at least we hope so.
What is there of course, are the teeming number of cichlids feeding on the shore rocks, Hippos running along the sandy lake bottom and western birdlife, so plenty of activities as well as the sheer enjoyment of basking at Mahale.
Prior to taking the private charter flight to Mahale, we spent three glorious days at The Alamana Wilderness Camp. Walks, night drives and some drives during the daylight produced some breathtaking behaviour and outstanding game.
We were treated to a magnificent Male Lion and Lioness, separated for mating from the rest of the pride, in amongst the yellow fever trees of the Alamana river itself. The light popped out from under the cloud to illuminate the golden mane and surrounding effervescent grasses.
As if that were not enough for an afternoons foray, we picked up a young Cheetah mother with her cub intent on providing for her reduced family. As nightfall enveloped us the mother Cheetah timed her stalk and chase with the head bent, browsing of a male Thomson gazelle and with lightning precision, sped between the whistling thorns to capture and dispatch her prey. The rest of the viewing took place only metres from the feeding two, illuminated by spotlight, matching the theatre of the kill to the Hyena action by camp, last January.
Miami to Arusha-The flight of N4630U
This is an extract from my journal at the end of May when I flew my Cessna 206 home from Miami:
28th May 2005. Goose Bay to Iceland 1340 Nautical Miles (10.4 hrs)
Engine start at 08.20 hrs Zulu time (05.20 hrs local time), waiting for our Oceanic Clearance from Gander, before we can proceed.
This is the start of a day that I have been looking forward to with mixed emotions for many a month. Mixed emotions, family and friends fretting about my safety flying for many hours over water in a plane made in 1979, not to be taken lightly, but from my perspective an amazing opportunity to experience a journey, new and exciting.
The start of a trans oceanic journey that many people can barely imagine, yet for some, the flight of a lifetime. As anyone that knows me will contest, I firmly believe in a journey being centre to most aspects of life and this one promises to be one that will remain in my mind forever.
The requirements for trans oceanic flying in small aircraft, are that all members of crew shall wear a survival suit that will prevent immediate hypothermia if the aircraft had to ditch in the freezing waters of the Atlantic and the inclusion of a life raft as a shelter until search and rescue hopefully finds the pilots.
The immersion suits are constructed of thick neoprene in a dazzling orange colour with sewn in boots and gloves, hood and neckties, to ensure maximum body heat is maintained in the event of an emergency. The suits are also designed to float giving precious aid to flailing pilots as they attempt to inflate the raft.
To keep life sane, we only pull up the suits to our waists, positioning the arms behind our backs, making the seating position uncomfortable, but at least it is only our lower bodies that are sweltering in the neoprene prison.
The life raft is positioned on top of the ferry tank behind my head, close to hand if needed.
Other safety equipment includes an emergency beacon that transmits a radio signal to passing planes plus a GPS transmitter that sends out a position fix accurate to within 30 feet when activated. We also have back up radio, GPS and several survival aids such as M & M’s, essential to keeping Gary alive in extreme situations, plus a bag of baby carrots and some blue cheese dressing which, quite frankly I was dubious about, but was unanimously voted against in the supermarket prior to leaving Bangor. As it turned out, we should have gone with my idea, which was two litres of Grey Goose!!
‘November 4630 Uniform you have been cleared for trans oceanic flight…………..’
And so it starts, as the sun rose over a sweet blue and white plane, we headed towards the ocean with clear skies and an endurance of 16 hours, plenty of fuel to almost reach the UK, but lets not push it!
There are a number of reporting points that must be adhered to in order for the authorities to keep tabs on us and ensure our safety from their point of view, which is just fine with me. Mostly in contact via VHF radio or HF radio, which unfortunately in our case is not possible as there is a problem with the new installation of the Icom and SGC paired HF set only being able to transmit on the frequency that the avionics shop tested it on. Rule number one Gary; always check these things for yourself!! Luckily, with jets passing some 28,000 feet above us we are able to relay messages via Air Canada, American and Virgin flights-Thank you!
Like any good road trip, as soon as we reached cruising altitude at 09 thousand, it was time to break out breakfast! Unlike our trips to Pembe Abwe, this morning we feasted on a Starbucks can of Double shot espresso and a peanut butter and chocolate chip power bar! Ahhhhhhh, the breakfast of champions.
The expanse of Atlantic slowly grew, not only in front but slowly enveloping us as Labrador bid farewell and Greenland, some 6 hours ahead of us, beckoned us on, as part of our great circle route to Iceland.
With little to see other than blue below and the occasional cloud cluster, the flight continued beautifully slowly, with purring engine, constant checks on cylinder head temperature, exhaust gas temperature, fuel flow (14.8 gals pr hour) and of extreme importance, fuel remaining and accurate forecast of remaining endurance!
Having been handed over to Sondestrom on Greenland we were rewarded an hour later with a glimpse of mountains through clouds gradually building. The sensation impossible to say after 6 hours of no land mass sightings, however, the sheer majesty of the southern coastal fjords and mountains with ice encrusted beaches and floating icebergs was incredible to behold from our 9,000 feet high perch.
I very much would love to return to Greenland one day and experience the country at ground level.
As the cloud level built east of Greenland, so the temperature dropped to minus 6 degrees Celsius forcing us to climb to 10,500 feet to avoid the freezing level within the cloud-been there done that tick it off!!
By now, my immersion suit was well and truly undesirable and even a sumptuous lunch of, yes, you guessed it, the baby carrots and blue cheese dressing did nothing to improve our comfort levels! The suits themselves, made it almost (and I say almost) impossible to relieve oneself into the plastic bottles allocated for that specific job-shaped differently to avoid confusion when searching for a drink of cool water!!
Minus eleven now, bottom cheeks numb, M&M’s close to end, all that is left is for a couple of Red Bull’s!! this brought some more humour to the cockpit as we experimented with new promotional photographs advertising what health conscious folk, ferry pilots really are!
The HF set, despite not being able to transmit on anything other than 14.000 could receive on any frequency, so at one point, we were able to tune in to the World Service of the BBC, hear the state of the world on the hourly news broadcast plus, and I say this without any hint of sarcasm, a half hour radio soap based somewhere close to Macclesfield, with accents that brought tears to our eyes trying to fathom exactly what it was that was being said!!
But enough of this tittle, tattle, what of the last hours of the flight?
The ocean, inhospitable as it may be for those unfortunate enough to be in it on her terms, is as beautiful a canvas as I had ever imagined it could be, with icebergs, golden reflections from the clouds and as wide as anything I had ever witnessed.
At 9 hours 40 minutes flight time, we crossed into the FIR of Reykjavik with blue skies again and clearance to descend to 5,000 feet passing over the military airfield and station at Keflavik before a final descent to 2,000 feet for the approach and then landing at Reykjavik 10 hours and 20 minutes after leaving Goose Bay.
If I had to choose whether I would sweat into neoprene, eat orange things with centres, dripping with blue cheese dressing and listen to middle England to while away the hours flying my sweet Cessna across to Iceland or hire a ferry pilot to deliver her to me in Arusha……….
I wouldn’t have missed it for the World!!!! And this is just part of the Atlantic!
In the meantime, weather has forced us to explore what has been voted as one of the top ten countries in the world to live in???? Mainly for its good food, great nightlife, stunningly harsh scenery and rejuvenating thermal springs………… ho hum. It’s Friday, it must be Iceland!
Tomorrow, the next section of open water, more tales from a neoprene clad chap, whilst wrestling with receptacles, eating healthily (more tips for good living to come) and generally staying awake to the drone of an IO 520 Continental engine.
Gary.
PS the thing above about not being sarcastic………….
News from Olerai
Belated thanks to all of my friends for their never ending hospitality during my recent spring foray in the USA - Sandra Breaum, Bruce & Amy, Don & Judy, Lynn & Sharon, Mike & Emma, Karen & Tania - Thank you.
Well, its great to be at least back in the same country as my family, all be it a brief re-union prior to safaris to the end of June.
With the plane re-registered to 5H-GJS, my season of safaris drawing to a close, and preparations complete for the Osunyai Wilderness Camp about to open, I reckon it just might have been the most exciting first seven months of a year that I have ever experienced! Not bad for an old’en eh what?
For my Rancheros Maverick Brothers - it’s only 10 months until we saddle up once more! Ride Rancheros, Ride!!!
And with that, greetings from us all and the end of our news from the bush.
With warm wishes,
Gary & Jo
