ARRIVING IN TANZANIA
My trip started at the airport in Saigon
for a flight to Bangkok, Nairobi, and then onto
Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania.
I felt my familiar anxiety of facing the unknown and was comforted by
the flight attendants saying “sa-wat-dee: (welcome) as I boarded the plane.
I notice that the plane was full of Chinese
and realize I am seeing the changing face of Africa,
as China pours capital and labor into infrastructure projects
in return for future political favors.
I fell asleep somewhere over the Indian Ocean
and felt much better as I woke up in the morning,
seeing the sun coming up out the window
and viewing Mt. Kilimanjaro through the clouds.
I was met by Jo as I walked out of the Kilimanjaro Airport. As she drove us to Kili Villa, I learned about her love of Tanzania and Kaskazi Horse Safaris. At our villa I rested and ate a healthy and tasty lunch of salad, spaghetti, fruit, and a dish of ice cream for dessert.
Sitting with the other riders by the bonfire
we all enjoyed our soup, tender chicken and rice with gravy, and vegetables.
Drinking wine and telling stories over dinner,
we laughed and were full of anticipation for our ride.
I felt at home talking about my favorite subjects
horses, traveling, and politics.
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
It is six in the morning when I wake up
and get ready for a new day,
putting my suitcase outside by the door
to be collected and put into the jeep for our safari trip.
Our horses were waiting for us
when we arrived at the Arusha National Park.
I was then introduced to my horse “Phoenix,”
a warmblood and veteran of many safaris and polo matches.
We had an enjoyable day of riding with the only problem being
when Phoenix stepped in a hole,
causing his front legs to go down to his knees,
so instinctively I sat back and we both recovered.
Jo was fearless, so I nicknamed her Lora Croft because of her fearlessness and how she could make her Hungarian Bullwhip sing.
As our guide she was always paying attention to what was going on in the bush and making sure our horses and us were not in danger.
Soon we were riding in the rainforest
passing zebras, giraffes, monkeys, and African buffalo
as we made our way to the Maio Waterfall for lunch.
We stopped for lunch by the waterfall,
resting ourselves and our horses with a nice nap.
I rested on the carpet with my head on a comfortable pillow,
before continuing our ride North.
Our horses rested and enjoyed their dinner tied to the string line while
Mareso, the leader of the crew,
offered us the drinks of our choice.
We made it to the first camp before the sun went down
and were each introduced to our tents.
They were very spacious and with a comfortable cot inside
and conveniently placed next to a small tent with a portable potty and shower.
We all enjoyed our dinner with fresh ingredients
prepared by the staff chef,
eating a local fish, vegetables,
potato slices with a brownie for dessert,
and lots of wine making for lots of laughs.
At 10:00 PM it was time to crawl into bed
with nighttime temperatures in the mid fifties,
thinking to myself that bringing my long underwear was “so smart.”
I slept like a baby and was comforted knowing the horses
had guards on duty all night to keep them out of danger.
RIDING TOWARD KENYA
At 6:00 AM I made my way to the shower and
as I was standing naked under the shower head,
I pulled the string and much to my surprise there is no water..(opps)
I tracked down Ali and he explained that I needed to tell him when I wanted to take a shower.
He then heated the water in a drum placed over a fire
and filled the container full of hot water.
Then after lifting the container into the air using a rope and pulley
and with the miracle of gravity,
I got my wonderful hot shower in the bush.
After breakfast at eight o’clock
we were ready to go riding,
exploring in the rainforest
that was so lush and and green.
While walking, trotting, and galloping,
we kept an eye on Jo for her commands
with Stephano in the rear keeping his eyes on the riders
and their horses.
We stopped under the Fig Tree Arch
as we rode towards our destination in Kenya.
We could see Mt. Meru in the background
at 2000 meters (7000 ft).
The night was spent in a new camp in an area called Nyumbu,
named after its usual frequent abundance of wildebeest,
who will become part of the greatest migration on the planet in February
when they cross the Mara River into the Masai Mara to fulfill their destiny.
MEETING THE MAASAI
In the morning we saw the Maasai herding
their cows and goats along the road.
Jo, who speaks Swahili, explained to me how a young boy
becomes a Maasai Warrior and their transition into manhood,
living their purpose of enjoying each day and being happy.
As we came down the mountain, passing rivers and streams,
the greens turned to brown and barren with shrubs.
We continued our ride North towards Kenya across the vast and harsh land.
It was an exciting time to be in the saddle
and sleeping under the African skies for all the riders.
I had ridden for six hours and after lunch decided to take
the jeep Safari with Huntsy to the night camp.
This was a new and different experience for me
because I didn’t have to convince the jeep
to cross the river or go over a ditch.
At our next new camp it was very quiet in the evening
and I could hear the birds singing as the sunset in the background.
Mareso set the table for the guests who would arrive soon on horseback,
galloping into camp to beat the setting sun.
After our dinner we went to our tents to sleep in our camp that was located
between four powerful mountains,
Mt. Meru, Namanga, Longido and
in the shadow of the legendary Mt. Kilimanjaro.
MEETING FRIENDLY ELEPHANTS
waking up in the morning to a bowl of warm water to wash our faces
and enjoying a hearty and healthy breakfast before starting our ride,
eggs of our choice, sausage and bacon, juice, tea or coffee with sweet milk
and conversation with a touch of excitement for the day
In the afternoon we saw a big bull elephant today
who was about 50 years old, eating the vegetation when we approached.
He looked at us and we looked at him and he decided to keep eating,
along with a mother and her young calves.
We rode about five hours in the desert
fulfilling my dream of galloping with the zebras and herds of wildebeest.
At the same time trying to avoid the prickly Oltupai plants
with thorns so large they looked like being on steroids.
Mother Nature made them so the elephants
could chew to get the moisture out of them
We started our day at 8:00 in the morning and all of us became concerned
with Anne falling off as she slowed down to find her stirrup at the canter.
Jo then took her back to camp in the safari jeep,
reminding all of us that riding hard and fast in the bush can be dangerous
Sarah and Adam, friends of Jo, came to the camp at lunchtime
and all of us enjoyed sitting under an African umbrella tree
eating an avocado salad and a mediterranean salad with moussaka,
which is a delicious dish made with cheese, eggplant, and very lean Maasai meat.
On our ride we saw gerenuk hiding in the bush, along with
giraffes, zebras, antelope, jackals, spotted hyenas
and monkeys running between the trees,
all pointed out to us by our guide
CROSSING THE SINYA RIVERBED
I had sore muscles and dust from head to toe
as we crossed the dry Sinya Riverbed
that was waiting for the winter rains.
We were challenged by riding six hours a day
covering 300 km or about 180 miles in six days.
ARRIVING AT THE KENYA BORDER (LAST RIDING DAY)
Phoenix had a leg injury and was being rested in the morning,
as I started playing polo for the first time on another horse,
dividing into two teams and had great fun,
finding yet another way to enjoy riding and horses.
Then riding along the Sinya Riverbed,
chasing the elephants and following their tracks,
jumping logs along the way and feeling like kids
playing follow our fearless leader.
We then rode to the Kenya border and took a picture next to the marker
before heading back to our camp and making a cavalry charge
with all six horses galloping together so a camera mounted to a drone
could capture the return of the conquering hero’s.
It was our final night, so we rode to a hill near the camp
and climbed to a high spot to witness the setting sun.
The horse crew took the horses back to camp as
we enjoyed eating fresh goat meat
prepared and cooked by the Maasai.
This trip was a full and challenging ride,
riding across different types of African landscape,
from the rainforest to the savannah to the grassy plains.
We rode walking, trotting, cantering, galloping,
and having the thrill of jumping logs.
In the evening I thought about how
I had made my dream of riding in Africa come true
and now it was time to go home.
We packed our suitcases
getting them ready to be picked up in the morning.
SAYING GOODBYE
After our breakfast, we all signed the guest book and
I wrote down my thoughts,
“Jo, thanks to you and your crew for taking such good care of us.
What impressed me the most about you and your crew
was that you cared about your horses as much as your guests” Tom
It was then time to jump into our four wheel vehicle
and drive back to civilization,
dropping off Jane and her daughters
at the Kilimanjaro Airport,
saying goodbye to Anne, who went on to do more traveling,
and I went back to the Killa Villa to wait for
an evening flight back to Saigon.
After taking a short nap, I went swimming in the pool,
and was served a delicious lunch with tilapia fish
and vegetables prepared by Chappie.
On the flight home, I reflected on my unforgettable experience
and what I had learned again from taking a horse riding adventure:
the importance of a guide on any new journey,
knowing and respecting your own limitations,
and wanting to learn more about the world
We were all blessed to experience Africa and see magnificent animals,
both predators and prey, in their natural world.
We were able to witness the world of the Maasai with
their friendly nature, who live their lives with “Hakuna Matata”
meaning “no worry for the rest of your days.”