Something Different - Canoeing!
I awoke just after sunrise. My guide for the day was picking me up at 7. We were headed for Arusha National Park for game drive and canoe safari!
On the drive in to the lake district, I saw zebras, giraffes, warthogs, monkeys, and baboons. We met a couple from Lyons who I would be joining for the canoe trip. I shared the canoe with the guide.
We donned our lifejackets and were off. We had to stay close to shore while we looked for hippos. They are very dangerous, so we had to locate them before crossing the open water. As we glided along the shore I saw plovers, sandpipers, and crakes. I saw a beautiful male bush buck, but wasn't quick enough with my camera to capture him.
It felt good to be using different muscles for a change. My shoulders and back thrilled at being used for something other than carrying a pack.
As we pulled out of our protected inlet the wind hit us - and our canoe. It ended up being quite windy and the waves picked up fast. We paddled fast and hard to avoid being blown into rocks. Then we would get a respite as we turned into another protected inlet, and could leisurely float along looking at wildlife.
The hippos, it turned out, were not to be found this morning in our lake. We had wound our way to the opposite side, had full view of the lake, but had found no hippos. (We did find them later in a nearby lake.) So we made a beeline back across the lake. Or we tried to. With the wind, it was much more like a ragged zig-zag. And it was hard work, but fun.
Julie
- BY Julie Goodale | 01.15.2012
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