The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1
Our trip to Ruaha Game Park was amazing. We had a rough drive there. At the road-side we enjoyed lunch of home-made chipatis and crisps. Some of us saw a mask spider; all of us admired the determination of a dung beetle on the road trying to push a ball of dung up a wheel rut!
On arriving at the park gate we were welcomed by the intense heat off the road and brickwork! Andrew Wingfield paid our dues – we were off. We stopped at the main bridge over the Great Ruaha river. The water was very high. Everything was very lush due to the rainy season. Some of the rocks turned out to be surfacing hippos!
Reaching the River Lodge we enjoyed fantastic views around the curve of the river. We did get a soaking from a heavy shower; the veranda was partially open covered by great wooden beams and circular roof. It overlooked the valley, commanding a magnificent view of the river cutting through it with its turbid water. The banks, river, trees and hill where we perched gave us superb views of birds, elephants, hippos and giraffe!
We were initially lead to our Banda’s by Maasai warriors with their spears. (If you wanted to go to your Banda after 7pm you had to go with a Maasai warrior due to the dangerous animals!) The Banda’s were luxurious and were right next to the river. Each Banda had a rear bathroom area with open stone shower and double and single poster bed next door, accommodating us in pairs.
We had wonderful food both evening and morning and we were well stocked up.
On our safari we were divided up into two vehicles where we had a driver and a guide. One group shot off ahead whilst the other was left following their dust stopping at nearly every bird closely visible from the track! The people in that jeep were at one point lead by a black backed jackal who couldn’t find a way off the track. He was, trying to find an open place to escape too. The other jeep took a different route to ours and nearly got stuck crossing a stream! We had a welcome stop together by a river viewpoint and had sodas whilst watching crocodiles, an African fish eagle, a Martial eagle and other life.
On this game drive we only saw 2 or 3 other groups of people the whole time. Ruaha is not a busy game park like the northern Tanzanian and Kenyan ones. An Italian lady informed us from her vehicle roof, of lions near the main gate.
An amazing answer to prayer occurred here. We were quite a way into our drive, not long in seeing ostriches, when Andrew asked if anyone had seen his vehicle keys on the jeep floor. We looked to no avail. He spent an anxious return journey thinking and praying what to do, with texts to Miriam about picking us up from Iringa about 2 hour’s drive away. We stopped at our last watering hole to look but the keys were not there either. Hot-wiring was considered by one team member! We tanked up the speed in the jeep which was exhilarating!
Suddenly Andrew shouts “Stop the vehicle!” a few times. We travelled about 100m before the driver stopped! “I’ve seen something in the track!” Andrew says. So we back up. There by the side of the track were his keys. He picked them up just as the other jeep arrived. He made a hand clasped sign to heaven, there was much relief! Miriam spread the word after receiving the news and told about the answer to prayer to both Christian and non-believer.
Sadly Sam also lost his hat out on the drive and it couldn’t be found anywhere in the vehicle either. Later whilst eating our last lunch a Maasai warrior called to us we turned and he waved a hat at us, it was Sam’s.
Not long after that meal we set off back to the village. We had to get out of the gate by a certain time otherwise we would have had to pay extra. On the way back we came across some tourists not far from the main gate, which was an unusual sight in itself. They highlighted the lions to us. A great finish to our time there and then out of the gate – just!