SPECIAL FEATURE: BN DOES GREAT MIGRATIONS NOW (PART 2)

Each year, the Serengeti Camp begins its own migration, picking up and moving every few months along the same migration route that the wildebeests, zebras, and antelope have moved -- followed by the lions, leopards, and cheetahs -- carving the same paths for tens of thousands of years.

It is fairly rough here -- not like the luxury camps I'd read about and seen photos of.

When we first arrived, I admit, I was a bit let down. I was expecting glamourous tents, outfitted with Mombasa mosquito netting around four-poster beds, artfully carved furniture with local tapestry-covered cushions, private plunge pools, proper toilets and unlimited hot showers.

I'd hoped for rattan ceiling fans to gently push the hot air to deliver a delicious breeze. I expected buckets to be always filled with ice and glasses of handcrafted fresh lime-embellished gin and tonics. But no. This was not "glamping." This was more authentic. I downshifted on one level and uplifted on another.

I wasn't at all disappointed with our facilities. It was cool to be living so close to the wild, both inside and outside the tent. Our private toilet was a box, with a lever that we pulled out to open the hand-dug hole which received our waste, then closed when we were finished relieving ourselves.

Our shower consisted of rubberized canvas buckets that were dutifully filled by one of our attendants, upon request -- hot water in one bucket, cold in the other. We controlled the temperature by pulling more or less on 2 wooden tassels. The warm water rained down on our shivering bodies -- for about 60 seconds.

Perhaps a dip in the Mara River might have been an alternative?

Each bucket held only enough water for me to get wet and partially soap up before running out, leaving me cold, still dirty and slippery, but still happy. I wiped off with a damp towel before drying off with a dry one.

I learned to request a two-hot-bucket shower -- the attendant stood behind the tent waiting for the first hot bucket to run out before dumping in another load of water. These at least allowed me to get most of my body clean, although I couldn't even begin to wash my hair. After 5 days of sweat and dust accumulating in my locks, they began to clump together in early-stage dreads.

We had a cold water sink that leaked as it washed our hands and a thermos of (sometimes) hot water to supplement. A glass carafe held water for drinking and teeth brushing.

Rough as it was, it was paradise. Besides, we had little niceties to pamper us --- red flannel covered hot water bottles were placed in our beds under the covers to offer a warm embrace as we settled in for the night.

In the morning, the man who looked after us brought us a tray with the best Tanzanian coffee, freshly pressed and hot, and little cookies to keep us happy until we met up with our friends at breakfast. We watched the sunrise as we sipped and it was heaven.

Breakfasts were surprisingly good, with fresh eggs and smoked bacon, just-picked passion fruits, finger bananas, and miniature grapefruits, lubricated with more of that amazing coffee.

Lunches -- well, not so much. I found the heavily marinated meats and veg and the cold fried fish cakes a bit hard to take. I learned to ask for just cheese and to carry my own nuts.

Dinners were not bad -- way better than the Small Luxury Hotel we stayed at in Arusha just prior. They were not expert but they were tasty, for the most part, with meat that we could chew (not to be taken for granted here) and fresh vegetables that were not overcooked (again, grateful for that).

One night, we had individual Madagascar vanilla tarts with passion fruit sauce that could have been at home at a posh restaurant. I appreciated our food all the more knowing that it was all produced in a tent kitchen, with ingredients that had to be flown in every few days from quite far away. The bar was well stocked, however. They kept our cocktail and wine glasses full. And overall, we were happy.

Each day, we rose at dawn to begin a new adventure, and each day held its own magic. Even though we mainly covered the same territory in our drives, and the landscape was fairly homogenous, we saw new creatures, great and small, each going about its own life's journey, each rounding its own circle. And each with its own drama.

On our final drive, on our way out to the little airport, we passed sights that had now become familiar -- the rock that looked like an elephant, the gully where I had bumped my head on the top of the rover as I bounced off its seat in the rough and tumble, the lioness and her cubs, still gnawing on their kill from yesterday -- albeit with an expanded clutch of vultures standing in wait.

We passed the one tree that looked like a flag blowing to one side as if there were a stiff wind, the hippo "hot tub," the nibbling giraffes, and the mini-replica of Table Mountain.

And, just as I had begun to get my bearings with these wild landmarks, we were off again, on to our next batch of excitement -- the chimps at Mahale -- a 6-hour trip away. (Read about our Mahale chimpanzee adventure here.)

Yet another special expedition brought to you by Africa Geographic is the Mana Pools.

It is not just another tour - but an exclusive photographic safari which is hosted by one of the coolest and trendiest wildlife photographers: Marlon Du Toit.

The greatest attraction of this expedition is most definitely the elephant bulls who can balance with just their hind legs, towering over all humans while reaching into the highest trees for their food supply. 

To accommodate their grandiose beauty, this safari actually allows photographers to walk around freely in the wilderness, capturing every angle and position of these beautiful creatures.

We get why witnessing the Great Migrations is such an epic world wonder! And we are SO grateful to have experienced it.

If you haven’t already done so, see BN DOES GREAT MIGRATIONS NOW (PART 1).

Read more about Beautiful Migrations, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including BN Does Great Migrations Now (Part1).

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Migrations in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT 08.31.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: Courtesy of Africa Geographic. Cheetah Family.
2. Photo: Courtesy of Bushtracks. Zebras.
3. Photo: by Shira P. White. Serengeti Safari Camp.
4. Photo: by Shira P. White. Wildebeest at a watering hole.
5. Photo: Courtesy of Nomad Tanzania. Serengeti Safari Camp tent shower.
6. Photo: Courtesy of Serengeti Safari Camp. Serengeti Safari Camp tent sink.
7. Photo: Courtesy of Wild & Exotic. Serengeti Safari Camp tent.
8. Photo: Courtesy of Serengeti Safari Camp. Dining Tent.
9. Photo: Courtesy of Nomad Tanzania. Serengeti Safari Camp dining tent.
10. Photo: by Simmone Logue. Shortcrust Tarts with Crème Pâtissière and Passionfruit Pulp.
11. Photo: Courtesy of Nomad Tanzania. Safari from Serengeti Safari Camp.
12. Photo: by Shira P. White. Vultures and marabou stork wait their turn at a kill at Serengeti.
13. Photo: by Yoni Lerner. Serengeti, Tanzania.
14. Photo: Courtesy of Africa Geographic. Mana Pools Night Sky.
15. Photo: Courtesy of Africa Geographic. Mana Pools Elephant.
16. Photo: Courtesy of Africa Geographic. Mana Pools.
17. Photo: by Shira P. White. Wildebeest crossing Mara River at Serengeti.