Cars stuck in the mud

Stuck in the mud. 

The onset of the rains has meant an increase of project vehicles stuck in the mud. The first week or so of the rains is the worst as previously passable areas become waterlogged with mud. Everyone adjusts to their vehicles limits and the different types of soil. 

I luckily haven't been stuck in a major way yet but I've taken part in several of the rescue missions. I've already learned several new techniques and seen the value of the hi-jack as well as the winch. The most creative situation I saw came up when we got stuck amongst rice fields. There weren't any trees or shrubs to cut to put under the wheels and no trees or stumps to tie the winch to. Luckily one of our experienced staff was on hand and shared a technique. It had us digging a deep hole (¾ a meter deep), putting our spare tire in, fastening the winch to the tire, burying the tire, and then had a few guys standing on top of it while the winch pulled the car out. Worked like a charm!

Working the winch. 

Deep down in the mud. 

Hi-lift is very useful.  

If you get off the tracks... 

Grass obscured a huge hole and I nearly tipped the car. 

In between the rice field. 

Ruaha National Park: Beginning of rainy season

What a beauty. 

We took a trip to Ruaha National Park for the first time during the rainy season (Trip I, Trip II) and the landscape had truly transformed. Trees had put out their leaves and grasses had grown tall. The Ruaha River flowed like I hadn't seen before. There wasn't so much rain that the roads were impassable but enough that pools of water had formed throughout the park.

The wildlife highlight was seeing a Saddle-billed Stork eating a baby crocodile or seeing a hyena at the cottages while we came from our cottage up for dinner. We had been assigned to cottage a short two minute drive from the main area and we were all surprised to see a spotted hyena cross in front of our car!

Impala in the grass. 

Lush landscape.  

The Great Ruaha River

Giraffes under a tree. 

The Rainy Season

Rain on its way....

The rainy season here is completely different than the rainy season we had in the north. People generally say that the rainy season runs from December to May though this year December had very little rain. Rain began to fall heavily in January though it is said to have a brief dry spell in February before continuing in March.

Since we are in such a dry area the rainy season here brings a dramatic change to the landscape. Grasses grow higher than your head, trees put out lush leaves, and swarms of insects are found everywhere. Although this area is dominated by the Great Ruaha River, several of the tributaries and offshoots also fill up making previously passable roads impassable.

I love the rainy season for constant availability of water, less dust in the air, and the lush nature of the landscape. I dislike getting stuck in the mud and the dramatic increase in insects though so far I find the frequency of rain here to be rather tame.

The majority of people that live in this area practice agriculture so villages are more or less empty during the day as people tend to their crops. It's a very active time for villagers and many of them depend on the harvest to provide them both food and income for the rest of the year. It is still common for people to participate in ritual ceremonies and provide offerings to “rain spirits” though I've heard stories of people that hear of rain falling in a neighboring village, rush to make an offering, and then claim prescience while other villagers exult their knowledge and actions!

Wet season

Same spot in the dry season

River and waterfall hike: Trip II

The other week we wanted to visit the waterfall and check out the water level and maybe trek around the hills a bit (Trip I). Unfortunately, that day clouds were threatening all day long and by the time we reached the waterfall rain was imminent. I had a quick dip, which proved to be absolutely unnecessary because we got pounded by the rain immediately upon leaving. We had parked the car about 7km away and the waterfall wasn't even close to any houses that we could take refuge in. By the time we reached a house we were soaked completely through and figured we might as well just push on.

As soon as we realized that we'd get totally soaked we actually quite enjoyed the walk. We could see huge sheets of rain in the distance as well as a few patches with sunshine. We kept warm enough from the heat generated by our brisk pace, and knowing a dry car was nearby helped to improve our morale as well. It had been a good while since we'd been caught out in the rain and a welcome change from the previous dry climate.

Waterfall in the dry season

Waterfall in the wet season