Zanzibar: Matemwe trip II

Beautiful views from the lodge.

 We traveled to Zanzibar this past week and enjoyed some relaxing days off in Matemwe, the northeast side of the island. Like our previous trips (Paje Beach, Matemwe, accommodation) it was all about eating seafood, reading a book, and refreshing our minds. I brought my guitar along this time which added a nice activity for me. Over three days we did not do much; we did not even snorkel or do any sightseeing. I'm always shocked at how the beach life takes over and one can be without any "activities" yet the days fly by and at no point were we bored!

Love me some seafood.

Perfect shaded area to read and listen to the ocean.

It's best to wear watershoes or flip flops; there are many sea urchins!

Ana wading while a woman harvests seaweed in the background.

Discovering a Buffalo carcass

The on the left is along a river, probably going to drink. After three days the lion moved on...(red square final point)

From the 16th-18th of November we observed Lion #98 with very tight movements indicative of a feeding event. We check the lions movements each day and it's exciting to see when they do something unusual or possibly have a large carcass. We were also pleased that this carcass was close to a road meaning that we could follow up and ground truth once they were gone. The majority of the lions' territories have no road access and thus we were eager to follow up. 

We were familiar with the landscape and knew the lion was about 200m off the road in a thick commiphora forest. These are not particularly dense forests but have features that local wildlife have adapted to and thus lions and the like can appear very camouflaged. It can also be dangerous as the risk of sneaking up on an animal and frightening it is high and in a closed space they can panic and attack. As a result we took precautions bringing our noisemakers and waiting until the lions GPS movements indicated they were far off the carcass. 

Still, it was not without risks though I admit I love the excitement. There is something about the focus and awareness that one has in the bush. You register every single sound, examine the game trails and evidence of wildlife, take in the odors of elephant and kudu. It's an immersive experience and there is always a bit of underlying fear that gets the adrenaline pumping.

We made plenty of noise while observing evidence of elephant, kudu, impala, though no lion. The forest was well traveled but dry season makes it difficult to observe some tracks and signs of wildlife. We tried to follow our noses to the carcass but we didn't smell anything. After some circling about we finally came upon a buffalo head and rib-cage. We identified some spots where lions slept and piles of feces strewn about. The lions had picked the buffalo well clean! 

The head remains.

The head and rib-cage was all that was left. Impressive.

Transporting fish

I think there are two here.

I was impressed this person had fish on each side view mirror. 

 

One interesting thing I frequently see here in Tanzania is the transport of fresh fish. In the absence of a cooler one is faced with the question, should you put the fish inside the vehicle and likely cause your vehicle to smell for weeks or....do you put it...outside? 

Many an enterprising driver tie the fish to the side view mirrors of their vehicle. It is not unusual, especially in areas close to lakes and rivers, to see travelers passing through tying fish on the side view mirrors.