Monday 30 May
In the early Saturday morning we drove within 2 hours to the park. There the conservator refused to let us in, because some papers were missing. We didn’t have the papers of a research permit for Waza. So it was paying almost 50.000 CFA or going back to the CEDC and making all papers correct. We choosed to go back, yep very sadly. But at the sides of the road we saw some snakes, warthogs and girafs. Not bad at all.
Sunday, for the second time…..to Waza NP! Alongside the road we saw again the girafs, such big animals. This time we could easily get in the park. With a guide, our driver, a Cameroonian student and the Dutch students we started 8.00 am with the safari. It’s amazing but the whole area in the park is just flat, one large flood plain (especially in the wet season). The park is also very big, 270.000 ha, and it habits lots of animals. 🙂 😉 At the water pools there were a lot of birds. In the surrounding you could see the warthogs running and disturbing the birds when they went to the pool for a drink, on purpose, they really liked it I think. A lot of topis, roan antelopes, girafs and buffon’s kobs. Girafs are such funny animals and they’re always very curious. One giraf was standing just behind a tree and with head turned in our direction, so he could watch us. It was definitely worth to make a lot of photos. When we drove further into the park we saw a elephant……we drive closer to it…….and a whole group was standing in the shadow of just only one tree. They were very calm so we approached them on a distance of 15-20 metres. I was sitting on the car, watching the animals, amazing feeling. Eye in eye with such big animals! Time was flying in this kind of endless park, you really like to forget things like time. Unfortunately we had to return at 15.00 hrs. Without seeing a lion……sadly, we tried, we looked for it, we didn’t find it 🙁 Hopefully I’ll see lions in Benoué. Just an experience more in africa, a safari and a savanna you expect from this continent. 😉 😉
Back in Maroua (on our way back we still saw some girafs and warthogs), time to do other things, well only Monday is left. The Monday was just as usual; buying stuf (food) for Benoué.
It was not the best period in Maroua, but still with a very nice trip. Tomorrow I’m leaving to Benoué for the final field period. The 19th of June I’m back in Maroua, with new stories, probably new animals (hihihi), and yep the lion and the eland, I have to see those two!!
Less than 6 weeks and I’m back in The Netherlands…….first till the 19th!!!! 😉 🙂 😉