Journal

October 8, 2006
Yankari Game Park

Yankari is a little piece of paradise hidden in the north. Aine and I had a full day of safari animals,
pesky insects, and floating in the warm springs. On Thursday after I enjoyed a few days in
Kaduna visiting with VSO’s and saying goodbyes Aine and I headed north to the town of Bauchi.
Once in Bauchi we decided we should go straight to Yankari to give us a chance to arrange for a
safari drive the next morning. At the motor park we were able to negotiate a small beat-up car to
drive us the two hours for 3000 Naira ($30).

The road out has some lovely views and the road form the park gate to Wikki camp is under
construction and therefore easy to navigate. At the park gate we had to pay 200 for our entrance
and 1000 for each camera plus 100 for the car which we don’t think we should have paid, they
actually wanted 300 but we left it at 100. I soon noticed that the park is full of tall grass over my
head. It’s the end of rainy season and everything is green and growing. It’s beautiful but
unfortunately this means it is going to be very difficult to spot any animals.

Wikki camp is under major renovation. They have torn down a lot of the accommodation and the
cheapest rooms no longer existed. We were able to get a room with a large bed to share for 1500
per night, they also charge 200 per day for the springs, 5%VAT and 10% service charge and
required 5000 total as a deposit from which we got 750 back at the end. The renovations are
supposed to be complete in December but we talked to one of the contractors and he said there
is no way it will be finished then. When it is complete there will be a big hotel and other large
fancy facilities and I assume the prices will go way up so I am glad I got to see it now.

We tried to arrange for safari and were told the vehicle is broken. They haven’t bothered to fix it as
not many people want to do safari this time of year. I think the ranger could tell how upset we are
so he negotiated with his boss to let us take a land rover used for hunter patrols for 2500. So
Saturday morning we got up early for our safari at 7am. When we came out of our Banda there
baboons running everywhere. We snapped some pictures and watched them chase each other
around us as we waited for our driver to appear with fuel.

At 7:30 we were off into the bush. On our way out of camp we saw a warthog who was missing a
chunk of his neck thanks to a lion attack, he is lucky to be alive. Just outside of camp we spotted 3
waterbuck which look a lot like fuzzy deer. As we got further into the wet jungle and away from the
savanna we began to be swarmed by Tsetse flies. These are similar to the horse flies we have at
home, they bite you and suck a lot of blood. We soon discovered they even bite through your
clothing. Thankfully Aine had her insect repellant that seemed to help a bit but over the course of
2hrs enough of them still ran off with my blood.

I asked the guide about crocodiles and hippos so he said there is a place we might be able to
find them. A short while later the truck parked in thick jungle and we set off on foot following hippo
prints. I was thinking seeing how hippos are the #1 killer of humans amongst animals maybe
this isn’t such a great idea?? But I kept quiet as I did want to see the lovable buggers with their
cute ears. So we trekked down to the river and could hear hippos and baboons but could not see
anything. Just when we were about to give up a hippo surfaced right in front of us and I got a few
good snaps. He swam underwater past us upstream and surfaced again, he seemed interested
in watching us too.

Back in the vehicle we drove back to the savanna in search of elephants. Along the way we
spotted guinea hens and 3 huge horn billed birds and a tortoise. We stopped the vehicle to get
out and snap two lion’s footprints but never saw any lions. When we were just about to give up on
the elephants our guide spotted one in the tall grass close to the road. They vehicle stopped and
we climbed out and this time I said “I’m not sure this is a good idea?” but no one listened so off
we went toward the elephant who was walking away from us. There were 3 of them, one was a
baby, and it didn’t take long of the big one who was closest to us to turn around raise his trunk
and come towards us to chase us off. Well I ran way from him while the guide told me firmly to
calm down! The elephant was just giving us a warning before he turned and walked away again
and we left to go back to the truck and return to camp.

Back at camp it was time for breakfast and to check out the warm springs. I had pictured a muddy
wallowing hole, boy was I in for a surprise! The springs are paradise! Bubbling up from one end
and flowing off into the jungle is crystal clear 33 degree warm springs over a soft sandy bottom.
Near the source it is about 9 feet deep and just before the bridge at the other end only about 3
inches deep. Aine and I sat ourselves down in about 2 feet of pristine water and spent the entire
day in awe of how perfect this little hidden paradise is. We had planned to read and suntan but
could not drag ourselves out of the water for anything other than a quick lunch break and to rescue
our cameras from a pending rainstorm at 5:30pm.

After an evening of reading in the bar and our 3rd meal of chicken and chips it was off for an early
night so that we could wake early. Saturday we woke and jumped out of bed by 7am so that we
could have a full hour in the springs before breakfast and driving back to Bauchi at 9am. Once
again we enjoyed paradise along with a large group of youth who began their morning lecture in
the water, what a brilliant idea! The water was warmer than the air in the crisp morning and so
hard to tare ourselves away from, another day in the springs could have easily been enjoyed.

The only down side to Yankari was the Tsetse fly. I managed to get bit head to toe literally and my
body really did not appreciate it. My bites swelled up to an inch in diameter of hard itchy welts.
Aine was bit a few times, I am sure, but she had no reaction. I was really suffering for about
24hrs. When we got to Jos our 1st stop had to be AfriOne for food but then it was straight to a
pharmacist for antihistamine pills and calamine lotion. Then it was time for shopping. The craft
shops were pretty much closed but the market was open and I found to cloth materials I just had
to have. I am really hooked on having clothes made!

Sunday I was up early and at the motor park before 6am to get a bus to Ilorin. Aine and I said our
goodbyes since she went to a different motor park. I ended up waiting more than 4hrs for a bus
and we didn’t get to Ilorin till after 8pm. It was a long day. We stopped so the Christians could
have lunch and we had to spot again at sunset so the Muslims could break fast. The poor guy
next to me was shaking and jumpy the hour before sunset, he was in much better spirits once he
had some chop.