When I last went to Washington D.C. I was fortunate to be taken on a tour of the offices of the West Wing, White House lawns and press rooms.
The tour takes you past all the key offices and boardrooms, including the Roosevelt Boardroom and the Oval Office. You can’t get inside these rooms but the doors are open so that you can see inside. There are secret service men posted throughout the building - one of them even showed me where the President keeps his nibbles and sweet, in a cupboard just outside the Oval Office!
Unfortunately you can’t take pictures on the inside the West Wing, which is understandable, but you can outside. Here’s one of the President’s residence in the White House from the South lawns. If I’d strayed from the path I am told I would have been quickly tackled by secret service! Needless to say I didn’t test that out.
The only place I could take pictures of was the White House Press Room. Which is full of video cameras and each seat is specified to a member of the press.
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March 30th, 2008
Posted by
Doug Platts |
North America, Travel |
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After we had completed our climb of Mt. Kilimajaro, the 8 of us also went on safari to experience more of African culture and wilderness. The safari was for 6 days, exploring the Lake Manyara National Park , Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
The Serengeti is a savanna covering a 60,000 square kilometer area which sprawls across Tanzania and Kenya. The migration that occurs there every six months is considered amongst many to be one of the seven tourist travel wonders of the world. The area contains several game reserves and national parks. Its name come from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”.
The Serengeti has thousands of predators and more than 2 million herbivores. Gazelles, blue wildebeests, buffalos and zebars are the most common animals found in the region.
The largest and longest overland migration in the world happens in the Serengeti every six months. Nearly 2 million herbivores travel from the northern hills in October, and head toward the southern plains, where they cross the Mara River, in pursuit of the rains. They then return to the north through the west in April, again crossing the Mara river. This phenomenon is sometimes called the Circular Migration. 250,000+ wildebeest alone will die during the journey from Tanzania to then Maasai Mara reserves in upper Kenya, a journey that covers 500 miles. Death is often caused by exhaustion, injury, or being attacked by predators such as the big cats of the region.
The area is also home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which contains the Olduvai Gorge, where some of the oldest hominid fossils are found, as well as the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera.
Here is the itinerary we followed when visiting the Serengeti:
Day 1
Depart Moshi and drive westwards to Lake Manyara National Park . Lake Manyara is tucked beneath the Rift Valley wall, a thin green band of forest flanked by the 600 metres sheer high red and brown cliffs of the escarpment and the shores of the soda lake which gives name to the park. Famous for its tree-climbing lions, Manyara features nearly 400 different species of bird, red-billed quelea, pelicans, cormorants and thousands of flamingos. Game drive till late afternoon, with picnic lunchen route. Dinner and overnight at Lake Manyara Tented Lodge.
Day 2
Drive to see this beautiful highly scenic Lake Natron . It is the only breeding ground for East Africas millions of flamingos, which usually congregate to breed here between August and October. Set off for Serengeti with a game drive en route with picnic lunch. The legendary Serengeti is the archetypal safari destination and is renowned for its wealth of leopard and lion. Serengeti, , derived from the Maasai word siringetu meaning endless plains, is home to the annual migration of more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomsons gazelle undertaking their long trek to new grazing grounds. Dinner and overnight at Lobo Wildlife Lodge.
Day 3
Discover the Serengeti plains with a full day tour. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features have changed little in a million years; Serengetis famous plains are interspersed with wooded hills, towering termite mounds, rocky kopjes and rivers lined with acacia trees. Dinner and overnight at Seronera Wildlife Lodge.
Day 4
Optional early morning game drive. Return for breakfast and then continue with a game drive till lunch. After lunch, head back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Oldupai Gorge. The Oldupai Gorge provides evidence of the earliest signs of mankind, where hominid footprints are preserved in volcanic rock 3,600,000 years old. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique in that over 40,000 Maasai pastoralists with their cattle goats and sheep to live alongside the abundant wildlife in a natural setting. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge.
Day 5
After an early breakfast descend into Ngorongoro Crater for a six hour tour. Ngorongoro Crater is the world largest caldera measuring 600 metres in depth and covering 250 square kilometres in area. It is a spectacular setting and contains an abundance of wildlife with over 20,000 large animals including Tanzanias remaining black rhino. Late afternoon head to KIA Lodge for overnight.
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March 16th, 2008
Posted by
Doug Platts |
Africa, Travel |
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When I last went to Washington D.C. I was fortunate to be taken on a tour of the offices of the West Wing, White House lawns and press rooms.
Unfortunately you can’t take pictures on the inside the West Wing, which is understandable, but you can outside. Here’s one of the President’s residence in the White House from the South lawns. If I’d strayed from the path I am told I would have been quickly tackled by secret service! Needless to say I didn’t test that out.
The only place I could take pictures of was the White House Press Room. Which is full of video cameras and each seat is specified to a member of the press.
I'm Doug Platts and this is my travel blog from my trips around the world. On my travel blog I speak about many places I have been to and include my travel photos of what I have seen. If you have a travel blog or have travel photos you want to share please contact me. Or if would like to write a travel article for my travel blog, or would like to share travel tips or advice to publish here please let me know.
