Gone Hunting

Gone hunting. Be back Sunday night. Friends, nature, game, and Internet detox.

R.I.P. Näppä Pilvi

We found a bird at our summer cabin, a tiny swallow (or marlet?), that had injured one if its wings. A healthy swallow is one of the fastest flying birds in Finland. We found it just as it was going to drown--it was slipping down a slope into the lake. At first it would jump out of your hands and spiral down to the inevitable crash. But soon it calmed down and began to enjoy our company. It would actually hop into my palm or sit on my shoulder.


Teemu and the girls took over and showed it much love. They even called animal rescue but could find no-one who would take it in. The little bird only lived for two days. Teemu was very sorry, the sobs were deep. But Julia found a little wooden cross (branch) and together with her friend Sini they built a grave with pretty flowers around it. The tomb was encircled with hay and straw, an obvious symbol, I think, for its heavenly nest. Näppä Pilvi--christened posthumously by Teemu--died July 23rd.

Monkey Thieves

We drove through the Serengeti National Park on our journey to Lake Victoria. We make a quick stop at the exit gates. Danny goes to show the documents to the park officials. He buys us drinks and chocolate bars, and we decide to sit down for a while before continuing on. A family of vervet monkeys seem to be interested in our car.

Tanzanian car inspection (=stealing our oil filter).

"Wait, I think he saw us..."

"False alarm. I'll move on the the bolts, you take the side mirror."

"I look goood."

We were enjoying this "car inspection". The monkeys were cute. But cuteness was part of their devious plan. For soon I hear Danny behind me shouting something, "Shooo!". I turn around and he says, "They took your snickers bar!" Apparently their cousins had been lurking behind as all along, just waiting for an opening. If Danny hadn't reacted quickly, I'm sure the little rascal would have my coke bottle in his other hand.

Ngorongoro Camo Zebras

This zebra is preparing to jump. We have completely stopped the car to enjoy the episode. There are several other zebras behind this one waiting for their turn.


The zebra, unlike most animals, cannot trust its hide coloring for protection against the probing eyes of the predators. The zebra's defense lays in numbers. The black and white stripes, easily visible against a green background, may distract the predator, make it difficult to single out an individual member from the pack, especially when the pack is on the run.

Ngorongoro Water Buffalos

On our drive to Lake Victoria through the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti National Parks my brother and I, because of the dense morning fog, failed to see the Ngorongoro Crater and its famous black rhinos. We were at the gates of Ngorongoro at six, when they open, and the fog hung heavily during our careful 20km/h drive up the spiraling mountain road. By the time the fog gave away, at around nine, we were already past the crater area.

But it was an experience in itself. Visibility was horrible, so we took our time -- where the road ended a steep deadly drop began, 30 meters or 300 meters, you couldn't tell. Our windows were open so that we could hear the morning sounds and breathe in some of that crisp morning air. Every now and then a group of water buffalos (or zebras, as you will see in the next post) would appear out of nowhere. The warm-blooded buffalos seemed to steaming and exhaling smoke in the cold air. Anyone who has seen these beasts knows what power they weild.

Serengeti and Lake Victoria

Tomorrow morning my brother and I are leaving for a five-day roadtrip. Our final destination is Mwanza, a city on the coast of Lake Victoria, quite near the Ugandan and Kenyan borders. Fida has a large youth center there which I will be able to visit.

We have decided to drive through the Serengeti national park, which is on the way. I've been to the Mikumi national park but never to Serengeti. Apparently the wildebeests and zebras etc. are migrating. If we're lucky (or if we're told the real-time coordinates), we'll stuble upon them in herds of thousands. Ngorongoro, the crater famous for its black rhinos, will have to wait for another time, as it would double the entry fee and cost us an extra day.

We'll be back on Tuesday. The following weekend I'll fly to Zanzibar for a mini vacation, just before returning to Finland on the 1st of June. My time in Africa is soon over. Six months has gone past quickly.

Disorientated Bat

One morning we woke up to see a bat hanging upside down from our garage roof. Apparently this fella was a bit disorientated. Not only because it wasn't spending the day in some sea-cliff cave like the rest of his friends, but also because he stayed in that garage, without moving, for three days and three nights. The reason for this is that the garage light was on nonstop, so our poor doubly disorientated bat probably thought it was a very, very long day, and kept waiting for the night to arrive. It did arrive in the form of a power-out and the bat was not seen anymore.

In the evenings you can see tons of bats: they fly out of their hiding places in long, unbroken formations that last for hours. Although these bats are considerably larger than their Scandinavian cousins, we're literally pounds away from the dog-size screaming devils I saw in the jungles of Malaysia.

Scuba Diving Course

It would have been smart to take a Swahili course at the beginning of my stay here in Tanzania. But I was way too busy with everything, mostly with my studies. However, I have now completed all the courses I intended to and I ran out of books.

But it wouldn't be wise to do a language course now, just before leaving again for who knows how long. So instead I have decided to take the PADI open water diving course. It's something I've wanted to do since I first tried out snorkeling in the Similan Islands in Thailand.

Mystery Bird

My "office" is a roof-sized terrace on top of my brother's house. I spend hours there each day, reading, writing, drinking coffee. Or just chilling, shooting crows, contemplating. The senery is superb: turquoise ocean, white beach, fishing boats, palm trees, and a multitude of different kinds birds.


One of the most beautiful birds that live in the near vicinity is the King Fisher. I still haven't caught it on camera. But there's another bird too, a very pretty one, that is almost always in sight. Here is a couple that were flying around our neighbor's roof top. Who can tell me what bird it is? I cannot recognize the species.

Obligatory Update and Photo

I've been home alone since Monday. Everything's gone extremely well. I put in 8 hours of intense study and writing each day and take it easy in the evenings. Today I saw a movie with Ellam, The Fast and the Furious 4. Not really my "thing", if you know what I mean, but Ellam is into characterless fast pace action movies. (I'm exaggerating.) After finishing this post I intend to walk upstairs to the roof terrace and enjoy a Cuban cigar. The moon is spectacular tonight and it will light up the beach and ocean brilliantly.

I have to finish writing soon, because my battery is dying -- the electricity is out after several days of unproblematic current, and I don't want to use the oversized generator. Anyway, this is just an obligatory update. And this photo is the obligatory photo for the grandparents. Yes you, Grandma and Vaari, Mummi ja Pappa.


Daniella and Benjy love dogs, as you know, although they are also a little afraid of them. In this picture Daniella is meeting Sheba, the blind dog I blogged about last week, for the first time. Daniella is very courageous, as you can see. (I on the other hand am a bit apprehensive, hence Sheba's tight collar. I have a firm grip of it with my hidden right hand, just in case).

Blind Shepherd

This is Sheba. She is our neighbors' German Shepherd. They have another dog, Spot, a white Jack Russell named after the black patch on her back. When you take Sheba (and Spot) with you for a walk or a jog on the beach, Sheba will place herself between you and anyone in the vicinity, a fellow jogger running towards you or any person chilling at the beach. If someone comes too close, Sheba will gently push them away (while on the move). What makes her special is that she is blind.

Animal Update

Teemu riding in Siuntio near my parents' summer house. Their neighbors have a horse-farm and I was supposed to tell everyone what their names (both neighbors' and horses) are but I've forgotten. The children love them both. I especially like Teemu's unorthodox riding helmet.

There some sad news too. A few days ago some animal broke into the duck and chicken house in the home backyard in Helsinki and... killed them all.

We think it was a fox, but foxes don't usually kill everyone -- rather they grab one and quickly take off. So it might be a mink. Although I'm not sure if any live in the vicinity. A narrow creek runs by the house, so there you have the (required) water, but still, I'd be surprised if it was a mink. I was authentically saddened by the news. All the ducks and chickens had names, they were part of the family, and many visitors came over just to see them. The bunnies are alive, thanks to a fenced cage-floor.

I'm hoping my parents decide to get raise more ducklins and chicks, but we'll see.

Hunting in Eastern Finland

What a great trip. I just returned from a four-day hunting trip from eastern Finland. Up at 5 am each morning, coffee break at 11 am, dinner at 4 pm, and bed at 10 pm. We ate well, had good conversation, and walked for miles. We saw a lot of wild game, birds mostly, and I was able to bring one home. Jarmo and Jukka were, by far, the more experienced hunters and trekkers, and excellent company. The trip was a success -- in fact, we decided to re-do it before the season ends: we'll be heading back to eastern Finland October 17th.

Hunting Trip

I have been kindly invited by my friend Saila's father to join him and Saila's uncle on their annual hunting trip this October. I am definitely planning to make it, and even paid my hunting license despite not knowing if I'm even in Finland at that time (I might be in Tanzania). It will be prime season for black grouse (teeri), wood grouse (metso), and hazelhen (pyy). I carry a shotgun (not in public), not a rifle. In other words I've never hunted big game like moose or elk (they're two different species no matter what the British say).


This photo is from my brother's wedding (reception, not ceremony). Somehow his wife Sirkku was able to tell the difference between the moose pelt and Danny's hairy chest, even though Sirkku's brother Sami tried to deceive her by carefully adjusting Danny's crucifix. How she did it remains a mystery to this day.

Good Morning Slippers!

Slippers is one of our two cats (MacGyver was introduced earlier). Slippers - named after her four white paws - is a lovely cat. She is fearful of strangers and of objects in people's hands, but once you win her trust, she is not shy about letting you know she likes you. And she's an impressive huntress. Nowadays, when MacGyver (whom Slippers adores) is getting older, it'll often be Slippers who, for example, will attack a neighboring cat twice her size and scare it off our (her) property. Because she is careful and timid with strangers, I think Slippers has most of her lives left. Unlike MacGyver, who probably wasted his 9th sometime in the mid-90's.

Lepojärvi Cabin

Speaking of our summer cabin, here is a picture of the lake. The cabin itself is just 20 meters from the peer. The lake is called Lepojärvi or Restlake (lepo=rest, järvi=lake). The canoe has served us well - my father made it some, what, 15-20 years ago? It's made of fiber-glass, painted camo, both ends have water tight containers, and the comfortable seats are made of overlapping car seat-belts (visible if you click on the photo).

I'm looking forward to the summer season, as stated. Hopefully some weeks will be spent here. The kids, I'm sure, can't wait. They'll probably haul all the animals - ducks, chickens, bunnies - to the cabin where they can run free. There's no electricity, no running water - so a lot of time is spent warming up the sauna, heating the water, preparing food, washing up after food etc. But it's worth it. Sielu lepää, as we say in Finnish ("the soul rests").

A Lion Kill

This is what awaited us. We were so lucky to witness it. The carcass was probably a day or less than a day old. A young wildebeest (gnu), I think. We drove our car quite close, maybe 10 meters away. The lions weren't too bothered. Here a young male lion found a piece of a lung that his companions had overlooked. This picture, like the picture of the dead rain-deer carcass from some weeks ago, is definitely worth clicking. The flies/maggots near the rear end are a (less than pretty) sight.

Spotted A Lioness

I never got the opportunity to visit the more famous national parks in Tanzania, like Serengeti with its famous Ngorongoro Crater. My brother tells me its great, but that sometimes you end up driving for hours on end before you see what you're trying to find. Mikumi National Park, on the other hand, is not so known - yet it's Tanzania's fourth largest national park and very close to Dar es Salaam. If I remember correctly, in Mikumi you can see all but the black rhino, cheetah, and hyenas. I've been to there twice. Both times we were lucky and saw lions (impressive but some other species impressed me more). The first time around we had just about given up on the hope of finding them when we suddenly spotted a female lioness walking in the tall grass. Man we were excited! So, we began to follow it slowly by car from a comfortable distance. In the next post I'll show what she eventually lead us to.

Two Tribes

You didn't see this on TV. There were a lot of crew behind the camera, at least a three-man team, and during competitions and the like often more than two or three dozen people. In this photo, we have been in Malaysia for some 3-4 weeks. I eventually lost 17 kilos (ca. 45 pounds), of which half has not returned to this day. We have just landed on Mensirip, the final island to where the remains of of the two tribes were sent. (I can post more pictures later if anyone's interested.)

Teemu the Chicken Farmer

Meet Teemu, 8 years. He is my parents' youngest child. He has been with them since he was two and a half. He loves animals. Cats, dogs, ducks, hens, chickens, bunnies - you name it. During the summers he might spend a few weeks (altogether) at our summer cabin in central Finland, at Lepojärvi (“Rest Lake”). He takes mighty good care of all the animals there. I really love this little boy.