Past the river we start driving up a hill, but the car loses power halfway to the top. Athuman tries various solutions, yet all he ends up doing is revving the engine violently and not moving anywhere. He believes it's a problem with the gearbox but has no idea how to fix it. Half an hour goes by before a local man passes and stops to give Athuman advice. After a couple of attempts we manage to successfully summit the hill and continue on.

 

Five minutes later the engine dies completely. Both Athuman and Gilbert tinker under the hood, but to no avail. They tell me now there's an issue with the timing belt, and we need to call the park ranger for assistance. Unfortunately, Gilbert can't get any phone reception and they are at a loss as to what to do. They better think of something fast, as it's getting late and I'm not keen on spending the night out here.

 

Forty-five minutes after breaking down they realise that Athuman's phone has a signal, and they make the necessary call (why this wasn't thought of earlier, I have no idea). The sun sets while we wait, lighting up the sky in brilliant shades of orange. I run around taking photos, fully aware that a wide range of animals (including lions) are most active at this time of day. Every rustle in the grass brings goosebumps to my skin, but it's usually just the wind.

 

Park headquarters is only 5km away, but they take 45 minutes to reach us. In record time we are chained up to the ranger's car and towed through the night. Even this isn't without calamity though. The metal chain used to join the two cars snaps, not once, but twice. They give up on the chain and instead use a rope. This breaks too. It's back to the chain again. I'm glad there's a guard with a hefty gun accompanying us, as there are a number of repairs and alterations in the pitch black and who knows what may be lurking nearby. There's one more chain readjustment required before we finally arrive at park headquarters, 30 minutes after the tow commenced. I could have run here faster.

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Across the two breakdowns I lost two hours of the day, resulting in me missing out on yet another half-day game drive. I don't feel as though luck has been on my side this week.

 

There's a long wait at headquarters before we are driven down the road to a no-frills eatery. Inside, a game of pool is in full swing and a TV blares in Swahili. Beer and soda is sold through a barred window. Park workers mill about, the only place they have to eat and socialise with each other inside Ruaha. Basic meals are served outside in the cold wind. On the table beside me is a tourist eating dinner with his guide. It looks like he is travelling solo too. 

 

Once dinner is over I am driven to my accommodation, inside the park. My itinerary says I am staying in a cottage, but I am delivered to one of the old bandas, a crude metal hut with two beds, a bare-bones bathroom and not much else. Even the lamps don't have globes. There's no communal area here, no WiFi, no bar, and the tap in the bathroom doesn't work. I am dropped off at 8.45 p.m. and told I will be picked up at  8 a.m. tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I am sternly warned, I am not to leave my hut under any circumstances. It feels like I have been sent to prison. Without much to do, I jump straight into bed and hope for a smoother day tomorrow.