Safari

Day 1
Feeling refreshed and clean, we boarded a caravan of Land Cruisers from Bushbuck Safaris and headed towards Tarangire National Park. Upon entering we saw a herd of zebra running into a pond with wildebeest. Our off-road vehicles were outfitted with the classic safari pop-top, which allowed us to stand on our seats and hang out the roof of the car for a great view and cool breeze. After driving further, we saw giraffes, impala, warthogs, and got stuck behind an elephant on the road. We watched vultures swarm over Africa's native acacia tree. The park was also full of Boabab trees, some of which were over 1,000 years old. It was hard to believe we were driving through the African plains since yesterday we were still on the mountain, but it was great to watch the animals in their natural habitat. Lunch involved a close and very entertaining encounter with baboons. Several of them hung around the picnic site, which we thought was neat until they stole our food. Laura tried a kicking motion to scare them away, but at this point they went from sneaking up to charging. Within seconds they had snagged a sandwhich, cake, an apple, fruit juice, and a Twix bar. 30 minutes later they ambushed Rick and Valerie with the large male baboon grabbing two boxes and running away. Valerie also tried the kicking motion, but again, he ran off with one in his mouth and the other tucked underneath his arm. Humans 0; Baboons 2. We surrendered and left. After an afternoon game drive, we learned more about the flora and fauna of the area. Then we checked into the Sopa Lodge, which is situated in the middle of the park with no fence allowing animals to roam freely on its grounds (also why you have personal escorts to your door after dark).

Day 2
The next morning we drove to Lake Manyara. On the way out of the park we got 'yelled' at by an elephant for tailgating (not your typical road rage!). In the lake's national park we saw herds of buffalo and a pool of hippos. While they weigh approximately 3 tons, they can run up to 40 kph and poop 15 kg per day. Katie saw a 4 ft. black spit cobra jump into the air and dive into a nearby bush as we drove by. The vegetation in this are was much more lush and dense. We had lunch at the luxurious Serena Lodge and drove 2 hours to the Ngorongoro Crater. We stopped briefly at a Masai boma to learn about their tribe. We watched warriors do a traditional jumping dance (Rick thinks Coach K should recruit here) and the women do a separate dance. They were all cloaked in blue and red chukas (cloth wraps) and elaborate beaded necklaces and bracelets. They have a unique ear-piercing practice where the ear lobe can stretch up to two inches long. We received a tour inside their dung huts and learned their meals consist primarily of meat, blood, and milk. We decided to leave their home after Brady almost spilt the gourd of milk thinking it was a maraca. Even though they have stuck to many of their tribal traditions, many have adapted the modern use of a cell phone. We thought it was interesting to be exposed to their way of life. We made our final stop of the day at the Sopa Lodge nestled on the edge of the crater's rim, which was high in elevation and made for a chilly night.

Day 3
Within minutes of driving along the bottom of the crater, a male lion was headed straight for our car. It was a big adrenaline rush to see him stroll only inches by us! We were lucky to catch them in action since they are known to sleep 22 hours per day. After exitedely updating the cybercast, we found even more around the corner. In the crater's saltwater lake, we saw resident flamingoes (in late August the migration brings in millions), more hippoes, cape buffalo, thomson's gazelle and two very distant rhinos. Along with 13 other vehicles, we followed 2 cheetah on the prey. Unfortunately, because of the audience they avoided an attack on the zebra across the road who were vigilantly watching their every move. Lucky for us, our driver thought he had to be in front and has an eagle eye for spotting hard-to-find animals. We then drove the 2 hours out of the crater and to the Serengeti--the bumpiest and dustiest ride of our life. We got a flat tire right beside two jackals devouring the carcass of a thomson's gazelle that appeared to be hit by a car. Two hyenas tried moving in on the feast, but were too scared by our presence. Minutes later a cheetah walked right in front of our car. The Serengeti is spotted with hills of boulders that serve as animal dens and look exactly like a scene from the Lion King.
That night we enjoyed our last dinner as a group and John presented us with Kilimanjaro certificates signed by our guides and the national park warden--proof for all of you at home who don't think we made it.

Day 4
We had a short game drive in the morning before catching a puddle-jumper from the Serengeti to Arusha. We drove very slowly, gazing at every tree, but didn't have any luck spotting a leopard. We did see a pride of lions resting under a tree with their cubs and several more giraffe and elephants. The airstrip had a car that would drive before incoming and outgoing flights in order to remove the animals from the dirt runway. While most people had to organize their luggage before catching late flights, we had the opportunity to do some local market shopping with our friend Kitambi. That night we took two of our Tanzanian guides, Michael and Eric, out to dinner in order to see them one last time. It was a great end to our trip. (many thanks, Rick!)