December 17, 2013 - January 2, 2014
"This is where my spirit had always been. Where my body had never set foot,
but where all of me belonged."
-Robert Vavra
Mt. Kilimanjaro-early morning-taken from the front of our tent
I copied the quote above from a book I was browsing through in the the lobby of The Olasiti Lodge, where we stayed when we first arrived in Arusha, Tanzania. The quote captures the feeling for people like us who had been dreaming of going to Africa for a long time.
We were fortunate to have such a long winter break from school so that we could spend 16 days on this amazing adventure. It was more than just a safari. Our guides, Kombe "Goodluck" and Shedaffa "Francis", made sure that we experienced more than just wildlife by providing opportunities for us to interact with the people and everyday life in Tanzania.
We were there during the short rainy season, which meant we had rain occasionally for brief periods of time. Usually just long enough to wet the ground and settle the dust, but these afternoon showers during the months of November and December were also enough to create a very green landscape, especially in the Serengeti. Most of the time, however, we had sunshine and blue skies with temperatures in the upper 70s to mid 80s.
The following pictures are just a sample of the over 3,000 photos we shot. Just when we thought we had seen our fill of elephants or zebra, we would see them again in better lighting, or up close, or behaving differently than we had seen them before. We were up most mornings at 5 or 5:30 for an early morning game drive. We would return to camp in time for lunch, take a 3-4 hour siesta, and then go out again in the late afternoon. The game viewing seemed to get better and better every day, ending the last day with the long awaited rhino sighting- a mother and her
baby!
Our Maasai guide, Marco, was with us for the first three days at a camp near Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Most of the tented sights looked like this: a large canvas tent covered with a thatched roof. Believe it or not they also had flush toilets and showers in the back behind that wooden screen. Below is a picture of the inside. Not too shabby...it's "glamping", not camping! And the service was phenomenal-they even turned down our beds at night.
We were greeted back at camp to cool, wet washcloths to wipe the dust from our grimy hands and faces.
"Learning and Discovery"
We heard Kombe use the phrase "learning and discovery" a lot. He would say, "It's time for some learning and discovery!", and then gather us together to either have a mini lesson on wildlife or the history of Tanzania, OR take us out on some crazy excursion to discover life in Tanzania. One afternoon, while we were still in Arusha, he took us to a local restaurant and pub for some grilled goat and banana beer. We even rode the public transportation (a very crowded minibus).
Christmas Day
We started Christmas morning with a big breakfast, which included a large Ukrainian chocolate bar big enough for everyone in our group to have a square! Santa must have stuck it in my bag when I wasn't looking. I was glad I packed my Santa hat to go with the rest of the Christmas decorations we found decking the halls at the campsites.
After breakfast we visited a family who taught us how to grind maize and weave baskets. The kids were so cute! I was glad that Santa also packed a bag of gummy bears in my luggage. They were a big hit!
Later we visited a Maasai village for more lessons. We were dressed in traditional garb and then expected to participate in the singing, dancing, and chores.
Christmas afternoon we drove to the town of Karatu and checked in at the Tloma Lodge, a beautiful resort/farm tucked away in the hills near the Ngorongoro Crater. We passed several "shops" like the one pictured below on our way to Karatu.
Oops! Hakuna matata, we were on our way in no time!
Our camp in the Serengeti. It was the most rustic of them all, but still quite comfortable. And once again, the service was impeccable!
At another village, the men were put to work!! Jay tossed and stacked several handmade bricks before the owner of the brick factory told him he could stop.
Later, at the owners house, we dressed up (again) and ate lunch with him and his family.
Before we left Karatu we visited a local primary school. Below is a picture of my reading buddy, Patrick. It was a great visit; the children were so kind and happy.
The Animals!
Beautiful Tanzania
This is how close we were to the animals! This lioness found shade in the shadow of our truck and looked very annoyed when we drove away.
It truly was "the trip of a lifetime". We couldn't have asked for more. We had great travelling companions, excellent guides, good food, comfortable lodging, and awesome animals, all in one spectacular setting...Tanzania, AFRICA.
