Safari is amazing! The drive here to the serengeti was beautiful and the scenery changed all along the way. I knew even the trees would get me excited and I was right! The baobabs and acacia make me really feel like I'm here in Africa. Driving by the crater, I saw beautiful rainforest/jungle views. I was amazed at how many Maasai I saw. They had more jewlry and accessories than they wear around Arusha. The landscapse were so massive. I loved sticking my head out the window and feeling the wind. The ride was quite bumpy though. Our driver called it the "african massage" haha. Oh, and on the way we saw zebras, giraffes, baboons, and gazelles. Incredible.
I know why the serengeti inspires so many stories, paintings, and natgeo shows. :) Not long after entering the park, we saw an eagle eating a rabbit. Then a vulture stole the rabbit and then two jackels came and stole it from the vulture. Then. We saw a cheetah. Yay! It wasn't super close but I was so happy to see one.
Then, a lion sleeping up on a rock and leapord in a tree. The best part--Elephants. About 30-40 of them. A few babies, one pushed another. We drove RIGHT BETWEEN some later. And on the way to the campsite, I was leaning out the window eating an orange, and I saw a dikdik! They're tiny little deer-like animals and they're so cute! When our friend wanted to go explore around the campsite our guide told her "better not wander too far, the dikdiks are hungry!" Hahaha. Our guide, Emmanuel, is great.
Then, the perfect african sunset and we layed on the grass and chatted while the millions of stars came out. At our romantic wine and pasta dinner (for 8) in the eating room, we heard a crunching right outside. We shined a light and it was a buffalo! The most dangerous animal in the serenegeti right here in our campsite! There's no way I'd get up to use the bathroom tonight.
Such an amazing day. I wish I could do it all over again.
Days 15 and 16--Siku Kumi na tano na Kumi na sita
Two more days were not enough! I'm surprised at how muc I love looking for the animals, and not just seeing them. I scan the horizon with home--is that a buffalo, or a termite mound? a giraffe, or a tree trunk? a cheetah or just another gazelle? (gazelle are EVERYWHERE by the way, and smaller than I thought they were)
The scenery is incredible, infinite. Serengeti in Maasai means "land of endless space." Often, on the drive to the ngorongoro crater, I see a lone red blanket walking through this endless space. It gives me an indiscribable emotion such a small person in such a large space.
On the serengeti morning game drive, we saw a cheetah even closer. Wow. We also saw lions, a rare badger, more elephants, zebras, hyenas, buffalo. Incredible. That night at our campsite in Ngorongoro, we had a bonfire and marshmellows. We chatted with the guides and other campers. That night in our tent Emily and I heard loud animal noises. This time, I was sure it was not matthew snoring in the tent nextdoor. We heard a guide say Simba. But in the morning it turned out that what we heard was a zebra. A lion had been in the area and the guides had been warned by a Maasai man. (They parked the cars strategically around the site to protect us.)
The morning breakfast was delicious and the last game drive, on the floor of the crater, was again amazing. The colors of the scenery were beautiful and riding with my head out the top of the land rover, I felt like I was on a boat and the grass was the lake at the bottom of the crater.
The whole trip was so great and I can't wait to share my best photos! Hope all is well with everyone at home. :)
