Tembo, Twega, Simba, Oh My!

We actually did make it to Tanzania and I couldn't be happier that we did! What a beautiful country! We got off the plane, quickly took care of paperwork, and were greeted by a guide who was at the airport to bring us to the hotel. We heard there was a market and we wanted to go. We were excited to see handmade products and goods, but the driver said the market closed at 3:00, which we later found out was not true, and took us to a souvenir shop right outside a 5 star hotel. (Laura, don't read-  lol) I know my sister is worth it and I'm sure she will love her $20 shot glass...

We left Arusha and headed toward the Serengeti, stopping for a few souviners on the way. Fog blanketed a portion of our view on the way, but cleared as we continued. We stopped to eat lunch in a small clearing just past the crater's rim.

 As we were driving around the mountains toward the Serengeti, Elias, our guide, pulled over to check out his brakes. The brake line, or something like that, had broken under the car. Many people pulled over to help as we pulled up on a patch of land to fix the car. As we waited, we made friends, and shared gum and candy with two young Maasai boys. They fixed it by taking brake fluid out of a different vehicle with a sponge and squeezing it into ours. Hakuna Matata! Yes, they really do say that!

Serengeti National Park is an natural wonder. It was created when the volcano erupted and flattened the land around it creating a flat plain, 14,763 square kilometers of unbelievable and majestic beauty in the north of Tanzania. The word Serengeti literally means "endless plains," in the Maasai language. The Maasai people are indigenous to this area. They live off the land. It's pretty interesting when you see them in their traditional blue and red draped clothing and jewelry with their cows, goats, and donkeys, while talking on cell phones. The Maasai people are not allowed to live in the Serengeti because it is a national park, however they are allowed to live in the Nogorongoro Crater because it is a conservation area.

When you are driving around the park on your journey, in Swahilli, called a safari, the plains seem endless. While speeding around, standing in the vehicle, it feels as if you are part of this endless space. I felt so at peace with myself and my surroundings. Scanning around for animal life and being right there in the middle of thousands of zebra and wildebeest, gazelles and impalas, seemed so natural. Elephant families so close, you could reach out and touch them, bathing themselves and their suckling babies from a puddle less than five feet away was surreal. We chuckled as we watched a baby elephant try to hoist himself up an incline, with gentle pushes from his mama. It feels like a child's dream being within reaching distance to exquisite giraffes crossing your path and gently munching on leaves, while seemingly staring right at you. The thrill of watching sleeping lions, waiting for them to wake up, was unbelievable, and admittedly, made me a little uneasy. Words cannot express the beauty and the feeling, strangely, of solitude. 

The hotel we stayed in for two nights, Sopa Lodge, Serengeti, was fabulous, according to United States standards as well, and the 36 square foot shower was fantastic, and quite necessary, after the showers we were becoming accustomed to. It was built, isolated, on the edge of the plains, surrounded by emptiness and tranquility, oh, and monkeys. The servers in the dining room were attentive and entertaining. An African feast buffet was laid out and consisted of items such as pumpkin soup, beets, ugali, a traditional dish made of ground corn used to pick up some other type of food, coconut fish, and many other delacies. It was delicious! We were so tired after each day that we all soundly fell asleep the second our heads hit the pillows, maybe before.