While the animals were definitely the highlight of the trip, the beauty of the African landscape was a close second, especially the views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Amani told us that the Kilimanjaro was often shy and that clouds would often hide the peak. One particular day we must have spent 15 minutes looking skyward before we actually were able to distinguish the peak from the surrounding clouds. The moment we were able to see the summit was amazing.
The next day as Skip and I were leaving our tent we looked up and there the peak was... in clear view. Skip quickly got his camera out and was able to snap a picture before the clouds again overtook the view. When we were flying back to Arusha from the Serengeti we asked Amani if we would be able to see Mount Kilimanjaro on the flight. He replied that he didn't think so because he had never seen it from the air on that route. However, a short time later, there Mount Kilimanjaro was... in plain view where we could snap photographs!
The next day as Skip and I were leaving our tent we looked up and there the peak was... in clear view. Skip quickly got his camera out and was able to snap a picture before the clouds again overtook the view. When we were flying back to Arusha from the Serengeti we asked Amani if we would be able to see Mount Kilimanjaro on the flight. He replied that he didn't think so because he had never seen it from the air on that route. However, a short time later, there Mount Kilimanjaro was... in plain view where we could snap photographs!
And what about the storm in the Ngorongoro Crater that most of us watched from our room, wasn't that fantastic? And then to see that beautiful rainbow arching so beautifully over the crater! That was incredibly special and the photograph does not do the event justice.
We also had some pretty funny things to happen on our trip, and again to fully appreciate the humor you just had to be there. For example, we all now understand what it means to have the "screamies". Thanks Monja for adding richness to our vocabularies! We also now will serve "bite-es" instead of appetizers before dinner or as a snack. And I really get tickled thinking about the fact that "a vet" comes to cut Jerry's hair and Bill's use of "dalai lama" for the Swahili word "lala salama", which means good night. And really, didn't we all laugh when Monja told us that she went to the liquor store "one time"? (At least those in our van laughed very hard as she was telling a story about how her accent sometimes could cause problems.) And of course, you may say "beday" and others may say "bedie".
We did have a few lowlights as well. We certainly hated that Bob left his satellite phone at the airport in Wilmington and also that his glasses got broken at some point. It was also a low point when Bill realized that he left his needles at home, but quite a high point when he was able to replace them in Africa... even if the needles were MUCH larger that the ones left behind. We all wondered if Bill's medicine, that was lost somewhere enroute to Africa, would ever arrive. Fortunately, it did, even if it was almost at the end of the trip. In the meantime, Emily was able to secure a small amount of the medicine for Bill. So he was able to make do with what Maryann had as extra, along with the small amount that Emily got for him.
I'm pretty certain that no one on our trip will miss the horrid tsetse flies. Wow, we had heard about them before we got to Africa, but it wasn't until the end of the trip that we experienced their full force. May we NEVER see another tsetse fly ever again! Nor do I think we will miss the box lunches that were provided for us. The first day they were OK, but after that they really went downhill fast.
Larry dropping and breaking his camera was a bummer, but we are all going to send him copies of our pictures. Mary Alice wasn't too happy about getting sick, but was really happy that the cipro seemed to do the trick in clearing what ailed her. She also wasn't too crazy to awaken to find her tongue was pitch black, but very grateful that Monja's doctor neighbor had informed her that chewing pepto bismol tablets could cause a black tongue!! (At the time I thought I might have to be airlifted out of Africa because of some rare illness that caused your tongue to rot!!) And finally there are a few smells of Africa that we will not miss one single bit! One is the hippo cesspools and the other is the smelly fish odor at the market in Nairobi.
We had many adventures on our African safari... lots of highlights and a few lowlights. But most of all this trip will be remembered for the fantastic experiences and sights and for making some wonderful new friends. I hope we will manage to keep in touch!
Kwaheri!!!
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