Crater to Serengeti - Friday, July 22nd - this one is packed with information :)

We rise again early for a long drive to the Serengeti. Little do we know that these will be the worst roads yet! Could they really be any worse? The answer to that is definitely YES. Its interesting because I was recently reading an article about the fight over building a super highway through the Serengeti. It was in national geographic. I tried to insert a link here but its not working. Look up www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/08 - the story is in the 2010 August issue of National Geographic.

This road is what I would call bone rattling. At the same time I can't imagine building a super highway through the middle of this area that is the major migratory pathway for so many animals. In the US we build game trails over and under the highways in the west but our animals are far less than those in Tanzania. We will all have to watch and see what happens as this story continues to unfold.

Back to the road trip. We packed up again to head out to the Serengeti. One car of people had decided to stop at a Masai village (staged) so there was some rearranging in the cars. Since one of the Land Cruisers was fairly empty due to this shift Monique and Sierra moved to that car to get a little more room (our car was full with 7). At first I thought we were going to have a game drive through the Crater on the way out but quickly learned that was not the case. The plan was to drive around the western rim of the Crater and through the Olduvai Gorge . The drive around the rim to reach the Gorge was more than an hour long. As we approached the Gorge I was surprised at how much the landscape reminded me of South Park in Colorado. The Malanga Depression in the Gorge is a beautiful valley surrounded by hills/mountains much like this spot in Colorado. Even the grasses and the grassing cattle reminded me of home with one exception. In the distant herds of cattle there were dots of bright red. Red is the color of the Masai. They wear this bright color so that they can spot each other from great distances. It works - we could see the red clearly against the muted browns and yellows of the arid valley. The herds were large, typically shepherded by 2 or 3 Masai. Along the road there were villages set up with anywhere from 5 to 20 "houses". These are similar to the houses I described earlier made with sticks coated with manure with a small hole in the top to let out the smoke from the cooking fires. The other difference in this landscape from Colorado were the ever present Acacia trees - Acacia drepanolobium and acacia xanthophloea . The drepanolobium variety is also known as the whistling thorn and it produces something called an oak apple. There is a variety of black ant that lives inside the oak apple that protects the tree from being eaten by all the animals (giraffe's, elephants, etc) grazing in its habitat. When an animals tries to eat the tree the ants come out of the oak apples and bite the animal on the tongue and lips. Pretty good symbiotic relationship if you ask me. The other tree is also known as the Yellow Fever tree. People originally thought that the tree carried Yellow Fever because it was present in the areas where people were contracting the disease.

As we drove through the Gorge clouds began to dot the sky casting large shadows across the broad plain emphasizing even more to me how much this looks like Colorado. The landscape is barren in so many ways but beautiful in its simplicity. We made our way along until we started seeing a group of giraffes off to the right. All of our cars took an "off-roader" and drove right up to the giraffes out in the open space to let us get close up shots. Apparently the game wardens are not as vigilant in the Gorge as they are in the Crater. This was a lot of fun though because we were much closer to the giraffes (my favorite African animal) and got to see some of the smaller ones with their mothers. The Masai giraffe is darker in color than most of the giraffes I have seen in zoos in the US. After about 15 minutes of this we got back on the road. Within a few minutes we saw a group of the young circumcised warriors ahead. I really wanted to get a picture of them with their black and white painted faces. Usia said that they would let us take pictures if we paid them. We pulled up along side the road and paid them 10,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about $7.50). This turned out to be one of my better shots from the trip and it came from my iPhone. .

We were back on the road which was starting to get worse. Just after we pull back on the road we see a Montague's Harrier flying low to the ground stalking her prey. We are past her before we see if she catches anything. I think it was about another hour before we got to the entrance of the Serengeti. Along the way Usia was making phone calls back and forth with Bushbuck Safari's trying to make arrangements for John and me and possibly Monique and Sierra to stay another day in the Serengeti and fly back or stay somewhere else along the way driving back. We had decided that we did not want to waste a day sitting around in Arusha where there is pretty much nothing to do. It turned out to be a half day affair figuring out what would work with reservations and within our acceptable cost limitations. The first option was going to be something like $700/person as I recall. More about the option we booked in the next installment of "Martha's Safari Times".

I REALLY needed to go to the bathroom but wasn't in the mood to pee on the side of the road. I think Nan was having the same issue and I started asking how much longer to a bathroom. Thirty minutes later we were at the park gate( Naabi Hill Gate) with bathrooms. Little did we know that we would be waiting here for the fifth car that had taken the detour to the Masai Village. We all skipped this side trip, not because it was $20, but because we thought we would get to the lodge sooner and get some extra down time. But it was not to be. We piled out of our cars while Usia went to do the paperwork and pay the park fees. It was after noon and we were starting to get hungry. There was a little shop at this spot selling snacks - cookies, beers, sodas, chips, etc. After a quick trip to the loo, not the best but not the worst we had seen, we went to the snack shop and loaded up on munchies. We stood around under an acacia tree trying to escape the hot sun and thinking we would be heading out any minute. No sign of any of our drivers. Eventually, the fifth car showed up and we realized that we had been waiting for them all along. After just a few minutes for them to take a break we started out in to the Serengeti.

The Serengeti is the largest game preserve in Tanzania. We are only going to see a tiny fraction of this landscape. The road through the Serengeti is the main artery to Lake Victoria and there is actually trucking traffic of some sort on this road. I found it shocking that a tractor trailer truck could make it very far on these terrible rock strewn roads without going through 10 or so tires a day. It reminded me a lot of the road into the Via Vidalle National Forest in Northern New Mexico that popped three of the tires on our old "Traveling Lunch Box" - but that's a story for another day.

We bumped along at a much more rapid pace that we had been driving. We were running behind - AGAIN. It was kind of like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. This landscape was VERY dry with rocks and tall grasses waving in some areas along the road. Not many trees in the beginning. The word Serengeti means "endless plain" and that is certainly an apt description. We drove past some large rock outcroppings that reminded me of Pride Rock from the Lion King. These are known as the Simbo Kopjas. We continued to drive along for what seemed forever when the landscape started to be a bit greener and have more trees. We were now nearing an area were several rivers converge. The only animal we've seen up to this point is the Thompson Gazelle. We make a turn off to the road to take us back the Sopa Lodge and Usia says we may start to see some wildlife in this treed area along the road. At this point we are tired and bit road worn so we really aren't paying much attention. Just ahead in the road there is a sign saying that the bridge is out and we have to take a detour.

We turn off on an even bumpier road but we are soon at the lodge. We are greeted again by wet towels that are desperately needed after this dusty drive. They send us to sit on these oversized "Edith Ann" couches in the foyer. Many of the group are talking about skipping the afternoon game drive to rest and relax at the lodge pool. We are all starting to show signs of exhaustion from this rabid pace following such a rigorous climb. After a few minutes they bring us the keys and hand them out one by one. We are escorted to our rooms again by another porter (female) in bright colored African dress. After a quick drop off we zip up to the dining room for another hot lunch. At this point we are hoping for US comfort food and low and behold they have a hamburger on the menu. Half the table orders a good old burger and Kili beer. We actually have an hour or two before the next game drive. April is already down at the pool enjoying the water. We decided to put on our suits and go for a dip. The water was cool but it felt fantastic. Tina and Gina were having a belly flop contest in the pool and talking about being on Amazing Race. I think they will be a fun team to watch and really hope they make it. Lots more folks made their way down to the pool and about a third of the group decided not to go on the evening game drive. Sitting at the edge of the pool and flying all around are these beautiful bright orange dragonflies.

I searched the internet a bit but wasn't able to find a name for this pretty insect. Anyone know the name?

We went back to the room to change into our safari clothes. On the way to the room I ran across a Blue Agama Lizard which is actually more purple than it is blue. It was about 6 inches long and really beautiful against the brown landscape. I wonder why it is such a bright color since most animals in this sort of environment are trying to disguise themselves. There is no disguising this guy. He sticks out like a sore thumb!

Back in the Land Cruiser with Usia we drive back out along the same bumpy road and then make a turn off in a different direction. We see a jackal, some Defass Waterbuck, black faced monkeys (with blue balls), a Cook's Heart beast, more Thompson gazelles (100's) and a large group of guinea fowl that were just beautiful with the black and white speckled feathers. We saw lots of elephants with small babies maybe 2 or 3 months old. We were driving along looking for the elusive black rhino (see other blog post about how rare these guys are). Finally Usia spots one off in the distance and I mean distance. With the binoculars Nan and Sean manage to see the top of his head. Usia keeps pointing me in a direction but all I see is something that looks more like a rock than a rhino. I am unimpressed at such a great distance and such uncertainty of what i am seeing. It is starting to get late and we have a ways to go to get back to the lodge. We are supposed to be back by 6:30 for a meeting about our balloon ride and it is close to 6 now. We start the drive back and are 1/3 of the way there when one of the other guides, Solomon spots a black rhino at much closer range. He radios Usia in our vehicle and we take off like mad men. It is much like a ride at the carnival and is actually pretty fun for me though probably not that good for my back. I am laughing and really enjoying the craziness of the chase. We arrive at the spot with about 15-20 minutes of sunlight left (our trigger for being out of the park before we get in trouble with the game wardens). I decide not to waste time trying to take a photo with my small camera with no good zoom. Its really not that far away and I can see it clearly without the binoculars but a lot better with them. He is looming large in some bushes with most of his body visible. Sean and Nan are working feverishly together to get the "shot" with Sean's camera. Nan's got him in the binoculars - Sean hands over the camera and she gets the picture - See on Facebook. We have the PROOF. We've seen the black rhino. It makes the trip worthwhile just the sheer excite of the chase made it worthwhile, actually seeing it was the icing on the cake. How many people in the world can actually say they've see a black rhino in the wild? Not many.

We are late getting back to the lodge and there is a line to fill out release forms for the balloon ride in the morning. We have to get up at 4 am to go to the launch site. No rest for the wicked! Daniel tells John they've just sat down to dinner and have two seats so John heads in to the dining room. I am covered in dust at this point and feel desperate to wash it all off. I rush to the room for a quick shower (less than 5 minutes) and back up to the dining room just after everyone has order. I get my order in for the traditional African dish - I think it was beef stew type dish served with a polenta like side dish. It was quite good. Mickey shared a bottle of wine with us and we enjoyed each others company for the last night. The wear and tear of the last few weeks was starting to show. Daniel is ready to get home and has been for a few days. Nathan is quieter than usual and the conversation just isn't as lively as it has been. The exhaustion and the thought that soon we'll be leaving each other is hanging over us all. We hurry off to bed because of our early wake up call.

Back at the room we are greeted again by the overwhelming odor of mosquito spray. Its suffocating. I have to get a wash cloth wet and cover may face in order to breathe. I think we've entered just after they finished spraying. I can't imagine having to sleep with this every night. But malaria or sleeping sickness (from the Tse tse fly) is even worse.

We drift off to sleep dreaming of the days escapades.

Thoughts on Alexander Green's "Beyond Wealth" - Perenialist's Philosophy

1.Everything worthwhile in life is created as the result of love and concern for others. (I really felt this on my recent trip to Africa)

2. Humanity is one great family. Our similarities are deep, our differences superficial.(if only the people who represent us in Washington understood this)

3. The Golden Rule, expressed in some way in every society, is the cornerstone of human understanding.

4. The giving of time, money, support, and encouragement can never be detrimental to the giver. (Give freely and without expectation)

5. Problems are life's way of getting the best out of us. They are opportunities to grow.(this was affirmed most directly on my recent climb on Kili with the MS and PD team members)

6. Nourish your mind with the thoughts of history's wisest thinkers. (Not the drivel in today's shallow media)

7. Courage and self-awareness are required to live fully and follow your heart. (this requires a lot of work)

8. You should develop the ability to reason accurately and independently rather than accepting ideas boased solely on authority or tradition. (we need to teach our children this especially)

9. Our egos cause us to cherish opinions, judge others, and rationalize our beliefs.

10. We should exercise humility. Not because others find it attractive but because, if we are honest with ourselves, we have much to be humble about.

11. We should practice forgiveness. When we forgive others, we find that others forgive us - and that we forgive ourselves. (this seems to be a really hard one for most people)

12. Moral development comes from strengthening our impulse control, prioritizing personal relationships, and fostering social responsibility. (impulses are constantly fed by today's media making it harder and harder to control them - think about this and teach your kids to do the same)

13. Our lives are immeasurably improved by expressing gratitude and generosity. (What are you grateful for today? make a list)

14. Development of the heart is essential. Our actions are the mirror of our inner selves. (guard your heart too much and your relationships will be shallow leading to a hollow life)

15. Whenever we act, we are never just doing. We are always becoming. If we aren't growing, we are diminishing. (Grow every day)

16. Integrity is everything. (So many in our society seem to have forgotten this.)

Much of this may seem like common sense but it is so much harder to live this in practice in the world in which we live. Constantly bombarded by media coverage that seeks to raise conflict and fear we are tested daily on whether or not we can live with courage the life we were meant to lead. In many ways it all comes down to stripping away so much of the unnecessary attachments both material and mental we have in our lives today.

Live life with courage. Live the life you were meant to lead. Don't wake up years from now and realize that you've squandered your life focused on all the wrong things. Its people and relationships that really matter. Seek them out and make them rich.

Tarangerie to Ngorogoro Crater - Thursday, July 21st

Breakfast buffet at Tarangerie and there were elephants walking around just outside. We walked out on the deck with our coffee and watched them for a few minutes. How's that for an amazing start to the day. John was still getting ready so I had breakfast with Suz, Nathan and Jeff. I stopped by the gift shop to pick up some maps. I had tried to bargain with her yesterday but she would only come down to $4/map. I really wanted them so I got 4 maps for $12 - Kili, Tarangerie, the Crater and Serengeti.

After breakfast is was back to the room to grab bags and load up for a game drive on the way out. We spent about an hour and half driving out spotting the usual suspects along the way. We saw buffalo with tick birds on their backs and another buffalo that looked like its tail had been bitten or scratched by a lion. I felt so sorry for him because the birds were picking at it and he couldn't reach them. I could tell it was driving him crazy. He had backed himself into a tree to try to get the birds off of his tail. Our driver said he will end up being somebody's dinner because of the injury. Next we saw a young female with three males competing to be her mate. They were all dancing around each other and when one would give up and walk away the female would go after him. Usia, our guide, said it takes 3 to 4 days before the decision is made but the winner is always the most senior male lion. We saw maribou storks, vultures eating leftovers, a ringed/target Waterbuck, impala, black faced monkeys crossing the road, a beautiful lime green bird called a Fischer's Love Bird, Baboons near a Tamarind Tree, Warthogs, Egyptian Geese, and an Eland (the largest antelope). During the game drive one of our Land Cruisers lost some major part and was having some trouble. Usia called Bushbuck and lined them up to meet us at the turn off to the Crater to give us a new vehicle.

It was a long drive to the Crater. We headed back to the road to Arusha then took a left a road that was built by the Japanese. This was one of the nicest roads we had been on but was getting to the point where it was going to need some maintenance soon. We stopped at the turn off to do the car transfer and hoped that none of the local vendors would see Sierra's smiling face in the window and come knocking.

Back on the road Usia continued talking about the area. The road to the Crater had a fairly well developed town with sidewalks and a number of shops. He told me that this town had sprung up in response the needs of people traveling to see a local healer (5 hours down the road in the middle of nowhere) named Abilikile Mswapili. Abilikile makes a tea from the root of the mugariga tree. He is a retired Lutheran Minister who says than an angel came to him and told him to make the tea and it would heal people. He is said to cure Diabetes, Aids, High Blood Pressure and Cancer. He has become very famous and people come from all over Africa and other parts of the world to see him. He charges something like 50 cents for a cup of the tea and sees over 3,000 people per day. There is even and article in the New York Times about him. I looked him up after I got home. After I told the rest of the group about this at lunch some of them asked their guides about him. One of the other guides, Carlos, said he had been to see him for a fungus he had that wouldn't go away. He said he drank the tea, his hands turned white (he was black) and then the fungus went away. I guess his hands turned black again because I don't remember any of our guides having white hands. Anyway, I find that sort of stuff really fascinating. Plants have really powerful properties. This conversation started me searching through one of Usia's guide books and looking at what the various trees and plants were used for - they listed uses such as after childbirth (I guess to induce the afterbirth), for abortion, for piles (hemorrhoids), stomach problems, diarrhea, to stop bleeding, and on and on. I guess that the plants of Africa are much like the Amazon rainforest - there are many medicinal properties.

Next we drove past Lake Manyara, a vast salt water lake and it currently pretty low on water. Here the landscape was lush with trees as we are going up to higher elevation. Its also an area where there is a lot of farming. The people that farm the area are known as the Iragw and they came to Tanzania from Ethiopia. The Masai are enemies of the Iraqw. For many the Masai were always trying to kill the Iraqw and they would hunt them down. One way that the Masai found where the Iraqw were hiding was from listening for their crying babies. So the Iraqw started making cuts under their babies eyes so that the salt from the tears would burn when they cried and that would teach them not to cry. So Usia says that many Iraqw have lines/scars under their eyes from this practice. Now the Masai and the Iraqw do not fight each other. He didn't really elaborate on this.

The Iragw are big farmers. They were growing a lot of corn, sunflowers (for the oil) and some other crops. They also had a few animals but pretty much stay away from cattle because that's the Masai's main animal. There is also quite a bit of Mexican thistle along the road. Usia said that this came in with some of the fertilizer that was purchased from Mexico. Nothing like spreading weeds through the global economy.

We stopped at another souvenir shop along the roadway and I bought a few things for the kids. I really hate the process of haggling and the dishonesty that goes along with it. The girl told me if I would pay her under the table she would give me a better price. How's that for honesty. Imagine trying to run a business under those circumstances. The accountant in me has been going nuts since we got to this place trying to figure out how anybody could possibly run a business - keep inventory and know profit margins. Its just impossible.

Back on the road our car went ahead to pay the park fees while the others stayed behind for more shopping and haggling. When we got to the entrance of Ngorogoro Usia parked the Land Cruiser and we sat and waited. He left his window rolled down. I was sitting in the passenger seat taking a picture of the sign. I heard a commotion from everybody else in the car and I turned around to find a large baboon leaning into the drivers side window. Just as I looked at him he jumped down in to the drivers seat. Lucky for me Doug shouted at him and he jumped back out of the car. I didn't know but they are apparently very aggressive so I was lucky he didn't try to grab me or any of my cameras or food. That was pretty exciting for a few minutes.

We used the loo while waiting for Usia to pay and the other cars to arrive. As we were sitting there Usia saw that we had a flat tire. He changed that tire faster than a NASCAR pit crew. We were amazed. Later we would learn more about why they are so fast with the tire changing.
Finally we started driving to the lodge along the Crater ascent road. We were running behind, as usual. By now we were really in a lush area with heavy vegetation but the red dirt from the road was covering everything so it wasn't that pretty along the road. Of course, we still had about an hour or more to go before we got to the lodge. We could see game trails through the vegetation along the roadside. As we were driving we saw a car pulled over on the side of the road getting out chairs and setting up a picnic. Usia said that was a very bad idea because the animals roam all around the road area and a lion could just walk up while you are sitting there eating.

We finally made it to the turn off to the road going up to Sopa Lodge. Just then Usia realized that we had another flat tire. We were stopped in the middle of the road right at the turn off and there were two more Land Cruisers coming behind us. We all jumped out and he asked someone to go down to the turn and flag down the other cars so they didn't come around the turn and hit us. Nan and John walked down to the turn just as one of the cars was coming. They started waiving at the car and our people in the other car were waiving at them and telling them to hurry and get back in the car. By that time Doug and Usia had finished changing the tire. We drop the last few miles up to the lodge. Then we found out that there had been a lion in the road just around the turn. Guess that's why the guides are so fast with the tires. Better be fast or get eaten!

We stepped in to the lodge and were greeted by the warm towels to wash off the dust, friendly porters in African dress and a magnificent view of the Crater below. A thick haze hung in the air partly obscuring the majesty of it but it was still spectacular. We were scurried in to the dining room and seat at several big tables. John and I sat with Lori, Connie, Mickey, April, Neal, Kristy and Susie. I had a vegetable curry dish that was delightful. John got some sort of wrap that he said was wonderful too. He also had a salad with these fabulous avocados. After tasting it I had to ask them to bring me one as well.

We didn't realize that the Crater closes earlier than the other parks so we had to rush out the door again in order to get the game drive in. As we drive down in to the Crater we leave the lush vegetation and are back to the arid plains. The drought that has been going on since the late 90's is really taking its toll. I don't know what it was like before the drought but it is very dry now and reminds me of a very dry summer in Colorado. Everything in the floor of the Crater is brown and the river is just a trickle except in a few spots where the hippos are soaking. I wonder what this place is like during the rainy season when everything is green. According to Usia they used to have about 3-4 months of rain. Now they are lucky to get a month or so. Africa has always had problems with patterns of drought but this has been over ten years. Even so, the animals in the Crater seem more numerous than they were in the Tarangerie. The herds are much larger. We saw large herds of buffalo, zebra and gazelle but fewer elephants. This was our first view of the hippos in the hippos pool. They are actually pretty boring because they are so sedentary. They just sit in the water with only their backs visible so it is really hard to see them. They look like big rocks except when they poke their noses up to take a breath. They are supposed to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. More people die being attacked by hippos than any other wild animal. Go figure, they look so tame floating in the water.

There are approximately 30 black rhinos in the Crater. We are searching for one of these rhinos since we have seen a lot of the other animals at Tarangerie. Usia says that morning is a better time to find the rhino. The black rhino is one of the rarest animals in the world. There are only about 4,000 in the wild and just 50 or so in Tanzania. The others are in the Serengeti. The black rhino is hunted for its horn which is used in a Chinese aphrodisiac and to make certain highly prized daggers in the Middle East. A poacher who kills a black rhino would make more money than they would otherwise make in their entire lifetime. This makes the protection of the rhino quite difficult. I wonder how they even get rangers that are honest enough to protect the rhino since the culture is generally not one of honesty. It really is a miracle that there are any left at all.

We drive around in search of this elusive animal until it is nearing time to leave the park but we don't see one. Just as we are heading back, Usia spots a cheetah in the grass out in the distance. We stop and pull out the binoculars. You can just see her head above the waves of grass blowing in the wind. We watch her but she ducks down and becomes harder to spot. Just then a park ranger drives up and talks to Usia in Swahili. They drive off and head for the open plain where the cheetah is. The ranger is driving out to stir up the cheetah so we can see her better. At first, she pays no attention to the truck. Finally, they drive right up next to her. She lazily gets up looks at them and turns to walk away in the opposite direction of our car. She is beautiful. Her movements are elegant and powerful as she saunters through the grasses off to another quiet spot. We bid her fairwell and head back up the hill to the Crater Lodge.

We also saw a lot of birds and I also asked about some of the plants in the Crater. Of course, there are acacia trees - they are everywhere in Africa. We the Albizia gummifera or Peacock Flower Tree which has a flat wide crown and sodom apples. We saw a large bird called a Kori Bustard, tiny seed eater birds, bee eaters, crowned crane pairs, firefinch (black bellied), an African marsh harrier eating its prey, black shoulder kite (raptor), Hartlaub's Turaco and a speckled mousebird ( a bird with a very long tail).

Back at the lodge we cleaned up and I walked out to the patio for a drink. Lots of the group were already out walking and sitting around the area enjoying the view of the beautiful sunset. Jeff was set up with is tripod on the lawn ready to catch the perfect sunset photograph. I sat down on a lawn chair to enjoy a glass of wine but the sunset quickly. As soon as the sun dipped below the horizon the temperature dropped and I headed in to the bar with Mickey. We pulled some couches and chairs together and the whole group started coming in to the bar. We had a late dinner seating (8pm) so we all enjoyed catching up over a Kili beer or a glass of wine. Brandis was trying to book her add on to Zanibar with Mickey and Sarah but the internet connection wasn't cooperating. Honestly, I am shocked they even have internet at all given the poor infrastructure in the country.

Now that we've been in the cars for two days we are all getting a bit tired. This lodge would be a perfect place to just prop your feet up for a few days and enjoy the scenery without having to rush around. Exhaustion is setting in and I think we are all missing the group camaraderie of the climb. We now spend most of our days in the car and the roads make it difficult to have much of a conversation. Add to that we are with the same smaller group each day. The dinner tables are also smaller so we are missing the big group dinner table. But this is still wonderful.

We head in to the dining room and are seated at three tables. I forgot to write down what I ate this night but I seem to recall there was a traditional African dish on the menu. I don't think anyone at our table tried it. The food at every meal has been excellent and I am pretty sure if I lost any weight on the mountain I am gaining it back in these lodges. After dinner its off to bed again because we have another early start with a long drive to the Serengeti through the Oldavai Gorge. This is where Lucy, the missing link, was found.

We walk out of the main building to go to our room and are greeted by a guard. She walks us to our room. I ask her if that is to protect us from the animals. She says, yes, there are no fences and the animals often roam around the property at night. I wonder if they like the water in the swimming pool but I don't ask.

Lights out after another fantastic day in Africa.