With an 11-hr time change to the US West Coast, our body clocks remain completely turned upside down which makes for an interesting experience to say the least. This means that some of us are wide awake while others doze off while bouncing in our safari vehicle without notice.
Only one day in, I can confirm that the wilderness did not disappoint except for the elephants. Instead of the 75 elephants I had ordered for Bill’s birthday, over a hundred showed up all at once on our first afternoon outing. Crazy exciting!
Elephants galore all afternoon and yet, so much more was on offer. A lioness with her two cubs was guarding a mound on one stop, while silly Guinea fowl displayed their colorfully radiant feathers to us at the next. Zebra, warthogs, giraffes, gazelles, you name it and we saw it. In fact, our viewings didn’t stop till late afternoon, when we journeyed back to Maramboi Tented Lodge at the edge of Lake Manyara’ southeastern tip. What a day! Happy B’day Bill.
The next morning, we returned to the same national park for a full day of further exploration, deeper into this magnificent land. We learned that it is one of the last areas in Africa where Baobab trees still exist in the wild and where elephants roam unencumbered and free. Pinch me and see the pictures for yourself. It’s a mesmerizing experience only made more memorable by the roughness of the roads these purpose-built Toyota Land cruisers must navigate.
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