Tanzania

After a side trip to the Kenyan coast (Mombasa and Diani Beach), I circled back to Nairobi to meet Monique from San Francisco. We met in Malaysia a few months back and did our diving certification together. (See my November post: Scuba Diving.) Since then, Monique ended her seven month trip through Asia and returned home. Two months later, Monique is traveling yet again in the few weeks before she starts her new job. I have the feeling she'll be planning another trip before the year is out.

It was great to travel with Monique again, especially here. Africa is not as easy as Asia, and flying solo is more of a challenge. We crossed from Kenya into Tanzania and signed up for a four-day safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Amazing just like my safari in Kenya... and this time we saw leopards and the wildebeest migration! Then we stopped at the base of Kilimanjaro (Moshi) where instead of climbing, we spent the day at the police station reporting a bus scam including the theft of Monique's boots.

We had four relaxing days in Zanzibar before returning to Moshi to retrieve the stolen boots which the police improbably recovered. Now I'm back in Nairobi to see Monique off. In less than a week, I too will be wrapping up my month in East Africa.

African Safari

It only took six flights to get from Southeast Asia (Flores, Indonesia) to Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) with rest stops in Bali, Seoul, and Cairo.

I decided to take some pressure off of my Africa itinerary by concentrating on a small part of East Africa. What better way to kick off my five week stint in Kenya and Tanzania than with a safari? The scenery is OK, but it's the wild animals that are the real attraction and those safari brochures are not exaggerating.

Getting there is part of the adventure: the roads here are horrific and punish vehicles along with their passengers. From Nairobi to Masai Mara takes six hours each way, not including a few stops for minor mechanical repairs. But even before you cross into the Game Reserves, the wildlife sightings begin.

Of course the place is crawling with zebras, buffalo, and antelope (ten types including my personal favorite, the Thomson's gazelle). A bit harder to find are the lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and elusive cheetahs. Then there are the birds... we spotted about forty different species without even trying, including flamingos by the thousands, massive eagles, crowned cranes, and the gorgeous lilac breasted rollers. Not to mention the miscellaneous baboons, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, and more.

Frederick, my personal driver/guide/teacher/mechanic/navigator, explained that the animals -- even those lions right next to us -- don't see you as long as you stay inside the vehicle. We drove around for hours identifying animals. I loved riding while standing on the seats, my head and shoulders poking through the open roof. I felt like I was outside... part of the scenery.