Serengeti

We embarked on our first safari Tuesday morning. Together with Jana, Peter (the German couple we mentioned earlier), and our fearless, Swahili-gospel-loving driver and guide, Emanuel, we spent the next five days driving in our brand-new Landcruiser through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks of Northern Tanzania. It was a wonderful group.

The first leg of our trip led us through the heart of Masai territory. In their signature red and purple wool wraps, carrying long wooden sticks, the Masai are semi-nomadic cattle and goat herders whose diets consist primarily of cow blood, meat, and milk. You might recognize them by their elongated earlobes and plentiful jewelry. Most Masai spend every day of their lives wandering alongside their cows and goats as they graze. They start them young-- we saw more than a few six year olds herding goats with their sticks, alone, by the side of the freeway (and we actually mean THE freeway. Good roads in Tanzania are as scarce as black-horned rhinos).

Ngorongoro Crater, where we spent our first day, is not actually a crater but a caldera (the fourth largest in the world) resulting from a collapsed volcano. The bowl-like regions is a mini-paradise for its feathery and furry inhabitants, thanks to its rich soil and abundant grasses. We were shocked and awed by the astounding variety of animals-- too numerous to list, but they included rhinos, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, lions, flamingos, wildebeests, and a wide range of antelopes ("lion-snacks").

Serengeti National Park is the mecca of animal-watching, and the inspiration of everyone's favorite movie, The Lion King. Serengeti means "endless plains", and they really are. Over rolling glasses that stretch into the horizon and under skies that never seem to end, we had front-row seats observing the circle of life. To give you an example of the kind of spectacle we witnessed, picture this: sun is rising. You drive by an umbrella acacia tree to find, under it, a large male lion, two female lions, and three cubs taking turns ripping into a fresh zebra torso. Most of the zebra's skin is still on its body. You look 60 feet away and see a herd of zebras, watching the lions devour their cousin, angry and fearful that they might be next. On the sidelines, the vultures and jackals are waiting, eager to have their turn at scavenging the carcass.

The Serengeti is well-conserved, thanks to the efforts of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (who'd have thought?! Jana and Peter told us that this was widely-known in Germany). Despite this, and despite our visiting during low season, the human impact on animals felt unquestionably visible. We witnessed five female lions on the prowl fail because a group of no less than ten tourist vehicles blocked their access to the zebras (causing Tanya much sadness. She loves those lions!).

One final note: Tanzania has a much cuter alternative to the squirrel. The rock hyrax resembles a cross between a guinea pig and a bunny rabbit. It climbs trees and sunbathes on boulders and generally acts cute. We are looking into the possibility of importing them to the States.

As for the safari pictures we promised, most will have to wait until later. We are currently on the East coast of Zanzibar, living in a beach paradise, relegated to using the internet in the local bar. We miss you all and will write about Zanzibar this weekend.