Djibouti: November 2012

I had an opportunity to go on a safari in Tanzania the day after Thanksgiving. Holy cow, what an experience!! Ethiopian Airlines was late on the first flight, so we missed our connection, which made us spent the night and missed the first day of the safari. It was one of those hotels you wonder if you will check out with some sort of disease. As Dave put it, it was like they forgot to put the mattress on the box spring. The bed was as hard as a rock.

The food was incredible! Our cook was amazing and prepared a 3-course meal each night which consisted of soup, the main course, and dessert. He even baked rolls! All this on an open flame. I think his biggest compliment was when I called him a chef. He really was!

The safari itself was incredible! My first encounter was with an elephant in our camp. I walked out of the bathroom and saw something that didn’t register in my brain right away – elephant legs!! He turned to me and started walking toward me. I thought, “He won’t come too close because the trees are too low.” Then he lunged towards me and kicked dirt at me! THAT made me think twice about my initial thought that he wouldn’t come too close. Needless to say, I walked another way back to my tent.

I really don’t know what else to say about the experience other than this. I always love to see documentaries on TV about animals in Africa; however, to experience being in their presence in their environment is a very exhilarating experience. I was in awe just being in their presence. Truly an unforgettable experience.