Safari!

Quick Kiswahili lesson…“safari” actually means any long journey or trip. If I travel to visit family in another city, it’s a safari. If I check out the beaches in Zanzibar or go hunting (why are you laughing?) or to see what Kenya's really all about, it’s a safari.

But last weekend, we went on SAFARI.

It was a completely serendipitous trip, which made it all the more fun and exciting. Plus, if a handsome Tanzanian offers to take you to the Serengeti, there’s only one appropriate response. As such, Stephanie and I said, “we can be ready in 20 minutes!

A 90 minute drive east of JBFC's campus will lead you directly to the Ndabaka Entrance of the Serengeti National Park...

As we entered the park, I tried to keep my expectations low. I prayed I could see just one giraffe...what an amazing sight that would be!

Check and check. All the following pictures were taken by Stephanie, without a crazy zoom lens. This is important...we really were THAT CLOSE!

In addition to giraffes, we saw ostrich, wildebeests, warthogs, hyenas, cool birds, a river FULL of hippos, monkeys, baboons...and a few other incredible creatures. You know, like a family of magnificent elephants.

We went on a hunt for a lion! A driver from another car had sighted one out in the park, and he gave us directions. Sadly, that search proved unsuccessful.

Instead, we took a break from driving to walk across this oh-so-safe-looking bridge:

Major had a serious lapse in judgment and allowed me to drive his car...

...across a waterfall that looked like this...

...and it was awesome!

As we were on our way out of the park, tunes blasting through our open car windows, we came upon...that's right, LIONS! Plural. Chilling in the grass, just ten feet from the main road. We stopped to marvel at them, with no zoo bars separating us. And then, National Geographic Moment #576 happened...ummm...we witnessed the lion couple share an intimate moment. Right there. There is photographic documentation...and a video taken on an iPad...neither of which I am responsible for. Here's a kid-friendly photo of our friend, Simba:

Just another Saturday afternoon here in Tanzania...a beautiful sunny day, open road, gorgeous landscape, and an adventure through one of the world's most sought-after destinations.

Julia's To-Do List:

Visit the Serengeti...Check!