Safari

Say “Africa” to someone and there’s a good chance pictures of giraffes and lions flicker through the imagination. For me, those images became a reality this weekend.

Just a 4-hour bus ride outside of Dar es Salaam and you’re in a totally different world. The car honks turn to cricket chirps. The tallest structure isn’t a building but a baobab tree. And, when night falls, only the guiding light of distant bush fires and the Milky Way illuminate your path. It’s a quiet remoteness I’ve never experienced before.

A group of eight Americans, Canadians and one proud Finn -- all study abroad students at the University of Dar es Salaam -- went to Mikumi National Park, Tanzania’s fourth largest park.

We stayed on the park grounds in "tourist houses" that were unexpectedly luxurious, especially when you look just out your door and see a giraffe having breakfast (see it to the left?).

The safari was awesome, in every sense of the word. No more than 30 minutes into our ride along the dirt path, our guide spotted a pair of lions. Mating season. We were thrilled to see this National Geographic scene play out right in front of our eyes, thinking, “How can this possibly be topped?” Then, a lone male elephant crossed the road, pausing for a moment to ponder our presence.

As the day went on, we saw all kinds of animals: giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, impalas, baboons…

I don’t think there was ever a moment during the 8-hour safari that I didn’t feel like pinching myself. It’s a surreal feeling to eat a peanut butter sandwich at a watering hole… surrounded by wart hogs… and buffalo.

Safari means ‘trip’ or ‘journey’ in Swahili. And my safari in Africa, though it just started, is already filled with wonderful adventures, friendships and memories.