Serengeti, "Endless Plains"

10.14.10

Ok here I go. Forgive me if this comes out disorganized or as a ramble.

SERENGETI!!!!!!

Ahhh it was amazing!

I saw leopards. I saw lions. I saw a hyena carrying a zebra leg. Zebras and hyenas roamed our camp at night while we slept. A hyena walked 20 feet behind me as I was journaling one night. We saw giraffes and hippos and buffalo and impala (my favorite ungulate!) and hartebeest and jackals and topi. For a split second, I saw a serval. I saw baboon copulation, which was actually pretty gross. I saw a baby crocodile.

Am I satisfied? Oh yes.

Our experience was just so intense. We were prepared well to ensure we didn’t get hurt, and there were a lot of precautions. At night, we had to be escorted to our bathrooms by askaris (guards), one of which was armed with an AK47, to protect us from wildlife, especially unseen buffalo. There was protocol for dealing with wildlife that roamed our camp.

After a few days of game drives in the sun, field exercises on birds and antelope interactions, guest lectures, and discussions, we had a relaxing day on Tuesday. We had a guest lecture in the morning and then game drove to Serena lodge, which took about two hours. Oh my goodness, talk about luxury! After camping out in the bush, having dirt tattoos everywhere, and not even wanting to attempt to brush the rat’s nest on your head, it was almost shocking to walk into a lodge with stone paths, cozy beach chairs, and a POOL overlooking miles and miles of Serengeti savannah. It took my breath away. You would not believe how amazing it feels to jump into a pool after being that dirty. Ah, bliss. After swimming, we indulged in free coffee and treated ourselves to fruit cake with chocolate drizzle while sitting in the most comfortable chairs! Wow.

We left the lodge for our camp a little late, and then got a call that someone from our group had left a hat at the lodge. We had to turn back, and our driver was a little nervous, because driving at night in a national park is a whole different experience altogether. Dusk is when everything happens, wildlife is the most active, and it’s easier to hit them. So while she was nervous, the rest of us were silently excited. I wanted to see a kill. So badly! Unfortunately, we didn’t see any predators, but I can’t complain. Everything else was so active. There were impala running and zebra moving and crying. Things were alive, unlike the daytime when you can’t even count the amount of wildlife you just see standing around, grazing. And I got to see the African sunset across the plain. It was pink and blue, in case you’re wondering.

Each day, one of the students is Mwanafunzi (student) of the Day (MOD). One task of the MOD is to run something we call RAP (Reflection, Announcements, Presentation) after dinner, in which they give a reflection, usually involving a quote or thought of the day, announcements, and a presentation on something, anything. It can be a game, a short research presentation, anything. Our last night in SNP, Scott taught us how to swing dance. Let me tell you, dancing with a heavy-footed Kenyan chef is hilarious. Arthur, our cook, would lead me through the basic step and then turn me repeatedly and without rhyme or rhythm until I almost passed out. Baha, what a partner. :)

I wish you could see African stars. They’re not even star-like. They glitter, and it feels as if you’re looking at a palate full of sequins. You get lost. Dizzy.

Reflecting on this week, I guess what the Serengeti did for me was gave me confidence about my future. I look ahead and feel scared. How am I going to make my ambitions into realities? How can I work abroad and in Africa? I always picture people being reluctant to hire a mzungu (white person) other than locals, and to be honest, that shakes me up a little, too. But I met a guy named Hagai at Serena lodge who is a naturalist/entertainment coordinator/walking safari guide going on 16 years. I only mentioned that I would love to come back to Tanzania and work, and he got excited with me! I have his e-mail and he told me to contact him after I graduate. “We’ll hire you! You can be the boss and we’ll make your standard of living like it is in the States!” Uhm, seriously? Really? Are you pulling my leg? Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for it to happen that fast, right after I graduate in December. But I will keep his e-mail, and he gave me confidence that yes, I can do it. I can, and if this passion stays with me, I will.