Serengeti

From Uganda, we make a quick trip through Rwanda, staying two nights in the capital, Kigali. The city is clean and modern. In fact all of Rwanda is beautiful, green and lush. Blooming. Perhaps that is what happens after war and devastation: you realize just how precious life is and the land that you occupy. A sense of pride has formed in Rwanda, you can feel it in the wind. 

We visit the Genocide Memorial and learn about the mayhem that took place from April 7, 1994 through July 15, 1994, where over 800,000 people were killed within that short timespan. 100 days of pure hell. When evil walked the Earth. Pure and base… trampling over skulls. Humanity obliterated. Let’s hope it never reappears. 

From Rwanda we move onto Tanzania and into the world famous Serengeti National Park. We’re once again on the prowl, searching for the elusive animals. But before we pull out our binoculars and begin our hunt, we spy the most beautiful sunrise out over the plains. Wow, what a way to start the morning. 

Over the next few hours we spot zebras, giraffes, Thompson gazelles, elephants, leopards, eland, topi, kongoni, impala, tons of species of birds, and of course the main attraction: the lions. We watch a male lion feed on a zebra as a pack of hyenas lays in wait. They sneak in from time to time and steal a chunk of meat then dart off, the rest of the pack hot on their trail. The Serengeti varies in terrain, from shrubs and trees to vast stretches of prairie land as far as the eye can see. Take a look at some of the spectacular animals:

The following day we hop into 4x4's and drive down into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest extinct volcano. It is massive and loaded with animals. I feel as though I have landed in Jurassic Park. Everywhere we look we see animals: Hippos, flamingos, buffalo, hyena, ostriches, even jackals join the normal cast of characters. This is a special place. Very cold, but special. I freeze my butt off for two straight nights inside my tent, wearing five layers of clothes, my jacket, and my sleeping bag zipped up to my eyeballs. 

And the road to get to the Serengeti and Nngorongoro Crater was probably the worst road I've ever been on. Several days of sheer torture. Bouncing and clanking and stirring up my innards…

But once you drive out onto the Serengetti, or drop down into the Ngorongoro Crater, you forget all about the hardships you endured to get there. Because, well… just have a look for yourself:

Oh, and I almost forgot, back when we were trekking the gorillas, we took some time to visit a local pygmie village. The pygmies are rather short in stature and once lived in the mountains near the gorillas, sustaining themselves off the land. Now they live at the foot of the mountains and farm and raise cattle. One thing is for sure: they love to dance! And sing and drink banana wine and perhaps smoke a little ganja. They’re sweet people and very proud of their culture. They showed us how to make fire with a stick and even pulled us into their dance line. Such beautiful and kind people. Here have a look:

 

Africa is... Well, I'm running out of adjectives to describe this place. So get your ass over here and check it out!