Heading Home

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Today starts the long way back to home.  We left at 8:00 AM once again.  Maybe all this early rising will turn me into a morning person.  One can only hope...

The ride back to the Tarangire was pretty much the same bumpy, rough dirt road we took on the way to the Serengeti.  I actually slept a little bit in spite of the incredibly noisy ride.  Because we had rain during the night, the animals were not as visible as they usually are.  I have been amazed at how they hide themselves.  We can see zebras by the dozens when the sun is out, but once the rains come, it is like no creature was ever there.  The grasses on the land aren’t that tall (at least from my perspective in the Jeep) so I would think that if they hunkered down, I would be able to spot their backs.  I can only think that the grass is much taller than I think.

We stopped at some of the same “rest stops” as we did on the way out, and the gift shops got a good workout.  There are both trinkets and beautiful art at some of these places.  We stopped again at the tanzanite shop, and Jim and I were able to watch a short video on the mining process and watch a man actually cut facets into a gem stone.  It interested me that every tiny chip is saved.  It is an interesting process, and definitely requires incredible skill.

I should mention that the Jeep that i have been referring to is actually not a Jeep at all.  It is a Toyota Land Cruiser that has been especially adapted to accommodate a longer length and is reinforced to handle the rough roads.  I use the term Jeep because that is how I think of them.  It has been truly impressive to see how well it handles, and of course, a good part of that is the excellent driving skills of our guide/driver, Martin. 

As we drove along the way, we saw people walking along the road and hanging around in their villages.  We saw a few churches, and I thought that perhaps some of them were walking home from a time of worship.  I loved their colorful clothing, and also seeing them as community. How I would have loved to be able to spend time talking to some of them one on one,  I have so many questions about who they are, what they feel about life and what their daily lives are like. But this was a trip to see the beautiful animal kingdom of Tanzania.  

We arrived at the Tarangire Sopa Lodge near dinner time.  This is the same lodge we stayed at on the way out, and the familiarity was nice.  Because of the dust from the roads, and the hot temperatures we were all grateful for a quick shower before dinner.  We group from the individual Jeeps took their drivers out for dinner as a personal thank you for all their effort.  It was fun to be able to converse on a more personal level, and learn a bit more about their lives.

After dinner we had a little farewell time.  How thankful we are for Lynn and Beth who have worked so hard to make this trip such a beautiful experience for all of us.  I know every single new friend we have met on this trip has enjoyed it to the fullest.

Tomorrow we head back to Arusha where we will have a day stay at a hotel to shower, repack, and then head to the airport for the long flight home.