Tanzania Journal, part 1

In which our intrepid explorers fly across the globe to see lions and tigers and bears (oh my).

Many of our friends have said they want to hear all about our trip and see the pictures. So it seems best to use this space for that purpose. Besides, I need to keep a journal like this for myself or soon all the places and events will blend together in my memory.

Thursday and Friday

The good Mrs and I wake up at 3:30 on Thursday morning and head out the door at 4:45. Our good friend Jackie delivered us to the door of the airport. You know the drill there.

Our flight is a brief one to O’Hare. Shockingly enough, there are no direct flights from Indy to Tanzania. We fly on Ethiopian Airlines from Chicago to Adda Ababa in Ethiopia. That leg of the flight is about 13 hours, and the part I have been dreading the most (since it is painful for me to sit too long). Amazingly, my leg pain is not too severe; more like a minor annoyance than a big problem.

The flight attendants on Ethiopia Airlines are all young and very attractive. I did not notice this, of course, until the Mrs pointed it out to me. After 40 years of marriage I have learned you should never point out how pretty some woman is unless your wife does so first; then you can nonchalantly agree.

One thing that always happens to me when I travel is that I am invariably confused with George Clooney. I had to explain to the flight attendants and several of the passengers that I would be glad to grant their requests for autographs, but I was not, in fact, George Clooney. I am taller.

At Adda Ababa we have a seven hour layover before we take another flight to the airport near Mt. Kilamanjero. We had time to hire a taxi and see the city, I suppose, but the thought of going through customs and security when we returned to the airport was a bit unsettling. We chilled and watched the window-washers. Here are some pics of the airport in case you have a deep and long-standing curiosity about the Bola airport in Adda Abeba:

A nice young man (Immanuel) picked us up and took us to the villa, which is about an hour away. I tried to climb into what I think is the vans’ passenger seat, but is in fact the driver’s seat (these Tanzanians refusing to drive on the right side of the road like God intended).

The first half out the trip was on some sort of main road; then our trip veered off into the a dirt road with enough ruts to make even a Chicago Cubs fan feel at home.

Our daughter Sarah and her husband Mitch were already at the Villa, and we were sooned joined by Mitch’s mother, Katie, and her friend Dave. Katie and Dave are both retired pharmacists, and here is a pro tip: don’t ask retired pharmacists their weirdest pharmacy stories unless you specily that NSFW stories are not needed. Nuff’ said.

The villa itself is wonderful. We felt very pampered.

Saturday

The next day Immanuel took us into town (Arusha). The main thing I noticed on the drive was the amazing variety of vehicles on the road. I’m not talking about Ford versus Chevy or sedan versus SUV. No, you see ALL kinds of vehicles on this road. Especially prevelant are motorcycles of every kind, and a small, three wheel taxi built on a motorcycle platform. Immanuel says they are imported from China for around $3,000.

Traffic was crazy. Rules of the roads are only suggestions, and even stop lights seemed were only stoptional. I loved it. Immanuel was a great driver, and I reveled in the liveliness, and the difference between this and my small midwestern town.

The clothes are beautiful. The women wear very colorful dresses and saris.

Sunday

The next day we leave the villa to fly an hour north to Serengeti National Park, where we will stay. The airport we fly out of is tiny: three small gates right next to each other, and a half-dozen shops. We board what seems to be the only kind of aircraft they service: a small, 12 passenger plane.

But that is like O Hare compared to where we land: a dirt runway at an airstrip in the Serengeti.

Our guide for the next few days, Eugene, was there waiting. He took us out for our first game drive. And then to camp. But I will save that for next time.