zanzibar

i've been wanting to update for awhile now but have been busy traveling around tanzania. jason and i spent the last couple days relaxing on the beautiful beaches in north zanzibar, a place called Kendwa... swimming in the Indian Ocean, laying on the beach, and drinking umbrella drinks.. it was wonderful. we're back in Stonetown now the main city in zanzibar), finishing up all the last minute shopping. then heading to Dar es Salaam tomorrow. its so hard for me believe.. but i'm boarding a plane tomorrow night and flying home!! overall, this trip has been a great experience, though quite hard at times. the last few weeks of traveling have been enjoyable, but i'm ready to go home. i miss some things from home- hot showers, my own cooking, easy transport, a good pillow (!), and of course, all my family and friends back home. see you all soon i hope!! oh, once i get home i'll put up a few pics of our maasai trip and zanzibar. Tutaonana! (see you later!-- usually means see you in a day or so :)

Safari

hey all! so as you'll notice from the pics below, we just returned from safari. we visited Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorogoro Crater Conservation Area. its was awesome.. beautiful and relaxing. i think i could just sit and watch some of the african wildlife for hours. this trip was more like finishing a checklist of all the big species and we did good, saw all the Big Five- lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino- plus tons of other animals. today we're returning to Bangata (the village of my previous homestay) for a one night visit. then this weekend we are visiting my Maasai friend's home, should be a good experience. his family is quite traditional, which means we'll experience a lot of Maasai culture as well as all the hardships of living in the bush (including no running water, no electricity, and no latrines). hope all is well with everyone!

my favorite african wildlife- the cheetah. we were watching it hunt for food (though didn't see it catch any). its built to run fast with a back like a rubber band, it has a long tail helps it maneuver sharp turns, and legend has it that the black streaks on its face are tear marks for all the cubs that it loses (only about 1 in 4 cubs survive, most are killed by predation). 

a typical day's work.. well not really. Jason, our cook, and our guide fixing our safari jeep after we broke down in the middle of the Serengeti. No worries, it didn't take too long! 

this mother elephant became nervous and upset (the ears are pushed out to make her look bigger) after some nearby baboons were fighting and filling the forest with their shrill screams. the mother was protecting her young, which is standing next to her on the left. later, the young was hiding between the mother's legs for safety.  

Mlimakala (the principal of the college where I stayed for two months) and I deep in conversation in his living room on the last evening before I said goodbye. i spent many hours chatting with him in this room, then joining him for dinner in the dining room next door.  

saying goodbye to Msinga

After a stressful week of communication problems and more scary dala-dalas, I said goodbye to all the Roots & Shoots people I've been working with in Moshi. It was sad to leave, but I was ready. And today.. I'm off to feed my boyfriend to the lions, or that's what he thinks. Safari will be awesome and I've been looking forward to this break for a long long time. Large animals and beautiful landscape!!