Tanzania

Africa can also be a fairy tale. I had just finished reading Kuki Gallman’s book, African Nights- a book with the most beautiful descriptions of lions and elephants and leopards and of the amazing symbiotic relationship that this mizungu woman had fostered between these creatures and herself. A few times, I had to stop reading and put the book down, infuriated by her self-righteous style and overly-romantic vision of Africa. Where were the slums, the overcrowded streets, the lingering cloud of exhaust, the incessant noise of a bustling city that shared the same land that she was describing… grrr, false advertising!

“It is the Africa that, since the beginning of time, has evoked in travelers a deep recognition, an inexplicable yearning to return. The place that still has what most of the world has lost. Space. Roots. Traditions. Stunning beauty. True wilderness. Rare animals. Extraordinary people. The land that will always attract those who can still dream.”

Yes, so maybe this passage is now underlined and covered with angry exclamation marks all over the margins. The Africa she was describing with such mystery, superstition, danger and beauty belonged to an Africa from last century and Dinesen’s Out of Africa! Oh, but I was wrong, there really is such a place… and I would later recognize Gallman’s beloved Kenya in the endless plains of the Serengeti, the wild jungles of Lake Manyara and the surreal crater of Ngorongoro, in an unforgettable trip.

Lake Manyara

The little plane slowly putters its way down, hiccupping its way through heavy clouds. I’m grabbing the sides of the seats, my palms are clammy; I look over to Pierre, who’s completely absorbed with videotaping the pilot, control panel and descent with great concentration. A barely visible airstrip appears, Pierre’s concentrated pout melts into a huge grin, the plane lands.

We jump out in the heavy mist, run to a land rover parked by the side of the airstrip. A tall, handsome man in dressed in khaki greets us ‘ Welcome to Tanzania, my name is Ndoskoi and I’ll be your guide for the week’. Oh, let the adventure begin!

“So how about a safari on the way to the lodge?” Asks Ndoskoi as we drive away from the airstrip. Somehow, I thought of safaris as hours of driving, through plains, up mountains, down valleys, to the moon and back just to catch a far-away glimpse of a few exotic animals. And with Pierre having been to every bit of the world and twice back, this was going to be a treat… A few minutes later, the car arrives at the gates of the Lake Manyara National Park- Our 4x4 slowly enters these densely packed tall trees – lianas, thick vegetation with a balance of tall acacias and bushy bushes. The car creeps around every turn, over every rock, feeling terribly sneaky. “OH MY GOD A BABOON!!! ” Shhtt… a silent pandemonium fills the car – “where’s the camera, you had it! No! so where’s yours? oh take the camera, no! better angle here! Don’t open the window, they’re baboons! Be careful, oh, baboons!” Ndoskoi just sits back and smiles. Three goofy baboons walking as if puppets held by strings stop and look at us from the side of the road with their large owl-like eyes. We stare at them, they stare at us. After spending a good twenty minutes oogling and googling over these three monkeys and exhausting our camera capacities, the landrover lurks on.. Not even a minute later, another group of baboons. “Look look, another baboon!!!” The car stops, the same circus in the car proceeds. But by the time we reach the hotel (which turns out to be a childhood dream come true- each room is actually its own tree house- although tastefully conceived in a mixture of rustic and sophisticated design), baboons have become part of the landscape, and we numbly drive past dozens of groups of baboons, not even slowly down.

The following day, the same happens- first wart hogs, then elephants, then buffalo, flamingos, giraffes, lions, zebras, ostriches. Ah, I would have to write a never-ending book describing all of the animals and landscape in my awkward words, but words wouldn’t do Lake Manyara or the rest of the trip any justice. The only way to do so would be with a diary of pictures…

So in the theme of yearbooks, here are the superlatives minus the pictures:

Most impressive: Elephants. Powerful, dangerous, gigantic, confident, calculated stride, rugged skin, softest and kindest eyes ever. Takes your breathe away.

Sexiest: it’s a tie between zebras and giraffes, although Pierre seemed to have an unusual soft spot for the former. Patterns more refined than you could ever imagine…

Most disappointing: cheetahs – I was expecting them to be dangerously elegant creatures, but cheetahs are slightly small in stature with a little scraggly fur. But beside those initial superficial first impressions, they're amazing. We were in awe as we observed three female cheetahs hunting a baby wildebeest.

Shyest: Black rhino. We spent a good afternoon trying to track him in the Ngorongoro crater, spotted his horn and waited over an hour for him to make a full frontal appearance. Unsuccessfully.

Most standout moment: tie between lunching in the midst of the wildebeest migration, when we were surrounded by thousands of wildebeest and zebras, and watching the sun rise in the middle of the Serengeti plains.

Most obnoxious moment: how commercial we found the Masai Mara to be. Beautiful people, bold colors, but it seemed as if all of their authenticity vaporized for tourist dollars and satisfaction.

Most inappropriate moment: videotaping impalas in the heat of the moment. Oh, and lions too…

Only animals, wilderness, comfort, romanticism, exoticism; was this the real Africa? But safaris can’t only be Disneyland for tourists. How can such polar opposite worlds coexist so closely together? Another layer to the intricacies of this continent…