Under African Skies - Paul Simon

Lake Manyara 21
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1-27-07 Lake Manyara, Tanzania

Remember when I said Egypt was probably the biggest motivator for this traveling extravaganza?  Well, I lied.  Egypt was tied with East Africa, the Tanzanian Safari to be exact.  Last week I stood witness to the greatest achievements of ancient man.  This week I get to hear nature’s timeless argument.  The first few days in Africa were spent in Nairobi, Kenya and then Arusha, Tanzania.  Both were just means to a safari end, so I’ll skip any real journal entries or details other than to say both have a crime reputation that appears to me much worse than it is.  Nairobi is the second biggest city in East/South Africa and it looked cleaner and safer than Cairo.  Both Nairobi and Arusha have their fare share of touts but they actually take a polite no as final answer.  Either that or I’m getting very good at blowing them off I guess.

Lake Manyara 24
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So after the five hour bus ride down to Arusha I eventually get in on a cheap 5 day safari leaving on Saturday.  It means two nights doing nothing in Arusha but there are worse things than sitting by a pool in the African sun.  The day arrives and of course the Land Rover looks nothing like the pictures.  So be it, or as the guide/driver John immediately points out to us on his dashboard bumpasticka “Akuna Matata’.  No problems maaaan.  Yes, the same Akuna Matata song from Disney’s Lion King is the Tanzanian national slogan.  They say it whenever anything goes wrong and let me tell you the locals need to say Akuna Matata a LOT.  But nothing kills my mood today.  I’m on a real Safari, Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!!  (Okay, no bears or tigers but I was still stoked).  Within a few hours we get to our first stop the Lake Manyara National Park, known for its soda lake and tree climbing lions.  As we enter John tells us “Forget the lions in the trees mon.  No chance to see that anymore.  It’s okay though, Akuna Matata mon.”  I’m eyeing him with a skeptical grin, having already been to Jamaica, but my other safari mates, a young German guy and a lady from Virginia, seem concerned.  Pure travel comedy mon.

Lake Manyara 12
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Just like John said, no worries.  We have a great day.  The very first animal I see is a big Giraffe outside the park grounds so we’re allowed to get out of the truck and take a closer peak.  Some Masai children come over to check us out and scam a few shillings to get their picture taken.  I gladly hand over about 200 of them which amounts to maybe a quarter.  If Nick’s Pete Townsend logo hasn’t clued you in yet the Masai are a local tribe that still live in the traditional nomadic way, raising and moving cattle from spot to spot.  They still carry spears and dress in togas of very bright reds, blue and purples.  Their villages are thatch roofed huts.  Primitive?  Maybe, but they all seem to eye you like you’re the foolish one.  Maybe they’re right.

Lake Manyara 11
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Anyway, back to the safari.    It was great.  Tons of elephant, giraffes, hippos, baboons, water buffalo, warthogs, impala, a blue monkey and masses of distant flamingo on the lake.  I’m no naturalist but I’ve watched my fair share of Steve Irvin and Animal Planet on the Discovery channels.  Nothing I’ve read or watched prepared me for what it is like to experience a big animal encounter up close.  It’s surreal.  The truck makes a turn and there in front of you is a gargantuan creature with a pair of five foot tusks grunting at you for getting in their way.  Unbelievable.  Your heart just leaps right into your throat from the surprise and thrill.  All the safari vehicles have big pop open sunroofs of a sort so you stand up the whole game drive.  Knowing a mega ton elephant could come and swat you off the truck at his whim is extremely humbling.  But he doesn’t.  There’s no fear at all, at least not for me.  Only awe.  The elephant just rumbles off into the bush and a minute later you’re left alone again in the jungle.  Like I said, unreal.  One thing that bothered me was that the whole day I kept thinking about the movie Jurassic Park.  Watching the elephants and giraffes pick off their lunch from the trees reminded me of the brontosaurus, and the second we hit the high grass I expected a velociraptor to pop out.  With all the amazing animals I watched, free and in their own habitat for the first time, I have to equate them with a movie.  Sad, another mind corrupted by Hollywood.

Lake Manyara 9
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So we have just an amazing first day on Safari.  There were so many animals that it eventually becomes a blur.  I never expected to see so many, and really didn’t expect to get so close.  Animals are so few in the US that to see hundreds of them just chilling and not phased by your presence goes against anything previously learned.  After an afternoon I’m on sensory overload and ready to crash.  The safari is all about camping so I’m prepared to set up the tent in a secluded wood somewhere and commune with nature once more.  Nope, the lawn of a seedy hotel is our campsite and the tent’s screens don’t zip, but it’s okay mon . . . say it with me now . . Akuna Matata mon.