The Footsteps of Our Ancestors

After spending three weeks in homestay and a week on ISP prep, semi-separated from each other, the whole group was ready to be reunited and head back out on safari. Our excitement was through the roof when we set off for the most anticipated journey of them all- Ngorongoro Crater and the inspiration for many of our dreams- the big one- Serengeti National park. We rolled into the crater, mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and were greeted by something that we had heard a great deal about from people back home, but had not had the opportunity to experience ourselves in quite some time… cold weather! We set our tents up on a beautiful campsite on the crater rim, drinking coffee, practicing headstands, and watching the sun sink slowly behind the clouds. Being that we are a little beyond the halfway point of the trip, visions of home, family, and friends have begun to set in (man, what I would do for a trip to Surf Taco!), so longing for some tie to the states, we started a Harry Potter reading circle. Each reader is required to speak in accents, any that they are capable of, which is sure to guarantee some laughs from the rest of the group. Sunday we descended into the crater with one mission in mind… find the black rhinos. The crater is the only place in Tanzania where these animals can be found- they have been eradicated from the rest of the country. Unfortunately, this mission was not completed successfully, and I will have to leave Tanzania without the prestige of having seen the “Big 5” (The big five refers to the five most difficult (and dangerous) animals to hunt by foot- lions, leopards, rhinos, water buffalo, and elephants. Believe it or not, the most dangerous on the list is actually the water buffalo…). While it was disappointing to miss the rhinos, all was not lost. We had another experience that was probably one of the most incredible ones I’d experienced up to that point. A pride of lions came to join our party. Had I been standing on the ground as opposed to in the safari cars, it would have been impossible to abide by my photography teacher’s warning to “not pet the big kitties”. The lions brushed up against our tires, looked us in the eyes, a few even decided that the shade of the safari cars provided optimal napping spots. There is definitely a thrill involved in being four feet away from a wild lion… So while the rhinos remained elusive, our lion friends more than made up for it. We left the rim of Ngorongoro and headed to Oldupai Gorge- the location where the footsteps of our oldest human ancestors were discovered by the Leaky’s. There, we had a lecture on human evolution, which was a somewhat surreal experience given the backdrop. Once we were caught up to modern time, it was off to Serengeti. I was feeling a little sick when we arrived, but it would appear that throwing the tops off the Land Rovers and singing is excellent medicine. The drive in was incredible. We passed by tons of kopjes, attempting to decide which one looked most like Pride Rock, and pointing out all of the ostriches and wildebeest that we could find. Our campsite was beautiful, and the sight of the orange glow emanating from the setting sun was symbolically reassuring me that I was living my dream. Our time in Serengeti was spent completing studies relating to our Tarangire topics, mine being ruminants. My group and I researched impala vigilance and how it differs when impala are located in close proximity to other non-carnivores. Just like in Tarangire, we were able to trade our notebooks and pencils for cameras and tourist hats every afternoon. Of course, we saw tons of animals, including our first leopards and hippos! Our last night in the park was spent enjoying the view from the top of one of the impressive kopjes. This particular one was once a Maasai sanctuary, and featured several large rocks. Baba Jack warned us that attempting to climb them might not be the best idea, but we could try it if we wanted. Naturally getting to the top of the rock was the first thing that I thought about when seeing the kopje, and was the first to amble up (big surprise, I’m sure…) From the top, it was a 360° view of the dusty plains with scattered acacia trees and herds of buffalo grazing in every direction. It is hard for me to paint a true picture of what this experience was really like for me. Visiting the Serengeti was one of the first things I wrote on my ever-increasing, travel dominated bucket list. It was the reason that I chose this program, and something that without the love and support of my parents, I would certainly have not yet achieved. Mom and Dad, I cannot thank you enough for everything that you both have done for me. Someday I hope that I will be able to introduce you both to this magical place, and you will have the chance to really share in my dream. 

Campsite at Ngorongoro Crater

View of the crater from the rim

Where were all the wildebeeste?

Lions pumzika'ing under the safari car

On the prowl

Oldupai Gorge

Serengeti

Zebras of the Serengeti

Hitting the dusty trail

Baboon baby takes the reigns

Serengeti Sunset

Buffalo crossing

Hippo Pool