{safari, part 2, and july 4th in the serengeti}

serengeti national park

July 3-5, 2012
we made our way from musoma to the serengeti to spend 3 days and 2 nights in serengeti national park. the serengeti was something very high on my list of things to do and it did not disappoint!

just before entering the park we enjoyed a picnic lunch among monkeys and baboons, which are a lot meaner than they look. the cook, affectionately known as "babu" or "grandpa" told us the monkeys and baboons are only scared of black people.  after lunch, i have to admit i think he's right.

after some group photos outside the gate (which i hope to get a copy of soon!), we entered the park on the northern side and were able to witness some of the great migration. thousands and thousands of zebras, buffalo, and wildebeests were making their way north out of the serengeti. breathtaking!

after about a 3 hour afternoon game drive, we made our way to the campsite and set up our tents. it was the first night the temperature was going to be a bit chilly, and given that i didn't have a sleeping bag - only a sleeping bag liner - i layered up to combat the cold. the campsite isn't fenced in, and that night we slept with hyenas, elephants, and even a male lion making their way through our campsite. after a chilly night (i realized i'd actually left a lot of my warm clothes on the bus and was too frightened to go get them in the middle of the night), we were up at 430 the morning for a sunrise game drive.

4th of july!

we saw many of the same animals we'd seen the day before (zebras, buffalo, hippos, wildebeests, giraffes, warthogs, impalas, gazelles, baboons), but also spotted some lions and a leopard relaxing in a tree.

(there's a leopard in the tree!)

we took a break and went back to the campsite for lunch, and at about 3 pm left for our afternoon, sunset game drive.

so i have to admit that the fourth of july is one of my all-time favorite holidays. i think it stems from spending every july 4th growing up at our family's lakehouse with my cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.  it's not july 4th to me unless you're on the water somewhere...OR after this year, in the serengeti. given i was the only american on the trip, i can't say too many others were as excited as i was this particular day. but i have to hand it to everybody on the trip - i guess my excitement was contagious and everyone else embraced the holiday.  either that or they were just humoring me. :)

(some of the group excited for july 4th!)

(random serengeti animal. apparently their poop is good for altitude sickness - i almost grabbed some for my kili climb. i kept calling them "panya" but our guide kept yelling at me because they "are not rats!")

(silly hyena)

(beautiful 4th of july sunset!)

we enjoyed then sunset over the serengeti with an afternoon beer, and made it back to our campsite for a fabulous meal. our cooks had made pumpkin soup (my favorite), and our guide and driver had built a massive campfire. 12 of us sat around the campfire until about 11 pm (which is late for us) sharing a bottle of konyagi, forcing me to sing patriotic american songs and tell stories about fourth of july celebrations in the states. it was definitely a holiday i'll never forget! thanks to you aussies, canadians, africans, and europeans for making it so special!

that night I slept warmly in almost every piece of clothing i brought with me, and we left early the next morning for our game drive out of the serengeti, through the rift valley, and on to the ngorongoro crater!

(see ya later serengeti national park!)

(our first view of the crater!)

("selfie" in front of the crater)