The Circle of Life

Greetings everyone!

The safari is over and I can honestly say its one of the coolest things I've ever done. I can't stress just how stunning it is to see these animals in their natural environment.

What really struck me over the second half of the trip is the nature of life in the wild.  We all learned about it in middle school, but to witness the constant struggle all the creatures of the plain face, it really makes you appreciate the reality of the circle of life.

Let me try to provide some examples...

First up, At sunrise, we saw a standoff between a pride of lions and a hippo over use of a watering hole.

The  hippo won and the lions moved on in search of another water source so that they can live another day.

As we rambled down the trail we saw my favorite of all creatures out here, the tembo.

What makes them my favorite you ask? Well first of all they have incredible memories; if an elephant smells you once he will remember you for the rest of his life, which can be 70 years.  They also are the only animal other than humans who can die of heartache. Lastly, they are very peaceful and happy animals but if you make one angry you will not be around to tell about it.  So yeah, they're pretty sweet.

We saw a Huge herd of 20 or so and watching how they interact as a family you can't help but smile.

One last interesting fact... The calfs will stay with their mother for 16 years!  Funny how similar it is to humans.

Next up we saw one of the most bizarre and funny occurrences in the wild, a mating dance. No explanation needed here.

Just past these lovebirds (pun thoroughly intended) was a somewhat brutal sight. (Beware before scrolling further there is a bit of gore so if you are squeamish you've been warned)










A pride of 2 male (brothers) and 9 female  lions took down a 2000 lb buffalo. We missed it by about 20 min supposedly.

 A little painful to see, but a very graphic reminder of the tough life these animals face.

Last we saw a truly remarkable part of life out here, a hunt....

(In my most sophisticated sounding British accent) "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest cheetah or it will be killed"-African proverb

I saw this take place within 100 ft of me. Below are a few time capture shots of the chase. They take at a rate of 8 per second so that gives you an idea of just how fast the cheetah is moving (they can run 60 mph).

In the end, the cheetah won.

But before you feel too down on the cheetah, realize that she had her responsibilities to fulfill.

The guide said the cubs are less than 5 weeks old and if Momma didn't succeed, they would become food for these guys.

That covers most of the highlights of the trip. As I said it was amazing and if you ever get the opportunity, definitely make the trip.

Until next time...

Hakuna Matata

As previously promised, here are my thoughts (and pictures) from the first half of the safari. More to come later...
 
Howdy everyone,

I left the beaches and culture of Zanzibar behind and am currently writing to you under the most beautiful starscape I've ever seen in the Serengeti. I'm on night two of a four day safari here and later to the Ngorongoro crater.

It's funny how much of my knowledge of Africa's wildlife comes from Lion King. Even though I haven't seen the movie in 10 years, I found myself identifying creatures by their Disney names.

First, and most importantly, there was Simba...

 and his other Lion friends (Nala, Mufasa, and friend).  

Coincidentally Simba is the Swahili word for lion and they really do run the joint around here.

We also saw Rafiki

Unlike the movie, Baboons are terribly mean creatures. This one was trying to get some food off the back of a truck. 

Next up is the lovable Pumbaa.  

 Unfortunately his friend Timon doesn't actually live in the Serengeti. Walt lied. These guys are fairly tough looking but in actuality they are pretty harmless.

Lastly we have the downtrodden Ed.

As the movie portrays, hyenas are pretty dumb animals and the Africans really have very negative things to say about them. But if you see one up close they just look like a dog, so they are alright by me. 

I feel bad for the fisi (swahili name) to be honest. They really drew the short stick in the gene pool.

The remainder of these guys didn't get the fame of Disney but they were amazing creatures and I felt I had to share (with their Swahili names). Enjoy...

Twiga

Tembo

 

 Punda Milia

 

 Chui (leopard)

 

 Swalas

 

 Nyatis (buffalo)

 Kiboko

 Nyumbus (wildebeast)

 

  Ndegechai (Crowned Crane)

Tomorrow morning we do a sunrise game drive here then over to the crater for 24 hours. I'll try to post in a few days with pictures from the second half. 

Until next time....

Random Africa

Jambo (that's Swahili for hello) everyone,

Sorry for the delay as I had to be away from the internet for almost a week.  I had an amazing safari in the Serengeti and plan on posting tons of pictures but since internet is spotty here in Tanzania, that is going to have to wait a while.  Also, yesterday I visited and worked at an orphanage here in Moshi.  Unfortunately I can't tell that story without pictures either.  But be looking forward to a photo tour in the future. 

Now, on to my three random thoughts on Africa...

1)  They do a really good job of predicting their children's future career.  My safari guide's name was Simba and my Kili climb guide's name is Everest.  So either they were both predestined for their current profession or somebody is lying; I'll let you be the judge.

2)  Transportation is an adventure in itself.  We had a flat tire in the middle of the Serengeti, an overheated engine in Arusha, and I sat beside a man and his chicken for two hours in between.  Needless to say I am getting the adventure I was hoping for.

3)  Like all foreign countries, there is a fair share of funny signs here.  First there is the HIV awareness sign that says "just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there"; the picture is of a girl looking down the pants of a guy.  And then there is the sign near my hostile for some of the best chinese food in Moshi at Golden Shower restaurant.



Going forward, I leave later today to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro and am thoroughly excited about it.  It is the tallest point in Africa at over 19,000 ft.  However, I will not be able to post for another week so you are going to have to get by without me for the time being (terrible I know). 

When I get back I hope to be able to post pictures from my trip to date so stay tuned! 

Until next time...

A New Normal

As I am typing, this is my view from Kendwa beach, Zanzibar...

Needless to say this is not a normal sight for me. Nor is driving on the left-side, seeing burka clad women, or yak-drawn carts on the road. Yet Zanzibarians see these as regularly as I would a yellow cab in New York. It is THEIR NORMAL.

I like to think of myself as a fairly cultured and tolerant person... Being in this very abnormal environment tested that hypothesis.

I saw this scene play out dozens of times in NYC. A man, obviously foreign and struggling with understanding, tries to rent a car and navigate his way through the streets of Manhattan. He looks horrified as if everyone in the city could be out to get him. He is going to get scammed into venturing into a part of town he shouldn't, and suddenly out of nowhere everyone will take him for everything he's worth.  

This sounds ridiculous from our perspective. We can be in the exact same situation and just because the faces and places are normal to us, there isn't an ounce of fear in us. 

Today, I was the horrified foreign guy. I looked different from everyone else, couldn't understand their conversations, and was sure that the mob was out to get me. I can't tell you the last time that I was that scared for my safety. Yet the locals did nothing to cause my irrationality.  The foreign, THE ABSENCE OF NORMAL, was the reason. 

As I had successfully navigated my way out of the city, and the mob, and got out into wild open road I was still a little shaken up. I needed something normal. As I turned on the radio, what did I hear but YOLO playing.

Ahhhhh the pacifying effects of normalness (or Drake's silky smooth flows, you choose)

I suppose there are a few lessons here. First, try to find your normal in whatever situation you find yourself - you will be much better off. 

Secondly, and more importantly, realize that there is no universal normal. In my travels I have found that the more I can experience other peoples' normals, and remember that my normal isn't normal to them, the less abnormal they are.  

Until next time...

No turning back now

Well so far on my trek I have done an excellent job of distracting myself with a few movies, some rest, and the duty free cart.  But this is it, I'm completely on my own now.

As I type this I'm about 85% of the way to Tanzania - somehwere over Ethiopia I think, and am just starting to reflect on what I have gotten myself into. One question keeps popping into my mind...

What is this all about anyways? 

Before I left I was asked this same question 100 times  by friends and I went back to the same answer... if not now, when? 

That doesn't really mean anything though. I was giving a bull shit answer to divert the question and not truly have to think about the purpose of my adventure. 

To list a few... visiting another continent, experiencing a different culture, conquering a fear, and becoming inspired by the beautiful scenery are all motivating forces for me. 

But I chose this trip, to this awe-inspiring place, in this fashion (solo with no plans and no frills) to get clarity on life. I don't have material items, current and past relationships, or any sort of expectation of who I'm supposed to be out here. I'm completely on my own with just my own thoughts. It's both a scary and exhilarating feeling all at once. 

I can't yet tell you what that clarity is going to do for me. Am I going to come home a completely changed man and decide to give it all away and live off the grid? I'd say the chances of that are about zero. However, what I designed this trip for, what travel is supposed to do, is to provide perspective on things. 

My question to you is... What aspect of your life do you feel you need a better perspective on and how do you achieve it? 

I suppose you don't have to go to Africa by yourself to make it happen,  but there is no turning back now!


Until next time...

The Summer of Brian!

Hello World,

After finishing grad school,  I had two months to do whatever I want before being a regular grown-up again.  After thinking about the idea for a while, I realized this would probably be the last opportunity I had to experience life responsibility free.  Therefore I am seizing the moment and proclaiming this The Summer of Brian!

Instead of frolf, I decided to go another route.  I want to do some things that are a little out of my comfort zone this summer.  Like Costanza I started reading, I'm also taking a trip half-way across the world by myself, and with Sara as inspiration, I decided to start a blog.

I'm not quite sure what to expect from this.  Hopefully it is entertaining and maybe even useful to you.  If you have left this site thinking differently from when you came to it, I suppose it will have been a success in my eyes.  That being said, this is most definitely not a speech, but a dialog; I want your comments and feedback as they will only make the experience better for everyone.

 


I think that about covers it for the first post.  Thanks to all for stopping by and remember to taste the fruits and let the juices drip down your chin.

 
Until next time.