Ndutu to Tarangire

Our final game drive was approx 300km from Ndutu. The route to get there included some great views in the Ngorongoro Highlands and we all commented on how much Maureen would love to be with us on that drive (not!) - it was a narrow road along a ridge with big drop-offs on either side and because we were in a bit of a rush today, let's just say that we just 'relaxed' and enjoyed the ride.

We reached Tarangire National Park in record time and were fortunate enough to see baboons, black-faced monkeys, zebras, elephants, giraffes, warthogs - but the highlight in my opinion, surprisingly enough, was the mongoose! They were hilarious.

If you've ever seen 'Meercat Manor' on Animal Planet you'll know how cute they are as they scurry along and then pop up to stand guard as look-out. The mongoose are similar. They kept us entertained for quite awhile and during it all I'm not sure if I got even one good photo. So, it may be one for the memory bank.

During our drives, we noticed a tree with a very thick trunk that Mark said reminded him of the Keebler Elves' tree that we used to see in commercials on TV as kids. We all agreed, the baobob tree looked exactly like the Keebler 'home'. It's also known as the upside-down tree because when the leaves fall from the tree, the branches actually resemble tree roots in appearance. Tarangire park was full of these trees...some much thicker than this one.



A highlight of this drive was a group of elephants that passed right by our vehicle with a very young baby elephant directly on the heels of the mother, who led the group. They are such amazingly large creatures and I find them incredibly captivating. What a great way to end our Safari.



The off-road Safari in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro region was my favourite. The ability to get so close to the animals, the plains that seem to go on forever, and the abundance of wildlife for as far as the eye could see, made this a very special place.

My next favourite spot would have to be the Ngorongoro Crater - supporting its own eco-system in the massive crater (actually a caldera) with an abundance of wildlife. That was the day we saw all of the Big 5 in one day.

This has been a rewarding experience on so many levels and we all feel quite fortunate to have this opportunity to learn from nature.

As a celebration of our Kilimanjaro climb, I had taken the liberty to have a custom silver bracelet made for Marisa and myself before we left Canada. It would only be given and worn following a successful summit attempt.

Each had a Swahili proverb that I thought might be appropriate for the two of us. I'll let Marisa share with you what hers reads, if she likes. But mine reads "elimu maisha si vitabu" - which means, in essence, "education comes from life, not just books". This seems even more appropriate following this adventure. I've learned so much from this experience.