On my first day of safari, I woke up late (yeah, hard to imagine, I know) and rushed to meet Harry, my guide. I apologized and Harry said "Hakuna matata", or "no worries" in Swahili. He added, "there's no such thing as late in Africa!" Really? Yes! I can get used to this! This sense of ease persisted throughout the trip. I was prepared for Africa to be hectic, stressful, even dangerous (I guess there is still plenty of time for that!) but my time in Tanzania has been incredibly relaxing. I lucked out and had Harry to myself the whole trip. On game drives, it was just the two of us. The parks were shockingly uncrowded, especially Tarangire. There were moments when Harry and I would come across some animals, pull up next to them and turn off the engine. There was no sign of another human being in any direction and the only sound was of the wind in the trees or the animals chewing grass. Incredible! The hotels I stayed in were within the parks, which meant animals wandered freely past. I had to have a security escort to my room once dark! All three hotels had views of the surrounding landscapes and were dark and peaceful at night ( whick took this New Yorker some getting used to). I could sit on my balcony and see an amazing display of stars. It's been incredibly peaceful to be unplugged and to spend days enjoying simple pleasures like observing animals.
On that note, off to bed, and time for my favorite Swahili phrase: Lala Salama! (Sleep well!)
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