African Adventure: Zebras and Monkeys and Elephants, oh my
Friday - July 14, 2017 These calls to prayer from the nearby mosque are driving me insane. I don't like the 5 a.m. wake up call that doesn't end until 7 a.m. I like my sleep. Despite our sick heroes in the group, we all got on a bus to head over to our next city destination: Moshi. Although it's a three hour drive, we're taking a break in between to do a 3-4 hour walking Safari. The bus on the way had a little tv screen and played all things Rihanna and Sean Kingston. Think of that what you will. The closer we got to Ndadakwai Camp, the bumpier the road got. To the point that I hit my head a few times and I wasn't the only one either. We saw more Maasai children herding cattle; I can only try to imagine my godson taking a responsibility like that and trying to maneuver animals when he can barely stay clean while drinking water.
I'm going to shout out the bathroom at this camp real quick because it was SO. NICE. all wood and clean and private, it was a nice change from the holes on the floor we'd seen before. This camp is something else. I can't even describe it and pictures won't do it justice. It's an open area so animals will come and go as they please. We got really close to a bunch of zebras and monkeys, who ran away when we got too close. The guides showed us snake and giraffe tracks on the floor and these seeds that baboons eat and leave the skin for the antelopes to eat. Mother Nature, man. The best part of all was climbing up this hill and seeing the whole Safari from up top. We could see giraffe sleeping and two groups of elephants trekking around. The babies were so freaking cute and their ears wouldn't stop moving around. I'm also going to shout out The Lion King because they really did capture Africa the way it is. It's barren and yet full of life in every little corner and yes, the trees are the same as the movie.
More girls dropped like flies and had to get picked up randomly throughout the Safari and I'd be lying if I said I didn't do a quick little prayer that I wouldn't get sick. Amen. The way back gave us an even closer look at elephants. They were far away but not enough where we couldn't see them play with the dirt and use their trunks to throw it in the air. Despite the ticks crawling up our legs, none of us wanted to move. A sight that pictures will never fully cover but I'll never forget. A nap, supermarket stop and a bus ride away and we got to Moshi. Our hostel, Paradise for Backpackers, was just that. It was the nicest hostel I have ever seen! There were three sections of the whole place which split into the rooms, both downstairs and upstairs all made of wood, the pool area and the kitchen. Everything was so clean and every turn showcased a new mural on the wall. The plants were so green and large, it gave a calming sense. AND the wifi worked. Bless. The only downfall was that although the switch for hot water was on, the shower was only cold. Fastest shower ever taken on this planet!
After bonding with my roommates for the next few days, Lauren and Robin, we all went to dinner at the hostel. The chef there was making us food but surprise surprise, it was rice, chips (really, fries), chicken and veggies. Since dinner took a while, all of us had a few beers. Safari Beer goes down nicely. For the night, although the mosquito net was a little annoying, I slept quietly without any calls to prayer.
