Safari to Lake Manyara

Well almost two weeks have passed since I arrived back in Tanzania.  I feel as though I have never been away.  You quickly click into the polypoly way of life.  In fact you have to or it would drive you nuts.  Time means nothing out here. The Swahili  word for punctuality I think is - kuwahi but I'm not sure that Tanzanians be fully understand what it means.  Yesterday, Saturday, I invited a group of pupils from one of my schools  to watch an episode of Planet Earth.  They should have arrived at 2 pm but the first arrived at 2.45 and the last at 3.30.  They looked in awe throughout as the images they see are so new.  This week I showed the episode on Jungles - Equatorial Jungles.  They have one on their door step but know so little about it other than it valuable for firewood. I will tell you more about this weekly events on a later posting.  Now I want to tell you about my recent safari to Lake Manyara which I had the opportunity to go with a group of pupils before I came home for Easter.  Its an annual trip that the Village Project organises.  The only thing that put me off was the thought of a 5 hour journey there and back. I accompanied the Gap students and teachers from the school.  The management of the pupils on the bus was a piece of cake.  You wouldn’t have known there were any children there until the black bags that they had all been issued with came into operation.  I think almost all of them were sick.  Travelling on a bus on a long journey was a new experience for them.  But they didn’t complain once.  Can you imagine in UK?  The pupils stayed in a hostel adjacent to the park, looked after by the teachers, and the other adults slept in tents.  One of the worst areas for mosquitoes !!!  I have never really been interested in doing a safari but once we arrived in the park the tension and excitement of the children was infectious and as soon as we moved off into the bush (travelled on bus) the animals appeared like magic.   Every animal you could name.  I have loads of pictures, if anyone to would like me to come and bore you with them , let me know! I include only two in this posting.  They are the pictures of an elephant.  We suddenly came upon this elephant and stopped to observe when suddenly his ears extended and he moved towards us.  The driver beat a very hasty retreat.  I was told later that the movement of the ears indicated that he was about to charge!  The children had never seen many of these animals despite the fact they are native to their country.  It was an exciting two days and the journey home passed quickly, thanks to the Gap students who led the children in  a countless number of animated songs.  Can’t wait for the next safari.