Greetings from Tanzania!!! J

Today we returned to the Lutheran Junior Seminary from our adventures at Mikumi and Udzungwa National Parks! The safari began Monday afternoon when we drove to Mikumi National Park. As soon as we entered the park we saw baboons along the road. While we were registering at the park gate, an elephant came very close and wanted to play! I have never been so close to a wild elephant, what a great experience…thanks to Bwana Denis for scaring away the elephant with his charms and saving our lives!!! The lodging at Mikumi was inside the park gates and we had lots of neighbors which included impala, buffalo, an occasional elephant, and we even heard a lion nearby. We stayed in hut-like cabins with porches (also known as the “mega stoop”) to look out into the African landscape! I never imagined that we would get such excellent service and food, but we had great meals and our last one was by candlelight. Once we got settled we went on our first drive in search of seeing some animals…especially lions! As we drove we saw beautiful scenery, impala, wildebeest, zebras, elephants, giraffes, storks, hippos, a jackal, buffalo, baboons, warthogs, and a crocodile. Our hunt for lions was also successful although they were hard to spot because of the tall grass. We were lucky enough to see two lions underneath a tree…so cool!!! The stars at Mikumi were amazing…we saw the Milky Way and the Big Dipper upside down!! Another part of the Mikumi experience was climbing up a very large baobab tree which provided a great view of the park. My favorite moment of our safari at Mikumi was seeing a herd of giraffes with a beautiful African sunset in the background! It was hard to say goodbye to Mikumi National Park, what a great place! J

After a fantastic breakfast we left Mikumi for Udzungwa National Park. Driving there through the mountains was beautiful, although there were some close calls on the roads! As we pulled up to the lodge I was surprised at how nice it was…on the sign it described Udzungwa Falls Lodge as “a paradise for dreams.” What a wonderful place with amazing service, food, and amenities. I finally got a hot shower! There were huge comfortable beds and a porch with a gorgeous view. As soon as we got settled Patrick, a 74 year old man, took us on a 2 hour hike through the hills of the mountains. It was a tough hike in the humid weather with steps made from dirt. We got to swim in some waterfalls which was really cool and refreshing after a hike! J

Thursday was my favorite day of the entire trip and quite possible one of the best things I have done!!! We hiked to the top of Sanje Falls, the largest waterfall in Tanzania at 170 meters tall. The hike was gorgeous, and along the way we passed unique plants and trees used for medicine. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the first lookout where we could see the waterfalls in the distance. I was amazed already, but had no idea what kind of views were ahead of me!! We continued our hike and saw the second and third waterfalls which was so cool…I was simply in awe! Just as I thought it couldn’t get any better we went to the 1^st waterfall and largest of the three…the view from the top of the waterfall was spectacular… simply indescribable. I felt like I could see all of Tanzania from the top. We ate lunch at the top of the waterfall until it started raining and we sought shelter in the trees. After lunch we descended to the base of the waterfalls where we could swim! This was my favorite part of the day and the view floating on your back looking up at the waterfalls was stunning! The hike began at around 10:30 am and we reached the bottom at about 3 pm. It was definitely a fabulous day of hiking and swimming! Dinner at the hotel was a great buffet and we got to have a relaxing evening watching a movie as a group - they even made us popcorn!! J I slept wonderfully and it was sad to leave such great hospitality and beautiful surroundings.

This trip has been phenomenal and is only going to get better with a trip to Zanzibar in the near future! Miss you all at home J

                                ~ Lexi Spain~