safari

All I really need to say about our safari is that ten minutes after we landed in the Serengeti, I was already trying to find a way to get back again. 

Five of my favorite people.

We crossed an item off our dream list and took a hot air balloon.

It was incredible. After a bumping start, they must have different regulations in Tanzania because we started laying on our sides and were dragged for a while before we went in the air, it was incredibly smooth.

If I thought the take off was bumpy, the landing was seriously intense. We hit an ant hill on the way down and dragged a long ways at high speed. I didn't zip my camera bag and lost my extra battery and lens cap on one of our bumps. Since we went down just past a hyena den, I wasn't about to go looking for them.

I did get this neat-o hot air balloon certificate that I have no idea what to do with.

There were a lot of zebras

But giraffes were our favorite. I could watch them run for hours.

We encountered a vulture feeding on a Thompsons Gazelle.

The two king vultures would stand off to the side and oversee the feeding.

Whenever they wanted to eat, they would dive in and the other birds would scatter until they backed off again.

After ten minutes, a third king came. He did his power walk around with his wings out and after a few minutes the other two kings left. 

My favorite place I've ever slept:

Yep, that's a bed inside. There was also a toilet and hot water. And those are zebras all around. You really can't get better than that.

The first night we were there elephants came through and smashed a lot of the trees around us. You could feel them stomping. The second night a pride of lions walked right by our camp. The camp attendants kept telling us they wouldn't go inside a tent but whenever I woke up and heard something going past my tent, I help very still.

If I had to face 50 hungry baboons  or 50 hungry hyenas, I would choose hyenas any day.

We saw these lions from the road, but when we stopped to watch them, they took advantage of our shade and walked under our car to take a nap.

This was all great until we got bored of watching them sleep. Two lionesses were asleep right under the car, between the two tires. We finally had to pour water on them to get them to move.

We drove right up to a hippo fight.

It reminded me of how dangerous hippos really are.

The loser had to leave.

It was neat seeing the animals in their natural surroundings, and for once being the one in the cage. Though, unfortunately for my kids, I've been completely ruined for zoos.