I have mixed feelings about my safari. (I know, shocking.) Obviously, seeing scores of (adult and baby) lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, and other (somewhat less exciting) animals in their natural habitats was great.
Also great: visiting a Masai village in Kenya and an orphanage in Tanzania. (Great in very different ways, obviously.)
Plus, with the exception of a few campers who will get their own special entry, I liked my fellow tourists quite a bit.
Now, the bad. First, the tour leader was the worst I've ever had (his butchering of the English language, body odor and inability to comprehend personal space were bad enough, but the real problem was his inability to lead. Second, camping. I hate it. Especially since rainy season came early this year, and I spent my last night of camping in a wet tent on a wet mattress with a wet sleeping bag in temperatures approaching freezing (who knew the Ngorongoro Crater got so cold?) Not fun. Third (another big surprise): the toilets. Better than Ethiopia, but still a challenge.
For all my complaints about Ethiopia (and it was a tough trip), I think the tour leaders and drivers were so much better than the staff for safari that it's hard to believe it's the same company. Also, I think I prefer cultural tourism to just driving around looking at animals (although not the Mursi village breast attack type of cultural tourism).
Oh, and remember how I'm so popular in Africa because I'm black? Well, one Tanzanian was so pleased to see me that he yelled "Hey, Blackie! How ya doing?" as I walked down the street in Arusha. Smooth.
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