Expedition Serengeti Post 5 of 5

This was the last day in Serengeti National Park. The night was calm and peaceful. I awoke to the sound of chirping starlings. We packed up camp at about 5:30 and prepared to leave the campsite at around 7. As I soaked in the final moments at camp, the experience I had, I realized that my time here in Africa is winding down. This was the climax of my journey, and I couldn't have asked for a better one.

We had a game drive out of the park, writing down species associations on the way. My friends Sidra and Becca still hadn't seen a cheetah though, so we were on the look out. as we drove along searching for the cheetah, I observed the "Sea of Grass" and the beauty of the open space. The horizon seemed closer than it was and the clouds lined up in millions of rows, each one appearing as though painted on the sky. It was literally like driving through a painting.

On the way out I spotted a hyena family (no pun intended) laying under some bushes. Hyenas really are amazing, despite the bad rep. They plan all of their attacks using strategical moves and are caring, loving parents that are in a constant struggle with the other top predator, lions. We drove on and on until we were almost at the gate. We spotted what looked like distant lion in the grass, and I would have been happy with them being lions. Upon closer inspection by Sidra through her binoculars, we came to find out that it was actually a family of cheetahs. It was incredibly exciting that now everyone on the trip had seen one, and that we got to see a family of three was a real treat. Seven cheetahs seen at Serengeti? Not bad at all. We drove the rest of the way home with one of our cars getting in an accident. Luckily no one was hurt, but their car was apparently totaled. The SFS car barely had a scratch. You gotta love safari vehicles, man. When we arrived at camp, I was saddened but relieved and as I opened the door to my banda, I felt less restless than I had been for the past months. Now all I had left was to find out my research group and project, and to do work in that course. Then I could go home satisfied with Africa, for now at least.I then proceeded to nap off the day, my day of rest from this incredible adventure.

SWOD is "salama" which means "peace" or "peaceful"

Well... That's the end. Sorry it took so long, I'll have my homestay post and a few DR posts to write and then I'll be back on track. I hope you enjoy the writing and let me know what you wanna hear about from any of my experiences.

Tutaonana, baadaye

-Ian