Why waffle around when Brussels is just down the track?

Our final full day in Europe dawned cold and rainy, and Erin was in the mood to check an item off her bucket list.  Just call us spontaneous (Erin's influence on me cannot be underestimated) - we decided on the spur of the moment that the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum would not be nearly as fun as heading to Brussels so she could have a real Belgian waffle.  So we bought our tickets, ran to the platform to catch the train before it pulled out, and before we knew it, we were on our way to Brussels for the day.

Haarlem is not in NYC....

I awoke early and feeling much better, and even made it back to the airport in time to greet Erin as she walked through the terminal on her way to the shuttle station.  It was a relief to have her there, safe and sound, and we caught the shuttle back to the hotel so she could take a shower and get ready for the exciting day ahead.

After a meal that nearly swept her off her feet in delight, we were off to the Central Station, and Amsterdam!

European adventures begin - my day out in Amsterdam...

After the excitement of being in Africa, we planned a couple days in Europe on the way home to the US.  We had to change flights in Amsterdam, so we packed in a couple extra days on the return flight to see what Amsterdam had to offer.  I left 24 hours before Erin did due to the vagaries of airline schedules and their crazy airfare structure, in order to save myself over $1000.  So as I said goodbye to Erin and Adam in Tanzania, it was with the knowledge that I would be seeing Erin again soon, a much easier leave taking than the last time I said goodbye, knowing it would be months!  (I won't even talk about my thoughts at leaving Adam alone in Africa.  Some things are best left unsaid!)

African finale....

My long awaited trip to Tanzania went faster than I could ever have imagined.  My last full day was spent making a few purchases and walking around the city taking pictures of things that Erin wanted to remember.  She took photos of people and places she saw every day, and she said goodbye over and over again to people who all asked her when she would be back.  She is leaving so many friends - I am amazed at the number of people who have become a part of her world in just four short months.

Back to the future....

Our fourth and final safari day started with an early breakfast at the lodge, then we were off again on the hunt for the rhino, our final animal we had to see.  Ema had warned us that it was a difficult find, and even he looked a little tense that morning as we set out on our search.

Retracing our steps...

Day three of our safari adventure, May 28, dawned cloudy and cold.  We could see that clearing would come once the sun was fully up, and we continued our adventure in high spirits, hoping this would be the day we would complete our list of animals we most wanted to see.

Among other animals, we were hoping to view all of the Big Five: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard.  These animals were originally chosen for their difficulty to hunt, and the quest continues today as people on safari continue the tradition, primarily for photographs.  While lion, buffalo and elephant are plentiful and easily seen, the leopard and black rhino are very difficult to spot, and we were not at all assured of a sighting.

Great Wildebeest Migration...

Day Two, May 27:  We began our day early when Ema picked us up at 7:30 so we would have maximum time to find the great wildebeest migration.  We had the ridiculous fortune of finding it before 9 a.m.  We were in the midst of the wildebeests and zebras for an hour or so (Erin got photos, trust me, I will share) and it was a very interesting experience.

"Long journey" -the phamly on safari...

The term safari means "long journey" in Swahili, and that is a good word for our extended search for animals on the African Serengeti Plain and Ngorongoro Crater.  It was an amazing, thrilling, once in a lifetime four days for me.  I left behind the cares of the world and enjoyed a mental vacation from reality unlike anything I've ever experienced before.  I had no internet access to speak of, and I was too exhausted each day to write a blog post, anyway.  So I will catch up now in a series of posts for each of the four days.

Saturday, May 26:  Our guide for the safari, Ema, picked us up in his safari truck at 8 a.m. to set out for Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti Plain.  After a stop for a couple boxes of water, and an interesting short cut around the rush hour traffic (we quickly learned short cuts were one of Ema's many talents!) we were on our way.  Frankly, the road to Ngorongoro Park was better than a few I've traveled in the vicinity of my house, which was the first of many surprises in this adventure.

Home is where your heart is....

Today we left the beautiful island of Zanzibar to return briefly to Arusha.  We were picked up at the resort, and driven directly to the airport.  Once there, we waited a little while to check in, then got the surprise of the trip.  Our family were the only passengers on the plane, so we had a private flight from Zanzibar back to Arusha.  It was... amazing.

As we approached Arusha, we were able to see the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds.  Mt. Meru occasionally peaked through, as well.  Erin was excited to be coming home again, and looking forward to showing Adam her place.

Spice and nice...

(No internet last night, so I’m a day behind.)

Our day in Zanzibar started with a drive to a spice plantation about half an hour out of Stonetown.  Many fruits and spices are grown on plantations around the island, and Erin’s rafiki of yesterday, Abdul, had arranged for us to have a tour and lunch at one of them.  (Yes, they actually DO use the word rafiki, which makes me giggle every time I hear it, much to the annoyance of everyone, I am sure.) 

Zanzibar

We started the morning at the hotel in Dar es Salaam.  After another interesting car ride down a street filled with the biggest potholes I've ever seen, we were on the way to the ferry station to buy our tickets to cross to Zanzibar.   We made a quick trip to a "mall" where they have a Subway (unheard of treat for Erin the last four months) and then we waited for the ferry.

The crush to enter the ferry was a claustrophobic experience I'm not eager to repeat again.  Everyone in the place (there were hundreds) all got up and converged on this tiny "gate" area where people went through one at a time.  The little child in front of us was nearly squashed in the press of people as they all surged towards the gate.  It was a little unnerving, but then we were through the gate, and entered the ferry.

It was a rolling, but lovely ride over to the island of Zanzibar.  The island itself was beautiful from the approach, the buildings rising out of the horizon.

Off to Dar and a phamly reunited...

This morning Erin said some goodbyes to friends in her program, and we were off to Dar es Salaam. Our first stop was the ATM to get cash, of course. The second stop was the Arusha Airport, not to be confused with Mount Kilimanjaro International. We drove down a dirt road that veered off the highway, and suddenly, we were in the midst of a lot of tiny little airplanes.

Made in Moshi?

We spent today in Moshi, a city at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro about an hour bus ride from Arusha.  (That includes roughly 5000 stops along the way, and an improvised exit crawling over the seats, and a few other passengers, so everyone sitting in the aisles wouldn't have to move!)

We did not see Mount Kilimanjaro. (I have been told no one ever does, so I have no idea why I thought I would be different.  Especially when we started out the day in the rain.  But optimist is my middle name.)

What we did see was a lot of stuff.  Shoes, skirts, dresses, handbags, backpacks, pots and pans, live chickens... you name it, they have it.  There is, quite simply, no shortage of tangible items in Tanzania.

Tanazanian wildlife... What?

When I arrived in Tanzania, one of the things I was most looking forward to was seeing the wildlife.  I had no idea.

Two nights in a row, a rooster with sleep issues has crowed it's little beak off at 3 a.m.  It has absolutely no idea how close it has been to a pot of hot water and some poultry seasoning.

Tanzania for the win!

This morning, I woke up in Africa.  What a joy.  How amazing!  Two days ago, I left the familiar ground of Minnesota in an airplane filled with travelers heading all over the world, and now, I am on the other side of the planet, spending time with my daughter in a world I have only dreamed about.

We spent today running errands and walking around Arusha, Tanzania, a world entirely separate and different from the one I am used to.  In the shadow of Mt. Meru, we navigated the busy streets teeming with traffic and people.   I have seen where Erin lives, explored the byways that she has called home for four months, and have become familiar with the words you must utter over and over whenever you are out - hapana asante, which means no thank you!

The time is now....

After months of planning, anticipating, and not quite believing it would happen, I am a few short hours away from the trip of a lifetime.  The itinerary is printed, the bags are nearly packed, the plans are being finalized, and the time has almost arrived for the adventure to begin.

This is a dream come true for me, one which began as a young child reading about missionaries in far away Africa.  The siren call of that mysterious continent has beckoned me most of my life, and the answer is culminating tomorrow in a trip to reunite with my daughter, who has had the unbelievable fortune to spend her spring semester in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Traveling to the heart....

For most Americans, Africa is a mysterious unknown.  It has fascinated me since I was a little girl reading about the missionaries traveling there to help the people and spread the news of God.  But I never really dreamed I would someday step foot on that beautiful land, see the animals, or experience the wonder that God has wrought in full measure there.  It is so remote, so difficult to access, so... different.  How would I find my way?