From Nairobi home to Canada

 We had one last day to spend in Nairobi before our flight to Toronto via New York which departed at 9 at night. We woke and had another great breakfast at the hotel and then went for a walk to the local markets to find treasures to remember our trip. There were all sorts of carvings, paintings and tapestries and we went from stall to stall checking everything out. We all picked out our favorites and Dad negotiated with them as that's how they sell everything.

After a walk back we went for an early dinner and met with Rahul at the same restaurant it had all started. We told him how much we had enjoyed our safari and the highlights of it. Then sadly, it was time to go. 

The flight back was long and it wasn't easy to sleep, except for Sage who could curl up, so we watched a lot of movies and read our books. Our layover this time was quick, especially since we had to take a taxi from one airport to another but we had time to grab a quick breakfast and make our last short flight home. We landed to see lots of snow - a big change from where we had just been. 

Africa: Mafia Island, Tanzania - Whale Sharks

Once we left the Serengeti we arrived at a small airport in Arusha. We said goodbye to Latow before making our way to where our plane would take off from. It was a small twenty seater and the roof was so low we had to crouch to get to our seats. Once we sat down and the rest of the passengers had boarded we took off and started towards the coast. The waters were a vibrant turquoise and a big change from the yellow grasslands. The flight was only 45 minutes to Zanzibar island where we dropped off a few passengers and picked up some before going back to mainland Dar Es Salaam. Then we had to switch to an even smaller plane to make it to Mafia Island. 

We landed in Mafia in a tiny airport much like the one in Borneo. We got a ride to our lodge and luckily it was a fairly short drive after all the flying. The resort was nice and there was a bit of a mixup with the cabins but we got it figured out quickly. It had a beach front with really shallow water and some lounge chairs on the shore. There wasn't much around it either so you could walk a long way without seeing anyone else. 

The last time we had been at the ocean was in Hawaii and that was almost a year ago so it was nice to be back to one. All the meals were included and they were super delicious as well. Since it was the off-season for Mafia the resort was almost completely empty so it was like we had the place to ourselves. After two weeks of excitement it was nice to have some time to sit back and relax. 

We spent our first day exploring the beach and waded out in the shallow waters at low tide. Brittle Sea Stars lined the ocean floor so we had to watch our step so that we didn't crush any. Along with the sea stars there were some cool shells too. After the tide came back in we hopped in the pool to wash off some of the salt water before going back up to our cottages. Dinner was delicious and we had a quiet night to follow.

In the morning we went on a snorkelling trip to one of the many nearby coral reefs that are part of the national park surrounding us. We went on a wooden boat with a few other guests. 

 It wasn't long before we were diving into the water and exploring the colourful world below the surface. We snorkelled around a large rock sticking way out of the water with thousands of clams and muscles attached to its sharp cliff walls. After snorkelling at this location for awhile we got back in the boat and headed to another reef. This one had a lot more seagrass but there was a lot of eels hiding in the rocky areas. 

We saw two different types of Spotted Moray Eels with 3 of them being orange. We also saw lots of fish and spent a long time exploring the rocky underwater garden.

After everyone got out of the water we headed back to the lodge for the rest of the day. Back at our cabin I went through all the photos on my camera which was over two thousand by now so it took quite awhile to sort through. Another swim in the pool and a great dinner and we called it a day.

The main reason we had decided to visit Mafia Island was to see the famous Whale Sharks that call its waters their home. Luckily we were able to get a trip with a company called Afro Sharks to get a chance to swim with Whale Sharks. We had breakfast at the resort before setting out on our last big adventure of the year. They picked us up in their van and took us to the beach where they left from. We got fit for fins before boarding another old wooden boat and set out into the open ocean. 

After two hours of searching we got our first sighting. I put on my flippers and mask and went backwards off the side of the boat. I hit the water with a splash and the cold water engulfed me. I swam back up to the surface and acclimated to the water as I chased after the small group that was following the whale shark. There were quite a few other boats there and I couldn't spot anyone I recognized in the crowd but it didn't matter much cause I knew which boat was ours. The whale shark was moving really fast and a lot of people couldn't keep up with it. I was near the head of the pack and could see it swimming way down below. It was huge but also very graceful as it glided through the water with ease. After following for a few minutes it dove way down into the depths and out of sight. We all met back at the boat and climbed back onboard. 

We kept a look out for more and only stopped to have some watermelon for lunch. While we were stopped we went swimming in the clear turquoise water and did flips off the top of the boat. 

 The water was so clear we could see the ocean floor and the numerous star fish and corals at the bottom. As we were swimming they heard someone report a nearby whale shark sighting on the radio. We all quickly scrambled back onto the ship and put our fins back on as we made our way to the other boats. Once again I fell backwards into the cold water but this time I was ready for it and wasn't as disoriented. I quickly made my way to the group and saw two whale sharks this time. I picked the one that was closest to the surface and followed after him.

He didn't seem any bit bothered by our presence but we were respectful and didn't get too close. He was huge! I made sure to steer clear of his tail as I swam next to him and I was able to keep pace for a long time. Then the gentle giant dove down into the abyss. After watching it leave I popped my head above the water for the first time since jumping off the boat and looked for everyone else. As I was searching for them yet another whale shark was making his way to the surface right below me. Its mouth was wide open and it looked like it was gonna swallow me whole so I swam frantically out of the way. I followed him for awhile before he dove down to the bottom too. 

After I found everyone we got back onboard the boat and made our way home. 

We spent a couple more days exploring at low tide and swimming in the pool for a total of five nights at the resort before packing up and saying goodbye to new friends and the staff. 

We took the same small plane back to Dar el Salaam and then a bigger one to Nairobi where we made it back to the hotel that we had stayed in our very first night in Kenya.

Africa: Last Day of The Safari - Tanzania

We packed our bags and had breakfast before getting back in the jeep for one last safari. The plan was to spend the morning in the Serengeti and then head to the lodge at Ngorongoro Crater for the night before catching our flight from Arusha to Mafia Island the next day. We left the Serengeti lodge and soon after saw something sitting in a tree. We assumed it was another leopard but it was actually a lion. While lions aren't really tree climbers some lions have adapted to be able to climb to the lowest branches when necessary.

He had a small mane and didn't seem to have a pride with him. Once males reach a certain age they are kicked out of the pride to go and earn one of their own. They usually remain as bachelors for quite a while before taking over a pride. He wasn't nearly as graceful as a leopard while climbing and soon he scrambled to the side of the tree back to the ground. 

Up the road there was a large herd of elephants with a few young calves playing together. There were also a few zebra and giraffe right across the road.

We followed the herd of elephants for awhile knowing it would be the last time we saw them on the trip. I was feeling really sick so I lied down in the back of the jeep for awhile but the next thing I knew we where parked next to a big pride of lions. They had just had a successful hunt and were now sleeping beneath some bushes. The one cub however was practicing his climbing skills in the bush and would occasionally fall and land on one of the lionesses.

The male lion had just woken up and started playing with the little cub. He would let the cub nip him.
Once the male and cub had fallen back asleep we moved on to look for rhinos one last time. We ran into a huge herd of zebra on the way that looked like a big mess of black and white stripes.

We came across lots of wildebeest herds too.

We kept on the search for rhinos in some of their favourite spots but only found a herd of gazelle, a water buck and a few dik-dik.

We were about to stop for lunch when we spotted another big pride of lions. They were all resting in the shade of one tree. Latow parked the jeep and we watched the lions as we ate our picnic lunch. Latow had a small speaker with him and he played a lion roaring to get their attention. They all looked right at us. Having an entire pride of lions stare you down is one of the most unsettling things ever but it was really cool to see.

Once we finished we had to leave to get to Ngorongoro in time. Sadly, we left the Serengeti and crossed the empty plains. After a couple of hours we were back at the same lodge we had stayed in a few nights ago. Our rooms were literally right across the hall from our old ones. We had a nice dinner and got ready for the hectic flights to Mafia Island.

Africa: Serengeti National Park - Tanzania

I wasn't feeling great the night before and had been sick throughout the night. I had lost my appetite so I skipped breakfast. Once everyone had finished breakfast we cleaned up and got back in the jeep to go on our last full day game drive.

Not far from the lodge there was a gazelle carcass which we heard was a result of a successful leopard hunt the night before. It was a little unsettling how close it was to our lodge (hence the staff accompanying us to our rooms) plus the sight of a ripped up gazelle really didn't help my stomach. We moved on past the carcass because it was evident the leopard had moved on and ran into a huge herd of wildebeest at the end of their migration.

They had been running for miles and were on the last leg of the journey. The sound of hooves and grunts as they forge a path through the tough terrain was cool. Soon they grew tired of weaving through the trees and termite hills and thousands of wildebeest spilled out onto the road.

They all ran in an organized chaos too hard to keep track of as they raced to get a spot in the stampede. Some of the stragglers stuck to the side of the road after the were pushed off the side in the crazed rush. The sheer size of the herd makes you feel very small in comparison - like a drop of water in the middle of a storm.

Slowly the herds settled and moved off of the path enough for us to sneak by and we continued on our way. Once we got away we entered a calmer part of the park that wasn't swarmed with wildebeest. We stopped by a small group of giraffes with maybe three or four feeding from the high up branches and we knew it might be one of the last times we would see them on the trip.

Later on we spotted a large group of jeeps surrounding a patch of trees. The only thing up in a tree that could bring attention to so many jeeps was a leopard so we were eager to get a good vantage point. It turns out it was a leopard but to our surprise it was a leopard cub.

 According to one of the other drivers the mother was hidden in a tree not to far from the cub but she was nearly impossible to see. The small cub was quite comfortable up in the tree for the awkward position he was lying in and he didn't seem that frightened by us.

 After awhile he let out a big yawn stood back up and promptly found a better branch to sleep on.

Every once and a while he would peek out past the branch to see if we were still there and then contently go back to resting. We stayed for a long time before deciding to keep going.

We had a quick look to see the mother but all that was visible was a bit off her tail with the rest of her concealed by the branches.  It was great to see a leopard again as we hadn't seen one since the Mara and they are definitely one of my favourites. I think I can say the same for the rest of the family. After we left the little cub behind we ran into another large herd of wildebeest and zebras.

  We stopped at a small rest stop with a few small picnic tables with a view over the savannah. I still wasn't feeling that great so I didn't eat much but the scenery was nice. 

Soon we were back on the open road and found yet another carcass that smelled absolutely horrible. This one however had an entire flock of vultures fighting over the scraps.

As the vultures settled down a bit we left the carcass and were able to breath once more. Farther past the vultures there was a jeep stopped in the middle of the road. We couldn't see anything they could be looking at so we assumed they must have been stuck. Once we got to them though we saw that there was a big lioness in the grass right beside them! 

The other jeep was nice and moved up the road a bit so that we could get a closer look as well. They told Latow that she was hunting with some other females that we couldn't see in the grass. She came and sat right outside our window. She let out a big yawn showing off her huge teeth almost as though to say I could try and eat you I'm just being nice. After awhile she got up and crept past us and into the bushes towards a small herd of zebra.

There were four other lionesses that were preparing a hunt and had circled around behind the zebra for 

an ambush.  Patiently the lioness slunk forward as quiet as a mouse making her way slowly to the herd. The zebras must've started to catch on and moved out of the ambush zone because we never saw the other lionesses and the hunt was over before it began. The lioness followed them for awhile longer but it was a lost cause and soon she lied back down among the bushes in defeat. 

Latow heard on the radio about a pride of lions with cubs not too far from us. We didn't have a lot of time before we had to go back so we decided to make it a quick stop.

All the lionesses were sleeping but the cubs were running and jumping around all over them. We were about to head in for the night when Dad remembered he had forgotten his extra layer at the rest stop where we had lunch. It wasn't on the way home so we lost a bit of time and weren't able to stop much after that. We did however see a huge male giraffe trying to get a drink of water on the way.

Apparently this is the most dangerous time for a giraffe because they can not defend themselves at all like this. And it takes a long time to stand up again afterwards so an attack would most likely be fatal. It was really cool to see and so close too.

We arrived at the lodge later than we would've liked so we thanked Latow for the extra time in the jeep. We had a nice dinner and I was feeling a lot better than the night before. Kaden, Zaddek, and I left dinner a little earlier to go to the cabin early after a long day. One of the staff had heard that our parents had spent their honeymoon at this same lodge 17 years ago and brought them a cake out after we had left. Sage has always been really shy and when they brought out the cake they sang and danced and according to Mom Sage was curled up in a little ball the entire time. Nonetheless it was really kind and it meant a lot to them.