Bonnie enjoyed a taste of Paradise overlooking Tanzania's Lake Manyara in 1996—a country she’s also visited on our Kenya & Tanzania Safari: Masai Mara to the Serengeti adventure.
By Bonnie Mack, 9-time traveler from Clearwater, FL
During the holidays, fond memories begin to surface once more. I'm brought back to one particular Christmas, when I was ten years old. Every year, my father would tease us by hinting at the gift he purchased for mother. He would tell us he had to go to the airport, because it was being flown in from some exotic country. (In truth, I'm thinking he probably slipped downstairs to the bar in our basement, to have a little nip before "going to the airport".)
We were so excited, when he presented mother with her gift. "Where's it from, where's it from?" we asked in eager anticipation. "Tanganyika," he answered. "Tanganyika? Where's that?" we wanted to know. "It's in Africa." "Africa?! What can you have bought from Africa?" we pressed.
Meanwhile, I spun my globe, and looked among the many countries on the continent, finding Tanganyika on the eastern coast. Mother eagerly opened her present, and there she found … a wooden bottle opener! It bore the figure of an African lady, with silver rings around her neck. "What am I supposed to do with this!" Mother's patience was beginning to wane. With that, my father presented her with a black velvet jewelry case, inside of which was a beautiful watch, whose band was encircled with diamonds.
Clever idea on my father's part, although it's South Africa where diamonds are marketed, and I don't think there are any diamond mines in East Africa. Nonetheless, we always enjoyed my father's teasing and little games. Better still, it was fun to explore my globe to find the exotic destination he selected. I still have that old globe, and enjoy locating all the countries I've visited whose names have changed. Tanganyika subsequently united with Zanzibar in 1964, to form a sovereign state of Tanzania. Little could I have known that just ten years afterwards, I would be exploring Tanzania and Kenya on the first of my six safaris to East Africa.
In his book, "The Tree Where Man was Born," Peter Matthiessen wrote that Africa is like a virus for which there is no cure. How very true. Africa has my heart. It jumps whenever I climb into my safari vehicle, or when I see the beautiful handicraft items in the markets, or when I interact with its friendly people. Whenever I see a documentary on Africa, I feel a great pressure on my chest—like a steamroller. And then, my eyes well with tears. I feel so connected to these beautiful countries.
I've traveled the world for 55 consecutive years, and have enjoyed exploring about 95 countries. I'm drawn to the Asian countries, and have countless treasures from numerous trips to China, Japan, Thailand, and India. I always feel at home whenever I return. But the minute my plane lands in East Africa, my heart skips a beat, as though I am returning to a lover.
Traveling through East Africa was much different in 1974. Safari vehicles could pursue game into the bush by driving off road, which is now strictly prohibited. The African people working in game lodges couldn't speak English, for the most part, and were more reserved and shy around the tourists. I'll never forget my first hot-air balloon flight over Kenya's Masai Mara. We drifted over Keekorok Lodge, only to look below us and see all the staff waving while our colorful balloons ascended.
A happy Masai tribesman in 2012.
Before game drives, all the guides would gather to plan their routes, and inform each other of sites where lions or other big game animals had been spotted. Nowadays, vehicles are equipped so guides can communicate with each other while on a game drive.
Every time I told my mother I was going on another safari, she always wondered what could be so different, that I would want to go back. That's the best part—everything could be different. You never know what you'll encounter from one day to the next. I saw twenty-seven lions one day in the Masai Mara, and never saw a single lion for the next two days. All the female animals appeared pregnant on one safari. Another time, all the teenage animals enjoyed playful sparring. On my last safari, all the animals were mating.
Waking up after a nap in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater 2008.
I'm not a "morning" person, but there's something special about waking early—sometimes before dawn—to prepare for a game drive. It might be chilly, so a hot cup of coffee and a snack are welcome. Afternoon game drives come to a halt at some lovely spot, where guides begin pouring glasses of wine, and offering snacks, while we enjoy a beautiful view—perhaps elephants bathing in a nearby waterhole.
"Teenage" elephants having fun.
At the conclusion of a wonderful dinner, we assemble around the campfire, and the staff entertain us with beautiful voices that would rival even the best of church choirs. Then the dancing begins. My favorite part of the African night is peering at the sky, so black that the millions of stars appear to be twinkling on velvet. How I miss those African skies.
Bonnie encountered Colobus monkeys beside the swimming pool in the Serengeti in 2012.
When it's time to turn in, I settle comfortably on the soft mattress, and snuggle beneath the covers. I feel protected by the mosquito netting—not that there may be any mosquitoes around, but more like feeling I'm in a little cave. All's quiet, and now I listen intently. Who will I hear tonight. Will it be an elephant trumpeting? Perhaps a hyena cackling? Ahhh, there it is—a lion grunting. I know I'm back home.
Most recently, a new deacon came to our parish. I approached him one Sunday, and confirmed that he was from Kenya. Then I greeted him in Swahili, "Jambo!" (which means hello). He asked how I knew this, and I told him I'd been to Kenya six times, and I felt like it was my second home. His smile was brighter than the sunshine.
Fall in love with East Africa during our Kenya & Tanzania Safari: Masai Mara to the Serengeti adventure.
