Day 4

That lion’s roar you hear in movies?

The real thing sounds nothing like it. It’s fascinating. Mesmerizing. Captivates you.

Night game drives are one of a kind experiences. So glad we stayed at TAASA and skipped on staying on Serengeti grounds. Would have missed all the fun.

The sun went down and the temp dropped. Getting uniqlo jackets was the best idea ever. Don’t want to go inside. It’s so, so, so beautiful out.

The sky… I’ve never seen so many stars.

You can see the Milky Way with your naked eye.Mind blowing. A travel mug of hot coffee (amazing coffee, too!), roasted salted peanuts with raisins to snack on, a good company, beautiful sky, Mother Nature and the night time sounds. I could stay here forever.

The guide packs the table, though. It’s game drive time.

...First thing that red light catches is a pair of glistening eyes. And then there is a silhouette. The camera barely picks up anything. This red light is a killer. But it’s safe for animals, so that’s the only choice. Damn, I wish I had the proper equipment.

Can’t take my eyes off what’s in front of me. Two cheetah brothers are beautiful. Feet away. Unbelievable.

Car light catches more eyes. White reflection means herbivores. Red light turns on again. Antelopes.

The entire herd of them. A little worried, but still calm. Just in front. Fascinating.

Driving in the dark feels so different. As if you get to peek through the keyhole into the animal world.

Adrenaline is over the roof.

Jetlag is a real thing though.

It’s only day 4. The exhaustion is getting the better of my body. My eyes are closing all on their own. The Jeep stops. I hear the guide’s “listen! She is going to roar. They are talking to each other”. What does he mean? Who’s talking to who?

My eyes follow his hand and my heart stops. The lioness and the male lion, same ones we saw earlier, are up and listening in to a very distant, soft roaring.

And then… a sound, nothing like what I’ve heard before it could have ever imagined, erupts and echoes through the mountains. It pulls you in. It mesmerizes. It’s filled with magnificence and innate power. Reverence, absolute reverence fills the air.

We hear a distant roar as a reply. Fascinating. This is absolutely fascinating. I still can’t wrap my head around what we just saw.

.

Civilization, you are wonderful, and I appreciate your modern conveniences. Sincerely do. But this… how did we lose THIS? The connection with nature. Being one with the world. Ecosystem is supposed to include humans too, but we run away from it. Why? There isn’t anything that can compare to the feeling of being ONE. Being the moment.

Tanzania, you are incredible.

Day 5, what do you have in store?..