Day 9 – Last Day of Safari (Lake Manyara/Arusha/Kilimanjaro)
And so it is…last morning in Africa! Great night sleep and it’s so chilly in the tent, neither Rich or I wanted to get up. Breakfast and goodbyes at 7:30 and we’re in route to Arusha by 8:00am. It’s cool here this morning so the tops are still on the jeep. Driving out I’ve come to terms with leaving and looking forward to a little shopping along the way.
Stopped by a t-shirt shop and another souvenir shop – pretty much got all we were looking for with the exception of that special gift Rich was looking for for Linda. Rich and I both dressed for the long flight home, completely forgetting we had one last driveq through Lake Manyara National Park (a much smaller park) on the way. Ally took the tops back off so we could enjoy our last drive. Park here is much greener because it has under water springs. But that also means it is very wooded so a little more difficult to see the animals.
Lots of monkeys (which are so adorable) and the normal grazing animals. Ally said though there ARE lions here, he hasn’t seen them in 2 years…and I can see why. We stopped by a lunch area there in the park to eat before continuing our drive in to Arusha. What’s in our lunch boxes everyday is always a surprise…Edward sent us left over farewell cake for our last lunch!
MSafari, the security guard that works the gate at the Mt. Meru hotel was there when we drove through today. It was good to see him again and he remembered to ask for his photo I promised to send him. I’ll have it framed and sent through Dawn at ADS. Martius and Timan were waiting at the front of the hotel as we pulled in. I appreciate them both so much for what they did to get me a camera. Both went way beyond for me.
As we all sat and talked about the week it was time to settle up with Ally and say our goodbyes. I thought I was ok until I hugged him good-bye. I don’t know if he fully understands how much this trip has meant to me and how big of a part he played in it being so memorable. Rich and I will never forget you Ally! God bless you and your family.
We had a day room there at the hotel for a few hours; to freshen up and get some lunch before we leave for the airport. Did a little more shopping there in the gift shop and waited for Martius and Timan to pick us back up. Have to admit that on our drive, we actually saw Mt. Kilimanjaro for the first time. The mountain we took pictures of day 1 (which we thought was Kilimanjaro) was actually Mt. Meru. It’s difficult to see it because the peak is normally in the clouds, but we caught just the right angle so the highest peak was visible. Was able to get photos of the snow on the peaks, which was amazing.
They got us to the airport 2.5 hours early, but that’s ok. Allowed us to get through customs, etc. with time to spare. Rich was able to find that special gift for Linda and I picked up a few more things. Good thing we decided to check our luggage this time. Our souvenir bag is getting heavy! Funny story is that they made Rich fill out some declaration form to get through customs, but not me? Not sure why. Rich said it was because I batted my eyes…LOL! I think it was because the customs officer I had didn’t want to mess with it. Who knows. I was also pretty sure Rich was going to have to completely uncloth to get through security…LOL. Provided a great deal of entertainment for not only me, but a few others in the waiting area…LOL! Sorry Rich, it was funny.
1st flight went to Del Sar which is South of Arusha. That one stop added two hours to our already lengthy flight to Amsterdam. So 9.5 hours later we arrived in Amsterdam. Three hour layover there allowed us to see parts of the airport we didn’t get to see when we came through the first time. At that airport, each gate has their own security check point verse one area for the entire airport. Also allowed me to pick up some flower bulbs (Tulips are famous in Amsterdam). Thought if I plant them, every year when they bloom, I will be reminded of this adventure. Rich and I both slept off and on, watched a couple of movies (including Born Free…:)), taught Rich how to play Sudoku and counted down the hours until we would be home. Once we started the journey I couldn’t wait to get there.
Quick stop through Detroit and a short 1-hour flight home. We were in the last seat on the plane so the last people off. Dave picked us up and we were at moms by 5:00. Had to stop by to see my boy and take him his goodies. His favorite gift was the two small pieces of lava rock I picked up at the park before we left (sorry Ally, I know I wasn’t supposed to do that). He said “cool MiMi…thanks”. He had his Tanzania bracelet (like mine) around his ankle. Not sure what he ended up taking to school today for show and tell but I’m sure he took something. Plenty of hot water and water pressure here at home. I actually lost 4lbs during the week, which is unbelievable since all I felt like we did was eat, but I’ll take it. Once last funny story is about my step counter on my phone. Mid way through the 2nd day of our Safari, my achievement sound went off letting me know I had reached my goal of 10,000 steps. Walked 5.23 miles…lol! I guess the jarring of the jeep counted as steps for me. Plus climbing up and down looking out the top must have counted for something.
Crawled into bed, missing my hot water bottle…LOL! Sure could have used it last night. I’m not sure how I slept. Dave said I woke up a couple times, looked around like I wasn’t sure where I was and laid back down. Up at 6:30 which would be 3:30pm in Africa. Not sure how long it will take me to get back on track. Atleast I’m home.
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to contribute & help other users like its aided me. Great job.
You ma’am have a way with words. Thank you very much!
I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye -.
Ik heb net je laatste blogpost gelezen en kon ik het niet laten om te reageren. De duidelijke manier waarop je complexe onderwerpen uitlegt maakte veel indruk op mij.
Het meest interessante eraan dat je nooit iets als vanzelfsprekend aanneemt.
Ik deel volledig jouw kijk hierop.
Blijf vooral zo doorgaan! Je blog is meteen een van mijn favorieten geworden.
Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative. It’s important to cover these trends.
Just a quick note to express my appreciation. Take care
Our family had similar issues, thanks.
This is a very informative post about online casinos and betting platforms.
I especially liked how it explains the importance of choosing a licensed site before signing up.
Many players often ask where they can find reliable gaming platforms with fair odds and smooth
payouts. From what I’ve seen, checking platforms like vn22vip helps users compare features, bonuses,
and overall experience.
Thanks for sharing these insights — they’re helpful for
both beginners and experienced bettors.
I really love this article.
I dont think I’ve read anything like this before. So good to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. cheers for starting this up. This blog is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality.
There are some serious financial ramifications here.
I’d like to be able to write like this, but taking the time and developing articles is hard…. Takes a lot of effort.
Assume you are doing good linking to position you on the first pages of search engines.
Surprisingly good post. I really found your primary webpage and additionally wanted to suggest that have essentially enjoyed searching your website blog posts. Whatever the case I’ll always be subscribing to your entire supply and I hope you jot down ever again soon!
That is really fascinating, You’re an excessively skilled blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to in the hunt for extra of your magnificent post. Additionally, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!
If most people wrote about this subject with the eloquence that you just did, I’m sure people would do much more than just read, they act. Great stuff here. Please keep it up.
I loved your idea there, I tell you blogs are so exciting sometimes like looking into people’s private life’s and work. Every new remark wonderful in its own right.
Great info! Keep post great articles.
You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material!
We can see that we need to develop policies to deal with this trend.
Definitely believe that which you stated. Your favorite justification seemed to be
on the net the easiest thing to be aware of.
I say to you, I certainly get irked while people consider worries that they
plainly don’t know about. You managed to hit the
nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side-effects ,
people could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more.
Thanks
Hi there! This blog post couldn’t be written much better!
Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
He continually kept talking about this. I will forward this information to him.
Pretty sure he’s going to have a very good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
I came across an article that talks about the same thing but even more and when you go deeper.
If you don’t mind, where do you host your weblog? I am looking for a very good web host and your webpage seams to be extremely fast and up most the time…
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up plus the rest of the website is extremely good.
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or
something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit,
but other than that, this is magnificent blog. A great read.
I will definitely be back.
Great blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
simplebet8 menjadi salah satunya site yang ramai diberitakan atas opsi game yang komplet, proses daftar yang ringan, dan deposit mulai
rp10.000. bonus dan cashback lumayanlah menarik, sedangkan proses withdraw di
kenal juga cepat. pas buat yang mau coba main bermodalkan dapat terjangkau.
Great info! Keep post great articles.
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually recognize what you’re speaking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally visit my site =). We can have a hyperlink trade contract among us!
Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
I mean, what you say is important and all. Nevertheless just imagine if you added some great
pictures or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”!
Your content is excellent but with pics and video
clips, this site could certainly be one of the greatest in its
niche. Superb blog!
My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on numerous websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it? Any help would be really appreciated!
Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating
it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
This is a great blog. Thank you for the very informative post.
Very descriptive article, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?
Wonderful work! This is the kind of info that are supposed to be
shared around the internet. Shame on Google for now
not positioning this publish higher! Come on over and talk over with my website .
Thank you =)
I am glad to be a visitor on this website!, regards for this rare information!
Admiring the time and effort you put into your site and detailed info you offer!
I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye -.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I
have truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
In any case I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
Are grateful for this blog post, it’s tough to find good information and facts on the internet
What i discover troublesome is to find a weblog that may capture me for a minute however your blog is different. Bravo.
This has to be one of my favorite posts! And on top of thats its also very helpful topic for newbies. thank a lot for the information!
Hello, I enjoy reading through your article post.
I wanted to write a little comment to support you.
I cannot thank you more than enough for the blogposts on your website. I know you set a lot of time and energy into these and truly hope you know how deeply I appreciate it. I hope I’ll do a similar thing person sooner or later.
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it
helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.
Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is wonderful, let alone the content!
Only a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style and design .
You appear to know so much about this, and I see you’re a published author. Thanks
I think I might disagree with some of your analysis. Are the figures solid?