Philmont Staff Association and Friends Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari Dispatch
June 28, 2011 – Goodbye Serengeti, Goodbye Tanzania
Our last day in Africa dawned with a bright red sunrise over the Serengeti. The Nye family were floating in a hot air balloon for a dawn flight over the trees and plains. The rest of the group enjoyed a relaxed morning at the Seregeti Sopa Lodge with a buffet breakfast. Elizabeth and her sons left at 8 a.m. with David for a game-viewing drive on the way to the Serengeti air strip. Everyone else departed the lodge at 9 with Godwin, and we were soon reunited in the shade of the thatched roof shelter waiting for our aircraft to arrive. The plane was delayed several hours, but the time went quickly with much visiting, cups of coffee, and playing of cards.
When the single-engine plane landed, we loaded our luggage under the fuselage and then climbed aboard, filling nearly every seat. Bill Lockwood, a pilot himself, took the co-pilot’s seat and enjoyed the flight to Arusha, watching the instruments and looking out the windows at the scene passing far below. In an hour we covered the distance that would take David and Godwin ten hours to drive.
We made our way to the Mt. Meru Hotel where our adventures began three weeks ago with our arrival in Tanzania. So much has happened that we will be thinking about our experiences and sharing the stories for a very long time to come. For now, it’s time to repack and head for the Kilimanjaro airport for flights to Europe and America.
In Swahili, “asante-sana” means thank you very much. To all our Tanzanian friends who made so much possible on Kilimanjaro, on our journey through the parks and reserves, and during our time in Arusha, we say asante-sana, and hope to visit this magical place again one day soon.
Jambo!