Day 3 of Safari

It couldn't be over already. I needed at least another 5 days.

We left at 6:30 for an early morning game drive. I had visions of watching a lion kill breakfast or seeing a cheetah chase an impala or coming across some elephants close to the road. No such luck. We drove around the beautiful countryside, watched the sun burn up over the mountains, enjoyed the cool breeze and didn't see a single animal but for a tawny eagle and our favorite safari car of Italians and Chileans. Really, it's uncanny how many times we randomly ran into them. And it doesn't stop there!

But I was content. Even without seeing any animals, it was so beautiful and peaceful I was enjoying every second. It's like a calm I have rarely felt in my life. With the early morning sun turning the long grass a golden yellow and the wind whipping through my hair, I couldn't have asked for a better morning. Ok, maybe if I saw a cheetah running.

Minutes before we reached the lodge to pack up and leave we came upon a sleeping male lion. He lifted his head for just a second, then went back to basking in the sun. Lines from The Lion King were running through my head the entire time. "Ooooo, Mufasa! Do it again."

Guys, I really didn't want to leave that lodge. The bed was nice, the shower was great, but the food was the best part. Just the toast and salad alone. Breakfast was of course marvelous – I happily overate for the long journey back. One last ride with the top popped and then it was back to free body massages, herds of Maasai cows with the lone herder, and harassing bathroom breaks.

So, I'm standing there at the souvenir place, contemplating which ebony giraffe I want to buy when I hear "Ma come mai? Sei tu di nuovo?" I could not believe it, but my Italian friends had even followed me out of the park! Antonio and I really were destined to be friends.

All in all, it was one of the most incredible trips of my life. I highly recommend it. I highly recommend Penfam tours and Justice, my favorite safari driver. How cool would it be to take your family on something like that? I can't even begin to describe the feelings, the thoughts, the sounds, and the smells that are my new love. We'll all just have to go back together. And next time, I'll do it right: 14 days and Tanzania too. When I'm rich and famous… J