Morogoro and Mikumi

Welp. They have done it again!

We are now in Morogoro and Reguli has set us up in a gorgeous (especially compared to our last accommodation!) hotel that’s run by his brother-in-law. Sam and I each have our own room complete with AC, hot water, queen size beds, and lacy princess-like mosquito nets to match—we are living the high life!

To top it off, Reguli’s other brother-in-law Sirili is a guide in Tanzania’s national parks, and he gave us the family discount rate for a private safari ride through Mikumi National Park, just a 1.5 hour drive outside of Morogoro. Sam and I had completely written off safaris as an option during this trip since they usually run up to a couple grand, so this was a wonderful (and affordable!) surprise!! So while Reguli headed to work, George, Sam, Sirili, and I headed into the wild!

On the drive there, we asked Sirili about the process for becoming a certified guide in Tanzania’s national parks. The list of requirements is impressive and fascinating:

Take classes in history, geography, and English

Identify and know the history and scientific names of 500 animals and 200 species of birds

Have the interpersonal and communication skills to speak politely and calm people down when they are upset

During the interview process, you may be provoked to see if you are easily angered (certain tourists are said to have threatened physical violence if they don’t see a lion AND a leopard(!!)); you may also be handed a leaf (from any one of the country’s 16 national parks) and be expected to name the tree from which it was plucked and its significance/uses. Once you pass the exams and interviews, you’re certified to work in any of the national parks and may be summoned to guide in one or another based on the demand.

Needless to say, even before the tour began, we were already impressed!

Then.

Within the first 5 minutes (not even exaggerating, you can check the timestamps on my photos!) of pulling into Mikumi National Park, we saw at least 5 elephants and a big pack of impala and zebras grazing together with a beautiful blue mountain backdrop. Just like that!

We were continuing a bit further down the road when our guide Sirili got a phone call. He suddenly slammed on the breaks, put the car in reverse and did a quick 180, and took us careening back in the direction from which we’d just come, then hung a sharp right and sped down the road. Sam and I exchanged looks of bewilderment and slight concern until George leaned back to clarify: “There’s been a lion spotting — we’re heading there now!”

1. Just a LITTLE relieved to learn we weren’t running from the park police for potentially abusing the family rate policy, and

2. So nice of the other guides to call and let us know about the great find!!

Pictures below for show… but we saw some amazing friends (gold star if you can spot the hippos)!

Sirili also shared some animal fun facts with us, like that when lions are in heat, they have sex up to 300(!!) times a day for 7 days(!!!). A not-so-fun fact that he shared when we spotted (pun not intended) a lone giraffe was that giraffes usually travel in packs (herds?), but they abandon some of their members when they get too old and can no longer keep up with the rest of the group ☹️☹️😭😭💔 If you know me, you know how much I love older people and you will certainly not be surprised to hear that I almost cried when I learned that, but George tried to keep the mood light with lots of laughing and repeating “Mother Nature!” whenever I got mopey. Big sigh and sad face.

Otherwise, I’m sure you are all waiting to hear the updated total of police stops by this point. I am happy to report we only got stopped twice today — once on the way to Mikumi, and another on the way back. (Picture of the first stop below — my favorite is the cop’s briefcase in the tree!)

On the second round, poor Sam was taking a nap when the cop opened the door on her and looked at both of us in the backseat to make sure we were wearing our seatbelts. (George explained she couldn’t find anything wrong at first when she stopped us, so she was fishing for something she could ticket us for…) When she saw we were both safely buckled, we got a thick-accented ringing endorsement: “Good passengers!” Three cheers for us — no fines this time!

As we pulled back into our hotel at the end of the day, I asked George if there was an ATM within walking distance so I could withdraw some cash. After conferring with Sirili, he confirmed that no, it was too far to walk—unless I was going with a group. My mind automatically went where I bet yours did, and I asked, “Oh, because it’s not safe to walk alone?” Much to my delight, George replied, “No, it’s just that you won’t notice the time pass if you’re in a group.” Meaning… it’s a long walk, but it won’t seem that bad if you’re among friends ☺️ So dear!!

Two more days with these two dears, George and Reguli — I’m already starting to dread our goodbye!

I’ll leave you with a sweet little clip from our final Sunday morning in Lushoto. On our way to and from breakfast, Sam and I had the chance to sit in on some parts of the nuns-only church service (no, we haven’t joined the convent — just got a special visitor’s pass!)… we were both nearly moved to tears at their beautiful singing, despite not being able to understand a word of Swahili. Special to be a fly on the wall and take it all in before heading out for the day. Hope you enjoy, too!