Monday, July 1 - Safari day

While it was the 10th day of the trip for the group, it was my first day to join them. After arriving late Sunday evening in Arusha, I made it out to the Doffa Campsite by 8:00 in time to meet the group and the Banjika students. We then left for our safari in the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is huge, representing the remnants of a volcano that rivaled Mt. Kilimanjaro in terms of height over a million years ago. In the crater there are Masai herders who  share the environment with a tremendous number of different animals. Over the course of the day, we encountered lions, wildebeests, hyenas, zebras, hippos, gazelles, warthogs and flamingos at amazingly close range. It was incredible to see these animals in their natural habitat and there were plenty of pictures taken that I am sure will be shared with you upon our return.

I could not be more impressed with our girls as they have truly embraced the opportunity to learn about and to serve this community. For example, it was our students who arranged to bring their sister-students from Banjika School on the safari. While these girls live in close proximity to the Ngorongoro Crater, most had never been there. Seeing the group interact with each other and share a memorable experience such as this, is at the heart of this trip and the bonds that have developed between these girls through their service work and home stays is strong.

Our day ended with a couple of gastronomic surprises. Our World Leadership School group leaders, Tim and Susan, went on a quest to surprise the group with ice cream. After disappearing for over an hour, they returned with all of the ice cream available in Karatu, which amounted to a half-gallon of strawberry ice cream (that was actually only half full). The effort was truly appreciated and reflects their care for the group. What we discovered around the campfire later in the evening, is that they also brought us a second surprise, the makings for s'mores! Despite Caroline's initial efforts to steal 9 chocolate bars to carry her through the rest of the trip, her conscience saved the day and all of the chocolate was returned.

Tomorrow, we are visiting with local leaders as well as an orphanage. I have no doubt that it will be another memorable day.

-David Braemer

Note from the girls: Quick S/O to the fams- we miss and love you!