The day started early with a knock on our doors at 3:30am. We lethargically rose from our beds to greet the three cars that were to take us on our safari. It was a difficult process to fit eight people into the tiny jeep but we managed to cram in for three or four hours as we drove to the Akagera reserve. We reached our hotel and dropped off our bags in order to make more room and then we were off on our first short safari. On this safari we saw mainly birds and impalas but we also saw a hippo. After the trip was over, some people wanted to stay at the hotel and relax while the rest of the group went on a nine hour safari to the north end of the park. That is where the real adventure began!
The three jeeps drove away from the hotel and everyone was excited. About an hour into the drive, one car ran out of gas so the five people inside; Elizabeth, Rain, Molly, Courtney, and the guide Diana, had to join the other two cars. This made the trip as cramped as the first and we had to go three more hours cuddled close to each other. Backs were aching and people were getting annoyed with each other. To make things worse, the road was bumpier than anyone could imagine. We were literally driving on jagged rocks. When we finally got used to bobbing up and down every second, another problem rose. As we drove deeper and deeper into the park, biting flies started attacking the cars. Limbs were flying left and right to try and kill the flies but there was very little progress until we discovered our secret weapon: Diana. She could reach into the air and pinch a fly between her fingers while the rest of us were batting at them with shoes and tissues. For hours we dealt with heat, flies, bumps, and backaches but everything was forgotten when we reached the north end.
The African grasslands rolled ahead of us and we were surrounded but tall, green hills that were spotted with trees and bushes. The beauty was indescribable and the car was silent for a moment with speechlessness. Diana pointed out tons of tope, impalas, gazelle, waterbuck, and other deer-looking animals. We spotted a family of warthogs who scurried along with their tails pointed in the air at a 90 degree angle. Different birds flew above us and each was unique in color and size. We saw zebras running along the hills and an elephant from afar. We watched buffalo with their long horns and giraffes with their perfect geometric spots going about their daily business. Every animal we encountered seemed to stop and stare at the strange metal organisms that were in their space but then they lost interest and continued to do their own thing. It was so unbelievable to watch them so closely in their natural habitat, nothing could be so amazing. It was all worth the difficult, long drive and it was an adventure that would never be forgotten by many.
-Molly
Josh and Jessica during the safari loving the Giraffes
