Then When: Tanzania

Tanzania is a warm hearted country. Everywhere you go you are welcomed with a smiling face and "Jumbo" which is their greeting. Its a beautiful country with green landscapes. We loved everything about Tanzania. We camped close to Mt. Kilimanjaro. We waited for clearance from Government to allow us to pull my dad up Mt. Kilimanjaro. We built my dad a chariot and got all the gear together. Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres.

Mt. Kilimanjaro in the back

Preparing my dad's "chariot" and gear

As we prepared to ascend the Government cancelled our permits. They were scared my dad would not make it back down. Disappointed we returned to camp to prepare to leave the next day, but could understand their concern.

We decided to make our next stop the Serengeti. Its very expensive, but absolutely worth it. Driving kilometers next to the Great Migration was an unforgettable experience. There are 1.8 Million animals migrating together.. Now that is enough to give any logistics planner sleepless nights!

The Serengeti

The Great Migration

Over two million herbivores partake in this annual journey, with about 200 000 zebra and 500 000 gazelle behind the 1.5 million wildebeest! This is the largest mass movement of land animals on the planet, mainly herbivores, but followed by a hungry constellation of predators -mostly lions and hyenas- all along their 500km clockwise migratory route. The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem provides an unforgettable spectacle in the natural world.

One of the most profound African Proverbs says: " Every morning in Africa a gazelle awakens knowing it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning a lion awakens knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It matters not whether you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun rises you had better be running"

There is something in nature that makes you turn inwards. You start to question what people are surviving for and not living anymore.. What does any thing help if you are not really happy? Some times we exchange real joy for temporary happiness, just because we do not know what the cost is. When you sit in the quietness of the Serengeti and you hear all the grunting sounds of the Zebras and Wildebeest you realize that happiness is a combination of past memories, current experiences and future hopes.

After the Serengeti we wanted to exchange the green for a little blue.. We reached a town called Tanga, on the East coast of Tanzania. Here the sea was calm and the water very warm! Our drive though Tanzania was very relaxed. On the border to Zambia we met a very nice guy called Tom. We decided to share a chalet and get a good night rest. People were amazed to see my dad have the courage most normal men do not have. My dad does not use his disability as an excuse. My dad did not just inspire all the people that met him, but to me and my brother this trip was worth more than anything anyone could give us. Its these shared experiences that money cant buy. Not even close.

" Not everyone who chased the zebra caught it, but he who caught it chased it" African Proverb