Our first Safari

Giving credit where credit is due.  The pictures in this blog post are from at least five different cameras (Joshua's, Craig's, Peggy's, Glenda's and mine.)

Here we are on the road from Iringa to Ruaha National Park with the Iowa-Missouri Conference group that came to build the one-day-school campus buildings and the evangelism efforts.  The buildings are complete, and it is time for them to go on safari.  The safari group that arrangements were made with said that the vehicles that they would be using would be short on seats by one for their group.  So if we would take the pick-up, we could take the extra person.  So that is what we chose to do.  After arriving though, there was room enough for everyone including our family.  So we spent part of the time with the group (in the other vehicles and the rest of the time in the pick-up truck.
As we were traveling down the main road that goes to the park, there is a low-water bridge.  There was more water running over it than I was comfortable crossing.  This is the view before we go through.

The car in front of us stopped to take pictures of us coming through.  Here they are.

Into the water

Pushing water

Coming out, YEAH!  I didn't like this part of the trip.

After a few hours of driving we arrived at the meeting place.  Two of these safari vehicles were there.  We had to wait for the rest of the group that was riding on the bus.  This was fun.

Joshua waiting in style.

 We started seeing signs of wildlife and wildlife several kilometers before reaching the entrance of the park.

early welcoming committee

Another early greeter

 So Joshua and I got in the back of the pick-up and got as high as we could to see what we could see.

Joshua in the back of truck

Beautiful scenery, savannah and mountains.

The main road into the park crosses the Great Ruaha River.

Joshua, what do you see around there?

One crocodile

Number two

Number three

And LOTS of hippos!

After the river, we saw many more animals before the sun went down and into the next morning until about noon, when we left the park.

Lilac-breasted roller

Superb Starling (can't see his belly well)

White-bellied Bustard

Saddle-billed stork

Marabou Stork - preparing for take-off.

Secretary Bird

Our family getting a ride in the safari vehicle

What is in the top of that tree?!?!?

Grey-crested Cranes

Following the other four safari vehicles

What is everyone looking at ???

A cheetah is the answer.  Just as the sun was setting.

Ostrich, zebra and giraffe

At sunset - a HUGE bull elephant

White-browed Coucal (I think)

Black-backed Jackal

Some of many giraffe that we saw

Some of many elephants we saw (several babies in this picture)  These are the ones that charged one of the cars.

More elephants

Yellow Baboons

Grant's Gazelle (one of MANY)

And a partridge in a pear tree - sorry - a monitor lizard.