Today's adventure was a day-long trip to Manyara National Park, and quite frankly, I don't believe that I can muster words to sufficiently describe the experience. For days now, we had cruised down the hill on the road leading out of Rhotia and observed Lake Manyara and the surrounding forests from above. Not until today did I comprehend that this very area I had driven past every day was a vast habitat teeming with wildlife just under my nose.
We entered underneath a waterfall sign displaying the park's famous name and popped the roof of the off-road vehicles open. Standing on the seats of the vehicle, I poked my head through the roof as we sped along on the dirt path through the dense trees and shrubland that comprises Manyara. I cannot think of another time where I felt more free, and I felt as though my heart could burst. I suppose that is precisely what happens when something you have been thinking about for years is unfolding right in front of you.
For quite some time, we observed tribes of baboons as part of our research project assignment. After hypothesizing that female baboons with infants would show the highest levels of aggression, we continuously observed them in intervals and waited patiently for a snarl of the teeth or a tousling match. I found it fascinating to watch them travel in large packs of 40-something individuals and observe their social hierarchies. You hear a lot about primates grooming each other, but watching it in real life is quite perplexing.
But baboons were just the beginning. After everything we began to see, baboons nearly became to me what squirrels are back at home. Costa, an SFS staff member who drives and repairs the vehicles (and my personal favorite staff member for his cheery and friendly demeanor) knew the parks like the back of his hand, and could tell you the best places to spot any inhabitant of the park. Thanks to him, we witnessed more than I could have imagined. In the span of the day, I had seen several striking species of bird, including flocks of Greater Flamingos that formed impressive masses along the banks of the lake. As I stared out at the striking pool of fresh water surrounded by high peaks, I could see other birds which looked like little boats off in the distance. The marshland surrounding this body of water had touches of home, and I fondly reminisced about the marshlands next to my New England beaches. I had expected to see animals, but not a scenic view quite like the one we were treated to that day. If not for the intense heat of the equator, I could very well have sat on the dock stretching out into the lake for the entire day.
Another highlight of our trip included several families of female lions and accompanying cubs. As they lounged in trees, I remarked on the fact that sleeping in trees is not typical of lions but does occur in Manyara. We drove right underneath them as they looked on without a care in the world. The sheer size of a single one of their paws hanging down from the tree was enough to blow me away. We had even been lucky enough to see a mother and her cubs come up right next to the car, and when her golden eyes locked with mine, I felt that I was completely under her control. Our guides told us how fortunate we were to see these creatures four times in one day.
Other special guests of all sizes included the leopard tortoise hobbling across the cracked soil, many impala, a monitor lizard scaling rocks, zebras, Thomson's gazelle, cape buffalo wading in the shallow water, warthogs, an elusive Kirk's dik dik, hippos in the distance poking their heads out of the lake, and elephants an arm's length away from our car. The latter of these species invoked tears from several students in the car. For me, the star of the day was the Maasai giraffes. I have loved giraffes for as long as I can remember; they are littered in my room in the form of paintings, carvings, and stuffed animals. While I had seen giraffes in zoos as a child, there was just something about seeing them in that moment that made it all the more real. My breath was taken from my lungs, and I felt myself bursting from the inside out all over again. The group of giraffes and my group within the vehicle simultaneously observed each other, and I could not help but imagine what they had made of us.
As I think back on Manyara just a few hours afterwards, I wonder if the whole ordeal was simply a vivid dream common in those taking the malaria pills I was on. Today cemented in my mind why I had flown halfway across the country; why I had abandoned my home to take freezing cold showers and sleep under a dysfunctioning mosquito net. The feeling deep in my chest when looking back on today tells me that I am in just the right place, and that I need to continue chasing that feeling at all costs.
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