MY SAFARI INTO AFRICA.(travel chronicles)

IF I KNOW A SONG OF AFRICA, I THOUGHT, OF THE GIRAFFE, OF THE AFRICAN NEW MOON LAYING ON HER BACK, OF THE PLOUGHS IN THE FIELDS, AND THE SWEATY FACES OF THE COFFEE PICKERS, DOES AFRICA KNOW A SONG OF ME?

WOULD THE AIR OVER THE PLAIN QUIVER WITH A COLOR THAT I HAD ON, OF THE CHILDREN INVENT A GAME IN WHICH MY NAME WAS, OR THE FULL MOON THROW A SHADOW OVER THE GRAVEL OF THE DRIVE THAT WAS LIKE ME, OR THE EAGLES OF THE NGONG LOOK OUT FOR ME? ISAK DINESEN, OUT OF AFRICA

It was a humbling experience to be so close to Tanzania's fabled animals, I did not realize the staggering numbers of wildlife that I would see on safari. The fact that so many animals can exist in the 21st century is nothing short of amazing!

The first day of my 12-day, camping safari was in a shuttle bus, hurtling over the bad roads between Nairobi, Kenya, and Arusha, Tanzania, the starting point of my adventure. From Arusha, the tour went to Tanzania's finest parks and reserves; Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater (a world biosphere project) and the legendary Serengeti National Park. I knew that this trip was going to be …