Liz back fromTanzania

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone - we are back from Tanzania, earlier

than expected as usual because the boss was called

back to work. However it was a wonderful trip. The

hyena in the camp turned out not not to have babies as

was thought, but she had wire from a poacher's snare

caught round her mouth,and could not eat. The rangers

were called and they captured her, held her down with

a forked stick and cut the wire. She did not struggle

at all, when she was free she ran off into the bush.I

also saw a snake (in the dining tent!) eating a

lizard!!!

When we were out on game drives we saw the usual

lions, hyena, giraffes, crocodiles, hippo, buffalo,

wildebeeste, impala, 's gazelle, one family of

elephants crossing the road. Fortunately Lana, who is

as scared as I am of elephants, would not let the

driver go too close!!! So they did not feel

threatened. We also saw a lion (male) who had lost a

leg, the guide told us it happened when he was a cub,

I don't know how, and the vet sedated him, amputated

the damaged limb, and released him. he is always with

his brother who shares his kill with him. That is

pretty unusual behaviour for lions!! we also saw a

mating couple, who we named Romeo and t, at the

beginning of their 5 day romance!!

The people at the lodge were very nice and helpful, we

also were caught in the most spectacular thunderstorm

- the trucks carry waterproof ponchos, so we did not

get soaked. Our landrover got stuck in the mud the

first night and we all had to get out - which is scary

when you KNOW there are hunting lions about. We did

have men with large guns around, but....

The worst thing was the tsetse flies which are a

problem in the Western Serengeti. Still I was not

nearly as badly affected as everyone else, I assume

because the prednisone damped down the reaction, I did

get stung but did not have large itchy wheals like

everyone else!! Its an ill wind that blows nobody any

good!!! We are all really sad to have left. In the

lounge at the Lodge they had an old gramophone and

seventy eights ( for the pred CD and tape generation)

and we sat and played lovely old scratchy songs and

had tea and cakes before we went out on night drives.

All good things come to and end, but the girls are

trying to persuade their father to go at the end of

the summer again.

I am pretty tired but is an OK kind of tired, nothing

that a couple of days rest won't cure. One of the

guests fell and hurt his back, and had to be

helicoptered out, much to the delight of the locals

who had never seen a helicopter before, fortunately he

is OK. Reem twisted her knee and did something, I am

still trying to persuade her to get it checked out.

We will be leaving for California in a couple of

weeks, so we have that to look forward to. It's pretty

hot here now.

I hope and pray everyone is OK, please put me back on

mail. Sorry to run on - I wish you all could have

come!!! Love Liz

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Liz, welcome back. Boy that trip sure seemed short. LOL gosh I just love to

hear about your adventures. I wish I could have been there too.

I put you back on mail. I didn't know if you were on individual mail or

digest, so I put you on individual. Let me know if you want it changed.

Can't wait to have you back in Calif. Even though we don't get to see each

other. LOL Hopefully one day we will. It really isn't that far from me.

Only about 6 hours. Hopefully one day we can set a lunch date.

Take care and get your rest, sounds like you need it. Glad you are home safe

and sound.

hugs

[Guest guest]

Liz,

You lead such an exciting life! Thank you for sharing vividly about your trip -

it was wonderful to imagine what it was like! I'm going to print it off so Zach

can read it - he would be thrilled to experience a trip like that! Right now

we'll just have to visit a zoo for him to get his fix! Glad you had a wonderful

time - rest up prior to your trip back to California!

Patty