The Long Road to Ruaha...

    As more and more days pass by, interns have continued to fully submerge themselves in all Tanzania has to offer! As is to be expected in the first couple weeks of being in a new country, the last couple of days have been filled with both incredible highs, and some truly crushing lows. Regardless, I think it is safe to say that all of us have thus far walked away with some positive lifelong memories (in addition to a newfound proneness to car sickness..)

This past weekend, interns decided to take the (excruciatingly) long journey to Ruaha National Park for an overnight safari adventure! What we initially understood to be a 6 hour drive to one of Tanzania's most beautiful tourist destinations, turned into a 12 hour-long endeavor as a result of a couple of mechanical issues with our transport van. 

The loss of one of our beloved tires started the day off with a 3 and a half hour delay before our initial departure towards the city of Iringa- the closest stop before hitting the boundaries of Ruaha. No worries though! This delay allowed interns to catch up on some much needed rest, and try out some innovative van-sleeping positions. Despite arriving at the park later than expected, our enthusiasm never wavered, and we were happy to be met with stylish bandas to spend the remainder of our night in, located in the center of the park itself. 

Pictured above: (left to right: Dorothea, Clara)

After a very comfortable night spent listening to the sounds of wadding hippos, interns made sure to wake up early in order to catch one very memorable sunrise... Almost straight out of a movie, no photo truly does it justice.

Following a brief early morning drive through the park, interns indulged in a hearty breakfast before heading out for a full day of safari animal watching. As Ruaha National Park holds the highest concentration of elephants in Tanzania, as well at 10% of the world's lion population, we undoubtedly found ourselves face to face with many some of the planet's most impressive creatures. From giraffes to zebras, and from lions to hippos, there was truly something to see for everyone. A full day later, interns returned to Iringa for one more night, before enduring the long journey back to Morogoro. 

With three weeks down, and seven more to go, more adventures are sure to follow our team as we embark on another journey to Zanzibar in the coming weeks! Stay tuned for more updates from the international team :)

- Raquel