I am happy to say this is my first blog post from Tanzania! Currently, I am at the Ecoscience Lodge getting adjusted but some notable things for me so far:
- As I am writing this blog, I heard the trumpeting of an elephant somewhere close by
- I (fingers-crossed) successfully set up a mosquito net for my bed
- I cannot leave my room in the night without a guide because we are surrounded by so much wildlife
New updates aside; I wanted to talk about the entire journey (~40 hrs) to where I am now in a brief, yet informative summary.
Phase 1: Leaving Houston. Pit Stopping in Istanbul. And, Getting to Nairobi
My coursemates and I gathered at Rice on the evening of Saturday, June 15th and lifted off from George Bush International Airport that night with our sights set towards Istanbul. After getting there, we had a layover which gave me the chance to try Turkish coffee (highly recommend it) and after that, we made our way to Nairobi, Kenya.
Phase 2: Driving, Driving, Driving (and Customs)
After landing early in the morning in Nairobi, we had breakfast at the airport before leaving by bus (pictured) for Arusha, Tanzania. We drove until our first roadblock: the Kenya-Tanzania border. Nothing went wrong, but it just took a lot longer than we all expected.
A gas station on our journey + our bus in the background!
Phase 3: Welcome to Tanzania and Welcome to the Ecoscience Lodge
Finally, after making it to Tanzania, we continued to drive to Arusha and then our accommodations for the first two nights: the ecoscience lodge. We were welcomed in a great fashion with a beautiful sunset on our drive in (pictured) as well as a refreshing drink and hand towel upon arriving to the lodge.
Sunset as we drove into the ecoscience lodge
With all this travel, I am very excited to see what the future holds for the rest of my trip here!
-Milton
