Sunday, March 1, 2015

Little T's first post

By: Joi and Little T

We are all finally recovered! No one in our little group was spared the illness that is sweeping through the village but thankfully it is now in the past (for us at least–it continues in the village). Some of us may have even enjoyed the benefit of a bit of weight loss. Once recovered, the kids were noticeably happier and much easier to be around!

Our safari (game drive) with Grandma and Grandaddy was delayed two times due to all the sickness but finally last week we were able to set off for the Serengeti! All in all it was the best show of animals we have ever seen. We were able to see all the big five as well as countless other species.

Little T took an interest in writing his “Life Story” this week and incidentally it began with our Safari. He has been dictating to me chapter after chapter. I will include below the first 2 chapters to give you an idea of how things went on Safari. As a disclaimer, I did not edit or influence it in anyway. My personal comments are <indicated thusly>. I think for 7 he's a pretty good storyteller!

Title: An Adventurous Boys Life
Chapter 1: The Safari

Our tale begins early Saturday morning with pumpkin pancakes. W. poured a little too much syrup but the good news is she ate all of it. Mom and Dad had coffee. We loaded up the landcruiser around 730am. After 4 hours we arrived at the gates of the Serengeti. While we waited <for the entry fee paperwork to be processed> I drank a little bit too much orange fanta soda. As we drove away we saw some antelope. One had big horns and another leaped high over a big bush. Later we saw some ostriches: 2 males and 2 females.


Then we crossed a river and saw some crocodiles. Then we pulled up to a picnic spot where I saw a mommy monkey with a baby on her belly. Later we drove away from the picnic spot and down the road again.

Then we drove down the road and I saw a baboon.

Suddenly we drove on to two tracks which led us to a big pond where there was a bunch of hippos. One yawned and I saw his giant teeth. It was funny. Daddy saw a big old crocodile but it turned the corner before I could see it. Daddy saw it but I didn’t.

After that we drove over a big bump and W. almost fell off the roof. Daddy said “Get down from there, I don’t want you to be eaten by a crocodile” and W. said “It wouldn’t hurt!”


Then we crossed the river again and I was looking for crocodile but all I saw was some hippopotami farther down the river. We got back on the big road and we saw some more antelope. I was feeling hungry the whole time. I was getting impatient to see a lion or elephant. I just couldn’t wait to get to the campsite. But I couldn’t do anything about it so I just sat there.

Then as we drove down the road W. jumped up and said something about animals.

I thought she said there were more animals so I ran across the car really fast but it was just W. saying “I’ll get up when I see more animals.”

We saw some dik diks, which are tiny little antelope. When they are born they are only a couple inches long. We also saw a whole bunch of zebras, more than I could count.


Some warthogs were running behind them and just like a warthog I made a little tunnel behind the seat to sit in when the car goes fast. There was then a secretary bird catching bugs. We saw several elephants.

Then we came across some elephants which grandaddy saw, then me. The first person to see an elephant wins. Grandaddy won.


Then the driver picked an acacia tree branch and passed it back. Then we threw it out because the thorns were so long and sharp. There were so many acacia trees that I couldn’t count them.

Down the road we saw some giraffes. They stared right at me and then we saw some jackals. We moved down the road a little and saw some baboons really close up. I just can’t wait to get to the camp site. Me and my dad spotted a whole huge herd of antelope.


Chapter 2: The Camp


The moment I had been waiting for. We got to the camp! I ran around the camp a lot. I ran around so much that I asked for some tuna. Of course my dad gave it to me but I accidentally ran my head into his head and he yelled at me for that. Then I told him I was sorry and he forgave me. After that my mom and sister walked into the kitchen house and they saw someone making fish kabobs, chapatis and spaghetti. When they came out I found them in the tent. My sister was laying down under the covers and my mom was sitting on the mattress.



Now it was time to eat dinner. <By this time we had been riding in the truck for about 10 hours and we were very tired. It was close to 8pm> Psalter made a lot of noise because he was so tired. Then we went to bed. Wren fell asleep at the dinner table and dad carried her to the tent. Wren woke up in the night and had to use the bathroom but Daddy wouldn’t let her leave the tent because he could hear some animals very close to our tent. He looked out the opening of the tent and saw right in front of him some big hyenas. Wren was scared but Dad told her they were just dogs and that her big brother would protect her. <Mom was scared too. They were really close to our tent and our tent zipper was broken! There was nothing to stop them from coming in!!> Then dad heard something like plastic dragging on gravel. We finally all fell back asleep.

In the morning we were in for a BIG surprise. I was the first one up before sunrise. Dad and I discovered our cooler was GONE! But where did it go?? And daddy said that the hyenas MUST have dragged it somewhere. Mom had latched it closed so Daddy knew they couldn’t get it open and they probably gave up on it. We searched and searched and finally found it with teeth marks on it far away from our tent way out in the bush!

We had hot chocolate and went on a surnise game drive. We drove along and saw a bunch of elephants. Nancy and I spotted a TINY little baby who was shorter than the grass! After that we drove in a big circle and passed a huge leopard in a tree. She had made a kill and dragged half an antelope up into the tree and it was hanging on a branch next to her as she rested. Then she woke up! She climbed over to the antelope and started eating him! Then we left and drove back to the camp for breakfast.


For breakfast we ate crepes, chili, sausages, toast, pineapple, watermelon, mango, fruit juices, hot chocolate, coffee, tea, hard boiled eggs and french fries! it was a ton of food.


We packed up all the tents and sleeping bags and headed out of the park. As we passed a big pile of rocks we spotted a pride of lions. There were six! Five female and one male! That’s what I call a whole pride of lions! <<This concludes chapter 2, stay tuned for chapter 3.>>



We were able to bring two of the girls from the children's home along with us as a treat to them. They have lived all their lives in Tanzania (only a few miles from the Serengeti) and never had a chance to go into the park!

6 comments:

  1. this is jacks cousin simon.i would really like to read the next chapter.i really liked how i could see the lion in the tree,i wish i cold see that!

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  2. Jack can't wait to read it too! Hope all is going well...we can't wait to hear about all your adventures in person. Press on!

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  3. "I ran around so much that I asked for some tuna." Haha! Thanks for sharing your stories, little T. I'm glad you were able to find the cooler the hyenas tried to steal!

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