Hello Mr. Zebra

If my location for my current work project isn't a giveaway by the pictures I am posting today, let me mention that the blog application words have turned into Swahili and so I am going off memory as to which link does what.

I felt dang lucky to be able to go to Africa the first time, being able to return a few years later seems unreal.  This time I am in Tanzania with a professor and a couple of students from Southern Utah University capturing the experience a student can have in their upcoming foreign exchange program in construction management.

Today we went to Mikumi National Park for a safari.  It was amazing to see lions hanging out with impala and crocodiles slyly peeking their eyes out of a pool full of hippos.  Apparently not everyone is trying to eat each other in the jungle as the nature channel would have me believe.  We saw giraffes, lions, zebra, baboons, water buffalo, wildebeest, elephants, hippos, a cool blue tongued lizard, and some sort of fox/dog - all in the same park!  By far the herd of 25-30 giraffe were the coolest.  The above picture is real, I did not copy and paste the giraffes.

We took a walk around town, getting a feel for city life.  Most people tried to speak to us in Swahili, although we got a few "how are you's?"  I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked since they all kept eyeing my camera like, "what is she going to do with that?"  Apparently they expect money when you take their picture.  I didn't have small change and I'm also kind of cheap, thus a shortage of cool pictures.

The students I'm with were a bit disappointed that they couldn't find any souvenir type items - just cheap watches and fresh vegetables.  In the morning the people walk down the street in front of our hotel, carrying stacks of bananas on their heads from the farm up the street.  Hopefully we can get a picture of two with them.  I'll pay for that.