Thursday: The Long, Hot Day

The trip to Dar always begins early in the morning and ends hot and sweaty in Dar Es Salaam. In between, you get to see beautiful scenery, heartbreaking scenery, and always something new. The ride back is always hot as the sun is shining right into the front windshield all the way.

We have found a new stopping place for breakfast - the Mikumi National Park restaurant. There is a watering hole right at the restaurant. This time a bull elephant came and entertained us. Unfortunately, I left my camera in the car and did not get the pictures from Adrian or Sorin. Both of them thoroughly enjoyed the close-up of the elephant. They also got to see cape buffalo.

We hurried after breakfast to get into Dar before the rush hour. We made it. No electricity at the hotel, but they did have water for a shower (a cool shower was appreciated after the long hot ride.)

We enjoyed a great night of sleep. Going to bed early in order to leave for the airport at 2:30 a.m. for a 5 a.m. flight to Nairobi. Just a note, we stayed at the Namnani Hotel in Sinza in Dar Es Salaam. The hotel was a welcomed place to rest. Excellent service, great mattress, hot shower, fairly quiet, and AC with a ceiling fan. This is not a mzungu hotel, but one I enjoy staying in.

Woke up early on Friday morning and headed for the hotel. No problems traveling to Nairobi. Said good-bye to Adrian and Sorin. I enjoyed being with them so much. Most of all, I can see their passion and commitment to serve the orphans and vulnerable children of Kenya and Tanzania.