We woke up with the sun today to get an early start on our 10-hour journey to Iringa, Tanzania.
Our hotel sent us off from Dar Es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, with a delicious breakfast and high spirits. The long trip didn't deteriorate our enthusiasm, as we enjoyed new experiences along the way.
First, the landscape transformed from flat and urban to mountainous and rural. It was eye opening to see the dramatic change in culture over one day of travel.
Second, the scenic view was mesmerizing as we tried to capture as much of the mountains in our camera lenses as possible.
Third, the Tanzanian wildlife greeted us as we entered Mikumi National Park. We saw impalas, zebras, giraffes, elephants, kudu, baboons, wildebeests, warthogs, and cape buffalo. It was a sample of the wildlife we'll see in greater detail during our safari later in the trip.
Apart from the exciting experiences outside of the bus, the activities inside the bus were just as fun. Games, stories, laughs, snacks, and snores were shared among the travel crew to help pass the remainder of the trip. Professor Strykowski also managed to complete a very engaging fluid mechanics lecture on the bumpy, mountainous road.
Ten hours later, the bus arrived in Iringa, and we were greeted by our gracious hosts at the Bega Kwa Bega Lutheran Center. Over dinner, we met our Iringa-based partners in Saint Paul Partners, the organization connecting us to the villages that we will be visiting at the end of the week.
We look forward to our adventures in Iringa, Tanzania!
