Had to be up very early to catch the taxi to the airport. Good flight - The dawn was spectacular and Mt Kilamanjaro was very impressive sticking out of the clouds - I would love to see it on a clear day! Split a taxi into Arusha with some engineers (US$50 to Arusha!). In Arusha called the safari company from the engineer's hotel and they said they'd be by to pick me up in five minutes. ten minutes later they called back to ask what I was doing there. I said I was there for today's safari - they said they didn't have room for me, that I wasn't on the list. They said to hang on and called back in another ten minutes - said I could go tomorrow - I refused, and was very pissed off after having gone to all the trouble to catch a plane so that I could make it on time. Took a taxi down to the conference center where all the safari companies have offices and told them off in person.
Started looking around the center and found a company that had a safari leaving today that I could get on. Actually the safari had already left to pick up people but they drove me down to the travel agent where I bought a ticket to Zanzibar directly from Arusha (so I could have an extra day on safari) and then got picked up by the Land Rover. When I'd asked about the others on the trip the director had told me that they were from Nairobi. When the truck picked me up there were two black women already on it, which fit, but when one of them asked me where I was from it was definitely not an Kenyan accent! They were both Americans - Lois a retired psychologist from Pittsburgh on a three month trip around the world (63 and carying a backpack!), and Aretha a young lawyer from Philadehia. It turns out that they'd been on safari in Kenya with the same company and had aranged the this trip through the Nairobi office - hence the report that they were from Kenya.
The drive to Lake Manyara was good - it was really surreal seeing all the Masaai people in traditional garb on the street and even riding bicycles with spears and all. The Lake Manyara park was ok, but I didn't see anything really exciting. We're staying at a lodge tonight - I thought I was camping so this was a pleasant surprise since it's already been paid for. Terry an Australian guy met me us here to join the safari. Had a great diner then went off early to bed - it's been a very long day.
[Original entry lost - Reconstructed from notes May 2, 2000]
