A day after the big and arduous week on Kilimanjaro, nobody in our team had the slightest trouble rallying for the Safari departure this morning. We were driving westward just before 8 AM in two souped up and modified Toyota Landcruisers. Rush hour traffic on the outskirts of Arusha fascinated us, but we were plenty happy to leave it behind and break into open country for a couple of hours. Lake Manyara National Park was today's destination. At first, we stopped for every velvet monkey and baboon, but we gradually grew more demanding and Manyara kept delivering. We were in game viewing heaven by midday with Cape Buffalo, hippos, thousands of storks and pelicans, zebras, warthogs and wildebeest roaming the lake's edge. The forest elephants we saw up close and personal delighted us to no end. In late afternoon, just when eyelids were beginning to droop and the cruisers were pointed toward the park exit... we had an impromptu and unexpected encounter with a leopard. Our eyes widened, his/her eyes widened, our cameras clicked and the beautiful cat came toward us and crossed the road in full view for just a magical moment. The big kitty melted into the brush and we went on our way... amazed at our good fortune. We drove up the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley (which we learned runs 10,000 kilometers from Jordan to Mozambique) and found our way to the Plantation Lodge. The perfectly tended gardens, luxurious accommodations, and welcoming staff caused more than one Taoseño to contemplate staying indefinitely in East Africa. We'll tear ourselves away for a day in Ngorongoro Crater tomorrow though... luxury can wait. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn