“We are going to the Country of Children, Charlie,” Mrs. Tucker said with a smile as she embraced her son.
“What do you mean, mom, by a Country of Children?” Charlie questioned while looking up at her with a puzzled expression.
“Almost 50% of Tanzania’s population is made up of children, so it is really a country of children,” she answered.
“Wow, maybe I’ll make lots of new friends then,” he said with a lively voice.
Charlie continued, “I’ve learned a lot from this world trip so far, mom; I’ve learned how different people are, but how similar they are as well,” Charlie said, becoming quiet in contemplation.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it, how big our world is, and how different people’s lives can be, yet how little gestures can suggest warmth and welcoming,” Mr. Tucker added.
“I have heard so many different languages, pops, and tasted really different foods, but all people seem to share what we share–a need to be appreciated and loved,” Charlie replied.
“You are wise, my little man,” Mrs. Tucker said, as the plane began its descent to Tanzania.
Where is Tanzania located, dad?” Charlie asked, curiously watching the blue sky disappear as the plane descended through the fluffy white clouds that now appeared to surround them.
“Tanzania is in Africa, the eastern part of Southern Africa to be more specific, where zebras and lions roam the countryside and birds of all colours grace the sunrises with their colourful wings and unique tunes. We are going to go to the Ngorongoro Crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We’ll be staying for an evening right on the crater’s edge, Charlie, at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge,” Charlie’s dad replied.
Just as they were landing, Mrs. Tucker clarified, “We are going to be taking another flight. This one’s going to be a short flight from Arusha Airport, and then we will arrive at the Lodge within a couple of hours after a little bit of a drive.”
“No kidding, that’ll be quite the rest of our day mom and dad!” Charlie exclaimed, trying to imagine falling asleep on the edge of a crater.
“The beauty of Africa with its wildlife and all the unique animals will certainly amaze you,” Mrs. Tucker said, as she stepped out into the blazing hot, dry air from the cool plane, and started to walk over to where they would wait for their next short plane ride. Thankfully, they did not have long to wait and were soon airborne again.
Now in the small plane, with the engine straining and propelling them closer to the horizon and their destination, Charlie pointed at some brightly colored birds a couple of hundred meters below them, “Look, real pink birds with long skinny legs, and so many of them,” Charlie said with great surprise.
“Those are real pink flamingos,” the pilot said, as he banked the plane gently around so he could circle the Magadi Lake’s perimeter for Charlie and his family. The sight of thousands of pink flamingos seemed to create a ribbon of pink around one corner of the lake.
“Wow, thank you for letting us have a closer look. Those birds are so colourful. Back home, people used to take fake pink flamingos and stick them on a person’s front lawn as a gift, but real flamingos, wow,” Mrs. Tucker said, still looking down at the groupings of pink birds.
“Yeah, they are the swans of Africa,” Charlie replied with his nose pushed up against the plane’s small window.
Once they landed softly on the dusty runway, they graciously thanked the kind pilot for his special tour of the lake region, and then they all waved good-bye.
Not surprisingly, the Tuckers instantly found themselves immersed in the heat of Africa. The sun had danced its way well past its highest point of the day, yet still the immense heat radiated on. As they slowly walked to the dark green car where their driver awaited them, Mrs. Tucker stopped and took in a deep breath of the hot, dry air and smiled, “Here at last,” she said softly to herself, gazing around her contentedly before joining the others in the vehicle.
The scenic drive was one to remember, and went by very quickly due to the majestic scenery they passed and the animals they glimpsed.
After a full day of travelling, the Tuckers were admittedly tired. Arriving just as the sun was setting, they found the lodge to be beautiful and serene. The spectacular scenery and the soft bird sounds were heavenly.
“Are those really zebras over there on the hill, mom?” Charlie asked with a look of awe on his small face.
“My goodness, yes, they are, Charlie,” Mrs. Tucker said, tapping her husband’s shoulder as he was trying to carry too many pieces of luggage to the lodge door all at once.
“Look,” Mrs. Tucker said with a dazzling smile, nodding in the direction of the striped creatures.
“Yes, oh, wow, zebras,” Mr. Tucker replied, as he gently placed the luggage bags down to enjoy this special moment with his family.
With a delicious dinner and a good solid sleep, the Tuckers were ready to take on their next adventuresome day in Africa. Who knew what a-waited them this morning, in such a large, ancient African crater—anything was possible!
It was a bit cooler in the morning time, yet compared to Canadian standards, it still was very hot.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, and hello, Charlie. I’m Noel, and I’m going to be your safari guide today. We are going to see a whole assortment of different, exciting things. As we’ve got a youngster here on board our truck today, we might skirt a few of the events that happen here in the crater, but nonetheless, there’s still so much to see,” he said with a smile that was so darn friendly.
As the Tuckers settled into their deep bucket seats in the truck, Noel continued, “The road can be a bit bumpy at times, so please don’t hesitate to hang onto the padded bars behind the seats, or on the dash for you, Mr. Tucker. Please don’t get out of the truck when we stop, as we need not have any concerning moments,” he said, as he winked at Charlie’s parents.
“Yes, we won’t be getting out, thank you,” Mrs. Tucker agreed, and so the safari adventure began.
“Check that out, over to your right you’re going to see about twenty hyenas relaxing on the soft African grasses, and if you look up and to the left about 400 or so yards, you’ll see a lone elephant. It must be a male elephant, as female elephants normally stay in groups. It must be a male looking for a new girlfriend,” Noel said, as he drove closer to take a look.
“Yep, it’s a male,” he confirmed.
“Why are the hyenas making all of those scary noises back there, Noel?” Charlie asked, feeling a bit concerned and shifting in his seat in an effort to see what was occurring behind him. He could feel each little hair on the back of his neck jump up on end.
“The hyenas are probably going to go on a hunt, or maybe they are playing. You are safe in here,” Noel replied.
“Ha, they make quite the loud noises, don’t they, Charlie?” Mr. Tucker responded.
“Yeah, they sound scary,” Charlie replied, his voice a little louder than usual.
“Check out the wildebeests on the left up by the lake. They must be having their morning drink. Look at how a couple of the older wildebeests keep watch for any trouble that may come their way,” Noel said, as he stopped the vehicle for the Tuckers to take some photos.
“They sure are beautiful, and look at their huge, sharp horns. They also are a bit striped,” Mrs. Tucker observed as she zoomed in on the creatures with her camera.
“They feed off short grasses, which a lot of the other animals in our crater don’t really, so it gives them a good advantage. Their eyesight is not so great, but they sure can smell trouble, though,” Noel emphasized.
The rest of the day was filled with amazing sights and sounds. Some of the sounds were pleasant, but there were others that made Charlie want to shrink down below the window. The Tuckers even watched baboons playing in the African trees and spotted other notable African animals as well. Everyone saw the pink flamingos up close and admired them.
Charlie was sure to tell all of his friends about the flamingos, which for the rest of the trip with his parents he would refer to the as the pink swans of Africa.