Welcome everyone to Gene’s blog! I will be sharing with you my travel experiences and answer a common question: Where in the World is Gene?
Well, the answer this week was Tanzania! The group and I were on safari in the Serengeti, and also enjoyed the archipelago of Zanzibar. People often ask me: “What is your favorite trip?” Of course this is a difficult question to answer because our world is such an amazing place, but my response is always the same - the countries of Tanzania and Kenya.
Tanzania and Kenya share the Serengeti (translated as “endless plain”), which is home to millions of animals who exemplify the full breadth of the animal kingdom. From the size and might of an elephant to the gentle poise of a tortoise, the height of a giraffe to the girth of a hippo, the speed of a cheetah to the power of a lion, the spots on a leopard to the markings on a gazelle, the rich blue and pink on a lilac breasted roller to the golden crown and blue eyes of an African crane… There is nothing like seeing these incredible animals in their natural surroundings! The photos that I have shared in this post display just a fraction of what I we see on safari.
In addition to the animals, are the varied landscapes filled with a wide variety of trees and plants. The baobab tree is magical and looks like a wooden cottage for elves, the chandelier tree has branches pointing upward like a chandelier, and of course the sausage tree which has long pods hanging down that look like they should be at a tailgate - although that’s not such a good idea.
More impressive perhaps than the flora and fauna are the people of Tanzania and Zanzibar who I met over the course of this trip and previous trips here that I have taken. The unmatched hospitality and positive, enthusiastic outlook on life displayed by so many of my new friends are a refreshing reminder of the important things in life. I’m reminded of a quote by French philosopher Emil Coue, a pioneer in the power of positive thinking, who said “Every day in every way, I am getting better and better”. I challenge you to say the quote twice a day and see if it affects how you think and what you do.
Growing up in a large family in Beloit, WI, I never imagined that I would ever see the African animals found in children’s books, but I am happy to say I was wrong. My trips to Africa have in many ways been life-altering!
