Serengeti Safari

Back during the break in April, I went on an incredible Safari in Tanzania with Ellen.  We went to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire National Park.  

At the time I had a million things to tell you about it but then I came home and the frenetic pace of life at Agahozo took back over. I saw many amazing animals and the scenery was breathtaking.  Highlights included: seeing 5 lioness go on a hunt, watching graceful giraffes graze on tree tops,  watching hippos graze out of the water like cows, and watching baboons play on a river bank.  (Arusha is nothing special, but it was even kind of fun to learn that.)

Like with the gorillas trip,  I took just a few crummy photos with my iPhone. At some point I'll link to Ellen's photos with the nice camera and you can get a better sense of what I saw. 

Still even from these you get the idea:

Our guide and our rover 

 Awesome fancy camping lodge just outside of the Serengeti

 Ellen snapping some 'Phants

 Baboons were super fun to watch play.

About a zillion impalas

 The mannequins in Arusha emphasize different features than you might expect.

Here's the rest of the pics.
And even more good pics from Ellen:
https://picasaweb.google.com/mellengilman/201304AfricaCourtney03?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHcjcO10ZaRbQ&feat=email#

I had a lot of fun, though four days in a safari rover is definitely enough.

A few more of my faves:

(Thanks Ellen!)

Out of Africa

Back in December, I was in the Pilanesberg National Park, in South Africa. You might recall me blogging about my Elephant Safari. Well, part of the Elephant Safari is that they take a video of you so that you can show your mom when you get home. It is a full service deal.

The original is two hours long. Lucky for you, I work with this very friendly and extroverted fellow from Accenture's Sydney office named Alex. Alex is learning to use his new video editing software and was able to cut this down to 6 much more bearable minutes. Alex gets director and producer credits on the video above.

In other news, this week I worked a lot and went to Team Box training. The Team Box nationals squad for 2008 has been announced and I am on it. I am super psyched to be on the team again this year. The team is top notch and we should be a force.

Saturday night I went to a party at Mama's house, dressed at outer space.

Also, Jesse sent me season four of The Wire, (the best show ever made) so I am watching that compulsively. I wasn't sure I would even like this season with Stringer dead and Avon gone, but I never should have doubted David Simon. As long as Omar is in, I'm in.

Also in the mail bag was a postcard from Mara (hi Mara!) from Spokane an a save-the-date for Jen and Chip's wedding where I'll be a bride's maid.

I'm 5 weeks from regionals in Adelaide with Team Box and 6 weeks from going to Italy.

eeeee!