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Mud-caked rinos in Ngorongoro Cra-
ter; snoozing baby hippo lakeside in
Ngorongoro; rampaging wildebeests in the
Serengeti.

tional Park discussing the future of Tanzania and his future in Our final safari day ended when Baraka drove us to a small
it. We advise him to forget the onions, (“vitunguu” in Swahili). airstrip somewhere in the Serengeti, where we were to catch
What about spices? Exporting herbs? A line of spice-based an eight-seat prop job for a flight to Dar es Salaam. (Life in the
cosmetics? African bush: prior to the landing rangers checked the runway
for wildebeests.)
We loved his enthusiasm. He once ended a mini lecture
involving elephants, acacia tree bark, bug larva and wood- It was time to say goodbye. But before we did we needed one
peckers with words that might have been his personal slogan: last Swahili lesson. “Baraka,” John asked, “how do you say
“Nature is so amazing.”” ‘friend’?’”

And one afternoon, after sighting zebras, zebras and more “Rafiki,” he answered.
zebras (“punda wengi”) in Tarangire National Park we stopped
to lunch by a river. Not 50 yards away from us were yet ad- “OK, then. Kwaheri rafiki!” And we ran off to catch the flight.
ditional zebras. “I never get tired of the animals,” he said to us
over sandwiches. “Every day it looks like new to me.” Love,
John and Jody

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