Planes should have horns!

As I peered through the cockpit window, it became apparent that this was going to be an interesting landing...if we landed at all.

I left Dar early this morning and started a hopscotch flight across Tanzania – from the metropolis of the largest city over the coastal islands of the Indian Ocean, past Africa’s tallest mountain peak and eventually arriving at my destination...my dream destination really – the plains of the Serengeti.

My last minute decision was really spurred on by one of my roommates, Starr* – who had been to the Masai Mara and really, really wanted to see the other half. So despite the short time frame and absurd cost, we booked a last minute, luxury fly-in safari.

Until this point our flights had been quite smooth and the decent weather gave us a chance to see aerial East Africa – the lakes, mountains, craters and planes. We saw the tin roof homes that surround the airports in tiny towns and the Boma encampments established by the nomadic Masai tribes. And our early descent gave us a chance to see elephants roaming, buffalo grazing and the start of the “great migration”.

All was going smoothly until I noticed that the very distinctive gravel airstrip was covered in some very distinctive large grey objects. Elephants. Not a few...many, many huge African pachyderms – any of which that would bring our plane to a rather uncomfortable halt.

I have flown hundreds of times – in a variety of aircraft but not until that moment did I ever wonder if planes were equipped with horns. Turns out...they are not. As I wondered if an elephant versus plane would make international news...the behemoth beasts scattered off the landing strip and we touched down safely.

I stepped off the plane and into a field full of elephants, ostrich and a few giraffes...and outside of my actual home land...this feels like home...I cannot seem to wipe the smile from my face.

It’s going to be a good few days.

**She is, as my sister describes, a friend of circumstance. Someone far too cool to hang out with me in normal life – the daughter of a professional athlete...could have been pro herself but she decided to become a doctor instead. The people I pay to go and watch play, she dates. Vijay and I joke that knowing her is a close as we’ll ever get to Beyonce...something she hasn’t denied. But I realized after spending some time with her...she’s actually not that cool – she doesn’t even know any Bon Jovi songs.