The town of Arusha in Tanzania is the staging area for safaris. "Going on safari" is much more than getting into a vehicle to watch animals. It is an anthropological exploration that re-immerses you into a natural and human world now practically depleted and effectively exhausted in the West. In its place we now have sarcasm, cynicism, mental-rational game playing with a distinct lack of heart and soul, and a near extinction of magic and mythic sensibilities. Get out of that rut! Discover Arusha; its mixed undercurrent; an EastSide-flavored Wild West outpost for disaffected expats, for touristic gawk-a-longs, of locals and vocal yocals, do-gooders and hawkers, vendo-strivers and slackers, safari-questers - a cacophony of hope-enmeshed dream wonks situated on frontier edginess, in love's intra-space yet tinged by secrets and longings. Arusha National Park is right here, in the shadow of Mt. Meru. Then go west to explore Tanzania's national parks: e.g., the Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro crater; visit the bushmen, the Maasai and the Iraqw tribes in situ. Take a few days to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. See how Africans live and how they see the world. You'll find a warm and welcoming people and re-discover what it means to be a real human being (at least I did, which prompted me to write this book). A friend passed on his network of friends - faithful safari guides with whom he had worked for many, many years. Gideon and Emmanuel of HM Safaris are older and wiser and more experienced than most of the other safari guides. "Rough it" in a tent camp lodge or stay in 5-star safari lodges between meanderings through the greatest animal reserves on the planet. You can't help but pick up on the Mama Africa magic vibe. And end your adventures on a sunny beach in Zanzibar; visit its spice farms, discover Stone Town, and snorkel over multitudes of starfish. Even visit Kenya and swim with the dolphins if you wish. It's all here. Throw together some friends and make it happen. I guarantee you'll be in good hands and you'll have a blast! Dig out the nitty-gritty in Forever Safari: Honoring an Africa Legacy. Uncovered in this seven-week saga of explorations into East Africa, is a mutuality of destiny, of dreams that triumph over distinctions designed to separate us. The special legacy offered up here is but one of many. Forge your own story in the magisterial mystery of an incredibly vast continent.
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