Simon (7:27)

It's a gorgeous day. The sun beams bright in a cloudless sky, and you're seated beneath the shade of a massive tree. The warm sunshine is accompanied by a breeze, one that's cool and beautifully refreshing. It wafts through the leaves and branches of the tree, creating sounds like the music of wind chimes. The grass beneath you is as soft as a cushion. It's wonderfully spongy and smells divine jade in color. It sparkles like gemstones, especially beyond the tree, where it's exposed to sunlight. You can smell the perfume of the tree on the breeze. It's musky, earthy, rich and exotic. It blends with the scent of nearby water and the sounds of a lake lapping against the shore. Somehow you know that this is Africa, and specifically Tanzania, on the east of the continent. The thought is as clear as the surface of the water and as beautiful as the sunlight that flickers across the lake. You're mesmerized by the colors and patterns before you, the tiny waves and the ripples across the surface. Reeds sway gently at the edge of the lake, fluttering back and forth in the morning breeze. You gaze at the water from your spot beneath the tree, lounging happily against a grey rock. It's the comfiest backrest you've ever encountered. The stone seems to mold around your body. You suspect that the rock is in some way magic, because it's soft and warm, even in the shade. What's more, it feels as if it's somehow breathing. It rises and falls as if it were alive. Intrigued, you lean back, relaxing further, and let yourself be moved with the rhythm. As the stone rises, you're brought gently forwards, and as it falls, you're rocked backwards, slowly and smoothly. You're not sure how long you sit against the stone, relaxing in comfort beneath the shade of the tree, but you're soon stirred by the sound of yawning, and it appears to be coming from the side of the rock. You turn to examine the stone more closely, shuffling slightly on the grass. Not only is it breathing, but it appears to be moving. It looks like an animal waking up from a nap. You close your eyes and blink a few times, as if to test whether you're awake or dreaming. You can't quite believe what you're seeing. What you'd thought was a stone is the back of an elephant. The sleeping creature has been curled up like a cat, with the rest of its body hidden from view. Only now it turns, lifting up its trunk and revealing the small tusks of a growing elephant. It opens its mouth to yawn once again, lifting its trunk towards the canopy above. Then it curls it back around towards the top of its head and scratches across a tuft of bristles. There's something quite amusing about the way the elephant stirs. Bending and straightening both hind legs. Its head and trunk flop comically forwards in a movement that looks clumsy and charmingly awkward. The elephant stays there for a moment before wobbling to its feet, bending and straightening both front legs. Then it shakes its head and its massive grey ears, much like a dog might shake off the rain. Next, the elephant stumbles out of the shade, blinking a few times before opening its eyes. You follow it out into the sunshine, where its grey skin twinkles like silver. Its ears, you notice, are shaped like Africa on a map, which is how you can tell it's an African elephant. It looks to be around 7 or 8ft tall, a good bit shorter than a fully grown adult. This magnificent creature looks towards you and you'd swear that its lips are curled into a smile. Its expression is one of kindness and affection as it reaches out its trunk to shake your hand. You've never shaken the trunk of an elephant, but something about the experience feels a little familiar. As strange as it is, you know just what he'll say as he introduces himself as your tour guide, Tembo He's a young adult elephant, aged 10 years old, and he was born and raised in Eastern Africa. It would be his pleasure to to take you around his homeland to show you the sights of Tanzania. You'll travel east across the country towards Mount Kilimanjaro, the mountain known as the Roof of Africa. The route will show you the best of a country that's famed for its wildlife and natural landscape. Timbo is certain that you'll like the pool of hippos and the beautiful fauna in the volcanic crater. He also knows the best spots to sleep in on a journey that will take you all of three days. For whatever reason, you trust Tembo, and entirely. You've never felt as safe as you do beside him. It simply feels good to be in his presence, like being reunited with a dear old friend. You stroll beside the elephant as he walks towards the edge of the glistening lake. There's nothing so refreshing to a thirsty elephant as a few sips of fresh lake water. You stand beside Timba as he lowers his trunk beneath the surface and you drink. In the sense as the elephant drinks the water, it's incredibly fresh and cleansing to the senses. Once Tembo has fully quenched his thirst, he splashes his trunk on the surface of the lake. The mischievous elephant then curls his trunk towards you and sprays you with a mist of cool, fresh water. The playful animal laughs as he does so. It's a marvellous sound and wonderfully infectious. You can't help but laugh along at the creature's antics, especially as the water is so lovely and refreshing. Now that Tembo is fuelled up, he's ready to set off on a journey across the land. You take one last glance at the lake before the elephant turns in the opposite direction. You walk alongside Tembo, matching the pace of your stride with his. The ground molds around your feet and every footstep feels both soft and bouncy. A memory comes to mind of being with Tembo on the powdery white sands of Tanzania's coastline. You remember the elephant paddling through an ocean, though the memories are fuzzy, like something from a dream. Right now, you're a long way from the beach, but your surroundings here are just as tranquil. Instead of glittering sand, there are fields of golden corn and vast grassy plains that seem as endless as the ocean. Tembo is an excellent tour guide. He knows just when to speak and when to be quiet. Mostly, you stroll in comfortable silence as he gives you the space to study your surroundings. When he does speak, his voice is calm and reassuring, though he's clearly enthusiastic to tell you about his country. You can sense the love that Tembo has for his homeland. He explains that you're walking across a game reserve, a region where wild animals are protected. It's one of many such places throughout the country where creatures roam freely across the land. Tembo's own family live in a national park around the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Though they're often out trekking about the country in search of food or a new waterhole to drink from. Perhaps that's why elephants make such good guides, because they're so used to walking and exploring new places. Tembo seems familiar with every inch of countryside, each plain and grassy hillock and every tree, rock and puddle. He's particularly fond of this part of the country. At the southern edge of the famous Serengeti, the flat, low plains seem to go on forever and give unobstructed views of the wildlife. The animals you see now are a herd of wildebeest. They're dotted about the plains, munching happily on the grass. Their dark furry heads are large and box like and their ears point out sideways below two curved horns. The word wildebeest is Dutch for wild cattle. The animal's chestnut coloured body is stocky like a cow's. But wildebeest are technically antelope. The elephant plots a course through the middle of the grass, right through the place where the wildebeest are eating. Yet somehow the creatures pay him no attention. They move out of his way as if by magic. Even the creatures that have finished eating seem to look through the elephant. They're far too busy napping in the sunshine, enjoying a moment of respite on the grass. It's odd that the elephant doesn't attract more attention. Though he's only young, he's still enormous. You're beginning to think that he's somehow invisible until you hear his name from a voice among the herd. A majestic looking wildebeest is strolling towards you. He has a beard that seems both grey and golden. Tembo recognizes his friend Zawadi. The name means gift in Swahili. Zawadi says that he's very pleased to meet you. Any friend of Tembo's is a friend of the herd. The animals chat about all kinds of things, from the weather to the waterholes. It's clear that they have much in common, mainly their love of travel and adventure. Zawadi and his friends are from the Serengeti, but they migrate to different places throughout the year. Moving in numbers as large as millions. They seek out clean water and fresh, tasty grass. They'll probably stay here for another week or so before moving on in a northerly direction. The wildebeest are joined by other creatures too. You see this for yourself after leaving Zawadi, Tembo identifies an antelope called an elund. It's stocky like the wildebeest, but has a coat like golden sand. Its horn is spiraled, like you might imagine a unicorns to be. Though this creature has two horns. Alongside the eland, there are gazelle and impala. These smaller antelope are fast and look like deer. You don't need any help in identifying the zebra. With their black and white striped bodies, you'd spot them anywhere. All of these animals are scattered throughout the grass, eating, sleeping, sunbathing or sitting, their splashes of color against the green and yellow plains illuminated with with sunlight. Zawadi mentions seeing a guava fruit orchard right beside the pool where Tembo is going. The elephant responds with enthusiasm to the news, though if he is hungry, he's not hungry enough to rush. As you walk on, Tembo's pace is leisurely and his footsteps are gentle. His sound is that of a far lighter creature. The elephant seems content to plod along slowly, enjoying the views as much as the exercise. You lose track of time in such surroundings, passing more antelope and zebra than you're able to count. Though eventually the animals begin to thin in numbers and your view changes to green, empty fields. So much of your root looks the same as elsewhere. If it weren't for the occasional thicket of bushes, you might think that you'd been wandering across the same exact spot. Trees and bushes form natural markers alongside the odd hill or mound of rocks. Tembo says these are called Rock Copjas, formed 500 million years ago when a volcano erupted. The land was covered in ash and rock, which eroded over time, revealing granite below. The rocks form ancient islands among a sea of flat grassland in all kinds of unusual shapes and sizes. One large kopje catches your attention. Huge granite rocks are layered across a hill. Thick green bushes grow out from the bottom, while at the top, a lone tree emerges. A leopard lies across the stone, sound asleep. Below the canopy of the tree, one of its massive front paws hangs limp over the edge, while the other is bent for its head to rest on. Even in the shade, it's a striking animal, a big yellow cat with brown dots across its fur. This majestic creature looks relaxed and untroubled. He doesn't even flinch when you and Tembo pass by. You walk on and on, until it gets dark. At last, you settle down to sleep at a rock island. You sleep like a baby, leaning against Tembo. The elephant is so warm, he's like a blanket beside you. The next morning, after walking a little further, you come to the orchard mentioned by Zawadi. Tembo wanders beneath the canopy of a tree with pinkish green fruit dangling from its branches. The elephant is delighted because he adores fresh guava. Not only the fruit, but the leaves and tree bark. He doesn't seem fazed by the high up branches, which are mostly out of reach for the young elephant. This, you soon learn, is because he has a plan. He will shake the fruit right off the tree. He suggests that you raise your arms above your head and keep a lookout for falling guava. Next he moves forwards, pushing into the trunk, causing the tree to rock and wobble. The leaves rustle like a present being opened as a shower of guava falls to the ground. Tembo picks one up. Using his trunk like an arm. He brings it behind his head and drops the fruit in your hands. Then he turns his attention to the ground beneath the tree, bringing fruits to his mouth, one after another. The guava are the size of large green pears. They're pink inside, sweet and juicy. You take your time, savoring each mouthful. The elephant has cleared the ground by the time you've finished. The smell of the guava hangs in the air. It's sweet, musky, tropical and creamy. There's something else too, carried on the breeze. It's the scent of water from the nearby pool. That's where Tembo takes you now, just beyond the trees. The edges of the water are bordered with rocks and woodland. And there's sand in places like a beach. The elephant brings you to stand by the shoreline and you gaze out across the surface of the pool. The water is dotted with huge grey stepping stones, smooth and glossy where they reflect the sunlight. At least that's what you think you're looking at to begin with. Until a second glance proves otherwise. Some of these stones have little round ears. Others have nostrils breathing above the water. Tembo laughs, sensing your reaction. He confirms that this is the hippo pool he mentioned. You aren't the first to mistake these massive creatures for stepping stones laid out across the water. Tembo likes hippos best when they're sleeping. When they're awake, they're a little loud for his liking. He's happy to tell you all about these creatures in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb them. Unlike the wildebeest that move around the country. Hippos tend to stay around the same place, though they can walk up to six miles in a night. Despite their short, stubby legs and large bodies, most people assume that hippos are related to pigs, but actually their closest relatives are whales. Awake, they can hold their breath for up to five minutes. And they spend 16 hours a day resting and sleeping in the water. You can hear the admiration in Tembo's voice as he describes how their bodies bob up and down automatically. That's how the hippos are able to keep breathing when they're asleep in the water, they don't even stir as they continuously resurface. As he utters these words, you see movement in the water. A baby hippo lifts up its head. You think for a moment that it might be waking, but it lets out a yawn and returns underwater. Tembo takes this as his cue to leave. Places to go, people to see. He turns by the poolside and resumes his journey, trekking in what he says is a south easterly direction. For a while now, you walk on in silence, happy to take in the views around you. You pass more flat plains, more trees and forests, and more rock copiers dotted around the land. The Tanzanian air is fresh and lovely. You can still smell the fragrance of sweet, ripe guava. It hangs on the elephant too, as if he'd sprayed it like a perfume. Tembo's footsteps are slow and steady and hushed slightly on the sandy pathways. They echo quietly above the sound of the breeze that whistles through the grass. You also hear the songs of many birds, cooing, chirping and tweeting. No two voices ever sound quite the same. Some are deep and booming, while others are high pitched and twinkly. The red eyed dove looks a little like a pigeon, but its gentle cooing reminds you of an owl, a colorful little bird called a white fronted bee, and a high pitched squeak which reminds you of a mouse. Most of the birds that you hear along the way are hidden from sight or far in the distance. Their gorgeous voices echo across the land from bushes, branches and the tops of the kopje. When you do occasionally see a bird close up, you're amazed by the colors and details. The golden breasted starling is mostly teal and purple, though its chest is as yellow as the fruit of a mango. Its two tone plumage has a metallic sheen, so its colours look different depending on the light. You've never seen a bird with feathers quite like it. It's as if the creature were made of silk. The yellow billed hornbill is admittedly less glamorous. It has a snow white chest with black and white wings. Its hooked beak is like a down curved banana, yellow and striking. The large bird reminds you of a turkey and it makes a clucking noise. It sounds like it's laughing. You watch the hornbill as it clucks from a tree branch bent over slightly, as if it can't contain its laughter. It's a sound that stays with you once the bird has long gone and you've travelled past hills and across plains and valleys. You feel your guide's pace slowing as you approach your destination. It's a place called Ngorongoro. Tembo explains that it's a conservation area where animals are safe and protected. They live on the site of a crater or caldera, the remains of a volcano which are 2 million years old. The crater looks like a bowl in the earth with a base of bright green grass. The land around the site is very rich and fertile as the nutrients in the soil produce vibrant colors. Just as eye catching are the animals on the lake. You see zebra rhinos and pink flamingos. The birds are grouped in a pool of shallow water in a lake formed within the basin. As he guides you down the slope of the crater, Tembo explains that the water is very salty. Eventually, you're standing at the base of the bowl at the side of the lake where the flamingos have gathered. Most are standing on long spindly legs with their fluffy pink bodies out of the water. A few can be seen swimming on the lake in patches where the water is deep enough to do so. They glide with the elegance and style of swans, like the migrating herd of wildebeest. There are too many flamingos to count. For all you know, there could be hundreds or even thousands. The reflection in the lake mirrors the flamingos and doubles their numbers. You study these birds as you might a piece of artwork, taking in the hues and details until your interest is piqued by the hum of an engine and the sight of a vehicle passing by. At the top of the crater, the woman driving wears a sand coloured uniform. She stops the car and calls out in greeting. The elephant explains that she's a tour guide named Anissa and another one of his many friends. It looks to you as if she's currently working. Tourists gape awestruck from the back of her car, admiring the flamingos. Tembo uses his trunk like an arm, waving in greeting to Anessa in the Jeep. The people on her tour pause for a minute to take A few pictures of the birds before Anessa drives on, continuing their safari. The crater is your second to last stop. You're still some distance from your final destination, and it's a few more hours before you and the elephant find a spot to rest. But when you do, your second night is spent on a lush, grassy hillock. Leaning once again beside the sleeping elephant, the animal makes for a warm and cozy pillow. Perhaps it's because of this that your nights are so untroubled. You sleep right through without waking even once. The nighttime in Tanzania is so blissful and peaceful. There's a deeper kind of quiet out here in nature. Both you and the elephant wake up refreshed and eager to reach your final destination. It's late afternoon by the time you get there. The famous hot springs of Kikuletwa. The springs remind you of an oasis in a desert so colorful and beautiful that they seem like a mirage on a patch of arid land. The waters are striking. You see a pool of turquoise surrounded by jungle. The springs are near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Its peak is nearly 6,000 meters above sea level, and you can see the snow glistening at the top. Tembo's family live just nearby, in the national park at the base of the mountain. For them, looking at a horizon dominated by the mountain is as natural as eating or breathing. The mountain, known as the roof of Africa, is mostly obscured once you're swimming through the warm turquoise water. The spring is hidden behind the leaves of overhanging palms and the many other trees that grow around the edges. The heated water springs naturally from the ground, and you feel as though you're floating in a bathtub. The water is so clear, and the warmth is very soothing. If it weren't for the sight of Kilimanjaro through the treeline, you might easily forget that you were here in Tanzania. As he rests by the side of the pool, Tembo explains that you must be very lucky. Usually the spring is full of locals and tourists, but somehow the pair of you have the whole place to yourselves. You thank the elephant for a wonderful trip. He says you're always welcome. Then he brings up his trunk and pats your head with the affection of an old friend. Comfortable as can be, you close your eyes briefly and float happily in the water. You can feel your muscles relaxing. Your mind becomes clearer as your breath grows deeper. You can smell the scent of fresh spring water, not unlike the lake where your journey began. You smile at the memory of resting below a tree when you mistook your elephant guide for a comfortable backrest. It would be easy to imagine yourself back there right now, as you float in warm water beneath the shade of many trees. You're rocked back and forth as you were by Tembo's breathing, bobbing gently in the water. Your own breaths are very calm. The sound is soothing above the lapping of the water. Somehow you can sense the fragrance of guava, a musky perfume, sweet and otherworldly. You breathe in these scents as you float, surrendering to rest and relaxation. Sam.