Hello from the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, yet another place I do not deserve to stay. My time is short, but it was a shock to find internet here anyways, so what the hell. So far we have spent a night in Nairobi, one in Arusha, 2 nights sleeping in the coolest treeforts ever in Tarangire National Park, and the last 2 at Ngorongoro Crater. It has been a bit of a shock getting used to things here, and especially since I thought I had prepared myself for African culture when I watched "The Air Up There" with Kevin Bacon ebfore I came.

We arrived in Tarangire on a small landing strip that can only be described as the middle of fuckin nowhere. In fact, the noise from our airplane scared the zebras into moving off the runway. We were met by our guide Moses, who immediately liked me because his English teacher's name was Duncan, and I immediately liked him because he said he was from the Aeraqw tribe, but was not friendly with Saddam. We then went on a safari for the day, as we have been doing the past 4 days, and it was absolutely mind-blowing. When you first see something, you lose your shit. SWEET JESUS THAT IS AN ELEPHANT, MY GOD THE ELEPHANT IS NEAR ME. As things settle down, you're still excited, and then, SWEET GOD THE ELEPHANT IS DRINKING WATER!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? WATER!

I could only imagine the stuff we've seen before I came. Elephants, zebra, warthogs, lions, rhinos, cheetahs, and the list goes on and on. Let me tell you, Dumbo, Chester and Simba sure as shit didn't prepare me for being 5 feet from elephants, cheetahs and lions. Ngorongoro Crater is especially amazing. In our two days here we have seen a lion eat a wildebeest from maybe 8 metres away tops, a cheetah chase down and kill a gazelle, a male lion doing it like they do on the discovery channel with like 5 female lions all lying on there back, etc... Also some amazing African sunsets with plains of elephant, zebra and wildebeest in front of it, very rad.

Since I'm with my mom and dad, I am staying in places that are much too nice for me, which should especially be a shock since everyone I've told about my overland trip from Kenya to South Africa after this has told me the vehicle we drive in is a glorified cattle truck. Staying in such nice places, I often feel like a total asshole and wish I was doing something more compassionate, but truthfully the people here make it OK. If you show how much you care about their culture, they really warm to you, and I appreciate that alot.

Anyways gotta run. The other day as we drove back to our lodge I put on my ipod to relax. Obviously the first song that came on shuffle was "REal Mothafuckin G's" by Eazy E. So, if you need to picture me in Africa, just imagine the sun setting over plains full of elephant, lions, and zebras, a gentle smile on my face, and then pumping through my head, "Mothafuck Dre, Mothafuck Snoop, Mothafuck Death Row, yo and here comes my death blooow!"

Hope all is well, send emails.