Jennifer

Dear Diary, I can’t believe I’m in Morocco! I won a trip to Africa and got to choose five countries to visit. The trip included three days in each country and also I could bring three friends. I chose to bring my best friend Sarah and two other friends- Anna and Elizabeth. We decided to go our separate ways, but start in Morocco and end in Zimbabwe together.

**Day 1:** Today my friends and I are in Rabat, Morocco. Morocco is one tenth bigger than California. Rabat has many royal palace gardens that are so beautiful and elegant. We also saw the Hassan Tower. It had so many details! When it was built in 1195 AD, the tower was supposed to be the largest minaret. Sadly the tower only became 140 feet (half the size of the original plans) before construction stopped because the sultan who was in charge died.  **Day 2:** Casablanca, the movie, was created in the city I’m standing in right now! I'm in Casablanca with my friends. The movie was created by the Warner Bros and was set during World War II. The center of the city has big streets with tall white buildings. Some of the main attractions in Casablanca are the Hassan II Mosque which was designed by a French arcitect. It can hold 25,000 worshippers! A few other attractions are the Catholic Cathedral, the city hall, the Casablanca Technopark, and the Casablanca Twin Center. When you walk out of the center of Casablanca, there is poverty every where. I felt so bad for the people in Casablanca, expecially since I stayed at the Oudaya hotel. It is a very beautiful hotel and the swimming pool was awesome! I was very well off in that hotel compared to the people in the suburbs of Casablanca!  

**Day 3:** My friends and I went to Meknes today. It is the holy city of Moulay Idriss. The town is one big structure around the tomb of Moulay Idriss, a saint. When I went on a tour, the guide gave us some of the citrus fruits that are grown there to try. The fruits were so juicy an delicious! They are one of Morocco's main exports. There are many Roman ruins in Meknes and they are sooooo cool. In the ruins, there are many old buildings and monuments  <span style="color: rgb(10, 10, 10)"><span style="color: rgb(1, 0, 16)">. They are so big and majestic!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(1, 0, 16)">It is so sad to be leaving Morocco, but next I’m going to Mali

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(1, 0, 16)"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">**Day 1:** Today my friends and I split up and went different ways. I went to Mali. Mali is four-fifths the size of Alaska, so I had many places to choose from. The first place I went was the Telem Cliff Villages. It was a long hike up to them but it was worth it. They were spectacular! They were so old and sometimes big. Most of Mali is in the Sahara, so it was pretty hot up there. Sometimes on the hike I had to make way for women carrying baskets on their head. I would never be able to do that! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">

<span style="color: rgb(1, 0, 16)"> **Day 2:** I am in Kalabougou today. It is across the Niger River from Segou, Mali. I learned that the women make pottery while the men work with wood and metal. Most of Malians are farmers, fisherman, or herders. In Kalabougou there are fisherman and farmers, but not so many herders. The coolest thing was that some of the local women taught me how to make some pottery. I made a vase that was nowhere near as good as theirs.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(1, 0, 16)"> **Day 3:** The last day I was in Mali I decided to go to Kayes. It is a very dusty town out in nowhere. About 80% of Mali’s people are Muslim’s, so I visited a very small Muslim church there. I am a Christian so I disagree with most of what they said. Some of the locals told me to explore the outskirts of Kayes, so I did. The first place I came to was the Chutes de Felou. This is a waterfall that has carved pools of water into the rocks.I could actually walk pretty far into the waterfall without being overthrown by water!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">I had so much fun in Mali, but now I'm off to Congo!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">**Day 1:** For the next three days I am in Congo. Congo is in west-central Africa close to the equator and is pretty hot. It is nearly three times the size of Pennsylvania and most of the inland is tropical rainforest. I went to the capital and largest state first- Brazzaville. Brazzaville has many different industries like the textile, tanning, machine shops, and machinery. I got to ride on the Congo- Ocean railroad that is one of the longest transportation systems in Africa. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">**Day 2:** I am in Pointe Noire and it is a hot and humid city. Pointe Noire’s main attractions are its beaches that are known for surfing. Some local women told me a legend called “The Monster Crocodile of Pointe Noire.” Here’s a summary of the story. The creature was first spotted swimming in the port of Pointe Noire, but later it was seen crawling up the bank. Some people phoned the police and they came and shot the beast. It took over an hour to kill the crocodile. It was 16 feet long and weighed 1,874 pounds. The creature was estimated to be 50 years old! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">**Day 3:** I am in the city of Loango. The Loango National Park has so many cool animals. I have never seen an elephant, giraffe, hippo, gorilla, or a manatee ever in my life, so it was awesome to see those animals! I also went to the Loango beaches. Some workers at the national park told me to check out the tours at the beach, so I did. It amazed me to see all the different tours I had to chose from.! I finally chose the one where we went out and saw whales. It was awesome! I even got to pet one of the dolphins that came up beside the boat! There was this one killer whale that was very friendly. It swam out and then jumped in the air and splashed us! I think he was clapping with joy Because when it came to the surface again it was slapping its fins together! The beaches are so pretty during the sunset and when I saw it, it was almost picture perfect. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">

Well it is time to say goodbye to Congo, and hello to Uganda!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif">**Day 1:** Today I am on the Ssese Islands. They are made up of 84 different islands in Lake Victoria, Uganda. About 43 of these islands are inhabited. Uganda is located across the equator and is twice the size of Pennsylvania. The islands are populated by Bantu speaking people that first migrated to Uganda around 500 B.C. The islands were once one of the most important spiritual centers in the region. It was pretty cool being on some of the smaller islands because I could run from one end to the other without really being tired!


 * Day 2:** When I was in the Loango National Park I saw many gorillas and realize I really like them! Then I decided to go to the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It is in the Virunga Mountains and by the city of Kisoro. Mgahinga is one of the two places you can see mountain gorillas in Uganda. Unfortunately, the mountain gorilla’s habitat is being destroyed for houses. The park also covers three of the eight Virunga volcanoes.


 * Day 3:** I am in the Murchison Falls National Park, and it is beautiful! Also known as Kabalega Falls, they are on the Nile River. The water from the Victoria Nile is forced through a gap of only 20 feet. Then the river drops 400 feet and flows into Lake Albert. There were also many different animals in the park like giraffe, hippos, gazelle, and elephants.

Well, its almost the end of my trip, but before I leave I get to meet up with my friends again in Zimbabwe!

Day 1: Today, I met up with my friends again and I found out that my best friend Sarah brought a friend- Kalai. She is very kind and intelligent, so I am looking forward to spending my last days in Africa with her. For our first day in Zimbabwe and we went to Victoria Falls. It is like the best place ever! (in my opinion) The falls are amazing! It is the largest waterfall based on width and height. Its original name was Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) that was used by the locals. In the 1850’s, Europeans arrived in Zimbabwe and called it Victoria Falls. There are many forests around Victoria Falls and some of them hold valuable hardwoods such as teak and mahogany. I had so much fun just standing by the falls feeling the mist hit my skin!

Day 2: I am in Matobo National Park today. It is a place where weather is eroding all the rocks. There are many cool rock formations and overhangs. My guide told me which ones were safe and I stood under a few. There was also a wide variety of birds and wildlife like black and white rhino, giraffe, zebra, antelope, raptors, and many others. Zimbabwe is in south-central Africa and is a little smaller than California. It is also a landlocked country. At the National Park’s gift shop Kalai helped me pick out an awesome rock. She said Matobo National Park is the only place you can find it in Zimbabwe.

Day 3: My final day in Africa! So hard to believe! We decided to spend the day in Mana Pools National Park. It is in two countries- Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Zambezi River runs through the park and it left behind remains of old channels forming pools. There are four main pools and tons of little pools scattered all over about 1243 miles. Elephants, leopards, hippo, gazelle, birds, and many other types of animals inhabit the park. There are also some carnivores at the park. That was scary to think about at first, but we didn’t see any on our tour. Well, I have had soooooo much fun here in Africa! I will surely miss Kalai, but mostly all of the amazing places I went to. Our flight is about to leave, so goodbye Africa. Hope to see you again!

I am so sad to be leaving Africa, but it is time to go back to my real home!