Camp Sherman youth returns from safari

Alan Dale is back home in Camp Sherman with his buddy Darla.

Sixteen-year old Alan Dale had an exciting tour of four African countries during March and April. The Camp Sherman resident and Sisters High School junior visited Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. He went with two cousins, an aunt, uncle and two grandparents.

"I was impressed with the lovely flowers and diverse animals we saw along our journey," said Alan.

Part of this is preserved in the 20 rolls of film that he shot along the way.

"There were lots of elephants and I was impressed with a leopard we saw eating an impala in South Africa," Dale said.

Dale saw the wide range of development in the continent.

He traveled south, starting in Tanzania, which has a population of 36 million people and is about four times the size of Oregon.

"It was quite a shock to leave Tanzania, a third world country, and enter modern South Africa," said Dale.

South Africa, with 44 million people, is about twice the size of Texas.

"Cape Town, located at the tip of Africa on the South Atlantic Ocean, was my favorite place," Dale said. "The American dollar goes a long way there. The water was freezing there but I went in for a brief swim and we stayed in a hotel by the harbor."

Traveling by Land Cruiser in Tanzania, the group got to see the Serengeti, an apparently endless plain, with migrating zebras, lions, antelopes and other animals. Hippos, vultures, crocodiles, hyenas, baboons and wildebeests were also seen on safari.

A visit to a Masai village was a trip highlight according to Alan. Also of interest was visiting local food markets with lots of different fruits and vegetables especially bananas.

Zimbabwe was next on the itinerary. The country has 12 million people living in an area slightly larger than Montana.

"While in Zimbabwe we got to take a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls," said Alan. Many of his photographs attest to the size and beauty of these falls.

Back home in Camp Sherman, Alan works at the Kokanee Café, plays soccer with the Bend Vikings on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, and likes to read in his spare time.