3/11-12/07 Arusha to the USA

We "slept in" in our king-sized bed until about 7 AM, had a buffet breakfast and packed to check out. We found out that Ranger Safaris will be taking us to the airport sometime between 6 and 6:30 this evening so we won't be needing a taxi, :) There is a nature walk around the lake here that we could have done but Carolyn had on her sandals for the trip home and I wasn't feeling up to par today so we skipped it. We sat around on the chairs on the lawn in front of the main building and took our own brief nature walk around the grounds. Mid morning it was obvious that they were expecting a VIP visit as a large part of the staff gathered near the front gate. We found out later that the Aga Khan, owner of the Serena chain of lodges was visiting today. As far as I know we didn't see him.

Some history: ala Wikapedia

Prince Karīm al-Hussainī became the present Aga Khan IV upon assuming the Imamat of the Nizari Ismailis on July 11, 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan (Aga Khan III). His father, Prince Aly Khan, was a high-profile celebrity in the mid 20th century owing to his relationships with Hollywood stars, including a marriage to Rita Hayworth. He was passed over from the succession, and was later appointed Pakistan's permanent ambassador to the United Nations.

In his will, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah elaborated the conditions that led him to select his grandson as successor to the Ismaili Imamat:

"In view of the fundamentally altered conditions in the world in very recent years due to the great changes that have taken place, including the discoveries of atomic science, I am convinced that it is in the best interests of the Shia Muslim Ismaili community that I should be succeeded by a young man who has been brought up and developed during recent years and in the midst of the new age, and who brings a new outlook on life to his office."

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the 49th Ismaili Imam, tracing their lineage to Ali, cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet's daughter. The title His Highness was granted by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1957, and His Royal Highness by the Shah of Iran in 1957.