Yay! You're all packed and ready to go! It's now time for you guys to head to Africa so we can begin visiting our first creatures. Notice how I said "you guys?" That's because Sil and I are already in Africa! We left a few days early to set up camp and we thought it would be fun for you guys to race here! So in honor of our first creature, the Nundu, we will be having a race to Africa this week!

You guys will face 10 challenges (in the form of wild puzzles!! ooooh! ahhh!) on your way to Africa. You will have to work your way through them to find the safari leaders. The team who arrives here the FASTEST (keep in mind this doesn't mean first!) will receive the most points.

In order to start your race, your team will need to post a topic in your team forum titled "Race Start Time." There you will post the time and date that you want us to post the link to the race. You MUST give us at least 6 hours warning. In other words, you can't post at 1:57 saying you want to start at 2:00. We check the Roost pretty often, but not that often! After you've posted your time, it won't hurt to poke one of us on irc just to make sure we see it.

At the end of the challenges, you will find instructions telling you what to do to let us know you have arrived.

Now the puzzles probably won't take you longer than a few hours if you work together, BUT you probably want to get the race done earlier in the week because you will have two more creatures to visit this week! You obviously cannot visit the zebra and the sphinx until you arrive in Africa so we won't be posting them until you have completed the race. Once the race is completed, we will post them both in your team forum.

Points Breakdown:
Nundu Race: First place gets 100 points, second place gets 90 points, third place gets 80 points, etc.
Zebra: 100 points
Sphinx: 100 points

Good luck and we'll see you in Africa!

Link to Scavenger Hunt

Zebra and Sphinx Task: As you know, no two Zebras have the same stripes! For our zebra task, you will have to spot the differences in the image below. There are 23 differences. Each one you find will be worth 4 points. If you find them all, you get a bonus of 8 points for a total of 100 points.

Our next creature, the Sphinx, is known for their riddles. Below you will find 9 riddles. You have to solve 5 of them. You may only guess 5 and you only get one guess for each one so pick carefully. Each will be worth 20 points for a total of 100 points.

1. I was once a leader in a class of my own. I was the only one of my "family" to survive. When my sister called for my help, I was too far away. What am I?

2. I am one of the most famous hybrids in Greek mythology. My kind is not well respected, but I am the exception. My passion is academics, which I've put to good use with many gods. Who am I?

3. Dancing is my passion, which sometimes irritates my older sister, who is more prone to Tragedy than Comedy. I am a blessing to choreographers and dancers but only when I decide to grace them with my "presence." Who am I?

4. My "hips" are sometimes used to make tea, jam, and jelly. I have many names, including Ariana, China, and Damask. I am highly sought after in February. What am I?

5. I am the driest, coldest, and windiest place on Earth. I am considered a desert, though you wouldn't think so. I am a place of international cooperation, with over 46 countries joining together to keep me and my inhabitants safe. What am I?

6. I come from birds and books partially owe their existence to me. Hermione Granger, among others, uses me daily. What am I?

7. I come in many colors and patterns. I have lent myself to many mythological creatures, winged and hybrid alike. As others in my "family," my leg ends in a single toe, even though I started out with multiple toes. I have lived and died side-by-side with man for thousands of years. Finally, there are no albino of my kind because the genetics of albinism are fatal to my kind. What am I?

8. I am a descendant of Europa and almost-wife of my half-brother's slayer, who I led on with gold. My crown hangs in the sky. Who am I?

9. You could call me a rebel. I was not as successful as my honest counterpart. I was the only president my country ever had. Who am I?

African Adventourists:
Nundu: 90 Points. Second place with a time of 56 minutes!
Sphinx: 100 Points
Zebra: 100 points
Total: 290 Points

Serengeti Searching Bush Babies:
Nundu: 70 Points. Fourth place with a time of 2 hour and 2 minutes!
Sphinx: 100 Points
Zebra: 100 Points
Total: 270 Points

Caravan Crew:
Nundu: 100 Points. First place with a time of 46 minutes!
Sphinx: 100 Points
Zebra: 88 Points
Total: 288 Points

Jolly Watalii:
Nundu: 60 Points. Fifth place with a time of 2 hours and 29 minutes!
Sphinx: 100 Points
Zebra: 100 Points
Total: 260 Points

Wild Card:
Nundu: 80 Points. Third place with a time of 1 hour and 13 minutes!
Sphinx: 100 Points
Zebra: 100 Points
Total: 280 Points