A Year Ago Today: Arusha, Tanzania

I've written about my love of travel journaling before.  My journal helps me remember my trips in much more depth than just a photo album or a vague recollection that "I was in Africa last year."   

For instance, the quote that was on the delicious pizza snack on our KLM flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro, "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." -Flora Whitemore-

March 6 was my first full day in Africa....this time.   I've been blessed in enjoying three trips to Africa.  Each one different.  Each one amazing.  Each one changing my view. 

A few pictures from day 1....

Arusha Coffee Lodge

Our visit to Amka Afrika school.   We were the first group of tourists to visit this school that was built by our guides at Bushdrifters, to provide education in an under served area in Babati.   It's amazing what has happened in a year's time:  a non-profit has been created, a container ship of donated school supplies has (finally) arrived, our family friend Ann has spent months there helping to work with the teachers...and to be a part of the community.     In the last week or so, a second tour group had a chance to visit Amka.   It probably looks like a whole new school!    To learn more please visit www.amkaafrika.org.  





Our fabulous accommodations at Gibb's Farm



Worldwide Shoe Love

The fun part about the Soles 4 Souls Flippin' Good Deeds Challenge has been spreading the word about S4S and the need for something as simple as adequate footwear everywhere in the world.   My sister and I have been sharing my blog posts as well as pictures and creative status updates via Facebook, letting us reach our neighbors here in Colorado as well as friends all over the world.   Our family friend Ann is currently in Babati, Tanzania waiting for a container ship of donated school supplies to arrive for Amka Afrika School.  She saw my post about the shoe drive on Facebook and offered to give a pair of shoes to someone locally in Tanzania to support our efforts (above).   At the most basic level, that's what it's all about.   A pair of shoes going to someone who can use them.  Wherever.  Whenever.  However.          

Can you guess which one is Ann?
Her passion is education and she's working hard to make a difference!

All shoe donations for the Flippin' Good Deeds Challenge need to be made this weekend.   All shoe donation forms need to be submitted by Monday at noon central time and on Tuesday we'll see if we make the final leaderboard.  My sister and I have seen more shoes in the past month than ever before, outside of a shoe store.   It's been a great run.   Literally. 

The holidays are approaching - did you know that the challenge sponsor, Flip Flop Wines, will donate a pair of shoes to Soles 4 Souls for each bottle purchased?   If you bring a bottle of wine to someone as a gift or serve it at home, you'll be doing something great.   You don't even have to say anything.  It will be your little secret.  Helping the world, one pair at a time. 

Saying Goodbye to Africa

I am never ready for vacation to end, whether it's a weekend in the mountains or a month in Thailand.  My sister and I refused to discuss the end of vacation.   On Saturday night we had a cocktail party with our guides on the deck at the bar.   On Sunday we headed out for some serious end of vacation shopping, both in a structured store (owned locally by Tanzanians - and across from the Snake Farm) and at the Mount Meru Maasai Market in Arusha.   We stopped at had lunch at the Bushdrifters office in Arusha at a restaurant called "Island Style."  The owner of the restaurant lived in the States for a long time, but moved back with her daughter so she'd understand her African culture.  I think the Island Style comes from the fact that her husband is from Jamaica.    There was a small church nearby - a simple structure with gapped wood walls and a tin roof, but you could hear everyone singing.  

Saying goodbye the last night at Lake Manyara

The Tanzania version of the Latin American Chicken Bus

African Art.  I saw people in the airport with bulky wrapped packages that I can guarantee are wood carvings of giraffes.   Honestly, if I wanted one I'd buy it at World Market here in town and take it home in my car.

We never did see Mt. Kilimanjaro.  This is Mt. Meru.  

It was dark when we arrived and cloud covered when we left.  

Random Life Lesson:  Both my sister and I spent the remainder of our cash at the Maasai Market because we knew we were going to the airport.  Surprise - none of the shops or cafes took credit cards, except the one that sold Tanzanite...and what we wanted were chips and Fanta.   And then on the opposite side of immigration were the duty free shops that did take credit cards, but only sold liquor, cigarettes and coffee.   We scored two Bounty Bars at the checkout.  Of course there was no drinking water available on the other side of immigration.  And it was hot.  The good news?  I slept almost the entire 11 hours to Amsterdam.  I don't know when I'll be back in Africa, but I know I will.

Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park is very different from the Serengeti.   There is "jungle" as in lush and green, but you can see the sky.  The nice part was the cool shady trees.  We saw different monkeys, spider monkeys and blue monkeys.   Manyara comes from the Maasai workd for a green bamboo type plant the grows there.    Lake Manyara does have some tree-climbing lions.   Take your standard lion, put them in a climate where there is moisture in the ground that can breed nail fungus and the lions climb the trees.   Sadly we didn't see any.   But the highlight of our morning game drive on Saturday the 12th were the baby elephants playing in the mud.  I love Africa - it's like the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet but live, in person, and so much better!

Male giraffes battling for leadership.  They hook necks and kick each other.

Baby elephant

Kirurumu Tented Lodge

On Friday March 11 we left the Serengeti behind and retraced our steps through the park, the plains and the rim of Ngorongoro Crater and all the way back in to Karatu Town.   On the way we went really off-roading to this giant sand dune in an area called Shifting Sands.   Then we went to the "Cradle of Mankind", Oldupai.  Then on to the Kirurumu Tented Lodge.  The lodge is 6km in on bumpy dirt roads and you wonder where you are going.  Many of the children who live on the road will come running when they hear the jeeps, both to say hi and hoping that you will throw them candy.   

Think very nice platform tents with indoor plumbing.  We were not roughing it in any way.   The lodge is small, only 22 tents.  All the meals are served al fresco in a pavillion.  The food here was also really good...there I was taking pictures of my food, again.  The bar had a great deck overlooking Lake Manyara.  We were there at the end of the dry season, but you can tell how big the lake will get once the rains come. 

Shifting Sands

Maasai Beadwork at Oldupai

Our "tent"

The bar - where we had a chance to try Konyagi, the local liquor

View of Lake Manyara from the bar

If It's Tanzania, It Must Be Los Lobos?

There is a certain irony in hearing songs you don't expect in unexpected places.  In Thailand, it was the prevalance of Bob Marley music (see post: If it's Bob Marley....).   So this strolling musician at our hotel in the Serengeti was a special treat.

Serengeti

On Wednesday morning we left the Ngorongoro area heading for Serengeti National Park. Serengeti means endless plain in Maasai, and we saw plenty of it - lots of Thompson's Gazelles, Zebras and Wildebeest, and not a lot of trees.   In the afternoon we officially entered the park and saw more of the amazing wildlife, including getting "that close" to lions.

We stayed at the Serena Serengeti Lodge which is in the park.  We stayed in "huts" as the staff called them.  Since it was in the park, you needed an escort after dark because the wildlife is out and about. 

And you've got to love the infinity pool that overlooks the endless plain.

And, from the hotel staff and our driver guides, we learned how to handle animal attacks; from elephants "take off your shirt and throw it on the ground so they stomp on it, not you" to cape buffalo "lie still on the ground so it can't hook you with it's horns - if you have to, bite it in the tits" to leopard "there's no hope."

March 9 Wildlife: augar buzzard, lions, cheetah, leopard, zebra, wildebeest, Thompson's gazelle, Harte buck, water buck, elephants, hyenas, dik dik

March 10 Wildlife:  impala, zebra, wildebeest, topi, hippo, leopard, crocodile, rock hyrax, jackel, male lion (eating a zebra, no less)

Ngorongoro

On Tuesday March 8, we left Gibb's Farm and went into the Ngorongoro Crater, which is a national conservation area.  The crater, by topography alone, for the most part keeps the wildlife in, although elephants like to hang out at the top, rather than in the crater.  Ngorongoro is a the sound that a cowbell makes in Maasai, which means life.  The fact that you can hear a bell ringing is the animal saying 'I'm still alive.'  For the five of us that didn't go to Tarangire, this was our first day of safari - and time to pop the tops of the Land Cruisers. 

We also had the luck during our day in the crater to see all of the Big Five.  I'm not sure who in history decided that the Lion, Elephant, Cape Bufflo, Cheetah and Rhino made up the five.   The last time I was in Africa, we only saw three of the five.  Aside from the rhinos, we saw some of the other animals more up close and personal in the Serengeti, but our day in Ngorongoro was still amazing!

Cape Buffalo

Rhino

Elephant

Cheetah

Lions

And all the other critters in the crater:

                                               Hyena                                                   Gazelle

                                           Wildebeest                                             Zebra

We stayed at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on Tuesday night.  

The hotel had a great view overlooking the crater and the sunrise was amazing.

Ngorongoro wildlife count:  Crested Cranes, Wildebeest, Zebra, Cape Buffalo, Corey Basterd, Guinea Fowl, Egyptian Geese, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena, Jackal, Yellow Beak Stork, Ostrich, Rhino, Elephant, Hippo, Eland, Hartebeest

Gibb's Farm

View of the farm from our cottage

One of the best places that we stayed in Tanzania was called Gibb's Farm.   You turn off the main road in Karatu and go uphill on a gravel/dirt road.   Why did I love Gibb's Farm?  It is beautiful.  It is relaxing.  The staff helped me learn more words in Swahili.  The food.   Yes I love food, there is no doubt.   The farm grows most of their own vegetables and herbs, makes their own cheese and roasts their own coffee.  Flowers are beautiful and the views are spectacular. 

It's all about the food presentation

Random highlights: 

*On our drive from Arusha to Gibb's farm, we passed a large Maasai encampment.  The chief has 25 wives and so many children he has his own primary school.

*Mother daughter muffin baking for Mom and I followed by mother-daughter Maasai healing treatments for Mom and Heather.

*Bush babies are wild animals and may or may not come, even if there is a designated bush baby feeding time. 

*Gardeners chasing baboons out of the vegetable garden.

*The Swahili phrase for 'sunny side up' (when referring to eggs) translates as 'cows eyes'.  How do you say it?  Something like 'machoya ngombo.'   Something I found challenging about Swahili in general was words starting with ng or mb.

*The nature walk/hike in the mud.  I was worried when we started out - but with walking sticks, a sense of humor and the unexpected bonus of getting to visit the Maasai healers in their homes, all was well.  I was also christened 'baby gazelle.'  In the scheme of potential nick names, not too bad. 

*Outdoor showers! There is something particularly enjoyable and almost decadent about an outdoor shower in a private garden at your cottage.