Tanzania was a place that I had always wanted to visit probably from all the wildlife National Geographic specials I had watched over the years. I am certainly glad that I did get to visit the country, but I leave the country a bit disappointed.
I loved the beautiful mountain scenery and especially enjoyed Ngorongoro and seeing Mtn Kili when the clouds dispersed. All the animals I saw on the safari was fantastic.
I didn't like how much corruption there is in this country. If you take a sick person to the hospital you would have to give the nurse some extra money on the side in order for the sick person to get a bed. They don't feed sick people so you have to arrange or pay a person to go into the hospital each meal time and hopefully you have an honest person who will actually feed the person and not pocket the money. Little Pamela who has TB and Hiv was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I've also mentioned early that there is lots of corruption in the school system.
I don't like the fact that the country hasn't progressed in the last 50 years compared to other African countries I visited. After visiting spotless Rwanda, I was disappointed to see how much garbage is left in the streets and along the roadside. Local people have no idea about recycling and don't seem to mind their own yards being very messy. It was hard to try to tell the kids that if they finish eating a mango to throw the pit away instead of leaving it on the floor to rot at the orphanage.
I got the impression that they assumed all white people had lots of money and most people would try to charge you more since many stores do not have price stickers. The local transports also try to charge you more money. I felt that I was being discriminated against because I was white. Many people would yell out mzungo or point at you. It's not like I was the only white person around or in a very remote area. I didn't get that feeling in any of the other countries I visited.
I did enjoy the country but compared to the other countries, I not sure how much I will promote the country if I continue in the travel biz. They have a long way to go to improve the country.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
fixing up a classroom
One day Mama Lynn mentioned that a school outside of Boma wondered if we would be interested in fixing up a classroom. Grace, Flo, Ulli and myself said we would. We then thought it was funny that they expected us to supply the paint also but we decided to do this as part of community outreach.
Kids start school around 7 years old and we would be painting the 1st graders room. We arrive at the school and find a classroom full of old desks and benches. At the back and along the sides of the building are metal barrels and bags of grain. Moving most of the contents out of the room we find a nest of baby rats. Isn't it comforting to know that these small children have to share the room with rats since they also use the room to store food. The cement floor is full of holes and in some spots the walls need to be patched up also. Grace and Flo mention that they will use some of their donation dollars towards getting the floor fixed. We spend the day painting the room a cream colour on top and a light blue around the bottom. There is also black paint for a skirting strip along the bottom. While painting this I spot a small scorpion along the floor and even though I don't like to kill spiders, I definitely didn't want to have this crawling on me when I sat on the floor so it saw the bottom of my shoe. As we paint, the mother rat keeps squeaking from the ceiling rafters so she is probably pissed at us for moving out her babies. Since some of the walls need to be patched and dried, we have to go back a few days later to finish the job. Some old metal corregated sheets that were sitting in the rafters has been removed and the floor is now covered in rats poop. I guess there were rat nest up in the rafters also. I sure hope that disease that is found in mice droppings doesn't occur with rat droppings. We get the painting finished and I'm sure once the new floor is in the classroom will be in much better shape. Mama Lynn has told the principal that no food should be kept in classrooms but I wonder if in a few days they will once again be storing the food in classrooms.
Most of the day while we are painting kids are hanging out at the door and windows. It doesn't appear that they make the kids go into the classroom. I felt that the teacher that was using the room we were painting figured she didn't have to teach those days and let the kids just amuse themselves outside all day. While waiting for a ride home the 1st afternoon, I sat outside under a tree to cool off. Gradually more and more children were coming closer to me and I ended up having about 50 kids surrounding me and I could barely breath. I few of them could speak a few words of english and I could only speak a few words of swahili. I felt like I had too heads and couldn't see why they seemed to be facinated with me. It's not like I was in an area that doesn't have white people. A few of the kids wanted to touch me I guess to say they had touched a white person. I finally had to go back into the classroom for some peace and quiet.
Tanzania is a very corrupt country and there is even corruption in the school system. Along with school fees, uniform, black shoes, food fees, every child must pay a security fee. There was probably about 1000 kids at that school and with the amount of money they collect for one askari guard, they could probably hire 10-20 guards so that means the corrupt teachers are pocketing the extra cash. Teachers also carry long sticks with them to beat the children. Boy am I glad my nieces and newphews don't have to go to a school like that. Private school is probably better and international school is the best choice but many families in Tanzania cannot afford the private schools. A few of LIA kids have sponsors that pay for private schooling which I think is about $1000.00 a year.
Kids start school around 7 years old and we would be painting the 1st graders room. We arrive at the school and find a classroom full of old desks and benches. At the back and along the sides of the building are metal barrels and bags of grain. Moving most of the contents out of the room we find a nest of baby rats. Isn't it comforting to know that these small children have to share the room with rats since they also use the room to store food. The cement floor is full of holes and in some spots the walls need to be patched up also. Grace and Flo mention that they will use some of their donation dollars towards getting the floor fixed. We spend the day painting the room a cream colour on top and a light blue around the bottom. There is also black paint for a skirting strip along the bottom. While painting this I spot a small scorpion along the floor and even though I don't like to kill spiders, I definitely didn't want to have this crawling on me when I sat on the floor so it saw the bottom of my shoe. As we paint, the mother rat keeps squeaking from the ceiling rafters so she is probably pissed at us for moving out her babies. Since some of the walls need to be patched and dried, we have to go back a few days later to finish the job. Some old metal corregated sheets that were sitting in the rafters has been removed and the floor is now covered in rats poop. I guess there were rat nest up in the rafters also. I sure hope that disease that is found in mice droppings doesn't occur with rat droppings. We get the painting finished and I'm sure once the new floor is in the classroom will be in much better shape. Mama Lynn has told the principal that no food should be kept in classrooms but I wonder if in a few days they will once again be storing the food in classrooms.
Most of the day while we are painting kids are hanging out at the door and windows. It doesn't appear that they make the kids go into the classroom. I felt that the teacher that was using the room we were painting figured she didn't have to teach those days and let the kids just amuse themselves outside all day. While waiting for a ride home the 1st afternoon, I sat outside under a tree to cool off. Gradually more and more children were coming closer to me and I ended up having about 50 kids surrounding me and I could barely breath. I few of them could speak a few words of english and I could only speak a few words of swahili. I felt like I had too heads and couldn't see why they seemed to be facinated with me. It's not like I was in an area that doesn't have white people. A few of the kids wanted to touch me I guess to say they had touched a white person. I finally had to go back into the classroom for some peace and quiet.
Tanzania is a very corrupt country and there is even corruption in the school system. Along with school fees, uniform, black shoes, food fees, every child must pay a security fee. There was probably about 1000 kids at that school and with the amount of money they collect for one askari guard, they could probably hire 10-20 guards so that means the corrupt teachers are pocketing the extra cash. Teachers also carry long sticks with them to beat the children. Boy am I glad my nieces and newphews don't have to go to a school like that. Private school is probably better and international school is the best choice but many families in Tanzania cannot afford the private schools. A few of LIA kids have sponsors that pay for private schooling which I think is about $1000.00 a year.
To hell and back
A few years ago, I first saw Tanzanite (the precious stone that has a blue purple colour to it) at a jewellry store in the Caribbean. I'm not one for wearing jewellry and my family knows that I don't like diamonds but do like colored stones. I had hoped one day to maybe own a piece of Tanzanite and figured maybe I would buy something when I'm in Tanzania. It's suppose to be rarer than a diamond and is only mined in one area near where I was staying. They also say that they may run out of the stones in about 10-20 years.
One day, Mama Lynn asked if I would like to go to the mining town of Merarani to help dispense medicine to the poor. They try to do this once or twice a month. I have been told that the mining town is hell on earth and a lawless town filled with murderers, thieves, rapists, prostitutes. Everyone who moved there is hoping to strike it rich just like people in the gold rush days. The majority of the townsfolk have HIV or Aids.
Some of the mines force children to work and if a mine is not producing enough stones, witch doctors will sacrifice a child to give the owner better luck. These sacrificed children are added to the list of those killed due to injuries in the mines, not as children being murdered.
Just getting to Merarani was an adventure and I feared for my life. It had rained heavily the night before and the dirt road into the area is full of water and deep potholes. At one point we drive across a swollen river and the truck stalls since the water is up to the top of the engine. Water is starting to come into the vehicle and we have to get out quickly. I get out in the fast moving water into water that is up to my hips. I'm worried that Mama Lynn who is smaller than me will have trouble reaching dry ground but we both manage to get out of the water. I felt however that if I had stepped in a pot hole I could have easily been swept downstream. Some locals and myself help push the vehicle to higher ground but it takes hours before help comes back to tow the vehicle into the town since a tow truck wouldn't come and get us. The tow rope in the car must have been stolen in the last few weeks.
It's funny how you see a sign that the road is maintained by the Tanzanite mining company and it doesn't look like they have done anything for years. Just think that they export at least 2 billion dollars a year just to the U.S. alone plus all the other countries that buy the stones. You would think that they could spend a bit of money on a road and build a frigging bridge over the river.
Once we are at the food kitchen area, the line up of people is extremely long. People have been waiting hours to see the doctor and get their medicine. I sit at a table with Sister Grace and count out the pills and put them in little plastic bags. There are vitamins, aspirin, antibiotics and malaria pills. It doesn't look like people have been fed much and I have a box of cookies in my bag so I hand them out to the kids that show up at my table. We started about 1230pm and by about 6pm, I find out that Mama Lynn is staying in town since all the people didn't get seen due to the late start. Anthony and myself are going to take public transportation back.
Just as we leave town, it starts to rain heavily again so I'm really concerned about the river crossing. We are in a 4x4 truck crammed with about 15 people. Luckily it looks like the water level is a bit lower than this morning probably due to the fact that the rain from the mountain hasn't reached the area yet. We make the crossing but it's still a long way back to the paved road and then another 30-45 minutes back to Mailisita.
I get home around 9pm and am thankful that they saved me some dinner and Viny heated up some water for me so I could have a warm sponge bath to get clean.
The next day we hear that more than 100 miners have died when some of the mines flood due to the rain. I wonder how many are children who did not have a choice to work there. People have also died in town when their mud & stick houses have collapsed due to the rain. I definitely will not be going back to Merarani, especially during rainy season.
If you ever decide to buy a Tanzinite stone, please only buy one from Mine # 1 and get an original copy of proof that it came from that mine. All other stones are from illegal mines that force child labour and do not have safe mining regulations. It's sad to think that something so beautiful has come from such a hellish place.
One day, Mama Lynn asked if I would like to go to the mining town of Merarani to help dispense medicine to the poor. They try to do this once or twice a month. I have been told that the mining town is hell on earth and a lawless town filled with murderers, thieves, rapists, prostitutes. Everyone who moved there is hoping to strike it rich just like people in the gold rush days. The majority of the townsfolk have HIV or Aids.
Some of the mines force children to work and if a mine is not producing enough stones, witch doctors will sacrifice a child to give the owner better luck. These sacrificed children are added to the list of those killed due to injuries in the mines, not as children being murdered.
Just getting to Merarani was an adventure and I feared for my life. It had rained heavily the night before and the dirt road into the area is full of water and deep potholes. At one point we drive across a swollen river and the truck stalls since the water is up to the top of the engine. Water is starting to come into the vehicle and we have to get out quickly. I get out in the fast moving water into water that is up to my hips. I'm worried that Mama Lynn who is smaller than me will have trouble reaching dry ground but we both manage to get out of the water. I felt however that if I had stepped in a pot hole I could have easily been swept downstream. Some locals and myself help push the vehicle to higher ground but it takes hours before help comes back to tow the vehicle into the town since a tow truck wouldn't come and get us. The tow rope in the car must have been stolen in the last few weeks.
It's funny how you see a sign that the road is maintained by the Tanzanite mining company and it doesn't look like they have done anything for years. Just think that they export at least 2 billion dollars a year just to the U.S. alone plus all the other countries that buy the stones. You would think that they could spend a bit of money on a road and build a frigging bridge over the river.
Once we are at the food kitchen area, the line up of people is extremely long. People have been waiting hours to see the doctor and get their medicine. I sit at a table with Sister Grace and count out the pills and put them in little plastic bags. There are vitamins, aspirin, antibiotics and malaria pills. It doesn't look like people have been fed much and I have a box of cookies in my bag so I hand them out to the kids that show up at my table. We started about 1230pm and by about 6pm, I find out that Mama Lynn is staying in town since all the people didn't get seen due to the late start. Anthony and myself are going to take public transportation back.
Just as we leave town, it starts to rain heavily again so I'm really concerned about the river crossing. We are in a 4x4 truck crammed with about 15 people. Luckily it looks like the water level is a bit lower than this morning probably due to the fact that the rain from the mountain hasn't reached the area yet. We make the crossing but it's still a long way back to the paved road and then another 30-45 minutes back to Mailisita.
I get home around 9pm and am thankful that they saved me some dinner and Viny heated up some water for me so I could have a warm sponge bath to get clean.
The next day we hear that more than 100 miners have died when some of the mines flood due to the rain. I wonder how many are children who did not have a choice to work there. People have also died in town when their mud & stick houses have collapsed due to the rain. I definitely will not be going back to Merarani, especially during rainy season.
If you ever decide to buy a Tanzinite stone, please only buy one from Mine # 1 and get an original copy of proof that it came from that mine. All other stones are from illegal mines that force child labour and do not have safe mining regulations. It's sad to think that something so beautiful has come from such a hellish place.
Friday, April 18, 2008
still alive in Africa
Sorry everyone who hasn't been bored with my really, really long blog posts. I haven't had much time to update in the last month.
Just to let you know I've finished my month at the orphanage and since it's raining season in Tanzania, I decided not to go to Zanzibar at the end of my trip. Kenya is still unsettled politically so I'm now travelling around South Africa for about 2 weeks before my flight home on April 30th.
I don't have much time now to update the blog but will try if I can find an internet cafe that is open when I have free time on the tour.
Take care everyone
Just to let you know I've finished my month at the orphanage and since it's raining season in Tanzania, I decided not to go to Zanzibar at the end of my trip. Kenya is still unsettled politically so I'm now travelling around South Africa for about 2 weeks before my flight home on April 30th.
I don't have much time now to update the blog but will try if I can find an internet cafe that is open when I have free time on the tour.
Take care everyone
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Light in Africa orphanage
It's less than an hour's drive from Kili Airport to Light in Africa's Mailisita House (volunteer house) along the Arusha to Moshi Road. Mama Lynn the British woman who runs the organization is there to meet me and introduce me to my fellow volunteers. There's 3 Brits - Vinny about 37 who is an outdoor education teacher back in Grimsby (has been here since Jan and will be leaving in a week), Florence from Bedfordshire about 20yrs on her Gap year (arrived in Feb and will leave in May), and Grace from Kent also about 20yr on her Gap year (also here till May). Funny thing is that both Florence and Grace don't know each other but are both going to be attending the same university in September and are both here at Light in Africa for about the same amount of time. Peter's from Malibu is in his early 20's (leaving tomorrow) and Ulli from Germany also in her early 20's (arrived in Feb and will leave around the same time as me). Ron and Sue a retired couple from Merseyside are away for a few days in Zanzibar, so I'll meet them later (have been here since Jan and are leaving next week). There's a large common room for the volunteers to use during their off time so we just sit around talking tonight. Vinny has just gotten back from a safari so we start to compare our trips and it ends up that on a few occasions we must have been in the same area at the same time like when the male lion was standing on the kopje since our photos are identical.
The volunteer accomodation is very basic like a budget hotel. Some of the rooms have a bathroom but we don't have any hot water so I have to get use to taking cold showers. The metal framed bunkbeds each have a mosquito net on them since some of the outside windowscreens have holes in them. I've been warned that sometimes the power goes out so to always have a candle or flashlight handy.
This morning I have breakfast at 730am by myself. The others have already had an early start going out to the mining town of Merarani and picking up the HIV/Aids people who will be brought to the Moshi Hospital to see the doctor and get some of their meds. Mama Lynn and some of the workers are preparing lunches for these people which will be picked up as they pass Mailisita on their way to the hospital. I help in cutting up some drawing paper and getting crayons so the kids will have something to keep them busy as they have to wait to see the doctors.
Later in the morning, Mama Lynn gives me the orientation and tells me many sad stories about how some of the children have managed to find their way to Light in Africa. We also have a few elderly and dying people in the building who have been taken in so they don't have to die in the streets after being abandoned by their families which is the case with a lot of Aids people. Where I'm staying at Mailisita is the volunteer house and the nursery house. In Boma about 15-20 journey down the road is Malika House (girls) and Pilgrim House (boys) plus the new property called Tudor Village. It is Mama Lynn's hope to build about 10 buidlings at Tudor Village and have all of the operation out of one location but it may take a few years to get enough money to build everything. One house is almost complete and the second one has been started. In the mining town of Mirarani, there is Fleece House orphanage and a feed the poor program and medical/social problem outreach program going on that volunteers assist with. There's also is a farm that has been started so once Tudor village gets going they hope to raise a lot of their own food.
After lunch, Mama Lynn walks me over to the nursery. There are about 15 children there. Susy is about 2 months old, cute as a doll and was found abandoned. She has dimples when she smiles. There's toddlers, Irenie, Cheddy, Frankie (HIV), Martini, Sara & Joe. They are all walking and it seems like they all want to be held at the same time. Junior and Pamela are brother/sister and they both have HIV and TB. Pamela's breathing is laboured and Mama Lynn decides to take her to hospital. Junior is a real sweetheart. He is about 4 I think but increadibly thin compared to the other kids but now that he is on his meds hopefully he will fatten up a bit. Joseph has downs syndrome and there are 2 others under 10 with severe disabilities and you get no response out of them. Beatrice is about a year or 2 and probably weighs no more than 10 pounds. She's severely malnorished and is just skin and bones. Two older children have cerebral palsy and are in wheelchairs. The older boy is usually at Pilgrim House the home for the boys but he has recently broken his leg. During their nap time, I found a mountain of laundry, mostly very worn clothes and old towels used as diapers. Once they are up from their naps, I play with them after their bath times. I help out with feeding them around 43opm then it's time to head back to the volunteer house for a shower and dinner.
This morning, the 4 of us girls went over to fold laundry in the nursery. Mama Lynn came over and asked if Grace and myself wanted to go see Tudor Village since the other 2 had been over before. Peter's church from Malibu gave Light in Africa the money to buy the land. I come to find out that Peter's church recently burnt down during the bad fires a few months back in California. The first home has all the tiling down and just needs to be painted, have glass put in the window frames and put in the bathroom plumbing and kitchen before moving some furniture in. The 2nd house is just the cement frame and tile roof done. Some of the hedges and other plants like bananas have already been planted to get a start on growing. All the workman are sitting down when we arrive and seem to be having an extended break. It appears that if you don't have a foreman to keep everyone working it takes an incredibily long time to get anything built in Tanzania. This afternoon Grace and I took 2 of the older boys (Kevin 17 and John 12) into Moshi and met up with Vinny, Ulli and Flo at the internet cafe and went to a local restaurant for lunch trying pilau, a rice and meat dish.
Can you imagine just throwing your child away. John has a mom and dad. They divorced and both remarried other people. Seems neither parent wanted John in their new lives so they tossed him out on the streets. Here's a 12 year old with no place to go, eating out of garbage bins. He was found in Boma and brought out to Mailisita house where he currently lives. He is starting to put on a bit of weight but is still very thin. He is bright, has had some schooling and speaks quite a bit of English. Vinny has generously donated money for John to start boarding school in a few weeks. I guess it has taken a bit of time for John to settle in but all the volunteers enjoy spending time with him and he is a good interpreter if we need one when we go into town.
The volunteer accomodation is very basic like a budget hotel. Some of the rooms have a bathroom but we don't have any hot water so I have to get use to taking cold showers. The metal framed bunkbeds each have a mosquito net on them since some of the outside windowscreens have holes in them. I've been warned that sometimes the power goes out so to always have a candle or flashlight handy.
This morning I have breakfast at 730am by myself. The others have already had an early start going out to the mining town of Merarani and picking up the HIV/Aids people who will be brought to the Moshi Hospital to see the doctor and get some of their meds. Mama Lynn and some of the workers are preparing lunches for these people which will be picked up as they pass Mailisita on their way to the hospital. I help in cutting up some drawing paper and getting crayons so the kids will have something to keep them busy as they have to wait to see the doctors.
Later in the morning, Mama Lynn gives me the orientation and tells me many sad stories about how some of the children have managed to find their way to Light in Africa. We also have a few elderly and dying people in the building who have been taken in so they don't have to die in the streets after being abandoned by their families which is the case with a lot of Aids people. Where I'm staying at Mailisita is the volunteer house and the nursery house. In Boma about 15-20 journey down the road is Malika House (girls) and Pilgrim House (boys) plus the new property called Tudor Village. It is Mama Lynn's hope to build about 10 buidlings at Tudor Village and have all of the operation out of one location but it may take a few years to get enough money to build everything. One house is almost complete and the second one has been started. In the mining town of Mirarani, there is Fleece House orphanage and a feed the poor program and medical/social problem outreach program going on that volunteers assist with. There's also is a farm that has been started so once Tudor village gets going they hope to raise a lot of their own food.
After lunch, Mama Lynn walks me over to the nursery. There are about 15 children there. Susy is about 2 months old, cute as a doll and was found abandoned. She has dimples when she smiles. There's toddlers, Irenie, Cheddy, Frankie (HIV), Martini, Sara & Joe. They are all walking and it seems like they all want to be held at the same time. Junior and Pamela are brother/sister and they both have HIV and TB. Pamela's breathing is laboured and Mama Lynn decides to take her to hospital. Junior is a real sweetheart. He is about 4 I think but increadibly thin compared to the other kids but now that he is on his meds hopefully he will fatten up a bit. Joseph has downs syndrome and there are 2 others under 10 with severe disabilities and you get no response out of them. Beatrice is about a year or 2 and probably weighs no more than 10 pounds. She's severely malnorished and is just skin and bones. Two older children have cerebral palsy and are in wheelchairs. The older boy is usually at Pilgrim House the home for the boys but he has recently broken his leg. During their nap time, I found a mountain of laundry, mostly very worn clothes and old towels used as diapers. Once they are up from their naps, I play with them after their bath times. I help out with feeding them around 43opm then it's time to head back to the volunteer house for a shower and dinner.
This morning, the 4 of us girls went over to fold laundry in the nursery. Mama Lynn came over and asked if Grace and myself wanted to go see Tudor Village since the other 2 had been over before. Peter's church from Malibu gave Light in Africa the money to buy the land. I come to find out that Peter's church recently burnt down during the bad fires a few months back in California. The first home has all the tiling down and just needs to be painted, have glass put in the window frames and put in the bathroom plumbing and kitchen before moving some furniture in. The 2nd house is just the cement frame and tile roof done. Some of the hedges and other plants like bananas have already been planted to get a start on growing. All the workman are sitting down when we arrive and seem to be having an extended break. It appears that if you don't have a foreman to keep everyone working it takes an incredibily long time to get anything built in Tanzania. This afternoon Grace and I took 2 of the older boys (Kevin 17 and John 12) into Moshi and met up with Vinny, Ulli and Flo at the internet cafe and went to a local restaurant for lunch trying pilau, a rice and meat dish.
Can you imagine just throwing your child away. John has a mom and dad. They divorced and both remarried other people. Seems neither parent wanted John in their new lives so they tossed him out on the streets. Here's a 12 year old with no place to go, eating out of garbage bins. He was found in Boma and brought out to Mailisita house where he currently lives. He is starting to put on a bit of weight but is still very thin. He is bright, has had some schooling and speaks quite a bit of English. Vinny has generously donated money for John to start boarding school in a few weeks. I guess it has taken a bit of time for John to settle in but all the volunteers enjoy spending time with him and he is a good interpreter if we need one when we go into town.
Exploring the Serengeti
Just as I'm falling asleep I can hear animals moving around the tents and I hear lions roaring in the distance. It takes a while but finally I get used to the outside noises and drift off to sleep. This morning we don't have to be up too early since we are leaving camp about 8am. We start to head north to a flat area of the Serengeti. Serengeti means endess plains I believe. The grass is fairly high hear so it's hard to spot the animals. Just as we hit the main road, we spot a hyena. After Naabi Hill Gate we start to see zebra and wildebeest in small numbers. There's plenty of gazelle but we also see a few elephants, hartebeest and topi. We start to drive by kopjes (copies) which are small rocky outcrops so I'm hoping to see leopard or lions on the rocks. Just as I have my head down looking at my camera, Jackson says there is a serval cat crossing the road. Unfortunately, I only get to get a quick glimpse of it as it enters the tall grass.
We head toward the west along a small river that is lined with trees and I see my 1st leopard thanks to the 4x4 stopped along the road. Up at least 30 feet in a tree is a leopard lounging along a branch. It's at least 100m off the road so pictures won't be great but I'll know it was a leopard. After watching it for about 10 minutes, it decides to get up. It hopes over to another branch then starts to climb down before it finally jumps off the tree at least 10 feet off the ground. Gradually it disappears into the tall grass. About 2km down the road a lioness is sleeping by herself under a tree. There's lots of giraffes in this area and we stop at a small pond to investigate. A small Nile crocodile is on one bank and a few hippos are along the opposite shore. 2 Fish eagles are at the top of one of the trees.
A few km's away there is about 15 4x4 stopped along the road so it must be something to see. Heading over there is 1 leopard in a tree. Still hoping to find baby leopards, cheetahs or lions today. There is a road on each side of this group of about 20 trees so we try each side checking out the best photo vantage point. I often wonder what animals think when they see all these tourists checking them out. Maybe they think, "is it time for a yawn or a stretch to get a reaction out of people", "what can I do to get a few oohs & aah out of them".
At Seronera there is a visitors centre and picnic area. They have an intrepet walk up and around one of the kopjes which is very interesting about the animals, birds, bugs, etc. There is a theatre showing nature films and I happened to see a male lion killing young cubs so the lioness would be able to breed again. Not exactly something you want to watch while you are having your lunch. The picnic area has lots of rock and tree hyrax and dwarf mongooses running around and there are all kinds of interesting birds looking for crumbs.
Leaving Seronera, we start to head back to camp and come upon a large herd of elephants with a new baby that is barely taller than the grass. All the usual animals are spotted along with quite a few giraffe. At Simba Rocks (simba is swahili for lion) we see a male and female lion sunbathing high up on a rock. Another moment when my video camera doesn't work, crap! The male lion gets up to move and it looks just like the scene from the Lion King movie. Nothing new to see the rest of the way home just hundreds of gazelle. Back at camp, it's a bit too cloudy so there isn't much of a sunset but plenty of lightening in the distance.
Early start this morning so we could be on the road by 615am so we could concentrate on the migrating animals (zebra and wildebeest). There's a pretty sunrise and we are driving around the Ngorongoro/Serengeti border area. Thousands of animals and lots of babies. The baby wildebeest are fun to watch as they chase each other in play. A baby wildebeest must be able to get up on it's feet within minutes of being born and within an hour they should be able to run and keep up with it's mother. I guess if they get separated they call out to each other but with all the noise I don't know how they can find each other amongst the thousands. We see a few carcasses or kill sites with lots of vultures and marabou stocks trying to get every last bit of meat on the bones. A few hyenas and jackals are also looking for a free meal.
The highlight of the day was seeing a female cheetah with 2 young cubs. They are still quite fluffy looking. We are able to spend quite a bit of time with them. We watch as the mother grooms one of the cubs and as she takes off, one cub seems to keep up while the other lags behind. At one time the cubs stayed in the tall grass so we thought maybe mom would be going off to hunt but eventually she called for them and they caught up to her.
Later we headed back to the marshy area we were at the previous day and the lions are still in the area. This time we only see the male, 1 female and 2 that are 1/2 grown. The female must be getting hot because she gets up and moves right over to our 4x4 and sits down in front of it to get out of the sun and wind. We have to back up to leave. Back at camp for brunch about 1230 then some free time to check out the photos and have a nap. Around 4pm we went on a guided walk with a ranger. He is armed with an AK47 and is tells us most rangers are ex-army guys. We see a dik dik, gazelle and zebra but not much but birds as we walk near the camp area. There's lots of footprints along the lake and I thinks some of them are hyena but he says lion. I still think I'm right since most lion prints don't show the claws and the shape looked more like a hyena. Tonight at camp, we are full with 4 Brits and 7 Spainards so there lots of new people to talk to around the campfire or at dinner. Sandra and Ken get in really late after their 4x4 was stuck in the mud for over an hour. Just before falling asleep I hear a stampede of animals stop right outside my tent. I take out my flash light but can't make out what they are. I can hear them eating the grass so I figure that they must be zebra.
Before flying out of the Serengeti back to Arusha, we have a short drive around the area. We went to another soda lake near Lake Nduto and saw dead wildebeest that had been stuck in the mud. Jackson, says that sometimes even the lions will get stuck when they try to go in looking for an easy meal. On the other side of the lake are about 16 hippos playing in the mud. We were able to get out of the 4x4 and watch them for a while before the leader decided it was time for deeper water and it was follow the leader as they left us. At the end of the lake, 2 lioness are sunbathing. I wonder if they could be the lions I heard roaring in the night and early morning hours. This morning we also saw impala, hartebeest, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and 3 jackals. I'm disappointed that we can't go over to the area where we have seen cheetahs in the past since my video camera seems to be working this morning. We end up just sitting at the dirt airstrip waiting for the plane. A 12 seater prop plane (nice and new looking) arrive and surprisingly it's a smooth take off. The flight is fairly smooth and we can see the sides of Ngorongoro Crater but clouds cover the top. We are a bit too high to see animals but the changing scenery is nice on the way to Arusha. Dave and Debbie are taking another flight to Zanzibar so I say my goodbyes and have my transfer waiting to take me into town. There's a buffet lunch at the New Arusha Hotel, a very nice hotel in the centre of town. A quick check of my emails and a stop to exchange some money before I'm taking to a day room at the Kia Lodge near Kilimanjaro Airport. Since I'm not flying out today I spend the time exploring the great gardens filled with birds and lizards. I plan on using the pool but end up watching tv in the room before I take the shuttle over to the airport. Anthony who helps out at the orphanage is waiting to pick me up and take me to Light in Africa.
We head toward the west along a small river that is lined with trees and I see my 1st leopard thanks to the 4x4 stopped along the road. Up at least 30 feet in a tree is a leopard lounging along a branch. It's at least 100m off the road so pictures won't be great but I'll know it was a leopard. After watching it for about 10 minutes, it decides to get up. It hopes over to another branch then starts to climb down before it finally jumps off the tree at least 10 feet off the ground. Gradually it disappears into the tall grass. About 2km down the road a lioness is sleeping by herself under a tree. There's lots of giraffes in this area and we stop at a small pond to investigate. A small Nile crocodile is on one bank and a few hippos are along the opposite shore. 2 Fish eagles are at the top of one of the trees.
A few km's away there is about 15 4x4 stopped along the road so it must be something to see. Heading over there is 1 leopard in a tree. Still hoping to find baby leopards, cheetahs or lions today. There is a road on each side of this group of about 20 trees so we try each side checking out the best photo vantage point. I often wonder what animals think when they see all these tourists checking them out. Maybe they think, "is it time for a yawn or a stretch to get a reaction out of people", "what can I do to get a few oohs & aah out of them".
At Seronera there is a visitors centre and picnic area. They have an intrepet walk up and around one of the kopjes which is very interesting about the animals, birds, bugs, etc. There is a theatre showing nature films and I happened to see a male lion killing young cubs so the lioness would be able to breed again. Not exactly something you want to watch while you are having your lunch. The picnic area has lots of rock and tree hyrax and dwarf mongooses running around and there are all kinds of interesting birds looking for crumbs.
Leaving Seronera, we start to head back to camp and come upon a large herd of elephants with a new baby that is barely taller than the grass. All the usual animals are spotted along with quite a few giraffe. At Simba Rocks (simba is swahili for lion) we see a male and female lion sunbathing high up on a rock. Another moment when my video camera doesn't work, crap! The male lion gets up to move and it looks just like the scene from the Lion King movie. Nothing new to see the rest of the way home just hundreds of gazelle. Back at camp, it's a bit too cloudy so there isn't much of a sunset but plenty of lightening in the distance.
Early start this morning so we could be on the road by 615am so we could concentrate on the migrating animals (zebra and wildebeest). There's a pretty sunrise and we are driving around the Ngorongoro/Serengeti border area. Thousands of animals and lots of babies. The baby wildebeest are fun to watch as they chase each other in play. A baby wildebeest must be able to get up on it's feet within minutes of being born and within an hour they should be able to run and keep up with it's mother. I guess if they get separated they call out to each other but with all the noise I don't know how they can find each other amongst the thousands. We see a few carcasses or kill sites with lots of vultures and marabou stocks trying to get every last bit of meat on the bones. A few hyenas and jackals are also looking for a free meal.
The highlight of the day was seeing a female cheetah with 2 young cubs. They are still quite fluffy looking. We are able to spend quite a bit of time with them. We watch as the mother grooms one of the cubs and as she takes off, one cub seems to keep up while the other lags behind. At one time the cubs stayed in the tall grass so we thought maybe mom would be going off to hunt but eventually she called for them and they caught up to her.
Later we headed back to the marshy area we were at the previous day and the lions are still in the area. This time we only see the male, 1 female and 2 that are 1/2 grown. The female must be getting hot because she gets up and moves right over to our 4x4 and sits down in front of it to get out of the sun and wind. We have to back up to leave. Back at camp for brunch about 1230 then some free time to check out the photos and have a nap. Around 4pm we went on a guided walk with a ranger. He is armed with an AK47 and is tells us most rangers are ex-army guys. We see a dik dik, gazelle and zebra but not much but birds as we walk near the camp area. There's lots of footprints along the lake and I thinks some of them are hyena but he says lion. I still think I'm right since most lion prints don't show the claws and the shape looked more like a hyena. Tonight at camp, we are full with 4 Brits and 7 Spainards so there lots of new people to talk to around the campfire or at dinner. Sandra and Ken get in really late after their 4x4 was stuck in the mud for over an hour. Just before falling asleep I hear a stampede of animals stop right outside my tent. I take out my flash light but can't make out what they are. I can hear them eating the grass so I figure that they must be zebra.
Before flying out of the Serengeti back to Arusha, we have a short drive around the area. We went to another soda lake near Lake Nduto and saw dead wildebeest that had been stuck in the mud. Jackson, says that sometimes even the lions will get stuck when they try to go in looking for an easy meal. On the other side of the lake are about 16 hippos playing in the mud. We were able to get out of the 4x4 and watch them for a while before the leader decided it was time for deeper water and it was follow the leader as they left us. At the end of the lake, 2 lioness are sunbathing. I wonder if they could be the lions I heard roaring in the night and early morning hours. This morning we also saw impala, hartebeest, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and 3 jackals. I'm disappointed that we can't go over to the area where we have seen cheetahs in the past since my video camera seems to be working this morning. We end up just sitting at the dirt airstrip waiting for the plane. A 12 seater prop plane (nice and new looking) arrive and surprisingly it's a smooth take off. The flight is fairly smooth and we can see the sides of Ngorongoro Crater but clouds cover the top. We are a bit too high to see animals but the changing scenery is nice on the way to Arusha. Dave and Debbie are taking another flight to Zanzibar so I say my goodbyes and have my transfer waiting to take me into town. There's a buffet lunch at the New Arusha Hotel, a very nice hotel in the centre of town. A quick check of my emails and a stop to exchange some money before I'm taking to a day room at the Kia Lodge near Kilimanjaro Airport. Since I'm not flying out today I spend the time exploring the great gardens filled with birds and lizards. I plan on using the pool but end up watching tv in the room before I take the shuttle over to the airport. Anthony who helps out at the orphanage is waiting to pick me up and take me to Light in Africa.
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