One last trip to Tarangire

For our last weekend, we decided to take a third trip to Tarangire National Park. We hoped to see all of the typical animals. Annie announced that she would be the official impala and gazelle spotter. Angela wanted another close-up experience with elephants. But what we got was another adventure.

On the way to the Park, we passed Manyara Ranch that was experiencing a very large wildfire on the south end. We convinced our driver Ukadi leave the tarmac road and travel cross-country to the fire’s location five miles away. Driving past Maasai women going to market across the denuded plains, it was obvious Ukadi was not quite comfortable with this excursion. When we reached a small korongo (dry river bed) that we thought was crossable, Ukadi refused. Charlie and Scott got out and walked across. Ukadi accompanied them to check for lions, leaving the womenfolk in the truck. Er, locked in the truck.



After walking fifteen minutes across the open plain past zebras and wildebeest, the fire was still pretty far off. Ukadi decided to return to the truck, make a try across the korongo, and pick them up. He made it across and we drove up to the fire. It was huge. Already 1000’s of acres, it was spreading rapidly across a large flaming front with 6 foot flames igniting the grassland. Acacia and palm shrubs torched regularly to 20 feet.



Silhouetted against the fire were dozens of young Maasai carrying natural beaters (palm fronds) trying to put out the fire. They would work the flanking fire in groups of 6-10. Occasional a few would break off and run in front of the fire to tackle the head fire, almost as part of some sort of dare. Then they would run back to the main group laughing. It was fascinating. Because of the variation in grass height, flames were very low in heavily grazed areas. Maasai would retreat to these areas if the flanking fire became a head fire.

Throughout this drama zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and gazelle grazed nearby.

Eventually Scott satisfied his fire curiosity and we traveled to the park.

During our Tarangire evening game drive, Ukadi, heard there was a lion nearby. Flush with confidence from his korongo crossing at Manyara he decided to take a short-cut across a steep korongo. On our way down, you guessed it, we got stuck in the deep sand. We tried to rock the truck back and forth as he gunned the engine, but we just got stuck deeper. We tried to put rocks and sticks under the tires but they didn’t work and we got stuck deeper. As the sun began to set on the horizon our worries increased. Angela and Annie began scouting which part of the truck would be the best sleeping spots.



Ukadi and Scott went up the valley looking for another truck to flag down. Fortunately they found a truck with one of the other tour companies. Much discussion ensued in Swahili between Ukadi and the driver while his truckload of Indian tourists snapped pictures. Eventually the other driver confidently sauntered over to our vehicle and heaved his girth into the driver’s seat and commanded Angela, Charlie and Annie to “sit down and hold on!” He gunned the engine, spun the tires and got the truck stuck deeper.



With much grunting and groaning he returned to his truck, got a chain and attached it to ours. Ukadi got in. With no notice he floored his truck. The chain went taught and our truck jerked up the slope bouncing high over bumps and several times looked like it was going to tip over. But he got it out. The look on Ukadi’s face was a mix of relief and terror.

The next day we were scheduled to meet some American visitors at Charles and Lara Foley’s elephant research camp. Their camp is situated in a valley along a wide korongo. The Foley’s have two girls (8 months and 3 years). Their camp consisted of six typical safari tents for them, their nanny, two camp staff, kitchen, office with front porch/living area, and guests. The setting was beautiful with a canopy of acacias and sausage trees providing shade. As we visited in the central dinning area, elephants moved on either side of the camp traveling back and forth along the korongo or valley to and from the Tarangire River.



While Charles and I talked, Lara and Angela took the kids to the riverbed and explored the latest poop to see what the elephants, porcupines, and zebra had eaten. The kids dug right in but Angela couldn’t bring herself to partake. But they did get to bring home some porcupine quills!



On the way back into town, Charlie and Annie begged to stop at their favorite bar to search outside for bottle caps, among the filth. Throughout our walks around Arusha, searching for bottle caps outside bars and small stores was a major source of entertainment for the kids. Scott and Angela just called it yuckers and followed up with a lot of bottle cap washing and hand sanitizing.





All a fitting end to our Africa experience.

Trip to the Snake Park

From Charlie:

I was on the couch after breakfast when twenty gardners walked down the side of the house into the back yard near the clothesline and started picking out crabgrass from the yard. I have no idea why they did but I suppose it must have been because they did not want crabgrass in our yeard. Instead some other kinds of grasses. After they were finished they left piles and piles of grass everywhere. I have no idea what on earth they are going to with that grass, if it is going to rot away or what. While they were working, I snuck up on the counter, took my Mom's camera, and took a picture of them out the window. It was very awkward.



After the gardeners had left, our friends Jacob and Aiden took us to the Snake Park. We met our friends Noah, Cameron, and Ava there. We saw black mambas, spitting cobras, green mambas, tortoises, a vulture, and two different kinds of owls. We saw baby nile crocodiles and some grown-up crocodiles. The next most interesting lizard we saw were some monitors. My favorite animal in the snake park was the eastern chanting goshawk.

Holding the snake was kind of scary. I was afraid it would bite me. We didn't know what kind of snake it was. That was the big question.



My friend Cameron who is 12, got a bow and three arrows while we were there at the Maasai cultural boma.

I also rode a camel with Ava. The camel ride was very bumpy. You have to hold on really tight when they are getting up and sitting down. First their back legs come up and then you are pointing straight down at the ground and then it goes up. Going down is almost the same. Their front legs go down first and then their back legs go down last. Cameron also rode on a separate camel.



Afterwards we went to TGT. I do not know what it stands for. It is owned by a millionaire. It is very nice. It has a sushi restaurant and a rugby field. We met a boy named Andy. He could speak three different languages. After that, we went to the pool. It was baridi sana as usual. So that about wrapped everything up.

Now we get it

From Angela: With 2 weeks left in Arusha, we have finally figured it out. After returning from our big adventure last week, we discovered a movie theatre and saw Shrek 3, went swimming at the Arusha Hotel pool and had some great chocolate cake.








































We recently met a few American families who are living here long-term and got the scoop. We have been living like Peace Corps workers walking several miles a day and loading up the whole family with backpacks to carry our groceries home. All of the other grown-up expats with families are driving cars while their nannies, cooks, housekeepers, and gardeners manage the home. Who knew?






It seems that as soon as the kids get out of school here in June, the ex pats head back home for the summer and they don't come back until right before it starts up again in middle August (next week). We have been lucky to meet some great families. I can finally understand why people want to stay.



Since then, we have had regular playdates, lunches out with pizza and cheeseburgers, and trips to the pools. Plenty of great conversation with the moms. Tomorrow a trip to the snake park. We've been having a great time. And it only took 6 weeks to figure it out!

The long trip to Kiteto District

From the whole family:

Background: Scott had a three-day work trip to the Kiteto District well south of Arusha. We were meeting with several villages interested in establishing the Makame Wildlife Management Area (WMA). WMA’s are a new Tanzania land management category established to conserve wildlife while directing compatible economic benefits to local communities. It involves transferring land ownership and wildlife authority from the government to a village. The day before, Scott participated in a signing of WMA near Mount Kilimanjaro and transfer of land to several villages in an emotional ceremony. On this trip, stops included meeting with a village assembly to hear their goals, needs, and challenges and visits with district officials responsible for overseeing the process. AWF staff discussed the benefits, challenges, and process to establishing a WMA with both groups.

Angela and the kids didn’t want to be left alone in the roach motel so they came along with me, looking forward to an outing with good hotels and meals. They decided that the described six hour trip would be worth it.

Things didn’t turn out exactly as expected…….. The trip was an unvarnished view of rural Tanzanian life and we learned many things about Maasai culture.

Lesson #1. Time is relative in the Maasai culture. The six hour trip was actually ten – twelve hours each day of continuous driving along the most isolated, rutted dirt roads we have traveled. We passed three towns and a few dozen vehicles in three days. We named our very capable driver, Flying Ali. Angela says she lost five pounds but aged six years. By the last day, we had negotiated a five minute roadside break every two hours.




Lesson# 2. The Maasai do not take food or water with them all day while out grazing their cattle. Lunch was at 3:30 PM. Dinner was at 9:00 PM. The last minutes snacks we brought were a lifesaver.

Lesson #3. Facilities away from the safari circuit are, er, um…… modest. During lunch, Annie curled on Angela’s lap crying while Charlie watched the crowing rooster tied to the table leg with great interest and enthusiastically said “And Dad, did you see how they store their meat?” We looked up to see sides of beef in an unrefrigerated case hanging on the wall. Annie started crying harder. Morning breakfast of hot chapati at roadside stands (even if sanitary preparation was questionable) became a treat.





Lesson #4. Even staying at the nicest guesthouse in town (two bumpy hours from the meeting location) does not guarantee a toilet. But these porcelain squatty potties are a step-up from the “hole” typical of any rural community. Toilet paper is rare. The buckets are for washing off afterwards. Electricity is reserved for 6-11PM. Getting on the road by 6 AM necessitates a headlamp.





Lesson # 5: Many Maasai in rural areas have never seen a mzungu (white person). We only saw one over the three day trip (an NGO worker). Blonde haired and blue-eyed young girls are a particular attraction. Unlike the States, where staring is done surreptitiously, in rural African areas, prolonged gawking by adults and children is accompanied by pointing, laughing, incessant chatter, and banging on the vehicle windows, as you would at a zoo to get any caged and displayed animal’s attention.




Lesson# 6: You can fit a lot of Maasai in a Toyota land cruiser. Vehicles are very uncommon traveling between rural villages. The Maasai always help each other out with all of life’s tasks and travel is no exception. We regularly picked up and dropped off Maasai on our journey. At village stops, crowds quickly form at the doors of departing vehicles. In one instance, a half hour group discussion and negotiation session ensued, which was mediated by the village leader. It was decided that ten village members was a good number to join Angela, Charlie, Steven, and Ali in their land cruiser for the three hour drive to the next village.




Lesson #7. Maasai women often are married at a young age. The friendships they form with their husband’s other wives must be a big help. The Maasai village leader in the vehicle with Annie and I took a liking to her immediately (In the picture, he is the man next to the one wearing my binoculars). I almost got her married off for ten cows and some goats. I had to throw in my binoculars and watch because of her young age and inability to help much around the boma.




Lesson # 8: Vomiting Maasai passengers are no reason to pull over. Because they do not ride in vehicles very often, the roads are very rough, the drivers fast, and they are packed efficiently, they get car sick easily. The vomit flowed freely and was sometimes caught in their Maasai cloths and sometimes just ended up on our luggage. After an hour, we came to a small village. After a brief stop, someone obtained plastic bags which helped for the second half of the trip. Even though the dust was a problem, we kept the windows rolled down because of the smell. Upon arrival at their final destination, they piled out quickly, but their gift remained with us for the rest of our trip. In return, we left them a bag, sweatshirt, and hat from the back of the truck that we no longer wanted.





Lesson # 9. The Maasai get to set fires. Lots and lots of fires to maintain grazing land, reinvigorate tender grass for cattle, and reduce ticks. We passed Maasai on bicycles, setting spot fires every few kilometers.



Needless to say Angela and the kids won’t be coming on any more work trips.

Manyara Ranch Post Burn, School, and Boma

From Scott (again, because I can't get anyone else to add to this silly blog): The wildfires have started now that we are mid-way through the dry season. Yesterday we visited Manyara Ranch (owned by Tanzania Land Conservation Trust located between Tarangire and Lake Manayara national parks) to conduct post -fire monitoring on a grassland at the southern end of the ranch that burned this week. We worked with Pastor Pasgamy, who has just been hired to establish a wildlife and habitat monitoring program at the Ranch. Several hundred nearby wildebeest and zebras watched us as we worked while hornbills and lilac-breasted rollers flew among the scattered trees and bushes.


















The burn (started of course by Maasai kids playing with fire) was a few hundred acres. Ranch staff and dozens of people from the adjacent villages suppressed the fire with "natural beaters" made from palm fronds.


After the monitoring was completed, we visited a 900-student boarding school for Maasai kids located in the middle of the ranch. Because of its location in the wildlife and predator corridor (regular encounters by elephants and lions in the schoolyard) and the deplorable building conditions, a new school is being completed by AWF on the edge of the property. Ex-teachers Carol, Wayne, and their cameras were a huge hit. The kid loved seeing their pictures, asking about America, and telling us about Tanzania. It was a very touching afternoon for us and a break from laundry day for them.














Next we visited a boma in adjacent Esilalei village. The women that lived there were arriving with bundles of hay on their heads for the goats in the compound. They showed us their homes and beautiful beadwork. Lots of hand-holding (and petting of Annie's hair) while getting to know each other. Charlie and Annie were more focused on the many baby goats that needed petting. Annie was lobbying heavily to bring one home.






















Like everywhere in Tanzania, Grammy was identified as an easy mark and followed by one girl with beads to sell. Unable to pass up another shopping opportunity she came away with a bracelet and a new friend.

The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

From Scott: This past week we went to Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area with Angela’s parents. It was great.

Things started out well for the girls the first night because we stayed at the Ngorongoro Farm House. Pampered luxury worthy of a Ralph Lauren advertisement. Greeted with juice, warm washcloths, and roasted cashews. Cabins looked like Pottery Barn meets Africa with blue tiled bathrooms/showers complete with a vessel sink. They were in heaven after being subjected to the roach motel (House of Angela - as they say here) back in Arusha.

We awoke the next day to an eight-hour drive on a dusty, washboard road. But the wildlife was spectacular. Wildebeest and zebra herds were migrating north towards Kenya. We were traveling to the northwest corner of the park to catch them as they crossed the Grumeti River. Along the road we saw herds of thousands of gazelle and impala.

Lunch at the entrance gate was a multinational experience with Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Norwegians, Brits, Africans, and a few Americans eating their park lunches. Charlie found a great bunch of agamas, lizards and chameleons competing for leftovers with mice and any number of birds.

After lunch, we saw a leopard relaxing in a tree.

That evening we arrived at our tented camp (10 tents) and were greeted by a very nervous-looking and tentative staff. Once we heard the loud, nearby mating lions we realized why. It was a little bit worrisome, since we had the last tent on the end closest to the lions. The staff escorted everyone as a group to and from their tents. On the way to dinner, they shined a flashlight beyond our tent and we could see the lions pacing and watching us about 25 yards away. The lions were so active earlier in the season that all the guests slept in one tent. Whoa. Of course on the way back from dinner we had to dodge a hippo wandering through camp. His munching and heavy footsteps outside our screen kept Angela up all night.

After the next morning’s breakfast, we went out for a more relaxed game drive. We saw huge herds of migrating wildebeest and zebras walking in long thin lines north.

When they reach the Grumeti River (filled with crocodiles and lions in the adjacent woods) the wildebeest all bunch up waiting for the leaders to decide if it safe to cross.
Sometimes they get spooked and change their mind mid-crossing. Some get injured. It is wild to watch.

In the afternoon after crossing through a tetse fly area (tough biters!), we returned to the hippo and crocodile filled river, watching herds come down to drink in safe areas. There was, of course, a suspended walking bridge over the river that Angela, Carol, and Charlie crossed, while 15-foot long crocodiles lounged below them. I wouldn’t go near the thing. We observed a lion pride from a distance while they awoke from their afternoon naps.

We left the Serengeti the next morning and headed to Ngorongoro Crater. On the way we saw the ostrich mating dance, spotted hyenas, jackals, a bustard (large ground bird), and the secretary bird (very large ground falcon).


The next morning we drove through a misty tropical forested canopy while the road descended steeply into the Ngorongoro crater. Even though it is filled with visitors, being in the large collapsed volcano filled with wildlife was worth it. The highlight of the trip was watching two cheetahs stalking a resting gazelle. Incredible patience; and when the gazelle caught on and stood up, they dropped and pretended like they didn’t care.

We of course ran into Bill Clinton in the Crater. As we passed his entourage of vehicles, Annie gave him a big “woo pig sooie” (the Arkansas Razorback’s call) - a big hit.

During lunch, everyone stayed on top of their trucks because a troop of black-faced vervet monkeys was stealing unattended lunches. Three climbed on top of our truck’s roof and almost got Charlie’s, snatched a cracker, but Charlie and Angela fought them back. Hilarious.

The in-laws arrive

From Scott: So Angela's parents arrived. They brought with them some survival gear for their stay. Brownie mix, pop tarts, cheetos, and a wide variety of sweets. As a thank you from the other houseguests, several roaches made it through the mosquito netting to join Carole in bed for for the evening. Aparently, the bare-footed fumigators will be returning to our place while we will be out on safari.