January 30, 2015

January 30, 2015 Well tonight's sundowner turned into two and then into three and before we knew what was happening we were into the buy 3 get one free zone which is dangerous! As luck would have it the rooftop patio is within stumbling distance though so all is good and we made it back to the room in one piece. Today was another tough one! Laying by the pool really knocks it out of you. LOL! This morning we hired a local cab and took a tour of the little village of Nungwi which was really interesting. Our driver Mohammed spoke English quite well and so our tour gave us some information as well as a tour of the sights. Highlights included the local government hospital (but if you're really sick you go into Stonetown to the hospital there), lots of locals (few who were willing to have their photo taken), the fish market, ladies weaving flat strips that could then be sewn together to make bed mats etc, ladies spreading tiny fish on tarps to dry in the sun, children coming home from the early shift at school (there are two shifts each day in the public school), children walking home keep off the road but as they walk along the front of the buildings they have to duck under barb wire (with rags tied on it for safety), laundry hanging everywhere so Friday must be laundry day, a common outdoor kitchen where ladies gathered around fires and large cooking pots, bundles of firewood for sale, roads are very narrow and nothing is paved, and houses are very rustic and old. All in all our tour of the village was only an hour but filled with info and sights. There are lots of free water stations in the village and residents make a business out of collecting water in 5 gallon jugs and then delivering them to homes and hotels for a fee. As there is no cost for the water, it is a good business. Another important task is the gathering of firewood. Children and adults alike have responsibility to help take care of daily chores so it is common to see kids out gathering sticks to bring home for the fire. Villagers in Nungwi appear to live a very simple existence (seemingly impoverished in fact) so the contrast of the affluence of the tourist accommodation and the simplicity of the village is stark by comparison. Villagers appear to live day to day and hand to mouth...so different from the live we live at home. Later this afternoon an odd and interesting sight appeared at the ocean's edge in front of our hotel. There were four cows just left there to bask in the sun on the white sandy beaches...yes...odd and interesting! Today seems to be a day for guests to check out and new ones to check in so there will be some new faces around the pool tomorrow. As you can see from the length of this entry....another quiet day. till tomorrow we go polay polay and hakunamatata, Darlorlynga

January 29, 2015

January 29, 2015 We need to begin with something from yesterday as it's worthy of note. Not many people check in to their hotel and request a downgrade but we did! When we arrived and discovered we'd been upgraded to rooms with a view (one on the 2nd floor and one on the 3rd) we panicked and immediately informed the hotel manager that we needed to have rooms on the ground level. The alternative was that she would have to deal with our crying and whining every time we ascended the stairs. The Kholle House in Stonetown did us in! All four of us are no longer limping and gimping around as we are appreciating our ground floor rooms each time we go there. In fact, being just steps from the poolside is absolutely perfect! Today began with our buffet breakfast on outdoor patio. Gail and Darlene tried to start with coffee in their room but....alas....they don't know how to make African coffee. LOL....coffee here is usually instant so tomorrow morning Darlene has voted and Gail will be climbing the stairs to the Z Cafe where she can get two Americano's to take back to their room. Suddenly Gail has decided that she now likes the coffee Darlene made in the room this morning....go figure??!! Poolside was the order of the day and mid morning Darlene and Gail enjoyed a Turkish Delight. I on the other hand was invited for a cappuccino. Lynda was off communing with nature while this was all going on so she missed out on both Turkish Delight and cappuccino treats. There is a story here but it's not fit for blogging so if you want the rest of it....you'll have to ask. However....what happens in Africa stays in Africa. LOL! Got a little shopping done during the hottest part of the day which means that we were in those little shops where there is absolutely NO air at the worst possible time! It is all Gail's fault - again! Seriously, I'm pretty sure each of us lost 10 pounds of sweat while we were shopping! I ended my shopping experience waiting for a tailor to see if I could get a shirt made. While waiting I spent some time chatting with a fellow who was keeping me company. It was so interesting to see all six men who were in the shop watching the House of Assembly on TV. They were all completely engaged with the proceedings and all were super informed about the government processes and current events. It made me embarrassed to think about how little attention we pay to current events and government goings on in Canada. Here corruption is rampant and so the people are vigilant about being aware. At home we're pretty protected from corruption so the result is that we are very lax in our commitment to being informed. Hopefully that doesn't open the door for us to be at risk for corruption down the road! The man I was visiting with had lots of questions about Canada and he was really interested to know the percentage of the population that is Muslim or Christian or ???? He was also really interested to know about our lack of corruption in government offices. Interesting what we take for granted! Dinner tonight at a table out on the sand. Gorgeous until Gail and Darlene couldn't get their chairs quite right. When the dinner was done and it was time to go Gail couldn't get up so asked (politely of course!) if the rest of us could please just lift the table so it was easy for her. Tomorrow we are going in to the village to find a crown for Princess Gail! It was much like this afternoon when Gail couldn't get her deck chair right! She was up and down and up and down, Darlene had to hold her rolled towel so it was just right as a pillow and in the end it still wasn't right. To top it all off...when it was time to go.....Gail just left and Darlene said, "Don't worry Gail...I'll bring your sunglasses, your book, your water, your camera, and your shoes. You just go on ahead." Laughter is the order of the day here at Z Hotel in Nungwi. We are all so relaxed and our safari seems like ages ago not just days! Blog posts used to be filled with information about some of what we'd seen and learned that day and now all we've got to fill them with is silliness and laughter. No complaints though....we were ready for the the R & R. So you will have to put up with our "shallow" posts for the rest of our 5 days here. Till next time... Darlorlynga

January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015 Started our last day in Stonetown with a good laugh....this morning at breakfast Gail decided to look for her camera in her purse. That may not sound all that funny to you but when I add the fact that she was looking through my purse it gets a little funnier. To move from funny to hilarious you need to know that she didn't clue in when nothing in the purse looked familiar so she started to take stuff out of my purse and pack it in her pack sack so it wasn't taking up space in "her" purse. It wasn't till she pulled out my wallet that a strange look dawned on her face and she noticed that it wasn't her purse at all. I retrieved my "stolen" items and we all agreed that it will be a long time till she lives this one down. btw...our purses are similar in colour on the outside but hers is green and mine is orange on the inside....are you laughing yet? we are!! LOL Still no wifi at Kholle House this morning so haven't been able to post from yesterday either so when we next have wifi you may have a small book to read. Off to Z Hotel in Nungwi this morning. Driver was once again Mohammed (the same guy who picked us up from the airport at arrival in Zanzibar). During our 1 1/2 drive to Nungwi we learned that: - 90% of Zanzibar is muslim, 8% christian, and 2% hindu - 50% unemployment - men are allowed to have up to 4 wives (if there is good reason and most reasons are good - LOL) - there are more women than men born in Zanzibar - 90% of police are corrupt (all the way to the top) - housing has shifted from mud and stick (although you still see the odd one of those) to brick and tin roof. typically (as is the same in mainland Tanzania) it takes up to 10 years to complete a house. no one has a mortgage as they build as they can afford to. - we passed a technical trade school en route and Mohammed explained that it takes either 1 yr or 2 yrs to become a plumber or electrician etc. they go to school 3 days/week and work in their trade the rest of the time. - women get 3 months paid leave (pay comes direct from employer) when they have a baby. - children wear uniforms for school. primary is blue and white and secondary is blue and green. all girls are wearing head coverings. - women wear veils by choice depending on how devout and whether they come from Arab families. when they are at home they wear kangas (traditional african wraps) and when out in public they wear the long dress (sometimes black, other times colourful) - Sunday evening is the day for families to go visit in a public square of market. Little girls are dressed in fancy dresses and everyone is dressed up. two types of hospital care here. one is gov't funded and the other is private. both provide quality care but the belief is that the private is superior. there are 51 varieties of mango! there are also numerous variety of bananas but we don't know the number - oops! Tanganika used to be the name of mainland and at that time Zanzibar was a separate country. In the 1960's they combined to become Tanzania. Z Hotel is really lovely and pretty fancy! We have two tv's in our room (and we haven't seen a tv in so long that we hardly knew what they were when we saw them. They're hanging at the end of each of our four post mosquito netted beds! We won't be turning them on though as this place begs you to do anything but watch TV! It is so relaxing and it feels so fancy and I'm feeling so spoiled. In fact tonight as I was watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean while listening to a combination of waves on the shoreline and IZ singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World (one of my favourite songs!!) I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't all a dream. Hard to believe that it's been almost exactly two years since I left the College. So much has happened in that short time! School finished, business up and running, second Mexican Retreat for clients just around the corner, targets achieved as per business plan, book in hands of publisher/editors and scheduled for launch in November, dream to combine work and travel achieved, trip of a lifetime to Africa including achieving my childhood dream of someday visiting the land of Zanzibar (the most exotic name I'd ever heard as a young child of 5 or 6 when the dream was born), experience flight in a hot air balloon, and extended travel throughout the Yucatan scheduled to begin in less than a month. Yep.....pinch pinch pinch! Enough about me though....Gail is a much better topic. In fact we've begun to notice that whatever it is that causes Gail's confusion (and ability to lose things) is contagious. First Darlene caught it this afternoon when she couldn't find her water (which was two inches from her right foot beside her deck chair. Then Lynda caught it when she couldn't remember whether or not she had taken her malaria meds (just seconds earlier). I'm a little worried cuz from the way things have been going I could be next! But just a minute....if I'm feeling worried maybe I've already caught it as that is another of the symptoms of the Gail disease!! LOL!! Good thing Gail is such a great sport and loves to laugh. Her laugh is infectious and so we're all laughing much of the time. The ocean here is azure in colour, the beach is sugar fine white sand, and the temperature is perfect. During the day it is pretty warm and humid but by the time the sun goes down it is a balmy 25'ish and there is a beautiful breeze and well.....it kind of looks like paradise. We're all being careful to stay out of the sun as when you're only 6 degrees away from the Equator you're pretty much guaranteed to burn in no time at all! Sunscreen and umbrellas are our friends! Dinner on a rooftop restaurant tonight. Tomorrow is another day.....till then.....polay polay and hakunamatata (slowly slowly and it's all good), Darlorlynga

January 27, 2015

As you may have guessed....one of these photos is from our spice tour yesterday and the other is from today. January 27, 2015 January 27, 2015 Whew! It's our first lazy day in a loooonnnngggg time! Slept in a little, had breakfast and then took the opportunity to get some laundry done in our rooms so we could take advantage of the little common patio we have off our rooms on the third floor. The only sketchy bit is that when the breeze comes up there is the risk that someone will lose their clothes and since Darlene already lost one pair of underwear to the African winds....she can't afford to lose any more! LOL! Lynda made our server laugh this morning when she came down for breakfast in a very wrinkly shirt from the bottom of her suitcase. She said, "I had to look a long time till I found a shirt that would match the wrinkles on my face". Our server started laughing then and continued to laugh right through Lynda's order for "everything on the menu please". People laugh very easily here and everything is "cool" and "hakunamatata" no matter where you are or what the topic. Lynda wasn't the only one who got our server laughing this morning. Darlene started it all off when she first came down. The server commented on how nice Darlene and Gail looked in their pretty dresses and asked if they bought them here. Darlene said "no, they came from Canada" and "thank you". A few minutes later the server came by to whisper in Darlene's ear that she might have her dress on inside out as there was a tag at the top and seams were all showing. Sure enough...a trip to the bathroom was in order and before long the dress was right side out again. LOL.... While it might have been easier to send our laundry out today...we decided to take on the task ourselves and now I'm sitting on our patio amidst all our hanging laundry with the call to prayer sounding again. It comes 5 times a day and is really very pleasant to hear. There are two mosques on either side of us so we can hear the prayers too. Another sound we hear twice each day is an old air raid siren. Once at 7:30 a.m. and once at 3:30 p.m. Years ago when the Arabs were in authority here it was to notify the locals that they had to be on this side of the river by the 7:30 siren and away to the other side of the river at the 3:30 siren. Today it is to notify everyone when the official workday begins and ends. Washing the laundry is a little more challenging here than it is when you have a washer and dryer like we do at home. We decided to use the tub in Darlene and Gail's room as it is smaller and square whereas the one in Lynda's and my room is massive! So....a couple of inches of water, some laundry soap, a lot of time standing on your head swishing filthy clothes around (at least two rinses to get rid of the dirt!!) and then to find makeshift way to hang laundry for four people in a small area in such a way that they won't blow away! Yep....we have it pretty easy at home!! We've been informed that there will be a dinner served up on the rooftop patio just above us tonight so hopefully all of our laundry will be dry and out of the way before people have to pass through our patio to get to their fancy dinner! Although if they're African they will just say "hakunamatata" and smile. Just ordered some lunch to be brought up to our patio location as the girls are back from their swim. Avocado and Pomelo salad and veggie samosa for me - yummy!! I think Lynda and Darlene are having the same and Gail is gonna go for the salad and some fries. How lucky are we!! ....back again..... Just in from the main street and Fodorhi Market where Zanzibarian pizza was on the menu for dinner. The main course for Lynda and I was from Mr Happy's table of a wide variety of seafood and our option for the entree was spicy potato, flafel, coconut bread, and a rice ball. Our pizza was a dessert option. Mine was snickers bar, nutella, and banana wrapped in a rice flour crust and then fried in ghee at an outdoor stand. After all that it was drizzled with chocolate syrup. Lynda had a nutella and mango also drizzled with chocolate syrup and both were delicious. Oh ya...we shared a bite with D & G too. Flat white coffee was a perfect accompaniment for the sweet pizza. Yes...we're all watching our diet go out the window!!!! Gail and Darlene headed back to the Archipelago Restaurant on the beach as they wanted to try the chicken with pico de gallo burger tonight. We were all happy with our choices. Lots of laughter over coffee tonight as we reminisced about the time that Gail walked into the women's washroom at Lake Eyasi Lodge. As she opened the door to the main washroom there in front of her sat one of our male companions....yes.....he was on the throne in the womens washroom by mistake. All the rest of us heard was a simultaneous male and female scream (yes, men scream too!) as their eyes met through the open door. I won't mention the aroma that Darlene is referring to as we recollect the incident. Soon enough the women's washroom was once again a safe place and Gail was able to return for a "quick" stop. We also revisited the peeing with the wildebeast migration as it was only tonight that Gail disclosed one of the men was out of the vehicle which is why she had to come so close to me with the result being that she peed on me. (this is the pee sister story if you missed that blog entry). We also considered the fact that both sides of the vehicle have mirrors and oops...we hadn't thought much about that till tonight. More on the peeing business again features Gail and Lorrie. This time it was during the spice tour and although Lorrie was able to keep her distance from Gail's spashing abilities there was another animal involved again. Instead of wildebeast this time it was a cow and they were all in the middle of an orchard...in fact they were under a mango tree. So....next time you have a mango think of us. Speaking of mangos....Darlene reminded us just how huge they are here! Maybe everyone pees under mango trees in Zanzibar. LOL! Another story that came back to us tonight was when Gail played draughts (checkers) with the checkers king of the Kati Kati camp. He beat her but....it was a close game and the men were shocked by her ability. Her next game was against the guy who is second to the king and it ended in a draw. They play the game on a regular checkers board but for their men they use bottle caps. One person is right side up caps and the other is upside down. It works pretty well until you get kinged and your caps tip over. As well, draughts has slightly different rules in that a king can run diagonally up and down the board so it is a challenge to figure out where the next strike will come from. Gail did Canada proud though so we toasted her with our coffee tonight. On our way to dinner tonight the boys were again jumping off the docks into high tide water. It was all good until Lynda agreed to pay $1 for a photo and then they all wanted to be the photo she took so the competition was on and since she had agreed to pay the expectation that she would take all their photos was high. She did her best but as her kids will understand...only 3 turned out since her trigger finger is a bit slow. Since there were only 3 photos to pay for the competition continued as all 20+ of them vied for position to prove that was them in the 3 photos. In the end...Darlene and Gail watched from the safety of the sidelines as the mob closed in on the two white women who were left. Lynda put up a hand and shouted "back off" (she thought it was swahili but really it was english ......but it worked). She showed the pics, identified the star of each and paid her bill. Three dollars later she had 3 photos on her camera and the mob subsided to a dull roar. Gail and Darlene are telling us now that the bystanders were growing in number as this event was the entertainment of the week. Another little story that happened on our way to Fodorhi Market tonight included a cute little boy who was about 1 1/2 yrs old. His dad had left him in the car for a minute while he talked with a friend at the back of the vehicle. The little boy was to watch the people walking by for entertainment. This was all well and good until 4 white women walked by and the poor little boy (who had never seen a white person before as he is from a very rural area) started to cry in fear. His dad came running and rescued the child. We tried to show him we were okay but he was having none of it! As far as he was concerned we were from outer space! Today was such a relaxing day for all of us. After our work was done this morning we spent the rest of the day focused on R & R. Gail lay down and then did some primping, Lynda just plain slept, Darlene and Lorrie had a really long swim, and then we all played Skip Bo as the breeze washed the heat of the afternoon away. Off to Nungwi in the morning so gotta get packed again tonight. Won't miss climbing the 38 stairs at Kholle House but will miss Stonetown just a little. So....Princess Gail (who has changed her mind and no longer likes being dirty) and her entourage are off on the next adventure. Kwaheri, Darlorlynga

January 26, 2015

January 26, 2015 There were so many other things swirling around in my head that I'd forgotten to include in the blog last night....so here are a couple of them before we head out for a day in Zanzibar. We dropped into the Ngoro Ngoro Crater as we left the Serengeti. The crater is is almost 1/2 mile deep and is the largest unbroken caldren in the world....8 miles I believe it is. It houses 7 different mini climates on it's floor and more on the rim and sides. It also is home to the only year round lake (salt water) and there are numerous underground streams that come into the crater which is why it is so perfect for all the animals. There are 3 roads into the crater. One is one way down, one is one way up and the third is two way. I'm sure glad we took the one way down and one way up as I wouldn't want to meet any traffic on either of those roads! They are windy and STEEP! The crater is where we saw our rhinos! I can't believe I forgot to include that! We also experienced a herd of buffalo stampeding toward us. Super majestic! Also the Massai are allowed to roam freely in the crater with their cattle so it is common to see zebra and cows or goats together. They have to leave at nighttime though and so it is a long walk up and down for them each way but then they don't seem to mind walking at all. LOL! After the Serengeti, the NCA (Ngoro Conservation Area) seems a little like a game reserve. There are so many jeeps full of people here that it hardly seems like the wilderness. At the hippo pool where everyone stops for lunch, there must have been two dozen at least along with a couple of busloads of school kids. You can count on a chance to see all of the big five in the crater which is why it is referred to as the 8th wonder of the world and why so many people choose to visit it as their safari stop. Victor managed to create a little private viewing for us though when he took us down a less used trail to a different hippo pool where there were no people and in fact the viewing was much better! We could see them rolling in the mud and flopping around to keep the sun off them. Speaking about mud.....I cannot tell you how dirty we all are! Darlene can't stop laughing and says her mom and dad will be laughing about this fact too as she has never liked being dirty since she was a little girl. Gail's family will be giggling about it too as we refer to her as "Princess Gail" cuz she likes everything to be nice too. To give you an idea of just how much dust/dirt there is...Darlene was sitting in the front seat of the back section of our vehicle. Victor (driving) was right in front of her and his window was open (as were most of the windows most of the time). I was sitting one seat back and across from Darlene when I noticed the cloud of dust that was hovering/swirling about her! LOL!!! Oh my goodness....it was as though Pigpen from Charlie Brown had come to life! Darlene's cloud of dust didn't go anywhere...it just swirled around her constantly. That's when Gail brushed off her bare arm and another cloud of dust floated off of her too! Then Darlene picked up some of the fabric of her pants and when she let is spring back down an even bigger cloud puffed up from her. In fact, Darlene was so covered in dust that her fair eyebrows were thick and reddish brown colour at the end of each day. (The earth here is a reddish brown) When you couple the amount of dust there is with the amount of sweat pouring off of us you end up with a lot of mud so.....I'll leave it to your imaginations to think about just how dirty we all looked at the end of each day. Interestingly, Gail has decided (and I quote) "she likes being dirty". I think that's about the most of it so till later..... Darlorlynga January 26th continued... Thought I would be able to post those "leftovers" from last night this morning but alas...wifi is very unpredictable and still can't get it to come up tonight either so will spend a few minutes capturing the day, give wifi one last try and then hit the hay after another long hot day. Breakfast is included at Kholle House and we were finished in time for our 9:00 a.m. pick up. As luck would have it, Kassim was our guide and Kassim was our driver so it was really easy to remember their names! City tour of Stonetown was first on the agenda so we walked from hotel to market through the alleys of the old city. We learned that doors, clocks, and _______ are the three ancient measurements of affluence in old Stonetown. Of the three things...doors were the most important and so a lot of attention was paid to the door of a building to the degree that the foundation was first and then the door was the next thing built even before any walls. There are even picture books for sale that feature the most spectacular or interesting doors of the city. Another point of interest in the old city is that many of the buildings had bridges or walkways linking them. This was often to accommodate the sultan to be able to access different sections of his home(s). Buildings here are built of ground coral, soil, and limestone so those without a new layer of plaster are crumbling. Everything gets a coat of whitewash/paint regularly to hide/manage the mold and mildew that comes with being in this tropical climate. After winding our way through the narrow alleyways al the same time as motorcycles and about a million other people we arrived at the market. There we saw everything from veggies and fruits to meat and fish hanging and piled for display by the vendors. An interesting fact is that the veggies are piled into groups of 3 or 5 and when you're quoted a price it is for a pile not by pound. There were baskets of chickens coming in for slaughter and sides of beef and other stuff hanging from hooks as butchers hacked their way through carcass after carcass. We avoided the fish section as Princess Gail has an aversion to both the taste and the smell and the looks so we honoured her "NO" by avoiding that section. The spice section was just a teaser for what would come later in the day. Bottom line is that there were soooo many people, sights, smells, and sounds that photos will never do it justice. After the market driver Kassim met us with the van and drove us to the site of the old slave trading centre. Today the site houses a church, a school, and a hospital in respect of the atrocities that location has seen. Builders left an underground section where slaves were held at auction site, a tree stands where the whipping post did, and a group of statues wearing the original slave chains honour those who passed through this horrible site and its processes during the many years that slavery was nothing more than big business. From the first sign at the entrance gate I couldn't stop the tears. It was an emotional stop for all of us and impossible not to feel guilty just for being human and not from Africa. Sadly even after the first treaty to stop slavery was signed it would take 100 years before the end would actually arrive. Slaves from east Africa (an estimated 1.3 million through Zanzibar) went to the middle east and europe for the most part. It was African's from West Africa who ended up in America. In the Anglican church at the site (the underground slave cells are actually under the church) we also had the opportunity to see a cross that is carved from the wood of the tree where Livingstone's heart was buried in Africa. When he died he was mummified with his insides buried in Africa (where his heart really lie) and his body returned to England. While Livingstone played a huge part in bringing an end to slavery...there were others who started the process before him. What he was able to bring though was a network of connections that were powerful and affiliated with high profile institutions which helped to bring much needed attention to the atrocities. During the 100 years it took to truly abolish it, there were times that it was merely underground or other times when it was illegal to do international trade in human cargo but absolutely fine as a domestic industry! Once slavery was well and truly finished the focus of Zanzibar business shifted from slavery to spices and that is where it remains today. As our City tour ended it was time for a break and so off to lunch we went. Lunch at Monsoon was so good that we decided to go back there for dinner too! After lunch we were all 1/2 cooked (hot and humid by midday!) but set off on our spice tour anyway. Initially we drove by fields of different trees. Once we'd seen them from afar it was time to take a closer look so we visited a local families farm where they have random plantings of absolutely everything! We crushed and smelled leaves, slurped fresh coconut juice, chew on cinnamon bark peeled right off a tree, sucked every bit of goodness from mangoes that had been freshly picked and still warm from the sun, had pineapple juice running off our elbows, learned about natural remedies and uses for herbs, spices, and leaves. Kassim was an amazingly knowledgeable guide and so we learned and learned and learned as we wandered through the orchards. Did you know that there is something called a sweet lime and that it is delicious? Did you know that mace is the outside layer of nutmeg and that it is uber pretty? Did you know that lemon grass just looks like a bunch of grass? Did you know there are 51 varieties of tapioca? Did you know that cardamom grows from the base of it's tree and lays on the ground? Did you know that vanilla beans are green? Did you know that black pepper is really green? Did you know that the flower on the bottom of a mangosteen has the same number of petals on it as there are sections of the fruit inside? Did you know that they chop down the whole cinnamon tree when they're going to process it for it's bark? (and that tree may have taken 30 years to grow!) Did you know that allspice is it's own plant? (it's not a mixture of others) Did you know that cloves look like a bunch of little flowers when they're picked? Yep...we learned a lot! In addition to Kassim we had another young man who was going just ahead of us, climbing trees, and locating the best fruits for us to try. By the end of our tour we were completely done in! Temps were only low 30's but humidity was horrid and we'd been walking since 9 a.m. so back to hotel for a dip in the pool which made us all feel human again. Tonight after dinner we were so tired that we even hired a taxi to bring us the few blocks back to Kholle House. It was well worth the 3000 shillings (about $2.40) We knew that once back in our hotel we would have to make the long climb to our rooms on the third floor. There are just 38 stairs to get to the third floor but 38 stairs is a long way when they're steep and very high and you're already done in!! Everyone else is already sleeping so I guess I'd better do the same soon. Am sitting out on our little balcony looking at the woven leaf baskets our young assistant from the orchard made for each of us as we left there this afternoon. The baskets are filled with samples of freshly picked spices, the leaves from different trees (crushed and aromatic), and a leaf bracelet a leaf ring and a leaf frog that he also made for each of us. till next time... Darlorlynga

January 25, 2015

January 25, 2015 While it was only a few short days on the calendar for all of you...it has been a lifetime of memories for us since we last wrote on this blog. There has been no time to even pull out the computer let alone capture any of the happenings each day. I've got a few minutes in the Arusha airport so am hoping to get a few lines done on this blog. While we were clean for a minute this morning, that was short lived and within a few minutes of bumping along the road out from our night's accommodation, the Rift Valley Photographic Lodge, we were once again covered in dust and our plan for a clean travel day went up in dust too. It's all good though and none of us would trade it for anything! Now ....I'll do my best to go back in time a little to catch you up... Travelling the rim of the Ngoro Ngoro Crater was the start of our most recent "journey" en route to the Serengeti and that jungle terrain was home to a host of creatures native to the region. At one stop, we even had a baboon enter our vehicle (while we were out). Someone had left the door open for a few moments which was just enough time for the baboon to sneak in, locate our lunch boxes, open the top one and help himself to the parts of it that he preferred. Fortunately for us...one of the park staff noticed him go into the vehicle and so saved the rest of our lunches from this jungle thief! Our tented camp (Kati Kati camp) was located in South Serengeti and during our time in this region I'm certain we covered every inch of Central and South! In fact, in total we have logged just under 2000 km since our arrival in Tanzania 10 days ago! It's impossible to capture what we saw and did during the past 4 days as there was just soooo much and it was soooo amazing! .....pause here....they're calling our plane to Zanzibar and I sure don't want to miss it as there has been some "interesting" events already today!!....more on that later....much later.....as I have several days of catching up to do and it's all swirling around in my head! ....back again....great flight to Zanzibar (yes I've made it to the land of my childhood dreams!!) and I am resuming typing for a few minutes from the third floor (walk up) patio of our accommodation (Kholle House-a Zanzibarian princesses palace in the heart of Stone Town that houses only 10 rooms.) The others just left to go down for a swim and I look forward to joining them as soon as I get a few lines of this very long blog post recorded.... (welcome to the jumble that is my brain as I'm literally overwhelmed with so many things I'd like to write down......but bear with me and go back to the Kati Kati camp in the Serengeti...) The Balloon Safari that Lynda and I did couldn't have been any better. We had perfect weather and the sky was clear for the sunrise. We were picked up from Kati Kati Camp for transport to the launch site and en route were treated to a visit from 2 hippos on their way back to the water while it was still dark. Hippos eat only during the night and they have to eat all night long to get enough food to sustain them. They have to stay submerged in the water during the daylight hours. When they are in the water it is really hard to see much of their bodies and even when you do see them they bob back underwater again before you can have a good look so it was a treat to see them cross the road in front of our vehicle! Once at the launch site, we had our safety talk and a lesson on how to enter the basket. Yes...we needed a lesson on how to get in the basket for sure! The basket was lying on it's side and large enough for 16 people. There are 8 compartments with two people in each. Lynda and I were on the top level which meant we were the first to climb in. Climbing in is easier said than done! It is at least waist high and you have to get your knee up so you can pull yourself up and then get your other leg in and well....once you've gotten yourself into a very precarious position you kind of swing your butt forward into the basket and then skootch down while lying on your back. Once you've skootched far enough down your head is inside the basket and the weight of your head is off your neck so you can kind of relax. You don't really relax too much though as the space in the basket is meant for two VERY SMALL people so you're kind of wedged on top of one another! Before long all the compartments are filled and the pilot "hops" into his space (yes...somehow he is able to make it look that easy!), the balloon starts to pull on the basket and it lifts from it's side to right side up and within minutes everyone is invited to stand and look over the side as the balloon lifts us all away from the ground. This balloon is the third largest in the world and boy oh boy is it big!!! It's colours are green and beige so it blends in with the natural terrain of the Serengeti. When the flame comes on to lift us higher it is sooo loud and sooo hot but when the flame is off...there is not a sound to be heard. As we floated over the grasslands we saw animals waking up and popping out of their bed in the grasses, the sun rise over the mountains to east and scenery that took our breath away. After our ride (1 hr) we gently settled down (right side up this time) and were able to climb out of the basket with the help of the staff. Once out of the basket we were all treated to a glass of champagne on the plains of the Serengeti served up by our captain, Mohammed. After champagne we climbed back into our vehicles and departed for a nearby location where tables were laid out for a formal silver service breakfast complete with turbaned staff pouring heated water from massive copper jugs into massive copper bowls as we arrived so we were able to wash before breakfast! What a memory! After a wonderful breakfast there on the plains there was just enough time to stop in at the loo with a view before the hour long drive to meet up with the rest of our safari mates. The loo with a view was just a three sided u-shaped canvas tent with a toilet inside. I have to tell the truth that it was one of the best bathrooms I've ever been in! What a view!!! Although there will be other bathroom stories that will come later in this blog where the view was pretty impressive too! LOL!! I'll stop for now and hit the pool but will tell you that while I've been writing this I've listened to the call to prayer from two mosques near our hotel (beautiful!) and children playing in they alleys/walkways below. There are bells from bikes, horns honking in the distance, people talking, the sounds of families on a Sunday evening, and the warm tropical breeze is blowing so the temperature is absolutely perfect! Till later...... .....we're back..... had a wonderful dinner on the waterfront in Stonetown. Lots of nightlife with families walking together. Everyone is all dressed up. Kids playing, people visiting, boys jumping off the docks into the water.....lots of happy activity. Now back to where I left off in Serengeti.... En route from Ngoro Ngoro to Kati Kati there are a couple of events worthy of mention. As you may guess....they involve Gail! The first was when she alerted the entire vehicle to the fact that there was a sign she had never seen before and that was sooo interesting. It informed the drivers to go slowly as there was a snake crossing ahead. Now, we've heard of deer crossings and in Africa we might see wildebeast crossings but snakes???? Really??? Oh.....no....that sign means curves ahead Gail!.... LOL..... The other mentionable is the African massage that we all enjoyed for the first few minutes....after several hours of pounding across gravel washboard it wears thin though as do your hips and your knees and your back and your neck. On the upside, Darlene's headache disappeared instantly when her head hit the roof at one particularly deep hole! LOL!!! Arrival at Kati Kati camp meant we were met by 13 staff to accommodate the 18 guests in residence. As usual we were greeted with a cold drink of juice and hot wet towels to wash with. As we were quite late (dark was just 1/2 hour away) we were quickly escorted to our respective tents. Yes....we were staying in canvas tents! In the jungle! With wild animals all around! The security briefing as we arrived included instruction to NEVER walk between tents or to the cook tent without an escort after dark. To call an escort we simply stick our arm out of our tent and wave our lantern till they come. In case of emergency we were also given a whistle that would bring them all running instantly. Truth be told though it took them only seconds to arrive after the arm swinging lantern business. Showers are "on demand" which means you must have them during daylight (so the staff don't get eaten by the wild animals filling your bucket). Hot water is poured into your bucket and voila...you pull a chain (inside one room of your tent) and you have a shower. But...make it quick as there isn't a lot of water in that bucket!! Darlene and Gail (of course it was those two again!!) caused some havoc in the camp when they broke their shower. Well....it might have been broken before they used it..... In order for the staff to fix it they came in the "back door" of the tent which is when D & G discovered their shower wasn't as private as they thought it was!! The toilet is the same too...staff fill a bucket so you can flush. Toilet is also in your tent. The wild animals outside the tent and the reason for all the safety precautions are mainly hyena. You even have to be so careful that you don't leave your shoes out at your door or they will be gone in the morning. After a nice dinner as staff are walking you back they will show you the hyenas all around the trail you're walking on. Their eyes glow in the dark and it is very creepy!!! In the night you can hear them laughing! As well, we are in the jungle and so there are giraffe (we saw three in the camp yard the evening we arrived) and lions (there are signs of them all round), and buffalo (the most dangerous of the big five). On our final night at Kati Kati as we were being escorted back to our tents the staff shone their light out to the edge of the trail and looking back at us were eyes that were not hyena....they were much taller and a different colour! The two staff who were accompanying the four of us, ordered us to STOP NOW! DO NOT MOVE! DO NOT RUN! Within seconds we had been redirected to a secondary path and one of the staff was unzipping someone else's tent! We were hustled into this tent (which happened to house the two men who are our safari companions) and who were already in bed or a state of undress. The reason for this nocturnal visit was that the eyes in the dark belonged to buffalo and those buffalo were hunting us. The staff left the four of us in the men's tent (with the men) and went in search of help to deal with the rogue buffalo(s). Fortunately not too much time passed before we were again hustled out of the men's tent and toward our own. It was a quick pace between locations and the staff were almost as afraid as we were. We all wondered just how effective our canvas tents would be against a wild crazy buffalo! It took some time that night for us to settle into sleep. Speaking of animals....we're sitting here in Zanzibar drinking coffee and African Baileys trying to recall the list of what we've seen. Our guide, Victor, is so educated and so passionate and unbelievably able to see animals that binoculars can't pick up. So...here is a bit of a list of what we saw during the 3 days we were in the Serengeti. Wildabeast has to top the list as of the 1.8 million that are estimated to live in Serengeti, we saw 1 million of them! Yes....1 million! We were in the middle of their migration for miles and miles. And that leads to another bathroom story.... LOL! There aren't a lot of public washroom facilities in the Serengeti...in fact there are none! So....when in Africa.....bush bathrooms are the order of the day. And when you have four grandmas drinking bottle after bottle of water...bathrooms are a necessary stop. One of those stops came at the same time as we were in the midst of the wildebeast migration and for safety everyone has to pee together. (well...girls pee with girls and boys with boys). So, the four of us climbed out to go to the back of the truck. There isn't a lot of room there and so for those of you who have heard of blood brothers....you'll know what I mean when I tell you that Gail and I are now pee sisters! The good news is that she wiped my leg and foot with her wet ones upon our return to the vehicle. Peeing among a million wildebeast is an overwhelming event...in a good way....it's just one of those once in a lifetime things that is crazy when you describe it but that not many people can claim fame for. Now back to the list of animals..... we saw honeymooning lions (a pair has to mate continuously for 7 days every 15 minutes without stopping for food or rest), a bunch of 4 bachelor lions, lions sleeping on rocks and in the grass and along the road and well....we were lucky enough to see a lot of lions! We saw zebra and giraffe, and buffalo, and gazelles, and warthogs, and dik diks (tiny miniature antelopes), and elephants, and ostrich, and leopards, and cheetah too. There were thousands of birds - more species than I can mention. The guide book for birds looks like the Vancouver yellow pages! One thing about birds though is that they are sooo colourful. Bright blues and reds and yellows and greens....really bright....fluorescent in fact. A couple of animal highlights included moms with their babies and being close enough to hear them communicate with one another. The first was a cheetah and her 3 kittens playing in a tree. She made a mewing/purring sound which I guess told them to get out of the tree and go over to another tree to play until she was ready to call them back. A few minutes later, she did just that and they came running! It was really cute and so special to be able to see. There are only an estimated 500 cheetah in the Serengeti and we saw 6 of them! Victor said that because we were all so interested in nature...it was finding it's way to us. In fact, there were some things we saw that Victor hadn't seen for months or ever. Another baby story was two female lions and four cubs. One female and all the cubs were up a tree with the other female a short distance away on the ground. We watched those cubs play until one of them fell about 15 feet right onto his head! Ouch! It was so funny but sure gave us a scare when he fell! Lions up a tree was something that Victor hadn't seen before - it is not common and only found in certain regions. It's not that it is a different species of lion...just that they are inclined to climb trees for protection in certain regions. You may not realize just how near all of our sightings were....they are sooo close.....it is difficult to describe. Another mom/child story was two cheetahs (mom and teenager) who were chowing down on their recent kill. Mom ate a bit first, then let teen in to have their fill before she went back and finished off the gazelle. We were close enough to hear the bones crunching! While one of them is eating the other is standing guard. Cheetahs are at risk for lions and hyena (both scavengers) who will come in to steal their game and try to kill the cheetah too. When cheetah is finished eating, she cleans her mouth on the long grass to erase the smell of blood so she doesn't attract the predators. Lions and giraffe practice communal nursing and a sort of daycare and we were lucky enough to see both of those. In fact there is a lot of symbiotic partnering that goes on in the wilds here. Birds are carried on the back of the giraffe and in return keep them free from disease causing ticks. Zebras stand at rest in pairs, each looking in opposite directions, so they can see predators coming from all four directions. Zebra lead wildebeast in the right direction for the migration and wildabeast can find the water that they all need. Zebra are smart and wildabeast are not so zebra take advantage of that at river crossings by making wildebeast go first so the crocs have their fill of them before zebra begins to make his way across the water. Another amazing sighting was a large male leopard sleeping in a tree. As we were in a low travel zone we were allowed off the road so could stop right under the branch where he lay. He watched us from above and we marvelled at his magnificence! As you can see...the stories are endless and I'm about done for this day..... you're going to have to ask questions as I'm now beginning to forget what I've written and what is still missing from the page. Tomorrow is a tour of Stonetown and a Spice Tour so better get to bed or I'll miss our morning pick up! till next time, Darlorlynga p.s. I promised to tell you what happened en route to Zanzibar....we were originally scheduled to leave from Arusha at 1 pm. A few weeks prior to our departure that flight was cancelled and changed to depart from Kilimanjaro at 3:50. Yesterday we began trying to confirm our flights for today and let me tell you....that is not an easy task when there is no internet! With much help from Victor, his company Jenman Safaris, and Yamiti (manager of Rift Valley Photographic Lodge) we were finally able to confirm that there were conflicting times for our departure depending on who you spoke to. The decision was that we would go to Arusha for the 1:00 flight and if we weren't on it, we'd go to Kilimanjaro for the 3:50 flight. We arrived at Arusha (where we were also met by the general manager from Jenman) only to discover that our 3:50 flight had also been cancelled. There was another new flight out of Arusha at 1:00 that we could get onto for an extra $10 US each. We jumped at the opportunity and within minutes had tickets in hand. Can't say enough good about the service Jenman has provided!!! In fact, service and smiles continue to be the norm in Africa. good night....

January 20, 2015

January 20, 2015 What a day! Before it even began there was a strange visitor in the middle of the night at our room. We had put in for a 4:30 a.m. wake up so when I heard the knock at the door, I said Asante sana (thank you) from behind the mosquito netting that covers my bed. Seemingly whomever was on duty for wake up calls this morning couldn't hear me though as the knocking continued and was soon joined by a flashlight being shone in the windows. My Asante sana became louder and more purposeful but still the knocking and the flashlight continued. I got out of bed (and by this time I was almost yelling Asante sana), shone my flashlight back out the window to let the person know we were awake. I looked at the clock which read 2:30 and that's when I realized that the knocking was the wind and the flashlight was lightening! Had to laugh at myself yelling at African nature in Swahili. Crawled back into bed but sleep eluded me from that point on (Lynda on the other hand can sleep through anything!). As the storm grew in intensity, the rain joined in and I wondered if our early morning excursion would even be able to go ahead! Luck was on our side though and by 4:45 the rain had subsided to a drizzle and we were on our way as scheduled by 5:00 a.m. (in the pitch black I might add!) By the time we arrived at the village where we would pick up our local guide Edward (who speaks Bushman) we'd already had more 4X4 adventure than I can describe. We bumped and ground our way over uneven rocky terrain and down roads that were washed out from the rains during the night. Once Edward was in the vehicle with us...the adventure began in earnest. While we thought it had been a wild ride to that point...we'd now moved into the big leagues! We forded small rivers, created roads where there were none, and eventually arrived at the last known location of the Bushmen. We were in luck and they were still there! (they stay in a place approx 1-2 weeks at a time and their move date is typically determined by the kills they get or don't get as the case may be) It was like going back in time...way back in time. They are completely nomadic and live like cavemen in huts made of grass. During the heavy rains last night they moved from their hut to under a tree where there was less "leaking". They have absolutely nothing. There are about 25 of them in their "village". They sleep on the dirt (mud) and live off the meat they kill (all hunting is done with bow and arrow. Arrows used for large prey is tipped with poison). The only other food they eat traditionally is tubers and berries they forage from the jungle. Today they occasionally supplement their diet with maize and beans. It was still dark when we arrived and they were just getting their fires going. There was some dissension as they were having some trouble in getting a good fire since all the wood they could find was so wet. They make the fire with a stick and their knife, capture an ember in a closed piece of husk like material and then blow till it lights. They can have the job done in less than a minute! It seemed they weren't happy with the location originally chosen for the fire so some of them picked up the burning embers (with their bare hands) and moved the fire a few feet over to a new "better" spot. The Bushmen wear baboon skins and their language is filled with tongue clicks and clacks and has a very different sound. Their culture dictates that the men are responsible for hunting for meat and the women for gathering berries and tubers. The tribe is also heavily into marijuana so a ceremonial pipe (covered in monkey skin) was smoked by all the men. According to our guide only one of the women chooses to smoke but all of the men do. It was very interesting to see. They draw heavily on the pipe and then as they work to keep the smoke in their lungs they make a very strange sound that is half sneezing and half grunting. Virtually no smoke is left when they exhale. The chief (chosen for his ability to hunt) started off the smoking and each of the men/boys then took a turn to join him. The Bushmen have no idea how old they are. If you were to ask them, they would reply with something like...it was a big rain when I was born or ...the men brought home an impala the day I was born. Time seems to have no meaning...they live only in the moment. Infant mortality is high and the average life span is 50-55. After we'd visited for some time, the men were ready to begin their hunt. Lynda and one of the men from our group decided to join them and what an adventure they had! They found a stash of honey, killed a dove and a squirrel and picked up a rabbit they'd shot the night before and that it had been too dark to find. They threw the rabbit and the squirrel (fur, guts, and all) directly onto a fire they built at the kill site and as soon as it was cooked enough they started to chow down. Lynda had some of each of the animals and said while good they were all pretty tough and in need of some seasoning. She said they squeezed most of the honey out into their hands and licked it up. They brought back a small piece of the hive for the rest of us to try. I had a taste and it was honey all right....honey with a little wax and a few bits of tree bark thrown in for good measure. The rest of the kill they had leftover they brought back for the women and children. Lynda said that they eat like animals...chewing the meat off the bones and then throwing the bones to the dogs (they use dogs to help them hunt). They all chew with their mouths open and eat with GUSTO! When the hunting party returned to camp where the rest of us were waiting (they were gone for approximately 2 1/2 hours) Lynda had dove feathers in her hair (just like the Bushman who'd killed the bird) and she'd made friends with them all. Once back the men demonstrated their prowess with the bow and arrow and each of us had the opportunity to try our hand with their practice arrows too. We were shooting at a stump that was about 25 meters away and while the Bushmen could hit it every time none of us were able to match them. A few of us came pretty darn close though! Pulling the arrow back in the bow takes a lot of strength before you even begin to think about aiming at anything. Our time with the women was fun...they loved to look at the photos we'd taken of them and although we couldn't understand a word they said it was easy to know that they were enjoying themselves as much as we were. Edward's role with the Bushmen is that of community liaison and so before we left he checked with the women (the women are in charge in their tribe). Sometimes they tell him if anyone is in need of medical attention or if they need help getting water or food supplements. By the time we left everyone but Lynda and Norm and our 2 guides were hungry and ready for breakfast! (they'd eaten part of the kill while we were waiting their return). Victor found a spot for us to have a Bush Breakfast and in no time a table and chairs were set up, coffee poured, and a boxed breakfast served. After breakfast Victor also presented each of us with a gift of a Massai blanket in honour of the fact that we were on a cultural safari as much as one that focuses on animals. We bumped our way back out of the Bushmen's area and thankfully Victor and Edward know their way around the back woods as the rest of us would have been hopelessly lost! Once out we visited another tribal village. The main industry of this group is metalwork. They manually run bellows to keep the fire hot enough to melt the metals and pour/fashion a variety of useful items and jewellery. In fact, this is where the Bushmen trade for their arrow heads. We toured the mud and stick house (much larger than the Massai bomas) and learned how to grind maize with rocks. Here again there is a lot of mud and the kids entertain themselves all day long in the yard. Before we left and after a demo of how they work with the metals we spent a few minutes "shopping". We don't make any donations to this tribe, instead we support them by purchasing some of their wares. By the time we were finished, we were all exhausted and we still had a long bumpy ride back to our lodge where we were again met with magnificent meals. The soups they make are absolutely delicious. Today at lunch we had arugula soup that was followed by a full buffet meal. Dinner was again 5 courses and served beautifully. The attention to detail is noticeable and appreciated. It will be long day tomorrow as we head for the Serengeti and last night was a short night thanks to our windy visitor. So...bye for now. Everyone is good. till next time....hakuna matata, Darlorlynga

January 19, 2015

January 19, 2015 It was a muddy trek across the flats as we left our lodge this morning! A night thunder storm cooled the air and left us with an extra adventure. As we arrived at Lake Manyara National Park (the smallest park in Tanzania) we were met with envious looks from all the men who were in their sparkling clean safari jeeps. Ours was covered in mud from the slippery slidey wild ride we'd had that morning. While our jeep was not clean - the park was amazingly clean. From the washrooms to the picnic area where we had our boxed lunch it was spotless. Lake Manyara Park has several mini climates within it (as do all the parks it seems). My favourite part was driving under the heavy jungle canopy along the red earth roadways. The trees were massive! Lots of yellow acacia in this park...it is a very common tree in Africa and so many varieties of it! I think I remember Victor saying something about there being 47 of them! As we drove through the jungle the song of the cicadas was soooo loud and strong that it was hard to believe that it was coming from such tiny creatures...there must have been millions of them hiding in the shadows. Muddy puddles dotted the red roads and the air was moist and almost sweet smelling. When the jungle canopy receded and sun filled the jeep again, the magical spell of the jungle canopy receded too. We stopped to watch blue monkeys play at the roadside. It was so nice to see them here in their natural habitat. They weren't interested in our vehicle at all and that was such a treat as it means that no one feeds them from the cars. The rules are very strict in support of animal and habitat conservation here and the guides all seem to take their role of policing that as seriously as they do their guiding work. Termite mounds, baboons, warthogs, zebras, buffalo, and gazelle were all aplenty! We also took some time at the hippo pool to watch those massive beasts laze in a muddy pit they've adopted as their own. Victor is also incredibly knowledgeable about birds too and so we were once again treated to a massive array of species as we made our way through the wetlands area of the park. At first I felt like we were in a Tarzan movie and then someone mentioned that they were reminded of the Avatar movie set and I think that was an even better description of much of what we were travelling through. All in all...it was another great park! From Lake Manyara Park we headed in the direction of Lake Eyasi. If Gilligan thought they had a rough 3 hour tour...ours wins that race hands down! We are nearing the end of the rainy season so all roads are in pretty bad shape but the one we travelled today was long and ROUGH! It's impossible to imagine living this far out from town but many people do. The region is filled with irrigated agricultural fields (red onions, beans, and maize). Lake Eyasi Lodge is just one year old and so is virtually new. Again, we are the only people in residence so are feeling like it is our own place. Edward, our local guide for the day tomorrow, briefed us on what we have to look forward to with the Bushmen and although I'm not sure just how it will all play out...I am very much looking forward to it. It will be a 5:00 a.m. start so it will be another early night tonight! Hakunamatada, Darlorlynga

January 18, 2015

January 18, 2015 OMG! Yesterday we thought it couldn't get any better and then it did!! This morning we visited the Massai boma that is very near our lodge. We were on our way by 6:00 a.m. and arrived just in time to milk the cows. Women milk the cows and men look after moving them from grassy area to grassy area all day. The Massai begin their day at about 5:30 a.m. An interesting fact with the milking is that they put a calf onto one side of the cows udder and then one woman milks from the other side while another woman holds the cow by its nose. Everyone has a breakfast of fresh milk before starting their day of work. Massai fences are made of accacia branches. The thorns on these branches are vicious! I know this first hand as one jumped out and grabbed me as we entered the village. Inside the village we met the chief and all the residents. Everyone was very excited to meet us. The Massai speak their own language (not Swahili) and no other tribe speaks it. It is one of the ways that a Massai knows whether or not he is facing an enemy or a friend...anyone who speaks Massai is a friend. The other way they recognize one another is by the distinctive clothing they wear. Traditionally Massai children did not go to school but today it is common for them to have that opportunity. The two Massai men who work at the lodge we're staying in are sending all of their kids to school. Massai boys begin taking on responsibility for moving the cows by the time they are 5. Yes...5 years old! By the time they are 10 or 12 it is common for them to be out from morning till night with a herd of cows on their own. They entertain themselves by practicing their singing or dancing, or jumping, or running. There is a lot of structure in their culture and at the same time a lot of freedom. Back to the village...we were able to go into one of the huts in the boma and once our eyes adjusted to the dark, we were able to see that while it is crowded, there is room for all the necessary functions of the home. You enter via a curved hallway (there are no doors) and come right into the living room/kitchen. There are two bedrooms off this main room. One bedroom is for the children and the mother the other is for the father. All of the cooking is done in the hut and there is no chimney so the house is unbearably smoky. The woman cooks the food the man has provided and then leaves the house. The man comes in to eat his fill. The woman gets whatever is left over. If there is nothing left over the woman cooks more for herself. After we'd learned all we could about the hut and life in it we went back out into the yard of the village (the same yard where the cows had been so we had to watch where we were walking!). Once outside it was time for a demonstration of the traditional dances and song. I should add here that this village is not used to having visitors and so they are not performers at all....just regular people living the life they've been born to. The men and women lined up across from each other and the men started it off with some singing. I would describe some of their singing as 'throat singing' and found it interesting to think that the same sounds show up in the Arctic too! Once the singing was well underway the dancing/jumping began. Those men can jump! Then we moved into a marriage dance/ceremony and Lynda married about 3 of the men there! In the marriage dance the woman wears a decorative collar and dances/bounces her way across the divide to the man of her choice. Once chosen he turns slightly away from her and the deed is done! After the Massai village we went into a nearby town of 27,000 (Mtowambu - translated means mosquito river) where there are more than 120 tribes living in harmony. Intermarriage is allowed and may be one of the reasons that so many tribes can work cooperatively. One of the groups we visited were the Makonde. They are the only tribe in Africa who work with wood. They came to Mtowambu from Mozambique in 1974 during the civil war there. The people we met today were the children of those who would have made that long hard walk and one of the stories they told us was about a carving that has great meaning for them. It is an image of 120 + people standing in a tower shaped carving. All are supporting one another. They carve it to remember the importance of working cooperatively and in honour of their parents who made the long walk because of war. They want to remember the consequences of war so they never repeat it! While in Mtowambu, our guide for the day, Lulu, told us that the word for white people in Swahili is wazungu. Lulu was born in this town, as was her mother. While there we visited the rice fields, a family who makes banana beer (yes we had a taste of both the beer and the wine), we walked through banana plantations and along alleys and roadways that took us through the heart of village life. It was an amazing day! While inthe village we also enjoyed a wonderful lunch that had been prepared for us by a group of women who are working together and in partnership with the tourism office to boost their local economy by preparing this type of traditional meal for visitors. It was a special treat and we would not have been able to get all of those local dishes any other way! After lunch we visited another cooperative. This one was made up of 12 artists who paint most of the pictures you see in the shops throughout this region of Tanzania. Prices were good and quality high so they made a couple of sales from our visit. By the time we made it back to the lodge we were all done for! Temperatures were high and we had walked for miles. A dip in the pool helped revitalize our spirits and the drink at the bar helped a little bit too. We are now the only people staying in the lodge so have the entire place and its staff to ourselves. Yamiti, the manager is such a nice man! He told us the story of how he was able to break with tradition and obtain an education that has put him in a position to get the job he has today. He lives at the lodge when he is working and when there is no one in residence, and he has days off...he can go home to his village (about 1.5 hours by bike or 3 hours on foot) Tonight while we were sitting on the patio overlooking Lake Mynara and the grasslands between us and the lake, a group of Massai boys (and their cows) crossed our vision. It was such a magical sight I don't think any words I can type would describe it. so...just close your eyes and imagine what you think it would look like to be sitting in Africa, looking out over the grasslands while a group of traditional Massai boys wearing traditional costume moved their herd through the picture. Yep...you've got it! It was especially fun when the boys noticed us in the distance up on the deck. They may very well be some of the same boys we'd met earlier in the morning when we visited the boma. Anyway...they saw us in the distance and put on a little private show for us. They practiced their jumping one after the other while we clapped and cheered until it was time for them to move along with their cows. It truly is such an honour to be able to feel so included in the everyday life of the local people here! There are so many stories, and so much learning I know I am leaving a million things out but...I'm done for this day and it is going to be a long hot day tomorrow en route to Lake Eyasi. We may feel like we're in the middle of nowhere here but I have the feeling that we'll be going deeper into Africa when we head out tomorrow morning. We will miss our new friends here and feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to get to know them and their culture a little better. Hakunamatada, Darlorlynga p.s. just killed a scorpion on floor as it was crawling toward me! Yikes! Tonight a scorpion - maybe tomorrow a lion!!!

January 17, 2015

January 17, 2015 What a day! Safari is truly underway now....not sure when I will be able to post this though as there is no wifi at the lodge we are at tonight and tomorrow night. We began our day with a great buffet breakfast as we said goodbye to our friends at the coffee plantation. From there we set out with Victor en route to the Tarangire National Park. Within mere minutes of,entering the park we spotted a mama and three baby warthogs just a few feet from the side of the road. About two minutes later we came upon our first herd of elephant. Again they were right at the edge of the road and in fact, they crossed right in front of us. At most they were 2-3 feet from the vehicle! From there it kept on with so many more species....I will just say that all our hopes were surpassed. On the way back out of the park we passed more than 100 elephants along the road and on the hills. The baobab trees were magnificent and legend says that they are each God thrust from the heavens landing headfirst and buried in the earth. In the dry season the baobab looks like its roots are at the top hence the legend... Other interesting learning today included lots about the Massai culture. Men take as many wives,as they can afford. It is definitely a patriarchal society! They are semi nomadic. They live on milk, blood (they do not kill the cow...just tap into it to access the blood about twice weekly), and meat. They are changing to include some veg and maize into their diet too but traditionally...they would have nothing but the blood, milk, and meat. So many Massai wandering the fields along the roads...they walk for miles and miles every day. Women haul water and gather firewood, children and young adults tend the herds and the men are nowhere to be seen. Tonight we are at Rift Valley Photographic Lodge and again....we are overwhelmed. The rooms, the views, the people, and the fact that we are in the middle of nowhere are helping to make this the trip of a lifetime that it is proving to be. Yamati (a Massai man) is the manager here. While at work he wears a uniform but as soon as he is finished he dons his native garb and walks home. (About 2-3 hours if he takes his time). Ndori is another Massai who works here. He is missing his two middle bottom teeth. The reason for that is that many Massai have this teeth taken out when they are young kids (about 8-10) with the idea being that if ever they become ill it will be easier to take care of them. Food (milk) can be blown through a straw into their mouths via the gap in their teeth. I've never heard of anything like that before. We also learned about circumcision rituals (take place at about 14-16 yrs of age), marriage customs and processes, and that they shave their heads because they only get to bathe about every week or,two. Tomorrow we will get to see it all up close as we visit a real Massai home that is a short walk from here. We are heading out at 6:30 am. What an honour and experience that will be. Ndori will be taking us as it is his village. He will translate for us and answer any questions we have. So...it's off to bed for me. Power goes off here at 10 pm so I'd better get ready before that happens! There are no streetlights here! We are seriously miles away from anything but the Massai who roam freely in Tanzania. Darlorlynga

January 16, 2015

January 16, 2015 Early morning for Lynda and I.....long night for Gail and Darlene! This morning L and I discovered 4 notes that had been slid under our door during the night. All four were from D and G and gave us a running itinerary of their adventures. From midnight yoga to 2:00 a.m tea they filled the entire sleepless night with fun and laughter. They freely admit they would have preferred sleep but it eluded them all night long! Breakfast was served at 5:00 by our private staff in our private dining room. Even though we had requested a light menu (staff don't usually begin till 6:00) they prepared the entire buffet just for the four of us! By 5:30 we were back in the van with Coleman and Mork and en route to the airport for our flight to Arusha. We learned that Nairobi is home to 4 million people and that Kenya projects they will pass the 44 million population mark by mid 2015. There are a lot of people here and I think we saw most of them on our way to the airport. There were couples kissing good night (or good morning), men and women walking to work (they walk on average 10 km each way to work), people walking to the airport hauling their bags (again...at least 10 km), and lots of cars!!! Most people start work here at 8:00 but they have to be on the road by 6:00 to get there in time because of the traffic. On the way to the airport we passed a rustic fenced building site. It is the site of what will be a massive security check where vehicles will drive through a giant X-ray machine thereby eliminating the need for the manned security site we had to pass through. Even so early in the morning there were chaotic lines of vehicles and people on foot trying to get through the check point. Many had to get out of cars for a physical search of their person. Lynda volunteered if the police decided we were to be searched but alas...she missed out on that experience. Needless to say Mork and Coleman spent the entire journey to the airport in stitches and both told us they were so jealous of our guides in Tanzania as they would love to spend 10 days with us! Sweet talking boys! Sitting at our gate awaiting 8:30 departure with sun shining in the windows and a baobab tree in our line of vision. Yep....we're in Africa! .....next stop Tanzania...... We've arrived at our accommodation in Arusha and are sooooo happy with it. Moivaro Coffee Plantation is made up of the main reception and dining room, cabins set in secluded natural surroundings around the pool (we are in numbers 14 and 15), a small gift shop, and a sign pointing down a path through the jungle that says Massage! We are pretty sure we're gonna LOVE it here!!! Our room is absolutely beautiful and spotlessly clean with every attention to detail considered. Two single beds are strewn with bougainvillea petals, a mosquito net is tied up to be dropped at night, a corner fireplace with sticks at the ready for anyone who feels chilly, and well......it is simply perfect! Flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro was quick (45 mins) but they had time to serve a snack on board. service and smiles are abundant in Africa! Driver/Guide from this point forward is Victor. He met us at the airport and brought us the hour drive from there to here. Along the way we learned that he grew up in a tiny village (approx 800 people) about 5 km from the airport. The Masai shepherds we saw along the drive were likely 3-10 km from their home base (where the children and elders stay while the 12 + year olds are out with the herds). They are semi nomadic and move with the seasons/weather. We passed bananas and brick makers (they use dirt from the termite mounds to make the bricks so basically they are termite spit bricks), furniture stores (not a store as we know it as all the furniture is outside by the roadway for display), women with bundles on their head, rice fields, children carrying bundles of what is left after the rice is taken from the stalk to give to their cattle, donkeys carrying jugs of water, restaurants, car washes, and people....lots of people. It is all so familiar and yet so different. Everyone seems to work hard even though they may not move too quickly. Farmers plough fields by hand, everyone has to haul whatever water they need (there is no water system for most of the region we came through). Buildings have tin roofs so they can catch any rain water that may fall and everyone is aware of the value of that liquid gold. Tanzanite is also mined in this region (between Kilimanjaro and Mt. Menna (not sure that name is spelled right). Tanzanite is sometimes called blue diamonds and is said to be 1000 times more difficult to find than diamonds are! The final leg of our drive took us off the main road and onto a dirt track where Victor announced we were now going to experience our first African Massage (bumpy roads!!). Upon arrival we were met by several staff, served a welcome drink, and invited to sit on the patio to recover from our journey. Again.....service and smiles are abundant! Not yet noon and already I have a full blog post! It's been a busy day. Lunch is a 3 course meal and served between 12-3 with dinner a 4 course meal between 7 and 10 pm so I have time to join the rest of my crew for a dip in the pool before going for a bite to eat. ......till later....... I'm back....jeez.....this is a blogging kinda day! We have just finished lunch (which was delicious btw) and it was the table conversation that I think I need to share. It turns out that last night (or perhaps it was this morning) Gail was pushing drugs on Darlene and it took all Darlene's strength to withstand the peer pressure but she was able to hold strong and say "no" to drugs! Good girl Darlene....don't let that bad girl Gail lead you astray! LOL. Now,that you're all wondering and laughing....it was adivan that Gail had so nothing illegal.....don't worry....we won't be going to jail. Well....not for that anyway. We might be in trouble for all the ruckus Gail causes though! Upon receiving our bill for the drinks we had at lunch we discovered that Gail's order of vodka cranberry turned into a shot of vodka, a shot of drambui, and watermelon juice. Joshua (our server) has now had a lesson on what cranberry juice is. We've met our travel mates. Kevin and Norm are from Kelowna. They just got back from shopping in town for a gemstone for Kevin's fiancée. Lucky girl from the description Kevin just shared! BBQ for dinner tonight so the staff are setting up out on the lawns. Gorgeous spot! That's it for me today! Safari begins in earnest tomorrow so tonight after BBQ and malaria meds it will be straight to bed for this African Queen. Yep....I'm feeling pretty Royal today. LOL Darlorlynga

January 15, 2015

This blog entry will begin with something that JUST occurred and it is toooooo funny not to share! Gail has officially become the craziest one of us all! We are sitting in the courtyard of our hotel waiting for our dinner and as we are at the front of the hotel there are people coming and going. some of them are dropped off by car and others of them are walking up from the parking lot. Now for the funny part....not only our table but the entire courtyard filled with people at tables are also laughing at Gail and her latest faux pas. A man was dropped off by car and once he was out and walking up the path Gail began to scream and wave her arms at him and the fact that his car was rolling backward-he'd forgotten to put it in park before he got out! The funny part is that he wasn't the driver at all....he was a passenger and the driver was still in the car driving away. Oh yes....cars here are right hand drive and they drive on the left hand side of the road. Needless to say that Gail is suitable embarrassed and the poor man who she yelled at is likely under the care of paramedics for the heart attack she gave him. The rest of the courtyard audience who witnessed the faux pas are still chuckling. Yep....Gail has officially become the entertainment for the evening! Now to backtrack till this morning. Breakfast (included with our room) was amazing! Service extraordinaire and the food was pretty good too! Massive smorg and almost the whole place to ourselves. Weirdest things we tried were ox kidney and boiled arrowroot. Tomorrow morning the chef said he will have our breakfast ready for us by 5:00 as we will be picked up at 5:30 to go back to the airport for our flight to Arusha. After b'fast, the four of us headed over to "the big house" as dubbed by our resident jester (Gail). The big house in this instance is the big Boma Hotel that is adjacent to our little Boma Inn. The big house is where the pool is and as guests of the Inn we are able to access all the services there. Once we arrived at poolside (where we enjoyed iced mocha's) it wasn't long before Lynda decided to go to work. There was a young woman from India (Nina) who was trying to swim across the pool and struggling terribly. Swim coach Lynda had Nina swimming in no time and Nina was thrilled with her success. So now we know that Gail is hard at work as our court jester, Lynda is working as a swim instructor, and I haven't told you yet but I worked as the hotel plumber last night. Yes....it was after I wrote in the blog, my head was falling off my neck I was so tired and the toilet our room sprung a horrible leak! The pipe that refills the tank started shooting water against the side of the tank and the lid and from there it was a direct line to the floor. Within minutes I was facing a flooded bathroom while Lynda slept soundly on the other side of the wall. I mopped and wiped and cleaned and decided I'd better figure out the cause of the problem or I'd be doing this same thing in the middle of the night and then again in the morning. So.....I did it and I'm pretty sure it's never worked as well. I am glad to be leaving in the morning before they find out what a skilled plumber I am as they may want me to redo all of their hotel bathrooms! Now all that is left for us to discover is what Darlene's special talent will be in this trip. I'll bet it will have something to do with monkeys as she loves them! This afternoon while Gail, Darlene and I were at the pool, Lynda caught up on some sleep she missed last night. While we were at poolside the three of us took one for the team and taste tested the local spirits. Gail and Darlene dove into the Tusker beer (extra large bottles of course) and I decided on the Kenya Cane Rum (a double to keep up with the girls and their extra large beers). We've all just raised our glass of bottled water in one hand and our malaria pills in the other as tomorrow we officially enter the Malaria Zone! We're looking forward to the promised side effects to the meds. Drowsiness and dizziness sound fun when you're giddy with sleep deprivation and on your way to an early night. That's it for this day.....till Tanzania...... Kwaheri, Darlorlynga p.s. photos are of "the big house", Dennis (he's an option for you Leah), iced mocha's at poolside, and Lynda with her students.

January 14, 2015

27 hours in transit but we've arrived in Nairobi! :) The trip from airport to hotel was only supposed to take about 15 minutes but....police barriers and a spike belt that we almost ran over and that left us in a crush of traffic and an hour had passed before we arrived at our destination, The Boma Inn - Nairobi. Hard to tell in the dark (it is 8:30 pm here as kenya is +11 from home) but the garden we walked through to get to the front door sure made me want to go back down there tomorrow to sit and have a leisurely coffee! Rooms are comfortable and clean. Staff is outstanding! Easy to see that we won't be allowed to carry anything from this point on during our African adventure. There are always two or three men in spit and polished uniform at the ready for just such a task. I know we don't look the part and we certainly don't smell the part but boy oh boy it will be easy to feel like we're running with the rich and famous while we're here! :) Now to back track a little....we came through customs no problem and were met by Coleman a wonderful young man who had a sign with our names on it right front and centre of the crush of people waiting at the airport. He said he could tell it was us as soon as he saw us coming. Could it be that he knew he was getting a group of four women and could it be that he had heard they might all be a little crazy ....like doing this whole 3 weeks with nothing but carry on luggage?! However it all worked out and as we walked the several blocks to the parking lot where his partner/driver Mork was waiting with the vehicle we passed the crew from the KLM flight we had just left. A couple of the crew members recognized us right away and wished us a fun and wonderful adventure for our time in Africa. Coleman couldn't believe it....he's been doing exactly this job for 7 years and during that time he has met thousands of guests at the airport. Never before has he ever has any of his guests be remembered by their flight crew so he knew it was going to be a fun night. The drive from airport to hotel was interesting. There is a lot of traffic in Nairobi city and according to Mork it is common for thm to honk often and even bump into one another as they try to squeeze into a tiny space between other vehicles. We tried to get Mork to bump someone (as none of us have ever done that before) but alas...the opportunity didn't present. Perhaps on our way back to the airport we will have our chance. Words we learned tonight include: Jambo (hello), Asante (thank you), and Cariboo (you're welcome). To back up even a little further there is one regret that I have from today. I mentioned in an earlier post that Leah (Darlene's granddaughter) had sent us with a list of things to take photos of as well as a miniture of herself so she could be in the pics too. Well, one of the items on that scavenger hunt list is to take a photo of a guy (or two) who would be a good match for Leah and that she might like to see a photo of. Believe it or not, I met him right at the end of our Calgary Amsterdam leg and didn't think to take the photo till it was too late and he was off en route to Helsinke while we were making the LONG trek to gate G for our Nairobi departure gate. So Leah....this description is going to have to do....his name is James Bond (yes I'm not joking). I guess him to be about your age. He's been travelling for the better part of this year, he's pretty cute, he plays a guitar, and (drum roll please)....he is from Prince George! We'll keep looking for one for you but I gotta say that he would have been pretty perfect! Gail and Darlene just walked in to our room all nice and clean as they're already showered and in their p.j.'s I'm the only one that is still dirty and in need of some personal care so will see if I can upload a couple pics, shower, and hit the hay. Darlorlynga

January 13,2015

January 13, 2015 Well....we are on our way. Small change to the plans as we have a fifth along for the adventure. Little Leah will be joining us in Africa! 😀. This morning Darlenes granddaughter saw us off and gave us a card to read at the airport. Her note said that she had tried to get down to 20 lbs to fit in a carry on but alas....she didn't make it. But...she did create a little replica of herself along with a list of photos we need to search for. What fun! Thanks Leah!! Here are the first pics from the beginning of our journey. Darlorlynga. (Our new African name as created by Leah). 😀

January 12, 2015

Just two sleeps and we'll be on our way! Hard to believe it's here already. By this time next week we will be well into our safari and Nairobi, Kenya will be part of our newly rewritten history. Wow! As much as an African Safari is a popular bucket list item, I'm not sure one can really believe it will happen until the journey is underway. As we approach departure...it's as though I'm dialing in for focus and the picture is becoming more and more clear. :) I think my travel companions will agree that I am always the last to get ready and even I am almost good to go! I'm taking my unusually high level of preparedness as a sign that we're in for a fantastic adventure. Tonight I will finish packing my bag. Everyone else has theirs by the door and ready to go! Speaking of packing...you may not believe this but all four of us are doing carry-on only for the3 week trip. We will layer for the colder climates, we may not smell very good by the end, and we certainly won't have a lot of variety but we decided it was worth the effort to downsize our bags so we're not stuck waiting for luggage or lineups to check in bags when there are so many more better things to do with that time. :) We've all confirmed that our little bags will fit in the horrid little metal measurement thingy they have at the airport. I am certain that little box gets smaller every trip! Liquids are the biggest challenge but if we run out of anything, no doubt it will be a great excuse to buy some exotic replacement when we're there. Next time you hear from us we will be underway so...kwaheri for now, Darlene, Gail, Lynda, and Lorrie

January 8, 2015

Happy Birthday to my brother John and departure day is getting closer for us! The four of us were finally able to get together long enough to work out all the kinks in our tickets, visas, and vouchers. So many international borders to cross and so much paperwork to do! Just five sleeps now.... Here is a snapshot of what we spent the morning paring our mountain of paper down too. The pile used to be the height of Kilamanjaro!

L, G, D, and L

January 1, 2015

It's a New Year and we are into countdown. Wahoo! Less than two weeks till departure now. It will be a long journey but we are up for it. First flight is just one hour from Kelowna to Calgary. Next leg is longer...8 hours to Amsterdam. From there its 9 hours to Nirobi in Kenya where we will have two nights and a full day to recover from the trip and acclimatize to our new time zone. Will do my best to keep up the blog once we are underway so you can join us on this adventure. Be sure to comment as we look forward to knowing who has joined us on our journey. We are four crazy Grandma's about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime. During our three weeks in Africa we plan to do and see it all. Well.....as much as anyone can see and do in just 21 days. From the awe inspiring nature on the plains of the Serengetti to the excitement of historic Stonetown it is sure to be a wild ride and we look forward to having you along. Gail, Darlene, Lynda, and Lorrie ...here is a little taste of what is to come...