Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Perhaps my thoughts are colored by the events following September 11, or perhaps just by gaining distance as we travel.

For decades, people from Africa looked with admiration at the USA. But Africa is certainly no longer a fan of the USA. Deep feelings of sympathy on 9/11 have evaporated and anti-America sentiment has reached the deepest levels since Vietnam.

Bear with me as I explain, at least a little bit. It might not be fun to listen to criticism of the USA, but it is important. It has been quite an eye opener for us.

The USA is the undisputed leader of the world. Yet, the total absence of leadership by the USA in Africa is startling. The USA ignores brutal dictatorships (such as Idi Amin), regional conflict (such as Uganda/Rwanda), or economic development planning (such as the World Summit in Johannesburg last month). The focus of US attention is supporting despised undemocratic governments that are friendly to the USA (including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan), and maintaining and expanding US economic power and advantage. The unabashed self-first attitude of the USA (such as withdrawing from the Kyoto protocols) is widely published here. So is USA support for Israel, which is widely considered a rogue state that violates international law and human rights. Bush's cowboy style and go-it-alone strategy echoes very loud. A view that we hear repeated is that he is at least partially insane, acting like an angry out-of-control person. As the leader of the only super-power, that is very scary to the rest of the world. It is simply unfathomable to many that the USA, with a military power that dwarfs all others (some estimates say we spend more than all other countries combined), is acting scared and threatened.

The reality in Africa is very far removed from the views in the USA. Editorials still include sympathy for 9/11, but the magnitude of the suffering from terrorism is put into a different perspective when viewed against the suffering in Africa, which the USA ignores (and many say causes). The needs are desperate. Ethnic conflict, agricultural failures, infectious disease, limited education, and corruption all take a toll. Most are also fixable. For example, the major diseases in Africa have been eliminated elsewhere, but medicine and knowledge are not available in Africa due to the results of USA political or economic policy. It is clear that much of the corruption in Africa and lack of economic development could be alleviated by strong USA interest in the region.

Tanzanians we met emphasized the need for knowledge, capital, and health. The educated press argues for relief from punitive tariffs and trade restrictions (for example, Tanzania is now tearing out many of its coffee plantations, since world trade policy unfairly subsidizes Brazilian coffee). The frustration is clear, such that many (even the educated) blame the USA for anything that is wrong. While that is overly simplistic, the Bush selfish rhetoric unfortunately reinforces the image that the USA will do whatever it wants to protect its own economy and safety, and this makes him a very easy target for everything that is wrong.

Health and education seem to be the first need. Tanzania has just now been able to extend free primary education to its citizenry. Secondary (high school) is still expensive and scarce.

Ultimately, we feel unable to really express the huge gulf between the reality that Americans see on the news, and the reality in Africa. The current view of the world through the lenses of anti-terrorism is just as blinding as that of the cold war before it, if not worse. But the results may be tragic, and in fact self-fulfilling. American policy has devastating results in Africa, and recent foreign policy is building anti-American sentiment at a record rate. Someday those results will come home to roost.

Truly fighting terrorism requires that Americans get over the fear of the rest of the world, and instead step up to listening, understanding, helping and leading. Americans are way too ignorant of the rest of the world, particularly Africa, and our government enacts the will of the people which is to increase our own economic wealth without regard for others. So the solution begins with the individual citizens. Americans must know more about the rest of the world, and develop more compassion for others. For example, if we understood the people of the region then perhaps we would see that instead of fighting terrorism with offensive actions that inflame the local citizens, perhaps the best focus for fighting terrorism would be funding schools in Africa.

Many Africans previously had great admiration for the USA. The hostility is greatly increased just recently. That means that it is not yet endemic, if the USA can change course rapidly. And in a democracy, the way to effect change is to educate the people.  Since we really cannot fully express the situation in Africa, we have asked friends here to contribute to our website.  We hope they do.  And we hope that you read, study and take to heart their stories.  The suture of hundreds of millions of people depends on Americans having a better understanding of Africa..

Spirituality

Spirituality

As we progress through this trip, we gradually increased the spiritual aspects. We started by joining the Buddhist retreat in Thailand, and have slowly continued to read, think, and explore. We visited many cathedrals and masses in Europe.

We have considered ourselves to be pragmatic people, much more interested in the spiritual guidance that dictate ethics, tolerance, and service to others rather than the mystical or metaphysical aspects of religious teachings. We attended the Unitarian Universalist church in Pasadena. As we progress through this journey, we are becoming more deliberate in clarifying our spiritual beliefs. While in Europe, we began to make plans for an extended stay in India in Dharmsala, a Buddhist center. In Africa, we have continued to read, study and think, preparing ourselves for the most serious look into our spirituality that we have taken in our lives. We are re-reading the New Testament as well as other teachings, unsure exactly where they will lead but feeling that it is time to find out.

Arusha

Arusha

No one goes to Arusha. At least, no one goes there except as a departure point for a safari or other travel. Arusha itself has little to offer. But we spent two weeks there.

The first impression of Arusha is not very good. The bus stop is in a very poor section of town, and tourists are immediately swarmed by touts offering safaris, tours, taxis, hotels, newspapers, or anything else that you might want. The road is dirt, the buildings look like a shanty town. The tourists who pass through spend more in a few days on a safari that most locals make in a year.

We arrive after dark, and there are no street lights. We quickly head for our hotel, ignoring the touts. One follows us incessantly. At the hotel, unfortunately they have no rooms. But they do have a sister hotel just two blocks away. They assure us that it is just as nice (this one looks great, with a pleasantly clean lobby), and they offer to walk us over. While we walk the incessant tout tells the hotel staff that we have contracted his services for finding a hotel, and asks to be paid. Our hotel staffer tells him to get lost. We find the hotel, slip inside and find a nice spacious room with private bath and even a television! We drift off to sleep.

The next morning we awake to the sounds of pounding and construction. It sounds as if the building we are in is being torn down. We are on the second floor, so we peek up the stairs and find that the third floor is in fact completely torn out, with just the exterior walls and gaping holes for widows. Workers are knocking out cinder block walls just above our room. Later, viewing the hotel from the outside we can see that the entire building looks to be under construction (or rather destruction) except for just a couple of rooms.  Ours is one of few left on the second floor, which is rapidly becoming a rubble pile.

We walk around town, and discovering the nicer areas we arrange to switch hotels. In the meantime, we decide to use taxis after dark. We eventually transfer to a facility run by the Lutheran church, a leftover from the missionary days. The church owns several of the nicest blocks of town.

We had planned out most of the safari in advance, but waited to see the company before placing a deposit. There are many stories of bogus operations, or poor business practices. For example, some companies drive rather shoddy vehicles which do not hold up to the demanding conditions of a safari, and break down frequently. If the vehicle breaks down then you simply lose out, without a refund and without made up time. Instead of a day in the game park, you spend a day on the side of the road waiting for repairs. Needless to say, we paid a bit more and picked a reputable company. We were quite happy, and you can read about the safari on several other pages in our journal.

On Saturday, we happened to be walking down the street when a wedding party passed by. A brass band packed into the lead truck, followed a long procession of cars celebrating the big event.

We found a cultural center that offers lessons, tours, and artwork, in support of the local villagers. Rod signed up for a drumming lesson, to learn traditional music. There are several drumming parts, one that just pounds out the basic beat, and others that are more difficult. Rod assumed he would take the simple part, but the teacher explained that that was the most critical part, since all others take their cue from it. So instead, Rod was supposed to learn the more complicated patterns. It was amusing as he would slowly learn one part, then another, but then couldn't remember the first part anymore when it was time to put them together. Eventually, he was able to combine the various parts into something that vaguely resembled the intended pattern. But it was still so far off that the teacher had quite a challenge to adjust his basic beat to match Rod's pattern. In any event it was good fun, and both Rod and the teacher had many good laughs.

In Arusha we met a group of college students from Doane College in Nebraska, who are spending the entire semester in Eastern Africa. They complete four courses, including learning Swahili and African literature. They get to see many different facets of African life, visiting villagers and interacting. At one point in the term, they will need to apprentice themselves to a local worker for five weeks, learning whatever trade they pick such as carpenter, brick maker, baker, or whatever. That is a long period of time, and they will really grow from that experience. Our hats are off to Betty, the program director, for creating this program. She is a literature professor with a love of African, and she put together her two interests to create this program. http//www.doane.edu/africa/

In the nicer part of town, it is clear that there is a budding middle class here in Tanzania. The streets are landscaped, and the buildings freshly painted. There is even an international conference on wastewater treatment going on at a local hotel (the topic is use of wetlands for secondary waste water treatment, such as is done in Cannon Beach, Oregon). We eat at an upscale Ethiopian restaurant, listening to Kenny G music. When we step outside, we hear the tranquil call to Muslim prayer. Interesting contrast.

We stay in Arusha much longer than any tourists do. Partly, we planned a few more things, such as climbing Kilimanjaro, that we have dropped (Fran's shoulder, which she injured at the Great Wall in China, has gotten worse again, so we will see a doctor when in Delhi). The result is that we have time to just talk and hang around with locals.

We talk about our travels so far, and what we might want to do differently. Mostly, we have decided to see less and spend more time in single places. We like to settle into a place, meet people, and get to know them a bit. In India we plan two extended periods staying put in a community, one in the north and one in the south. So, this stay in Arusha is sort of a test of the idea. We like it. We get so that we know all of the touts on the streets and joke with them. We know the staff at the restaurants. We are getting so that we are like the locals: we notice when a new set of white faces arrives in town.

We run into several Americans living in Arusha, running tour companies, or researching primitive man (the famous Leaky sites are nearby and are still active). We also get to know some locals. It starts to feel familiar and comfortable. When it is time to go, we spend a whole day just saying our goodbyes (though regrettably we still didn't get to say goodbye to Joseph!).

Ng’irisi Village

Ng'irisi is a beautiful village of 2,700 people nestled on the slopes of Mt. Meru in northern Tanzania. The fertile volcanic soil and the plentiful rains provide a lush landscape for farming and raising livestock. The people of the village belong to the Wa-arusha tribe, a branch of the Masai  As we mentioned on the page about the Masai, they are traditionally a nomadic people who following their cattle as they graze. When the Wa-arusha settled down on farms, their traditional way of life changed. During our short visit we were able to see a little of how pastoralism has changed their daily lives.

We visited the village as part of a cultural tourism program. This is a program created to give tourists a view of traditional ways of life while directing the profits back into the villages. In most of the villages the money funds the needs of the local primary school and development projects. It made us feel good that the money we spent would go to improving living conditions rather than creating wealth for tour companies.

Early on the morning of our visit we were met in the Arusha tourist information office by Emmanuel, our guide for the day. We exchanged greetings and started our walk through the city towards a taxi stand where we met a car ready to take us to the village. It had rained the previous day and the dirt roads to the village were steep, slippery and deeply rutted. There were no cars on the road, but we were greeted with the smiles and waves of villagers as they walked the opposite direction into the city.

We visited the main house, a school, a demonstration farm, and walked down to the waterfall. It was a very mellow day, slow paced and educational.

At the school we chatted with the headmaster. He asked us about our politics, and when we asked him about his he replied simply that all evil comes from the USA. Medical problems, AIDs/HIV, illiteracy and poverty were all the result of USA foreign policy. We talked with him a while, acknowledging some points but contesting others, and he ended a bit more positive at least recognizing that Americans are able to have their own opinions and discuss them freely. It was a bit eye-opening to talk to the headmaster of an Islamic school.

The children played outside during a break. In the classrooms were small wooden desks that they built themselves. Some children still had no desks, waiting for wood. The teachers were paid very little but were provided with housing. Getting more teachers for the school was largely accomplished by building additional housing for the teachers. In this area, where villagers were not allowed to cut trees in the forest and there were no stone building materials, this became a significant expense and barrier.

The children all flocked around Fran to get their pictures taken.

Oldauvai Gorge

The famous Louis and Mary Leaky (and now their son Richard) worked in the Olduvai Gorge, west of Arusha. For forty years, researchers have uncovered clues to the evolution of man in this remarkable site.

We met a man in Arusha who has studied in the Gorge, but also based his research on studying the animals in the parks today. John Kavall has a very interesting story to tell. In fact we got to read the first four chapters of the book he is writing. You have to wait until it gets published!

John has promoted a very novel theory of man's development. An accepted premise has been that man's direct ancestors were vegetarian, but that man then developed into an accomplished hunter. Watching the predators of the Serengeti today, it is not so obvious how early man would have competed successfully! The walking upright, the thumb, the larger brain, and use of tools all evolved, it was presumed, made man a successful hunter.

John had a different idea. Remember the leopard? It drags its kill up into a tree? A leopard will leave that cache unattended for hours, since no other animal can reach it. But basic biology says that nature abhors a vacuum, and when an opportunity exists, something evolves to fill the niche. John realized that the early man was still quite a good tree climber (longer arms, a bit hooked). Man, the great hunter, probably actually evolved as a scavenger! After the ancient leopard made the kill and pulled the prey into the tree, early man would poach the cache for an easy meal. Increasing evidence, such as bones with leopard teeth marks followed by human tool scrapping marks, seems to support the idea. In any event it made fascinating reading, and John is a very interesting guy with lots of stories to tell. He has known most of the important scientists who have studied here, and is now one of the senior folks. You can see the excitement of an analytical mind chasing a puzzle as he describes his work, with all of the colorful anecdotes that arises from a group of passionate people.

Masai

Masai Tribe

The Masai Tribe, while not one of the Big Five tribes of Tanzania, has been the most successful at keeping its traditions. Under socialism, there was great pressure put upon all of the tribes to abandon their teachings, language and traditions. Many people were forcibly relocated, and tribes scattered in an attempt to build a more homogeneous nation-state. Ultimately this was accomplished, and Tanzania is one of few countries in Africa without tribal conflict. However, this success came at the price of losing much of its identity. The exception is the Masai.

The Masai are nomadic, even today. They live primarily in the north part of the country, and tend their cattle and goat herds. They follow the pastures through the wet and dry seasons, and cover a substantial distance. Their life is simple. Because they are nomadic, they have escaped most of the government attempts to settle them. That also means they remain poor and uneducated.

To understand the Masai is to understand cattle and grass. The cattle provide the majority of the Masai nutrition, through milk most of the year and blood during the drought. Cattle are the possessions of the Masai  and their wealth. Payments of dowries are made in cattle. The people are nomadic because they follow the grasses between the raining and dry seasons.

The Masai have progressively lost their ancestral lands. Much of the Serengeti National Park was Masai land, as was the Ngorongoro Reserve. The Masai were removed from the Park, and their activities in the Reserve are restricted. For example, they may take their herds into the crater for water during the day, but may not spend the night.

During the dry season, the Masai tend their herds near ponds, which fill with water during the rainy season. By the end of the dry season, these are often parched, and the Masai women must walk 10-20 km (6-12 miles) to fill buckets and return with water. The Masai women do most of the work, including fetching water and firewood, food collection and preparation, and household chores. The men do very little. Traditionally, the role of the men is of warriors. Since the Masai believe that all cattle were initially given to the Masai  a chief activity of the Masai warriors was to collect the cattle from nearby tribes, returning them to the Masai (that is, cattle rustling).

While driving through the great open plains to the Serengeti, we observe many Masai  They are walking with their herds through space that seems devoid of any signs of human activity or occupation. Many of the herds are tended by children, who sit together and play and pass the day. Despite the scorching heat and the blowing dust, and the apparent distance from their shelters, no one seems to have any satchels of food or water. They seem to be just stark figures out in the plains. In fact from a distance, you simply see the dark images of the animals, with one or two bright red spots in the herd. These are the Masai  seemingly with no more possessions than the livestock themselves, and the red cloth wrapped around their bodies in the equatorial sun.

When a boy reaches the age of twelve, he can become a warrior. He and an elder go off for seven days, and he receives all of the ancient instructions in being a man, a husband, and a warrior. At the end of the seven days, he is circumcised. He then paints his face with white chalk, and dresses in a black robe to signify his status as a warrior. He retains this paint and dress for many months, even up to a year, to be sure that all neighboring peoples recognize his new status.

Today, the ritual has taken on a new, less inspiring meaning. The warriors no longer take their neighbor's cattle. Instead, the new warriors have discovered that tourists will pay for photos, so the new warriors are found along roadsides waving down cars and posing for pictures. Sadly, the traditions that escaped socialism may now finally succumb to capitalism.

As travelers, it troubles us that our very presence changes that which we visit. We strongly believe that westerners and Americans in particular are very ignorant of the peoples of most of the world, and need to travel more and experience other cultures to reduce our own biases and gain more understanding. Americans have the greatest impact of any country on other peoples, yet have very little knowledge. However, it is problematic how to learn without changing the very people that we came to learn from.

Safari

Safari Animal List

The amount of birds and animals we saw on safari was truly amazing. Some of the birds are probably new to you, but most are really quite beautifully colored. Here is the list of what we saw, some entries with notes:

Mammals

Predators and scavengers

Lion (singly and in prides, hunting and feeding, nursing, mating, and heard in camp)

Leopard (infrequently seen)

Cheetah (stealthy and infrequently seen)

Serval cat (http://www.sierrasafarizoo.com/animals/serval.htm small and rarely seen)

Spotted Hyena

Silver-backed Jackal

Crocodile (up close and personal)

Browsers

African Elephant (400, at the least)

Maasai Giraffe

Grazers

Black Rhinoceros (a tiny spot in the distance)

Hippopotamus (nearly submerged in ponds, they just looked like boulders)

African Cape Buffalo

Blue Wildebeest (in large herds)

Burchelle Zebra (in large herds)

Antelopes (in increasing order of size)

Kirk's Dik Dik (at 14” tall, the smallest of the African antelopes)

Thompson’s Gazelle

Impala

Reedbuck

Waterbuck

Hartebeest

Topi (http://www.africanmeccasafaris.com/kenya/safaris/wildlife/topi.asp

Primates

Vervant Monkey (black faced monkey)

Baboon (everywhere…in camp and on the roadside)

Ugly!

Warthog (probably the ugliest creature you are to see in the bush!) http://www.africaelephants.com/gallery/warthog.htm)

Birds

Marabou Stork (with a bigger wing span than me!)

Tawny Eagle

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Splendid Starling

Lovebird

Vulture

Blue and Red cheeked Cordon-bleu

Ostrich

Nile Goose

Secretary Bird (this one is weird but beautiful)

Gray Heron

Sacred Ibis

African fish Eagle

Long Crested Eagle

Kori Bustard

Black Crake

Night Heron

Plover

Saddle back Stork

Lilac Breasted Roller

Black Winged Kite (one took Fran's sandwich!)

Flamingo

White Neck Raven

Safari

The excitement about going on a five day safari had been building for some time. We made arrangements with Safari Makers (http://www.safarimakers.com/intro_page.htm) in Arusha to visit Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. They said each park is quite different and offers a unique range of terrain and animals. We hoped to see just about everything on the list of African wildlife and we weren't disappointed!

Joseph, our driver, and Mushaka, our cook, picked us up early for the two hour drive to Tarangire. Early on, Joseph showed that he earned the "best guide in the world" title. As we drove through the countryside, he told of the history of Tanzania and of the local tribes (see the "Masai Tribes" story). When we entered the park he identified wildlife at a glance and was able to tell of their habits and reproduction. His knowledge and the love of the outdoors were truly amazing.

Tarangire National Park was our first destination. Check out this link to the park: http://www.go2africa.com/tanzania/northern-safari-circuit/tarangire-national-park/. It is located in northern Tanzania and covers an area of 2600 square kilometers (map: http://www.tanzania-web.com/map/home.htm). Near Lake Manyara, it is a unique ecosystem combining a river valley (the Tarangire), gently rolling grasslands and acacia woodlands. The most striking feature to the Western eye is the proliferation of Baobob trees, which are best described as trees that seem to have been planted upside down. They have leaves so small as to be invisible and the branches look like roots in the air.

The variety of habitats in the park allows great diversity of birds and animals. The animal count is staggering...30,000 zebra, 25,000 wildebeest, 5,000 buffalo, 4,000 elephant, 2,500 Masai giraffe and over 1,000 fringe-eared oryx (gemsbok). With such abundant food sources, predators include lion, leopard and cheetah.

The park is most well known for the herds of elephants. Those beloved (but at times aggressive) pachyderms remain our most vivid memory of the park. For our luncheon entertainment, they bathed and strolled in the river below the picnic ground. We delighted at seeing, not one or two shy creatures, but a queue of 100 streaming into the river. They rolled in the mud, feet up (elephant acrobatics is amazing when you consider the tonnage prancing blithely about.) They sprayed each other, bellowed and jockeyed for the favored location. The pecking order was very clear, and if a higher-ranking elephant moved to the mud hole, then the rest just had to get out whether they were done or not. Babies stayed close to mom, sometimes trying to nurse.

Elephants are also quite intelligent. We saw one group poke holes in the mud near the river which would fill with water. They would then suck up the water with their trunks… creating a water filtration system!

Later in the day we met one group of elephants at a river crossing. There were two young and three older elephants. The largest, by the length of her tusks, was quite old. She faced straight towards us and stood her ground…then started to walk our way. Joseph gunned the motor of the jeep, the sound intended to make her turn. We breathed again when she rejoined the group, the elderly protectively encircling the young. They stopped at a patch of grass 20 meters from us and ate, cleverly knocking the dirt off the roots!

The zebra were also quite prolific in the park. They traveled in lines across the grassland, heading for the river. We were barely into the park when we saw our first zebra crossing. At long last. We saw signs in London warning of zebra crossing but never saw the animals.

When the zebras stopped to rest in the shade they would pair up with the head of one at the tail of the other. Thus, they could keep a lookout in all directions for predators. Joseph said later that the stripes are also a perfect camouflage from predators. When the big cats hunt, they sit patiently and single out one animal for the kill. They will watch that one until it is time to pounce. When the zebras run, though, the stripes confuse the cats. They can’t tell any longer which one they were watching and may give up the hunt!

Impalas, a type of antelope, were also quite common in Tarangire, but less so in the other parks. We saw mating groups of one male and his harem. Around the perimeter of his territory were the bucks in waiting. Joseph said that it takes so much energy for the buck to maintain his territory and keep the females interested, that he doesn’t eat. After about a month of this he is weak enough that another buck comes in and takes over his territory. He then goes off to eat and recuperate.

We saw the first of what would be many lions early the first day. (It would get to the point at the end of the safari that another pride eating lunch was just a ho-hum event!). This lone male lion was sitting in the sun waiting for the females to feed him. Yes, male lions have quite the life. They are too impatient to hunt so depend on the females for food. When a kill is made, he is the first to eat, getting his fill before the dominant female gets her share.

At the end of the day in Tarangire our patience was rewarded. We saw a rarity…a leopard sleeping on the ground in the shade of a baobab tree. Usually, if you are lucky enough to spot one, you will see it high in a tree. We watched quietly as she groomed herself, her powerful tail twitching. Every so often her yellow eyes alertly looked in our direction. Joseph and we agreed that we could not have shared a more perfect day in the Tarangire!

We met up with the three other members of our party early on the second day and began the long drive to Serengeti National Park. The park encompasses a vast area, 30,000 square kilometers, in Northern Tanzania. It has three distinct eco-zones: treeless, flat plains; rivers and mountains. Check out this link to the park: http://www.serengeti.org/.

The park is perhaps best know for the wildebeest migrations during the wet seasons...a time when over a million (literally) wildebeest and 200,000 zebras blanket the plains and rivers. As we were entering the park in the dry season, we knew the migratory herds were considerably north (in Kenya), and did not know what to expect.

We did not find great numbers of zebra or wildebeest, but did find that the lion population is quite large. As we were entering the heart of the park, we found a pride polishing off a meal of a large animal. All that was left was the rib cage, so it was hard to tell what creature met its fate that day. At 20 members, the pride was quite large. The dominant male and female both wore radio collars, a sign that their habits are being monitored by scientists.

We saw lions in every imaginable way...17 or so females sleeping in a mass, young cubs nursing while sheltered in the middle of the pride, lionesses hunting in groups of two with the male watching in the distance, the dominant male and female mating. Later, some people even heard the lions breathing and growling as they chased the hyenas out of the center of our camp at night! Rod and I were both disappointed that we slept through the excitement.

The lions did not seem at all affected by white cars with people popping out of the tops driving within meters of them. They just went about their business. We were told, though, that it would be quite different if we were to step outside the car. We didn't test that statement, naturally. Being at the top of the food chain with no predators seems to have left them with an attitude that fears nothing.

We saw so many lions that by the end of the trip the sight of a pride of lions polishing off a warthog was "oh, just another lion"!

Among the cats we also saw cheetahs hunting....ah, the power and speed of their stride! They can reach speeds of 120 kph. That compares to doing the 100 meter dash in 3 seconds or more than three times faster than the fastest human in history! We also saw a leopard sitting in a tree. When they make a kill that is where they drag their prey. They cache the food there, safe from lions, hyenas and other predators, so that they can eat their kill over the span of a full day or even two. The cheetah made a quick exit when a group of elephants strolled by. It seems that they are afraid of the power of elephants that can be rather aggressive when angry.

Elephants are by far the most destructive force in the parks. They break branches to eat the bark, smashing trees to smithereens. We listened to a herd of elephants feed on one grove, and it was the sound of branches crackling and snapping. They destroy whatever is in their path and are not too concerned about the concept of no-trace-camping. They create great mud holes in the stream banks. They are also a huge nuisance outside the parks, destroying whatever structures are in their way.

The giraffes, with their long necks silhouetted against the horizon are a common vision of the Serengeti. We saw one female with her twins, one reaching up to nurse. They browsed the acacia, leaving few leaves low on the trees.

Of the antelope family, we saw so many gazelles bouncing through the grass that we almost forgot to take a picture of them. We also saw topis, hartebeest and reedbucks.

Hippos, oh so many hippos, looking just like big rocks in the ponds. It was an event when one of the rocks slightly moved and grew a mouth and ears right before our eyes. They stay submerged by day and come out only at night. Joseph said that they can be quite vicious if you inadvertently block their path back to the water. We found it surprising that such docile looking creatures kill many people annually.

After Serengeti, we traveled to Ngorongoro Crater. The mountain was once as big a Kilimanjaro but left a vast crater when it erupted millions of years ago. http://www.pbs.org/edens/ngorongoro/ The caldera has lakes, marshes and plains and is the home to quite a diverse population of animals.

Here we finally saw the wildebeest, their shadows emerging from the dust of the windswept plains. They approached the pool where we were sitting watching the pink flamingos. The numbers of the herd were not great...most of them had migrated to Masa Mara in Kenya. They traveled with zebras, a safety measure for both. Wildebeest have poor vision. They depend on the zebra’s sense of sight to protect them from predators. In the migration, the zebras go first eating the tall grass and the wildebeest follow eating the low grass.

We saw many beautiful birds. One in particular is unforgettable...the black winged kite. As we approached the picnic site, we saw them circling in the air above. We marveled at how they maneuvered. We sat down with our lunches and Fran bit into the great tasting chicken that Mushaka had prepared. On her second bite she felt a rough bump to her hand, a sharp pain in her finger and the chicken disappeared. She never did see the kite that stole her lunch, but Rod sure had a good time bandaging the bloody gash it left behind.

After spending 5 days bumping along rutted roads, coping with the heat and dust, we looked at each other and said....yeah, it was an amazing experience

Thanks Joseph and Mushaka.

Zanzibar

Zanzibar, Stone Town

Zanzibar is full of myth and lore. Once the center of an Arab Kingdom, legends abound. As one of the Spice Islands, many traders passed through and spread their stories. Zanzibar seems to stand for the exotic.

While the history is vivid, Zanzibar today is a different place. Nearly entirely Muslim, it is very conservative. Within Stone Town, the women dress in black, covered head to toe, many with berkas to cover the face. But the tiny alleys, the bustling markets, the spices, the smells, the sounds, and the tropical climate all remain.

There are few real roads within Stone Town. Single cars could not pass through most of the alleys. The buildings are built close together, and the alleys wind there way along. Rarely can you see more that fifty meters (150 feet) ahead. The story goes that the town was built this way due to Muslim customs. The women are not to be seen in public, so the street level buildings have few windows. Upstairs is where the women live, and there they have windows, balconies, and even a few bridge ways that allow them to visit with each other, invisible from the street below. Indeed, our room is on the second floor, and the air is full of sound.

The friendliness and smiles of Zanzibar are legendary. We quickly learn "Jambo. Hibari. Nzuri, asanta" (Hello. How are you. Good, thanks.). People greet each other on the streets with big smiles. Yes they are very conservative, but are also very friendly.

Zanzibar is the name for a chain of islands. Informally, it also refers to the largest island and also to the main town on the island. Zanzibar town consist of two parts. Most tourists do not stray out of Stone Town, on the ocean. Just across Creek Street is Ng'ambo, where we see no other tourists. In Stone Town, tourists find cafes, scuba diving centers, and artists selling the famous Makonde wood carvings and other artwork. In Ng'ambo, the open air market is a procession of tiny stalls on a dirt road. One stall overflows with wood carvers making bed frames, and then comes a stall with mattresses, and then wooden dressers. The market progresses on through fish, meat, vegetables, spices, shirts, slacks, shoes, and even hardware. Each vendor has just a table or shack with a dirt floor, and is selling a few items. Many of the clothes are clearly the discards or odd lots from the Western world. We see T-shirts for the LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and others. We also see such oddities as people wearing T-shirts with the logos for small-time events of yesteryear in small town America. I remember seeing one of some youth or sports association meeting in Oregon in 1998. It is odd seeing so much clothing with themes so foreign to the wearers, in this desolate Muslim corner of the world.

The Ng'ambo streets are dusty, and the houses are just shacks made from sticks, mud and corrugated steel. They offer little protection from the elements except shade, but that is all that is needed (except the mosquitoes). One boy greets us and stops to chat for a while. He talks about his house and family for a bit, and then grows reticent, so we move on.

In Stone Town, we awake each morning before sunrise to the Muslim call to prayer. There are several mosques nearby, with the prayers broadcast over loudspeakers. They are rather melodic. But we are near several mosques, and they appear to be in competition. The melodic prayers become raucous as they blare in discord. It is too bad; we enjoyed listening to the Lutheran prayer services in Dar, and would also enjoy the sounds of the Muslim service here in Stone Town.

Zanzibar is well known for the artistic wood carvers. The Makonde tribe carves the black wooden statues that you have associated with Africa. They have considerable symbolism and meaning, generally of the Ujamaa theme, meaning the tree of life or family. Another wood carving tradition is wooden doors. Even simple domiciles have large, carved doors. The fancy places have quite elaborate and massive doors. The carving is coarse and massive.

In the evening we walk around, not paying too much attention to where we are. It is easy to get around, because in fact you are always lost. When we decide it is time to head back, we just point the compass east until we reach Creek Street and then find our way home from there. Alternatively, we point west and find the ocean. As we wander, we find street corners with a dozen men standing around a television piled up on crates, watching the football (soccer) game. On another night, they are watching the basketball championships (USA lost!). On other corners, men play games, such as karem. They flick one checker (like a cue ball) on a smooth board, trying to hit another checker into the pocket. They invite us to join. We don't play, but we watch. Two spectators wander off, and we find them later as one is shaving the other's head as an impromptu barber on the side of the street.

We want to hear authentic music and dance, so spring for a dinner show at the fancy resort. The flyer promises authentic Zanzibari music. It turns out to be a bust. Instead of Zanzibari music, we hear old American tunes played on an accordion and violin, accompanied with drums and vocals. Later we learn that actually Zanzibari music absorbed these European instruments during colonial times, and traditional music is now played this way. But we still doubt that Country Road is an old Zanzibari tune.

The next night, we meet some other travelers who also want to hear some African music and dance. We head for a different resort this time. To our surprise, as we begin our dinner and the musicians arrive, they are the same group! We enjoy the dinner, and have a quiet laugh to ourselves. Later, we pass a bar with what we are looking for. We join in time for the last dance and drumming.

We take a diving and snorkeling trip. Just off Stone Town are several dive sites (Bawi Island and Pange reef). The dive shop is fully PADI certified and we have a pleasant chat with the dive master the night before. We feel pretty comfortable, even though we then walk past the boat: it looks very rickety indeed! But the trip turns out to be great; the water is clear, and the reef full of fish, corals, and sponges. Since the reefs are shallow, there are several people on the boat who just snorkel and several others who dive. That works well for us, so we are together on the boat and for lunch, though Rod goes with the scuba divers and Fran with the snorkelers.

Stone Town is nice and quaint, but we are ready for pure relaxation on the beach. Off to Bwejuu…

Zanzibar, Bwejuu

It seems that beach time is becoming a common thread through our travels. And we haven't yet made it to Goa (India), Bali (Indonesia), New Zealand, or the Great Barrier Reef. Ah, it is such a rough life...

Bwejuu is just a 1-2 hour bus ride across the island to the east side. Along the ride are several villages and small settlements. Even on just one island, cultural differences are evident. The women's dress in Stone Town is head to toe black garb, with at least head covering if not a full berka. As we drive east, the berka disappears, and then the head scarf becomes colorful. Later, the clothing itself becomes very colorful and highly patterned. On the eastern coast, the dress is still very conservative, covering head to toe, but the scarf is not always present, the cloth is very colorful, and the styles of the clothing have some variety.

The east coast has a variety of holiday destinations. Some are full scale resorts with all of the amenities. Others are party scenes. We pick the quiet and solitude (surprised?).

The Bwejuu village is poorer than dirt. Locals depend completely on the sea, with little farming. The homes are just huts made from sticks and mud, and many are in disrepair. Occasionally, there are much grander places, the homes of the landowners or the hotels for tourists. We pick a quiet, inexpensive bungalow.

A coral reef lies offshore about one half mile, with the lagoon just 1-2 meters deep. The beach is very fine coral sand --it seems like talc powder. It even gets oozy when it is wet, and then just blows away when it is dry. When the tide is out, locals wade out nearly to the reef to fish with nets, or to pick up tasty morsels. We are here during the lowest tide of the month, and see women fishing with nets in groups of 3-4, wading up to their waists in full dresses. The men go out further toward the reef, individually or in pairs.

We spend a week, and watch other travelers come and go. Mostly we watch the sunrise and sunset, and walk the beach. We resume the yoga and meditation. Unfortunately, we both also have bouts with digestive bugs, and Rod alternates chills and fevers. But we face nothing too serious, and the only real problem remains Fran's shoulder, which she injured at the Great Wall and it still has not healed properly.

One day Rod joins another traveler to swim out to the reef at high tide. Unfortunately, the other traveler is a lifeguard on leave of absence, who wants to swim to get back into shape before returning home. After two hours of pounding through the surf, he still looks quite fresh while Rod drags himself back to the bungalow! But the swim was well worth it, as the reef is shallow enough for just swimming around looking at all of the corals and fish.

Rod talks a while with the manager at the bungalows, Horace Marwa. He was an accountant at a plantation on the mainland a while back, and with a steady job and income started a large family of four children (now eleven through one and a half). But the plantation closed down and his job disappeared. Now he is drifting from job to job, and quite pessimistic about the future. He joins the ranks of the underemployed.

In Zanzibar, body painting is quite popular. Especially when getting married, a bride will have extensive painting. A local woman offers to paint Fran. The next day, Fran agrees, mostly to get a chance to ask the woman her story. Her name is Nali. Unfortunately her English is not too good, so Fran ends up with more body paint and less story. But still it is a pleasant afternoon, while Nali paints and her two children play nearby. One joins Rod, who is doing yoga, and repeatedly extorts that each exercise is "easy". Ah to be young! The toes were so much closer then!

The days go by gently. Other than the stomach bugs, we have a very pleasant stay. When Rod's fever doesn't break after two days, we return to Dar for a malaria test (which was negative). The fever disappears and we continue on our way.

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam

We entered Tanzania through Dar es Salaam. Described in most tour guide books as a forgettable place without much to see, we pretty much just planned to use it as a base to get to Zanzibar, and then up to the game parks.

Indeed, Dar is not much of a tourist town. For starters, it has the worst malaria in a country where 25% of the population dies from malaria. That gets your attention! (Yes, we are taking malaria prophylactic drugs.)

Having traveled in the developing world a while now, much of Dar seems familiar. All manner of traffic is in the streets, which are a combination of paved and dirt. The sidewalks are non-existent or crumbling. Signs of prior investment, including tall modern buildings, now seem to be withering away through neglect or lack of money.

The airport is simple and tiny. We climb down the steps from the plane onto the field, and cross over to a small building. Clearing immigration is easy --the main focus of the officials seems to be to collect the duties on purchases made by Tanzanian nationals returning from Europe or the mid-east. We look through the airport front door and see the crowds of touts and hustlers, and stop to brace ourselves for the onslaught. We're back in the developing world!

The first day is spent largely on logistics. We find the ferry dock for the trip to Zanzibar, the bank, the supermarket, a gas station (for the cook stove), and the airline ticket office. We stay at a Lutheran Guest House, adjacent to the chapel.

At night, Dar does not look very inviting. The crowds are largely gone, the street unlit, and doorways and windows covered with steel. Of the people on the street, many are armed guards at specific businesses or government offices. Something tells us we ought not to venture far, so we beat a quick path back to the hotel.

In the morning we are treated to a pleasant surprise. In the chapel is a Morning Prayer service with a magnificent choir. The sound easily travels the 20 meters through the open windows. The Christian gospel with a distinctly African vocal sound is quite mesmerizing. We lie in bed quietly listening, and this becomes a daily treat.

Dar is much more diverse than I expected. There is a sizable Indian population, as well as Arab, and of course African. Once again, I am reminded of a map of the world (in the British museum) which is centered on the Indian Ocean, and it all makes sense that these are neighbors and have cross migration.

The weather is warm, but there are some strong rainstorms. Once it floods the streets enough that the hotel staff places stepping stones across the street so that guests can cross over the 3-4 inch deep water in the street. But the ground is largely sand and by morning it is clear again.

Parts of Dar es Salaam are relatively modern, including the region of embassies, ex-pats, and wealthy nationals. In the center of town, where we are staying, it is rather different. In addition to storefronts, there are numerous sidewalk merchants. Some have shacks set up from corrugated steel. Others are simply human clothes racks, people carrying a dozen shirts on hangers up the street and offering them to all passers-by. We watch people selling shoes, shirts, slacks and newspapers walking along the street, and try to imagine how anyone can earn a living that way. A man may have just three pairs of shoes to sell, so he must find a customer with the right size feet and preference in order to make a sale.

We pass by the Cultural Center, and stop in. Sometimes these are just tourist traps, but this has some very good Makonde wood carvings, painting, and other art. While looking around, we hear some drumming, and follow our ears around the back and out the door. A man motions us to come, so we round the corner and find a dozen people, some with drums and other dancing. One white woman is dancing with them. A man explains that this is a dancing class, and invites us to watch.

Those of you who have not seen African dance are missing something. If you are in Portland, there is a great African dance team (Obo Addy) that you should go see. I'm sure that our friends in Los Angeles can also find some similar place to visit. African dance cannot help but put a smile on your face. It is nothing if not fully emotional and captivating. The body movements are not graceful and delicate, but instead pounding, jarring and sensual. The drumming and singing add to the atmosphere.

We watch the dance class, and chat with the one white woman. Her father is stationed in Dar with the Foreign Service. At about twenty five years old, she has the opportunity of a lifetime. She fully immerses herself into the local cultures, taking language, dance and other classes as her dad moves to different locations. Wow! Who needs a university if you have a parent in the Foreign Service!

After the dance lesson we prepare to leave, but are a bit slow getting out. It turns out that another group has shown up to practice. They are a young but very skilled team, preparing for an exhibition in Stockholm,Sweden! Again we are invited to stay, and this dance exceeds even the one before. Three young women dance and sing while three men drum, and the elders coach and cheer. The dancers are excellent, with huge grins, great enthusiasm, and pounding movements. It is hard to stay seated.

We walk back to the hotel with big grins on our faces!

Tanzania

Tanzania

Tanzania, like much of Africa, is a relatively young nation-state. Before colonial times, the region was an indefinite area of tribes, each with their own culture, language, and leadership. Outside domination was initially Arabic, and later European. This is reflected today with a population of 40% Muslim and 40% Christian. Slave trade was a major factor during the Arabic rule, and tribes were set against each other. Portuguese and German rule was not much better, focused mostly on exploiting the people and natural wealth of the region (gold, diamonds). The British were at least able to stop the slave trading.

The First World War saw no real change in the area, although the colonial possessions were re-divided among the winners. However, after the Second World War, things were considerably different. Much as the difference between the treaty of Versailles (which was so unfair to Germany that many historians believe it led to the second World War) and the Marshall Plan (which helped rebuild Germany), after the second World War much of the colonial possessions were designated as UN protectorates, for the creation of independent nation-states.

Tanzania was unique in that it established a stable government which united the tribes. Julius Nyerere led socialist Tanzania for its first twenty years. He is criticized in the west for his authoritarian rule and poor economic policies; however he succeeded in creating one state where there was none. He mandated Kiswahili as the common language, usurping the power and authority of the tribes. An idealist, he patterned his government on ideas of African village society, which resembled small-scale communism. He blended those traditions with Marxist, Chinese, and Biblical ideas. He mandated free education, racial harmony, economic co-operation, and self-sacrifice. He was fanatical about equanimity and equality. Nyerere became a leader in the non-aligned world, especially Africa. For example, he was key in ousting the brutal dictator Idi Amin.

Nyerere's methods were not always pleasant. His policies dictated the forced relocation of many peoples. Many of the leading intellectual and educated people such as doctors fled to Europe, leaving Tanzania without knowledge and without capital.

The cold war was devastating to Africa. Each side supported brutal dictators, undermining democracy and spurning economic development. As Kissinger says in his classic textbook on Foreign Policy, stability was the number one goal. Both the USA and USSR felt a strong military leader was more stable than a democracy. The nation-building that started at the conclusion of the Second World War quickly was replaced by bad governments. (Not unlike US policy still in the mid-east, where we support Saudi and Kuwaiti dictatorships, even while saying we promote democracy).

Tanzania was one of few countries to remain un-aligned, and escape cold-war dictatorships (although Nyerere was authoritarian also). In the 1980's Tanzania moved into the next stage of nation-building, allowing multi-party government. This led to the reduction of state-owned business, fighting corruption, and the gradual creation of a private sector. The path has been very painful, with a decade of inflation rates of around 30%. For the past ten years, the economy has gradually stabilized and grown. Inflation is now down, and the GNP growth is 5% annually. But the country has remained intact.

The Tanzanian economy is largely agricultural, with coffee, tea, cloves, cotton, sisal, and cashews. Tourism is a tiny but growing segment, and provides hard currency. The National Parks and Reserves were created starting in the 50's and especially the 70's, and only recently are beginning to draw significant tourism.

Historically, Tanzania is the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Zanzibar has always been the reluctant partner, and still flounders. For example, the 1990's elections in Zanzibar were fraught with violence and corruption.

Today, Tanzania has free education for all, a growing economy, 25% of the land protected in parks and nature reserves, and a stable, democratic government.

While that all sounds good, the reality is still bleak. Only 50% of the population attends primary school (grades 1-8). Secondary school (9-12), which is not free and is conducted only in English, is attended by fewer than 10% of the population, virtually all boys.

The economy, while stable and growing, still has 16% unemployment and virtually 100% underemployment. Many jobs are just a couple of hours a day. 80% of the population works in agriculture, virtually all small-scale subsistence farming. Actual cash income averages just $260 per year. Barriers to development still remain. There is little transportation or financial infrastructure. For farmers, there are no price structures, and even the cash payment for crops is unreliable.

A bigger tragedy awaits. 15-25% of Tanzanians have HIV, mostly affecting the productive population age. Projections of population are startling: HIV alone has reduced the life expectancy from 61 to just 46 years. The future population will consist largely of the aged and orphaned children. Much of the productive age group will be wiped out. This future impact cannot be overstated.

Put this against the backdrop that Tanzania is one of the most successful countries in Africa, and you can understand the despair in this part of the world. By African standards, Tanzania is stable, democratic, relatively prosperous, and even a bit below average HIV infection rate. This is an area of the world that demands serious attention. Many of the problems trace to colonial times, and then to the cold war.

Economic policies continue to suppress development. Over half of all European Union expenses are subsidies to farmers, and the US farm bill this year was $14 billion. These policies of the developed world suppress agriculture in Africa. At the recent World Summit in Johannesburg (attended by all world leaders except the US), the African leadership insisted that the solution is not more food aid and more loans, but instead a relaxation of trade restrictions, allowing the Africans to compete in agriculture.

Many Tanzanians are remarkably well educated. I talked with one about the current world situation, and asked what the effect of US policy is to him. His answer was quick, and crystal clear: if Bush goes into Iraq, tourism to Tanzania stops and the economy loses all of the gains of the past twenty years. He and most of his friends will be out of work, essentially overnight, and there is no safety net. This does seem to me an extremely counterproductive way to fight the seeds of terrorism.

Africa

We headed to Africa for the natural wonders. We peeked through clouds at Kilimanjaro, went on safari in several nature parks, and generally did the nature thing.

We also saw some of the cultural aspects. Initially, we planned to visit South Africa and learn about the peaceful transition from Apartheid to majority rule. It truly has been an amazingly peaceful transition. However, we had also talked to several people from South Africa who warned that while peaceful, it is not safe from criminals. A little research on the topic seemed to back up that warning, and gave us the jitters. We had already crossed off most of the African countries, since we are being rather conservative and avoiding risks. For example, we'd love to visit the Shona tribes in Zimbabwe that do incredible stone carvings, or see the mountain gorillas in Uganda, etc. But, alas, Africa is still a pretty unstable place after centuries of colonialism and the cold war and now very poor government.

We were also quite interested in seeing ancient Egypt, but again several references have cautioned that ancient Egypt is not in Egypt, but instead was hauled off as loot to museums in Europe. More to the point though, Bush was threatening to invade Iraq at the time we would go into Egypt, and there was significant concern about that. So, we looked at ancient Egypt in the British Museum!

We were also a bit cautious about visiting an area so limited in precious resources. The eastern area of Africa which we planned to visit is now in a serious drought, with agencies estimating that 10 million to 30 million people going hungry. In that environment, how does it make sense for us to fly in as tourists and get the first rights to water?

So, we cut Africa shorter than we previously thought. In any event, we visited the nature parks and several cultural programs in Tanzania, and spent enough time to get a good feel for Tanzania, especially Arusha. We initially came to Africa to see the nature parks, and those were incredible. But in the end, as always, we particularly enjoyed interacting with the people. Our last day in Arusha was spent saying goodbyes to new friends.

Abu Dhabi

Okay, maybe just a stop at an airport doesn't really qualify for a journal entry. We were here quite a few hours, but while the immigration folks wouldn't allow us outside of the international boarding area, we did get an interesting peek at the United Arab Emirates.

Clearly, this is a wealthy place --oil has made a few Arabs very rich indeed. While poverty is an issue for most people of this region, the upper class is very privileged.

The airport provided an engaging mix of traditional cultures and styles. Many Indian nationals awaited planes to Mumbai (Bombay) or Delhi. Africans were heading all over the continent. The mix of traditional clothing, especially the women, was quite beautiful. Both Indian and African women often wear brightly colored and patterned clothes, draped elegantly. The men varied from stark white tunics, to full black coverings, or top-quality western suits. Muslim women were generally covered in black, with just hints of brightly colored dresses underneath. There was very little casual clothing, except for the few westerners. Head gear included every imaginable form, from caps to hats resembling straight sided bowls, to Muslim wraps, to scarves, berkas, and more.

We enjoyed people watching. So many places of the world have abandoned their own clothing styles, and just wear the western style clothes. This airport was alive with differences! Given the extreme levels of wealth, it was like a fashion show of the world's different cultures.