ZANZIBAR: The Great Mosquito Massacre and The Maasai
let me first express my apologies for taking so long to update the blog. tanzania has fair to middlin internet connections at all ‘net cafes i’ve been to since i have been here (about 1 1/2 weeks). i will be unable to update the blog until i am in a place where i can get a better connection. so, for the time being please know that i’m not ignoring the email messages all y’all have been sending me (THANK YOU!), it’s just that time is money and when i can only open and read 1 message in 1/2 an hour’s time, i have become very discouraged by the speed of the connections (when the connection stays connected, that is, which is about 1/2 the time) and so have been unable to respond to you guys. believe me when i say i will reply very soon (esp. benn and monica – i am sorry about your news and will write immediately when i get a good connection. i have thoughts to pass on).
and so meanwhile, i have very much enjoyed Zanzibar, the Spice Island (you’d think they know who the Spice Girls are here! but noooooo, they do not! i’m chagrined), so far. i have slaughtered no less than 1,000,000 potentially malaria-carrying mosquitos in my hotel room and beyond, ruthlessly and without remorse. i have also had the good fortune to have befriended a real, live Maasai guy named Chipa Chipa. his job is security guard at my hotel. because he is from the Maasai tribe, he is (supposedly) of fearsome warrior stock and not to be messed with. Chipa Chipa carries a big stick and wears the traditional drapey scarf/sarong thing and lots of jangley jewelry every day. his skin is a beautiful blue-black and his smile shines with perfect rows of perfectly white teeth. he smiles a lot and his English is good. despite his affability, i would NOT wish his wrath upon me. i do not doubt that with a diet (according to the literature – he has not confirmed this to me) of cows blood and milk, he could take your humble narrator down in about a nano-second. i try to stay on his good side. he and his brothers/cousins/sisters here in Nungwi Beach will perform a traditional dance ceremony down the road from my hotel this Sunday. i will try to arrange to see this, unless i am in the middle of the Serengetti on safari at the time.
at any rate, i am constantly working on writing in my paper journals and hope to condense and upload the juicy bits onto this blog very soon. send in the authorities if you do not hear anything from me by September 1. at that point, one may assume that i have been devoured by lions out on the plains…
Tags: Tanzania
karen_shelver
my grammy used to make me a milk and cow’s blood drink whenever I came to visit.
Oh man, I HOPE not! I don’t have any other girl-child, and I rather like this one! Tell the lions to go find someone else outstanding………..
I’m sorry Benn and Monica are having problems. I’ll try to get in touch.
Love,
Madre at home, wishing I were with you in East Africa
Just to clarify…Benn & I (& the kids)are just fine, but some of our family have had some serious medical issues that we hope will clear up.
Karen, We’ll wait patiently to read more of your trip. Just think, if it were 15-20 years ago we’d have to wait weeks and weeks to get a postcard that may never even arrive! I think you are doing a great job of keeping us posted on your travels. I’ll write you soon!
karen, while you are around n about w/pen,paper and principal i have come across via tony suarez and his 25th annual secret society event organizing two class photos of you at ROCK PALACE. I have to email them or upload them onto your myspace if possible. i would call the photo a precious piece of karen history not to be unrivaled by your current history in the making. be well, keep that chipa chipa over your shoulder in security!
live long prosper,
nanu nanu
amylu~
Commenting usually isnt my thing, but ive spent an hour on the site, so thanks for the info