kearneyjourney

A blog of our trip to Tanzania in Dec 2010 and Jan 2011.

Tanzania Yetu -- Hakuna Matata

Our trip to Tanzania had its antecedents already several years ago. I have been interested in this part of the world for a long time and, as a hobby paleoanthropologist, have always wanted to take a trip to the rift valley and see the area known as the “cradle of mankind”. Also, Kilimanjaro has always fascinated me; and this mountain and many key paleoanthropological sites (Olduvai, Laetoli) all lie within the expanse of northern Tanzania. Finally, I had heard from friends and colleagues that the Tanzanian people are very friendly and accommodating. So the only problem was finding a suitable time to travel there. As Christmas 2010 was approaching and we heard that our nephew, Graham, who had been planning to come over around New Year’s, had postponed his trip until summer, I immediately saw an opportunity to put together an itinerary through the Northern Circuit of Tanzania. This was in early November, with only 7-8 weeks remaining until Christmas vacation was upon us, so I had to move fast.

The excellent company that organized our tour: if you are traveling to Tanzania, talk to these folks first.

First, I needed to check with the family: the kids were all enthusiastic, while Gertrude needed a bit of convincing – not so much due to the destination, but that it was so short-term and would be just one more expensive vacation after our trip to the US the previous summer and our planned trip to Hawaii this summer. But I argued, successfully, that traveling to Tanzania was something I had always wanted to do and that it wouldn’t get any cheaper or more likely if we postponed it. After some research, I found flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) on KLM, but before booking waited to see whether we could even find an organization to help us plan the itinerary, find hotels and supply a guide.

Umbrella Acacia Trees in Ndutu

Through TripAdvisor and a very helpful Manx member of the Tanzanian forum (Mfuwe, which I understand is a city in the Eastern Province of Zambia), I was given the name of an agency called Acces2Tanzania run by a husband/wife team based in Minnesota. Brian Singer, the husband, spent a couple of years in Tanzania with the Peace Corps and met his wife there, Karen Stupic, who became my principle contact in planning the trip. She immediately came up with a plan that fully suited our needs. The total price-tag was certainly not a bargain; but I was prepared for that little shock. The rates at Access2Tanzania are somewhat elevated, but for all the right reasons. Also, I learned from Karen that Access2Tanzania invests back into local projects centered primarily on education in two west Tanzanian towns, so there is a developmental aspect to the agency’s work, as well; and that suited me fine. So by 15 of November, two weeks after the idea was born, the flights and itinerary were finalized.

Safari Clothes

Now we only needed to get ourselves ready by procuring the necessary immunizations (Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, Meningitis, Hepatitis A & B, Cholera, Tetanus, Diphtheria), buying anti-malarial prophylactics (Malarone) and other medication (antibiotics, Immodium, electrolyte substances, etc.) and lotions (bugsprays, sunscreen). Also, we needed the right clothing, so I decided that everybody would get safari clothes for Christmas. The children and I started learning a bit of Swahili and walked around the house saying “Jambo, habari gani, nzuri, asante”, repeating phrases we had learned from KulmanSam on Youtube. Katie also found an iPhone App that not only translated from English to Swahili, but actually pronounced the words and the phrases. I bought a guide book for Northern Tanzania and began doing some research on what we would be seeing. Now all we needed to do was wait for Christmas Day, which was our planned date of departure.

Winter Landscape in Austria before our departure for Tanzania

But our departure looked somewhat tenuous for a while, as severe winter weather caused chaos in Europe’s major airports: Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris all got hit hard; and thousands of passengers were left stranded during the pre-holiday period. I checked our connections VIE-AMS-JRO every day to see if this route was impacted; but even during the worst of the chaos, these flights left punctually every day. Toward Christmas, the weather warmed up, the air-traffic snarls passed, and we prepared to leave, packing on Christmas Eve and taking some time in the evening for a compressed Christmas celebration.

On Christmas Day, we got up at 04:00 to catch the taxi at 04:45. Nobody was too happy about having to get up at such an ungodly hour; and the entire family of travelers looked appropriately grim upon our arrival at Vienna International airport. We dropped off our bags and were happy that we had printed out our boarding passes the previous day, as there was a long line of Japanese at the self check-in machines. We sat down at the Ikarus bar for a light breakfast and were subjected to a session of Christmas music from hell. Katie said at one point: “Somebody shoot me!” which seemed, at the time, the most expedient way to escape the noxious sounds.

Nick at the airport in Amsterdam (Chris in the background)

The plane left promptly at 06:55 and arrived thirty minutes early in Amsterdam. I was happy to be rid of the passenger sitting next to me, a broad-bodied woman who had no appreciation or respect for my space and repeatedly opened her arms across the common armrest to read her mindless tabloid. I once dropped my tray table to give her plastic proof that she was beyond her bounds; and the whack on her hands caused her to beat a hasty retreat.

Gertrude at the airport in Amsterdam

We again stopped at an airport restaurant for a light meal and something to drink. I gave Kiffin a Merry Christmas wake-up call to pronounce that I was in Amsterdam. Passport control and security control were both very busy; but we had plenty of time and were not stressed. Flying via Amsterdam proved to be an excellent option, as both Vienna and Amsterdam had been experiencing little disruption through the winter storms wreaking havoc across Europe. We felt fortunate to have slipped past the worst nodes of air traffic disaster (London, Paris, Frankfurt) and to have fled the European continent to sunnier climes. We boarded the flight punctually and took off toward Kilimanjaro International Airport. On route to Tanzania, we watched the sun set at around 18:45 local time as we crossed an area in Sudan; and at that point, we were still 2 ½ hours out of Kilimanjaro Airport, so no daylight upon arrival.

As an experienced traveler, I could see that the visa process might be a huge time-sink, judging from all the people on the plane and the need for most of them to purchase a visa directly at the border. As chance would have it, we were up toward the front of the plane, which gave us a favorable position when the plane landed and all the passengers emptied into the arrivals hall. I managed to get the entire family to the head of the line and then watched the Airbus full of passengers stack up behind us. The process then took on a strange twist, as the gentleman coordinating the visa logistics looked at me and asked: “Are these your family members?”, to which I answered “yes”. “OK,” he said, “they don’t need to wait here. You take care of everything for them”; and he proceeded to wave them through a side passage with no passport control, while a young lady deftly snatched three hundred dollars out of my hand ($100 for US citizens, $50 for EU citizens), took the passports, stamped a visa onto a page of each passport and handed them back. The chief logistics honcho then waved me through the same empty side passage; and I found myself officially in Tanzania, while nobody had really checked to see whether the people traveling with me were indeed my family or had legitimate documents.

The bags came relatively soon; and as we prepared to leave the airport, I could still see the monster visa line backed all the way to the airfield door. It looked ugly, and I was glad to be through that mess. When we exited the airport, Ray was there holding a sign up for us and was so happy that his wait had been an abbreviated one. I think he immediately grew fond of us for our resourcefulness and our success in beating the crowds through the airport. On the way to the Arumeru River Lodge (our first accommodation), he said: “I thought I would be waiting there at least an hour, and then there you were. Thanks a lot for that.”

Arumeru River Lodge

The car was a safari-customized Land Cruiser with plenty of luggage space, eight seats and a roof that could be raised for more efficient game-viewing. Upon arrival at the Arumeru River Lodge just east of Arusha, we entered into a high-ceilinged structure made of dark wood and bamboo and were greeted by the owners/managers, a German couple that had bought the lodge roughly six months previously. After a welcome drink, we said good-bye to Ray and were taken to our quarters. The two rooms were unfortunately rather far apart; but that didn’t bother us immediately. The weather was warm (around 28C or 80F) and pleasant, such a terrific change from the European winter, and all around us was a symphony of sounds, of insects buzzing and chirping and other wildlife (frogs, bats, birds) projecting their voices into the night. We also spotted tiny antelope on the grounds which turned out to be the dikdik species; and the shadowy forms of guinea fowl darted across the grass. These birds had been introduced onto the grounds to keep invading snakes in check and ensure that there were no poisonous species near the lodge. Initially, we were a bit paranoid and immediately took cover from the mosquitoes, which were there, but were not too bothersome. The beds had mosquito netting around them and screens on the windows, so we should not have been too worried. Still, we all put the insect-repellant on our clothes and skin and went off to dinner.

Christmas Tree at the Arumeru River Lodge

Dinner turned out to be a buffet affair; and again, in our paranoia, we were careful to avoid anything that looked uncooked. It was at this point, while dishing up the soup, that our first minor travel calamity occurred: Katie spilled the soup on her hand and suffered what I presume was a third-degree burn. She was in pain the rest of the evening and most of the night, which meant all of us got very little sleep. And this was the point at which the distance between the two rooms proved a real annoyance: Katie decided to sleep in our room, while I transferred over to room where the boys were sleeping. At one point, the pain was so severe that I sought help at the reception; but there was nobody there, and nobody answered the phone when I tried to call for help. I would only later discover that we had a gel for burns in our small medical kit; and this probably would have done the trick. Still, I was left wondering about what we would have done if there had been a true medical emergency. As it was, the burn was uncomfortable, but certainly not life-threatening. I related this incident to the owners the next day; and they took my feedback to heart and have committed to including an emergency medical number in their hotel information in the future.

During the winter, there is a two-hour time difference between Tanzania and Central Europe, which shrinks to one hour during the summer period. We agreed to meet Ray at 09:00 the next morning and proved we were adaptable by immediately shifting to African time and showing up fifteen minutes late. Our itinerary had us scheduled to drive to Moshi and the foothills of Kilimanjaro to visit several Chagga villages and have lunch with a Chagga family.

Erick following Gertrude down the trail, with Chagga children in tow.

Erick Donasian was our guide for the day and accompanied Ray and us to a Catholic missionary complex that included a primary school, a secondary school, a hospital and, of course, a church. As it was 26 December, a Sunday right after Christmas, the church was full; and when we drove up to the end of the road leading to the complex and got out of the car, dozens of children ran down to greet and stare at the wazungu that had just arrived. They were all dressed in their Sunday best , very bright and cheerful and grinning as we walked up the steps. Some of them said “good morning” and used whatever English they had already been taught in school.

Mission complex near Chagga villages above Moshi, Tanzania

Erick gave us some background information on the German missionaries that had set up the mission as far back as the late nineteenth century, then led us through a tropical ravine with lush plants and rich, red volcanic earth. When we arrived in the first village, he showed us various parts such as the store, the bar, a number of the homes, the different types of bananas they grew and explained some of the history and traditions of the Chagga people.

Bar in Chagga village

He mentioned that some of the old traditions are still maintained, but that most Chagga tribe members are moving off into modern society and dropping the old customs and practices. He and Ray, both Chagga, now live in Arusha and are part of a young generation of entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves in the modern Tanzanian economy.

Chagga house near Kilimanjaro

We then walked over through a second village and eventually arrived in Mekwa, where Ray was waiting for us with the Land Cruiser and drove us up to the farm of a Chagga family that hosted us for lunch. I had initially been skeptical of the lunch part of the program, because I was unsure whether our European digestive tracts could deal with the local flora – and here I mean the type that dwell in one’s intestines. But it turned out that all the dishes being served had been thoroughly cooked, so there was little chance of our getting any nefarious bacteria in mix. We were served soup and a beef and banana stew (with the variety of plantain banana grown for such dishes) and rice. The only raw foods consumed were avocados and sweet bananas (or the so-called “beer bananas” with a very sweet, but simultaneously tart flavor – the best banana I have ever eaten).

Plantain bananas growing in the Chagga village

To conclude the meal, we all passed around a large calabash full of banana beer. After the lunch, I gave the head of the family, Thadeus, a small loaf of European spice bread and some candied fruits that we had brought with us from Austria. Erick is organizing such visits with local families to give tourists some insight into Chagga culture and village life; and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Afterward, we briefly drove up to the gate to Kilimanjaro National Park where one of the descent trails issues. Here, we were exposed to our first obnoxious bevy of trinket salesmen hanging their wares into our eyes and negotiating prices with us for items that we had no intention of buying. Gertrude did eventually cave in and purchased a bracelet for 5 EUR, which was probably three times too expensive. This, of course, made her a target for all the other salesmen hawking their trinkets; and she had more bobbles being thrust at her than she could cope with. We eventually drove away and headed down the road toward Moshi, where we passed a sign advertizing the Jane Goodall Institute, for which Erick has worked in the past. We also looked a bit at Moshi, which is reputed to be the second-cleanest city in Tanzania. I was surprised to discover that many of the roads in the town were dirt roads; and this was a pattern that repeated itself across the country.

Arumeru River Lodge

We eventually drove back to the Arumeru Lodge and spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool and preparing for our departure the next morning. Katie’s hand was feeling better, so that was at least one worry out of the way. To fight any potential digestive issues, Chris brought along a bottle of whiskey; and we started taking one to two shots of the stuff after every meal to serve as a crude disinfectant. This was apparently how the British kept the world from falling out of their bottoms during their colonial rule.
The Arumeru River Lodge had WiFi, so I paid the obligatory $5 access fee; and we all hooked up to get our necessary cyber fix. Initially, I was hoping to keep a log and update it every day with my smartphone; but the WiFi performance was so slow that I gave up and decided there would be a complete log at the end of the trip and that I would revert to pen and paper for the remainder of our days in Tanzania. There was WiFi in only two other places on our trip (the Ngorongoro Farmhouse and the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge), while 3G GSM connection was totally absent. Most times, I was just happy to have a telephone signal, which we did have in some of the strangest places (like at our remote lunch-site in the middle of the Serengeti).

Ray asked us to meet him at 08:00 the next morning, because we had a full and busy day ahead of us and some unpredictable traffic to face. We started heading west and passed through the southern part of Arusha city, which upon first glance looked like a collection of low-slung stores, shops and buildings interspersed with a few glitzy new hotels. As we proceeded west, the terrain became drier and less green and lush. Ray told us about the Maasai herdsmen that graze their livestock on the flat expanses between Arusha and the Great Rift Escarpment. Termite mounds dotted the landscape; and we saw the artificial pools that the Maasai created to collect rain water for their livestock during the dry season. At one juncture, we passed by a Maasai market where goods and produce were being sold; and we saw a couple of goats being slaughtered and skinned by the herdsmen.

Maasai herdsman on the road to Mto Wa Mbu

Also, Ray was stopped twice by the police; and each time, the police were looking for some minor violation in the vehicle’s documents or Ray’s credentials, with the intent of getting a hand-out or bribe. They routinely stop the safari vehicles, knowing that the occupants are more likely to have cash and goodies to distribute. At the first police control, the officer found nothing wrong and actually appealed to Ray to be generous and give him a pen or something, but Ray refused. At the second control, the officer caught Ray without his seatbelt on; and the obligatory token fee (5 Tanzanian Schillings) was paid in lieu of the official fine for failure to wear a seat belt (35,000 Tanzanian Schillings).

Our Safari Cruiser

When we passed the Tarangire/Manyara junction and began heading toward Mto Wa Mbu (which literally means “Mosquito River”), we spotted our first genuine African wildlife – a giraffe off in the acacia trees munching on the green foliage. Our first program point of the day was a bush walk to the east of Lake Manyara National Park.

Katie on the bush walk with trusty Nikon around her neck

In retrospect, this turned out to be a really nice way to start the safari portion of our trip, as we were able to get out of the vehicle and actually walk right up to the herds out on the savannah. We first went to the center of Mto Wa Mbu, where Ray contacted the organization that would be providing the guide (Freddy, another Chagga), and then were driven to a small village in the bush and got out to commence our walk. Again, the village children gathered around the white visitors and were curious to find out what we were doing. Freddy then led us into the bush and pointed out a troop of baboons in and around the trees. They were squabbling amongst themselves; and I was uncertain how close we should get to them; but Freddy calmly stated that they would run from us if we approached them.

We nonetheless veered to the left and headed out into the open grasslands, where we saw herds of wildebeest, zebra, Thomson gazelles and, of course, the Maasai cattle – all peacefully coexisting on that patch of earth.

Wildebeest on bush walk

There were also some buffalo in the distance, but they were very far off and thus did not really pose a threat. We first walked westward toward Lake Manyara National Park and could see a large population of hippos standing next to the hippo pool. When we actually entered the park and arrived at the hippo pool, they were all in the water and could scarcely be seen in the muddy brew.

The weather was warm, humid and sunny: the terrain had once again become more lush and green as we approached the Rift Valley escarpment, which rises immediately west of Lake Manyara. Wandering across the grasslands gave me a somewhat strange feeling, for I could scarcely take a step without my foot landing on some fragment of bone or lump of dung. In fact, the earth was littered with the detritus of myriad ungulates that had transformed the green grass into meat and bones, then perished in the jaws of predators or the infirmity of illness or old age. It was a true stage for birth, generation, survival and death, all somehow given plastic reality by the shards of ribs, skulls, femurs, horns and teeth slowly melting back into the earth’s crust. I found one full horn of a wildebeest and considered it a worthy souvenir from the walk and carried it with me back to Mto Wa Mbu, only to learn from Ray that the removal of any part of an animal from a natural area is forbidden – a law that was implemented to discourage poaching and any other wanton killing of wildlife. And how could I prove that I had not slaughtered the wildebeest for this trophy? So I dropped it back into the grass, where it will eventually find its way back into the cycle of vegetation and flesh. But I did keep a Marabu stork feather I had found during the walk and stuck it in my backpack as a trophy.

Ray had driven out to pick us up; and on the way back, we ended up in some pretty serious muck, which made our trip through the bush a bit of a wild ride worthy of an amusement park. But the Land Cruiser had no problems getting through the sodden terrain; and Ray proved to be an expert driver in such conditions.

We then dropped Freddy off in town and proceeded to Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara is one of the many soda lakes in Tanzania, which makes it a perfect body of water for Flamingo populations, but useless as a source of fresh water for other wildlife and the resident human population. Still, the area has abundant fresh water flowing into the region through small underground rivers issuing from the Great Rift Escarpment.

Baboons in Lake Manyara National Park

We stopped to check in at the park and ate our box lunches in the shade, hoping no monkeys would spot us and have a go at our food. There was a considerable line at the park registration, and we had to wait quite some time for Ray. Finally, he was there and stated that he didn’t need to eat lunch and that we should get on with our tour. In Lake Manyara, we saw just about everything except wild cats, even though the park is famous for having a population of tree-climbing lions.

Elephant in Lake Manyara National Park

The usual suspects (giraffes, elephants, Thomson gazelles, zebra, wildebeest, baboons, vervet monkeys, buffalo) all made an appearance; and we also stopped at the hippo pool, which gave Ray a chance to eat his lunch while we watched the gray blobs of protoplasm roll in the brown soup.

Chris, Kate, Gertrude, Nick and Ray at the hippo pool

The park is very green and lush, with small fresh-water rivers traversing its compact dimensions. Ray also took some time to explain the social structure of termites and their biological cycle. Since termite mounds are omnipresent in Tanzania, this is useful knowledge to have.

Vervet monkey in Lake Manyara National Park

Afterwards, we drove westward up the Rift Valley Escarpment and toward the town of Karatu. From here, we drove slightly northward and onto the grounds of the Ngorongoro Farmhouse at the foot of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This was a very picturesque accommodation with its own agricultural activities for fresh produce and coffee. The rooms were very spacious and nicely outfitted and decorated.

Bed and mosquito-netting at the Ngorongoro Farmhouse

We regretted that we only had one night to spend there, as the place had a great deal of charm and was very comfortable. Gertrude and I went up to the main terrace outside the restaurant area and joined the other guests for an evening drink. Then a local musical group from the Iraqw tribe sang some songs using a folk instrument consisting of only a couple metal strings and a small leather drum. As usual in such situations, the musical group asked the gathered guests to get up and participate in the singing and dancing – first the children, then the mamas, and finally the babas. I was hoping to escape the draft, but was spotted at the last moment and dragged by the leader up to the front to participate in a rendition of the Jambo song. Good fun; but none of us really had the lyrics down at that point.

Ngorongoro Farmhouse: shot from terrace with view of the grounds

Dinner was again a buffet. The highlight for me was a red banana for desert – something I had never eaten before. Very fat and sweet. Too bad we don’t get this kind of fruit in Central Europe. The children opted for ice cream that evening; and in retrospect, this was probably not such a good idea, as the next few days would prove.

Ngorongoro Farmhouse Building

We got up at 08:00 and had a rather pitiful breakfast in the restaurant: as we were late, there was not much on offer; and I had to ask our favorite waiter, Expedito, to bring us some bananas to round out the meager fare. We then checked out and proceeded to put together our box lunch for the day’s trip. Ray met us at the entrance to the Ngorongoro Farmhouse; and true to our usual rhythm, we were fifteen minutes late.

We drove up toward the main gate of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stopped to register. Ray was always careful to point out restroom opportunities and urged us to take advantage of them when they presented themselves. Unfortunately, the water main in the restrooms was broken, and all the toilets and sinks were dry. I discovered this too late and had a thick film of soap on my hands, but no water to wash it off. A half bottle of drinking water was sacrificed to get the worst off my hands; and the rest just had to be rubbed off as we progressed up the mountain. This was also the last time we would see paved roads for six days. Once we entered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we were on dirt roads from there to the town of Mugumu and back. These roads are sometimes so bumpy that the locals refer to the ride as a “free African massage”. What I clearly underestimated when planning the trip was 1) the poor road conditions and 2) the distances, which are exacerbated by the poor road conditions. On the map, some of the destinations appeared to be “right around the corner”; but they were most decidedly not. From the Arumeru Lodge to the Ngorongoro Farmhouse, we drove four hours in total. On the map, it looked like a ninety minute drive – and this was on paved roads. On some of the dirt roads, we couldn’t drive faster than 50 kmh.

The forests on the south side of the Ngorongoro crater were tall and lush – the perfect place for baboons to live and forage. We passed several active troops on the way up to the top. On the rim, there is a beautiful overview point that allows you to take in the entire crater. We could see animals and other safari vehicles moving across the floor of the crater. The sight is truly stunning, as one imagines how large the mountain must have been before collapsing to what the caldera now is. We drove around the west side of the crater and spotted our first and only water bucks, which are a shaggy kind of antelope with white posteriors and a unique defense mechanism against predators. According to Ray, the water buck secretes a noxious poison into its own body when attacked by a predator, rendering its meat unpalatable. Accordingly, they are off the menu for all but the most desperate of predators; and any human desiring to taste their flesh must slay them before they sense any danger, otherwise it is ruined by the hormonal poison secreted upon attack.

Giraffes in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

We then left the crater rim and drove down toward the Ndutu region. Along the way, we spotted numerous Maasai herdsmen with their livestock; and a number of the children rushed to the road to greet us and motion with their hands that we should stop and give them something (food, a pen, anything).

Driving from the Ngorongoro Crater rim to Olduvai

At one point, I spotted three young Maasai men sitting by the side of the road with their faces painted black and white. Fascinated, I asked Ray to stop and find out what this was all about. But Ray just kept on driving and said it was a scam. Maasai men go through a ritual circumcision during their adolescence; and part of the ceremony includes the black and white face painting. Since this has proven to be a magnet for tourists, the young men paint their faces every day and sit by the side of the road offering themselves as photo-ops for passing tourists. Of course, the young models exact tribute for their services and the pain they have had to endure in the ritual circumcision. Indeed, it must hurt to be circumcised every day. When we passed back along that road four days later, there they were again waiting for unsuspecting tourists to stop.

Olduvai Gorge

We proceeded northeast to Olduvai Gorge — or rather, Oldupai Gorge, the real name of the place after the Maasai word for sisal: Olduvai Gorge Wiki

Olduvai Gorge

Maasai herdsman walking through Olduvai Gorge

I have always wanted to visit this site, as it has played such a key role in paleoanthropological studies. To make sure our visit would not end up being only a facile 20-minute lecture about the Leakeys and the site, I asked Access2Tanzania to organize a three-hour guided tour of the gorge. Though somewhat skeptical at first when our guide, Ikayo, greeted us and began to lead us toward the rim of the gorge, I very quickly concluded that he knew his subject matter and the gorge very well.

Ikayo, our guide in Olduvai Gorge

He first related the story about the “Olduvai” misnomer, how a German lepidopterologist misunderstood the Maasai tribesmen when passing through the area and turned Oldupai into Olduvai. He then explained how the gorge was essentially divided into three sedimentary levels, one at the bottom with basalt deposits that were around 2.5m years old, a second in the middle part that was about 1-1.2m years old, and finally the upper sediments that covered the last half million years, but yielded no significant fossils due to the corrosive iron content in the soil. We visited each of the significant sites where the Leakeys found their fossils; and along the way, we found some animal fossils lying on the open ground, clearly discarded by the paleoanthropologists who had been working through the gorge and had been looking for something else.

Gertrude holding a fossilized giraffe bone in Olduvai Gorge

Ikayo also found a shard of stone that had been a hand axe used by homo erectus 1.0-1.2m years ago. The timescales here are so astounding: he could state with some accuracy that the hand axe had been used during a two hundred thousand year span owing to the layer of sediments he had found it in. This is twenty times the length of recorded human history (dating from the dawn of agriculture 10,000 years ago). Homo erectus technology remained stagnant for almost a million years, up to the time when hominids first began using fire around 500 thousand years ago. Finally, Ikayo showed us the site where Mary Leakey found Australopithecus Boisei (or Zinjanthropus Boisei) in 1959, the first clear fossil proof of a hominid species somewhere between modern man and the common ancestor with chimpanzees around 5-6 million years ago. He also told us that he had been present when, last year, Richard Leakey returned for the fifty year anniversary of his parents’ ground-breaking find.

Nick and Gertrude: picnic lunch in Olduvai Gorge

We then went further down into the valley and had lunch under a tree near a small brook. A couple of Maasai herdsmen approached us, but did not try to get a handout nor ask us to take their picture and pay them for their pains. There was some lightning and thunder moving towards us from the south; and when the first drops started to fall, we all piled into the car and drove back up to the museum. We spent about thirty minutes there, but merely got a less thorough repeat of the information Ikayo had already given us. In the museum, there is a replica of the Laetoli footprints 40km south of the Oldupai site. These were the first proof of bipedal locomotion among our hominid forebears and constituted another major breakthrough for the Leakeys. To prevent erosion, the tracks have since been covered back up, so no direct viewing at the Laetoli site is possible. I have since learned that the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and the Tanzanian government are contemplating a way to reopen the footprints and make a permanent museum at the site. The challenge is to ensure that the footprints are protected from erosion.

After exiting the museum, I caught the last part of Ikayo’s lecture to the visitors; and yes, it was every bit the limited, superficial twenty minute spiel that I was afraid I would hear. I was very glad we had booked the guided tour of the gorge; otherwise, in my view, it’s hardly worth the side trip off the main road. At the end of his lecture, Ikayo addressed the crowd and said: “Since we all originate from Africa, it is my pleasure to welcome you all home.” The audience reacted little to this anecdote; and the session was over without a single question being posed.

Wildebeest herd in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Buffalo in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

We then drove back to the main road and headed toward the Ndutu region. Our next accommodation was a mobile tented camp, so Ray was not exactly sure where it would be. He had been informed that the Serengeti Savannah Tented Camp would be at Ndutu campsite 7, but we couldn’t find the campsite; so he opted to drive to a neighboring campsite (#10) and ask where #7 was. When we arrived and inquired about the Serengeti Savannah Camps, we were told that we were at the right place and were welcomed to our new home for two nights.

Welcome drink at the Serengeti Savannah Camp

Serengeti Savannah Camp dining tent

I was initially a bit skeptical, as the tents I saw upon our arrival looked nothing like the ones I had seen on the website. As we rounded the corner of the camp, however, I saw another set of tents that looked more like the units I had seen on-line. We were truly out in the middle of the bush: only a generator to provide electricity; only flashlights to light our paths to and from the tent to the main area; shower water only available upon demand.

Kate and Chris chilling in front of their tent

Somehow, though, this was the coolest, most unique place we stayed in. In the two days we camped there, we had wildlife all over the campground, ranging from zebra to wildebeest to impala; and we even had the dangerous variety, as a number of buffalo decided to graze there on the first evening, a leopard passed through the perimeter of the camp, and the whooping cries of hyenas could be heard all around during the night. In the distance, we could also hear the roar of lions. The camp employees were very vigilant and escorted each guest to and from the tents to ensure we encountered no danger, though I am not sure what help these well-meaning, but unarmed protectors would have been in the event a leopard had really decided it was time for some human chow.

Umbrella Acacia in the Ndutu region

On our last evening, I was escorted back to the tent and zipped in by a Maasai employee of the camp, only to discover that I had forgotten to order my 06:45 shower for the next morning. With flashlight in hand, I walked the dark four hundred meters back to the campfire, all the time wondering what strange and dangerous beast I might confront on the way. The night before, Gertrude had exited the tent to get a dose of the brilliant stars in unpolluted skies; and when I went out to join her, she exclaimed: “Listen, there’s something eating over there.” I responded: “We might want to know what it is.” I retreated back into the tent, came out with a flashlight and shone it on the munching noise. The source: a big black buffalo staring back at us with no expression of amusement. We scurried into the tent and zipped the structure back up, but knew that it wouldn’t stand for a moment if the buffalo decided to charge. I lay in bed with an uneasy feeling as we heard it ripping up grass right in front of the tent. We were not sure how many were out there, but the kids one tent down heard the same grass-ripping noise; and Katie did not much enjoy it.

On the first evening, Ray joined us for dinner and related many stories about his childhood and youth. He was an excellent guide and really had all the best qualities you could expect from somebody in that position: friendly, knowledgeable, caring, funny, concerned, principled and hard-working. He always had our best interests in mind and really put himself out to ensure we were satisfied. Most importantly, we got to know a true Tanzanian during the ten days and learned about his life and his country. By the end of our trip, he had become a real friend.

Sunset at the Serengeti Savannah Camp

Sunrise at the Serengeti Savannah Camp

When we awoke this morning, the sun was just rising; and the temperature both in and outside the tent was decidedly chilly (around 13C or 58F). I poked my head out of the tent to see whether any wildlife was still milling around the campground and snapped a lovely sunrise picture, then retreated to the shower. Outside, one of the campground attendants was bringing a bucket of hot water and raising it in a 20 liter plastic bag above our tent. This would be the shower for the morning. Afterward, I was very quick to dry off and get into my clothes; but interestingly, as soon as the sun was partially up, the temperatures rose by five degrees at least, and it was no longer chilly when we walked to the main tent for breakfast.

Chris was not feeling well in the morning, skipped breakfast and notified us that he would not be joining us for the day’s game viewing. Not knowing what he had or how severe it might be, I opted for the brutal method and immediately put him on a course of antibiotics (5 days, ten tablets at 500mg each). Whatever was ailing him conveniently disappeared within 24 hours; but he had to skip that entire day in the Ndutu region. This did not seem to bother him, however, as he took the opportunity to chill in front of the tent, gaze at the wildlife (zebras, impala, wildebeest) passing through the campgrounds and read a book in the sun. His comment: “I would have loved to go with you; but it was very relaxing for one day NOT to get all rattled about on those bumpy roads”.

We left with Ray at 08:15 and went out for the morning game drive. So far, we hadn’t seen any big cats and, in fact, no real predators to speak of (if you exclude the mongoose we had seen the previous day). But Ray produced plenty of predators during our morning drive. We first came across a very lazy male lion sleeping in the cover of an acacia thicket. Ray postulated that this lion had probably been evicted as head of his pride and was now a solitary male roaming the Conservation Area. He certainly looked fat and well-fed.

Cheetah mother in Ndutu

Right after this, we saw a female cheetah with a cub about six-months old. They romped through the marsh and put on quite a show. Ray figured the mother was looking for prey, as she climbed up onto a fallen tree to survey the area and appeared to be hungry.

Leopard in Ndutu

Then Ray got a call on his radio announcing that a leopard had been seen not far from where the cheetah was, so we raced over and found a young leopard slinking through the trees and long grass. He was rather young and not yet full-size, but clearly already weaned from his mother. The morning was concluded with a drive through a massive wildebeest herd heading south on the annual migration. Various herds of zebra and Thomson gazelle were also intermixed with the wildebeest throng, which numbered easily in the thousands.

Eagle in Ndutu

We decided not to have a box lunch that day, but returned to the camp for a warm lunch. This proved to be a very good idea, as Nicky started feeling sick toward noon. He had a headache, felt dizzy and also had the same digestive problems as Chris. We surmised that it might have been the ice-cream at the Ngorongoro Farmhouse that had caused the problems; but it could have been a host of other things, as well. So our safari party was down to three (plus Ray) for the afternoon drive. I also put Nick on a course of antibiotics, but reduced the dosage to 250mg twice a day for five days (Ciproxin).

During the afternoon drive, we saw two female and one male lion sleeping under a tree, then found a group of bat-eared foxes lying in the tall grass near their burrows.

Bat-eared Fox in the Ndutu region

Lions in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Wildebeest Skulls near Lake Masek

Ray then took us to Lake Masek where we saw a wildebeest graveyard from a mass drowning during last year’s migration. Apparently, as many as 500 animals got stuck in the lake during their annual crossing and perished in the waters. We found their bones and skulls with horns rowed along the shoreline. From there, we ventured on to Lake Ndutu to see the Flamingo population.

Flamingos in Lake Ndutu

There were also a half dozen Marabu Storks (which Ray considers Africa’s ugliest bird) and one odd-looking specimen that Ray could not place. Figuring it was a new discovery, we decided to call it “Ray’s Crane” or “The bird of Ray” in honor of our guide.

Ray's Crane

At the camp, we got to know a very nice Dutch family that kindly offered to provide medication when they heard that our two boys had taken ill. Since I was well-stocked myself, I politely declined. They were running pretty much the same itinerary as we were; and we bumped into them once again at the Ngorongoro Crater. During the night, we heard a lot of hyena noises and some lion roars.

Sunrise at the Serengeti Savannah Camp

Again, it was cold in the morning; and I was shivering as I waited for the hot water to be delivered and hoisted in the plastic bag that fed the shower. The sky was clear as we exited the tent and watched the sun rise over the Nogorongoro Conservation Area and the Ndutu Region.

Unfortunately, Nick was still not feeling well and did not want to have any breakfast nor get out of bed. We had planned to leave at 08:00, but needed to wait about an hour until Nick felt strong enough to get up and join us in the car. Ray made a bed for him in the back of the car and tried to make him as comfortable as possible despite the rutted and bumpy roads we would be traversing.

On this morning we drove from the eastern edge of the Nogorongoro Conservation Area through the southern Serengeti to the central part, where we had a picnic lunch at a designated (i.e., safe) area.

Ray and Chris at lunch in the Serengeti

On the way, we saw a leopard in a “sausage” tree and watched it leap out and into the grass near a marsh.

Leopard leaping from tree in the Serengeti

We also saw countless wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, Thomson gazelles, Grant gazelles and impalas.

Ostriches in the Serengeti

In addition, we saw a total of four lions, but they again were only sleeping in the shade, apparently resting from a busy night. Ray told us that lions only need to eat about every 4-6 days, so when they are not hungry and do not need to hunt, they just sleep. He mentioned that he very rarely sees lions hunting – maybe one time in thirty outings. He related an incident he was once witness to where an entire pride of lions took down a buffalo: the entire process took an hour; and it was very dangerous for the lions, as the buffalo could easily have killed one of them with a kick or a joust from its horns. The highlight of our morning, however, was our first sighting of hyenas: we saw two different species – one spotted and the other, well, unspotted…

Hyena in the Serengeti

On the way through the western Serengeti (which comes from the Maasai word for “endless open spaces”), we went to the Hippo pool and saw at least three dozen massive specimens rolling, lumbering, defecating and displaying in the water. It was mid-afternoon and too hot for them to be out grazing. A little known fact is that Hippos are the land animals most closely related to whales. They are definitely more aquatic than land-dwelling (from what I could see during the trip); and if they could find a way to nourish themselves in the water (they need to go on land to graze), they might never get out. The hippo pool was supposed to harbor a number of crocodiles, as well, but we didn’t see any. In fact, we didn’t see a single croc during the entire trip.

Hippos in the Serengeti Hippo Pool

We departed from here and headed toward our next camp, the Mapito Tented Camp complex outside the Ikoma gate in the western Serengeti.

Inside one of the tents at the Mapito Tented Camp

This was a very nice and comfortable place with spacious tents, a permanent shower facility out back of the tents (walled in, but actually under the open sky) and nice African decoration. The manager of the camp is a very friendly and colorful Viennese by the name of Hannes. He left Vienna back in 2004 and has been working in various hotels across East Africa ever since. His original background is IT, so we had some topics to discuss in this area. He lives at the camp with his Kenyan wife (Anita); and the couple has two daughters who are currently at boarding school in Mwanza.

Mapito Tented Camp

By the evening, Nick was feeling better and decided to have dinner with us. We all went out to the campfire after dinner and spent some time talking with Hannes and the Finnish couple also staying at the campsite. One of the camp’s employees stood guard with bow and arrow; and we learned that the weapons were not mere decoration and that the tips of some of the arrows had been dipped in poison from the Candelabra tree. So far, the guards have needed to use the arrows twice – once when a hyena got too close, and once when a lion came roaming through the camp. Hannes also told us the story of how he ended up in East Africa. He had been a software engineer at Kapsch, grew to hate the cold Austrian winters while simultaneously learning to love the climate in Mombasa, got an offer to take on a role as IT coordinator for a hotel in Mombasa, spent three years there until the hotel went bankrupt, was forced to look for another job and ultimately ended up at Mapito.

Sunset at Mapito Tented Camp

The birds woke me up again at sunrise. This was an ever-recurring phenomenon; and I have conjectured that, if I were ever to live in this part of Africa, I would morph into a morning person – something that I have never been before (except when jet-lagged). It gets dark at around 07:00 in the evening and light at around 06:00 in the morning; and since this part of Tanzania is just a few degrees south of the equator, the length of the days varies little throughout the year. And since there’s no winter to speak of, the birds serve as a perpetual wake-up call every day of the year. I have never seen more sunrises in such a short period of time than during our ten days in Tanzania.

I went outside to the front of the tent to get a few pictures before trying to sleep some more; but it was a futile attempt. The morning was beautiful, clear and sunny with the songs of tropical birds competing with each other against a backdrop of grunts and moos from the nearby wildebeest. There were no hyena noises last night, despite Hannes’s prediction that we would hear them every night due to the proximity of their burrows (about four hundred meters west of the campsite).

We left around 09:00 and headed west toward the small market town of Mugumu (population 18,000). I was again shocked by the roads, which were even bumpier and more rutted than in the Serengeti and the Ndutu region. It took us about 90 minutes to cover the 45km to Mugumu, where we picked up a guide in the center of the town, then proceeded another fifteen minutes outside the town to the Ikoma Cultural Center.

Sign of the Ikoma Cultural Center

The cultural center is a small portion of a village sectioned off to provide some insight into traditional Ikoma life and culture. The Ikoma are one of the 120 tribes in Tanzania and are located primarily in the western Serengeti; and Agnes Makanga is the head and founder of the Ikoma Cultural Center in Nyichoka Village outside Mugumu (agnesmichoka.ikomacenter@yahoo.com).

Ikoma dancers at the Ikoma Cultural Center

When we arrived at the cultural center, we were greeted by Ikoma dancers in traditional costumes welcoming us to their village. They danced and sang a welcome song; then an invitation song; and finally the female members of the group gave us a rendition of a traditional song praising “female domestic virtues”, which had something to do with diligence in the household and loyalty to the husband. Agnes then invited us to sit down at a round concrete table covered by a grass roof and served us a millet-porridge and a sweet tea with milk. By this time, Kate was not feeling well and did not partake of the food. I again pulled out a course of antibiotics (my last) and hoped this would also do the trick for her.

After this snack, Agnes took us through the Ikoma museum, which consisted of some traditional Ikoma tools for grinding millet and working the fields and a small grass-roofed dwelling made of mud and sticks. She explained that the Ikoma originated in the Sudan and wandered south in search of better pastures for their cattle, ultimately ending up in Kenya, where they split into two groups, one (Wakumba?) remaining in Kenya and the second (Waikoma) migrating further south into Tanzania. Today, the Ikoma are both farmers and pastoralists, having abandoned their previously nomadic existence. Agnes founded the Ikoma Cultural Center to keep alive the history and traditions of the Ikoma people, as the younger generation has less and less touch with these elements of Ikoma culture. We learned that the zebra is a sacred animal in Ikoma culture and that, earlier, a man proposing to marry a woman in the tribe was required to kill a zebra and feed the meat to his fiancée and her family. This was a prerequisite of marriage. In the meantime, this tradition is no longer practiced, but the zebra is still a sacred animal in their culture. Also, the giraffe is revered by the Ikoma; and it is prohibited to kill this animal.

We then walked to the top of a hill at the north of the village where the male Ikoma dancers were waiting.

Traditional Fire Dance in the Ikoma Village

They performed a ritual fire dance using only sticks, cow dung, straw and dry branches. In the end, a beautiful campfire glowed among the trees; and not a single match had been struck. One of the men mentioned that, in 1961, when Tanzania gained its independence, the entire community went to the top of the hill to light a huge bonfire. And they repeat that recent tradition every 9th of December on their day of independence.

Coming down the hill from the Fire Dance

From there, we walked back to the village to a lunch consisting of rice, chicken, ugali, mandrake and watermelon. Katie spent most of the time in the Land Cruiser sleeping on the back bench. She was very upset at having missed the activities at the Cultural Center, as this had been one of her main areas of interest.

When our visit was over, there was a rather protracted ritual of thanks and farewell on both sides. Agnes asked me to give her some feedback on how the visit had gone, as she wants to continue improving the activities. She said they get about three groups per month, but that she would like to get the rhythm to three groups per week. She is hoping that each group that visits will create some publicity for their center.

We drove back to Mugumu and stopped at the Giraffe Hotel for some refreshments. Ray asked us whether we wanted to take a walk through the town; but Chris and Kate decided to stay put and have some more drinks. The rest of us proceeded into the town; and it was immediately apparent that we were indeed a novelty in those streets. Literally, everybody was staring at the visiting wazungu, and I did not feel very comfortable as the object of such attention. Still, it was a worthwhile tour, as we could see how a rural town of this size looks and operates. There are almost NO tourists in this part of Tanzania, so for anybody looking for an authentic Tanzanian village, this is the place to visit. What struck me in most Tanzanian communities was the stylish dress of the women: they were always impeccably clothed and presented a colorful pageant in their kanga-patterned outfits. Also, most of the people on the streets appeared to have good shoes, which is always an indication of prosperity. We visited the market and found it full of fresh fruits and vegetables and other consumer goods; and the people overall looked quite healthy and content. Ray stated that Mugumu is one of the towns benefiting from a higher standard of living in the northern part of Tanzania, as compared to the central and southern parts.

Market in Mugumu

While walking back to the Giraffe Hotel, three young boys (ages seven or eight) ran up to Ray and said something to him in Swahili. We learned from Ray that they were fascinated to see a mzungu child (Nick), because they had never seen one before. And they wanted him to stay and play with them for a while. They were really cute and a bit disappointed when we did not fulfill their wishes. The city of Mugumu was a collection of brick and concrete-block buildings with corrugated tin roofs and not a single paved road. There were empty lots between the dwellings where some trash had collected; but the city was actually rather clean. We wanted to drive to the school that Access2Tanzania is supporting. However, the road in that direction was under construction. In fact, I learned from Ray that they were intending to lay an asphalted road in that part of the city, the first paved artery of transportation in Mugumu.

Market in Mugumu

We drove the rough road back to Mapito and prepared for the New Year’s Eve dinner. Katie was still not feeling well and declined to join us for the evening meal. Hannes and his team had prepared a very good meal of chicken, ugali, spinach and banana (again, the plantain variety). There was also a delicious chocolate cake with 2011 inscribed across the surface. After dinner, we all gathered around the campfire. In the meantime, two additional families had arrived at the campsite; and in total there were four Finns, two Austrians, one American, one Austrian-American (Chris), one German and one Italian, plus the Ikoma guards with their bows and arrows. The two Finnish men and Chris decided to have an archery competition and tried to hit a tree near the campfire. Chris had some difficulties; but the two Finns, both practiced archers, nailed the tree. And one of them burrowed the tip of the arrow so far into the trunk that Chris needed to get his bush-knife out and help carve the tip of the arrow out. The guards were all fascinated with Chris’s luxury flashlight and showed Hannes how far they could illuminate the bush with it. But Hannes said they would have to make do with their lower power flashlights, as these could be recharged using solar power; and Hannes didn’t want to buy a bunch of batteries.

Hannes had managed to download the Blue Danube Waltz from iTunes; and as midnight approached, he brought out three bottles of champagne with wine glasses (no champagne glasses at the campsite). We rang in 2011 by uncorking the bottles and waltzing around the campfire. I even stood in for the truant Italian, whose German wife was left without a partner, and did double duty after my waltz with Gertrude.

Hannes at the Mapito Tented Camp

Ray wearing Chris's hat

We left the Mapito Tented Camp and drove toward the central Serengeti, where we would have to change cars with the Access2Tanzania team, as our Toyota Land Cruiser had incurred a busted drive shaft, which Ray had taken out the evening before. The damage did not completely cripple the vehicle, but had effectively rendered it a two-wheel-drive car, since the damaged drive shaft was the long part connecting the front wheels with the rear wheels. Accordingly, we could continue driving; but Ray had to remain on easily passable roads and not get us into any difficult spots.

Giraffe in the Serengeti

Along the way, we saw the usual cast of savannah beasts – Thomson gazelles, wildebeest, zebra, impala, Grant gazelles, hartebeest, giraffes, warthogs, ostriches; and the highlight was an impressive male lion sitting near a herd of zebra. As usual, this beautiful specimen was doing nothing and was unimpressed as we drove up to its resting spot and peered out of the Land Cruiser to take our obligatory photos.

Lion in the Serengeti

We swapped cars at the central Serengeti station and spent about thirty minutes touring a very interesting exhibit on the Serengeti, its geological history and the diverse animal life. There was also a tribute at the end to Tanzania’s first President, Julius Nyerere, and the German naturalist, Bernhard Grzimek, both of whom were instrumental in creating the Serengeti National Park as a reserve for Tanzania’s rich wildlife. We then drove to the eastern gate of the Serengeti Park and stopped to get the paperwork done for our exit from the park and our reentry into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We were very grateful to have Ray there to take care of all this paperwork. The lines were sometimes long; and I could see that there was a healthy amount of bureaucracy involved. While waiting, Chris, Gertrude and I walked up to the overlook point at the gate and had an impressive view of the Serengeti to the west and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the east.

At the overlook point near the east gate of the Serengeti Park

We left the Serengeti Park and entered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and drove up to the rim of the crater, winding our way around to the Sopa Ngorongoro Lodge. We stopped at one overlook point and were immediately surrounded by Maasai youth hawking necklaces and beads and asking us to pay to take their pictures. I cut that visit short and climbed back into the car. This was one of the more bothersome aspects of traveling in Tanzania: along well-traveled tourist routes, you could count on being hassled and badgered by locals trying to get a dollar or two out of your wallet. And they had little understanding for the words “No, thank you” or “Hapana sihitaji” or “Hapana asante”. I have to consider this truly poor salesmanship, as I will not buy under these circumstances, nor would any other members of my family (except the one time Gertrude caved in at the base of Kilimanjaro). I ended up buying my souvenirs more expensively, but under more hospitable circumstances in normal souvenir shops.

View of Ngorongoro Crater

It had been a long day in the car when we finally arrived at the Sopa Ngorongoro Lodge. Upon checking in, we were initially not very happy with the place. It lacked the individuality and personal touch of the other lodges and the tented camps.

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

This lodge is part of a chain and thus a bit large and impersonal; but we discovered that the personnel were very friendly and helpful and made a big effort to make their guests happy. Above all, the view from the Lodge was unbeatable, pitched right on the rim of the crater with a full western exposure. Also, this lodge has a virtually private road down into the crater, which makes accessing the crater trouble-free. Finally, the rooms are large and comfortable; and the food is pretty decent. We were glad that we hadn’t booked more than two nights in such a large tourist lodge; but I would definitely recommend this place to anybody visiting the crater, since it is unforgettable simply by virtue of its location.

This day was also memorable for the simple fact that, finally, all our children were healthy again. Whatever they had been suffering from had been eradicated. But I still had to go through about an hour of anger, as I could not find my expensive Victorinox Swiss tool and was afraid I had forgotten it back at the Mapito Camp. It eventually resurfaced under a pair of pants, but not before I had dumped everything out of our luggage and fully refreshed my dormant vocabulary of expletives.

Pool at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge