After 3 days of work we headed out into some African wild spaces for the weekend. While driving from Moshi to Arusha and then onto our safari destination zebras crossed the road - a typical sight! We then came across bushes in the middle of the road laid out at evenly spaced intervals seemingly all about the same size. This is what they use to warn of an accident or obstruction in the road up ahead to warn drivers to slow down - very creative.
We were in a jeep for two solid days since one cannot get out of the jeep on safari because of the potential dangers that the wild animals pose (remember that before you schedule a 10 day safari!) Two days was just right. The crater (or caldera as it is accurately called) is impressive at 350,000 square kilometers. We saw zebra, gazelle, ostrich, birds galore, a rhino, a pride of lions, 2 lone male bull elephants, wildebeests, water buffalo, antelope, a cheetah, hippos, a mama warthog with her 4 babies happily twirling their tails and playing in the dust and what little mud they could find at the end of the dry season. The rainy season begins at the end of January and as a result it was very dry when we visited on January 16th. The acacia trees are quite a sight with weaver bird nests hanging from their branches.
Sheets of rain came in while we were in the crater and it was such a good feeling to see the dust go down, the air cool off and the caldera receive much needed water.
At the end of our safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, we visited a Masai Village at the cost of $150.00 for the group of us. It was a rather highly contrived visit. The Masai used to live in the crater, but they are no longer allowed to live there. They still graze their cattle in and around the crater, but elephant poachers (looking for tusks) were dressing up as Masai so as not to be caught. One of the most beautiful sights that I saw were the Masai children herding their goats and the adults herding their cattle. They walk tall and proud through the fields using their spears for walking sticks and protection from wild animals if necessary. They wear blue blankets to symbolize marriage and red if they are not married. The Masai live in keeping with nature. They seem to leave a very light footprint on the earth, with the exception of taking many wives and having many children, but this ensures survival of the tribe. The main source of Masai nutrition comes from the milk and blood of cows that they store in calabashes (gourds). They are used by the tourism industry to promote visits to Africa, but the government is trying to urbanize them so their lifestyle will be no more. Having learned through history about the native indians and the havoc wreaked on them by trying to turn them into Europeans, it is surprising to me the lessons learned from these past mistakes are not used here and that the Masai way of life is not being protected for as long as it is able to exist (with the exception of female genital mutilation). There are so many dichotomies in Tanzania and the way of life of the Masai being lost at the same time as it is being used to promote tourism is just one of them.
The feet photo are from the majestic looking Masai woman who came to the clinic one day. She is wearing the typical Masai sandal made of recycled rubber tire.
Our safari on Sunday, January 19th was in Lake Manyara. The water level of the lake is very low and the whole Savannah is hot and dry. When the rains come they will be very welcome here. Our guides tell us the best time to safari is in February when the wildebeests migrate and have their babies. It brings all wildlife out. Today we saw giraffes, impala, zebras and flamingos at a HOT spring, impala, gazelles and many beautiful birds.
Sheets of rain came in while we were in the crater and it was such a good feeling to see the dust go down, the air cool off and the caldera receive much needed water.
At the end of our safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, we visited a Masai Village at the cost of $150.00 for the group of us. It was a rather highly contrived visit. The Masai used to live in the crater, but they are no longer allowed to live there. They still graze their cattle in and around the crater, but elephant poachers (looking for tusks) were dressing up as Masai so as not to be caught. One of the most beautiful sights that I saw were the Masai children herding their goats and the adults herding their cattle. They walk tall and proud through the fields using their spears for walking sticks and protection from wild animals if necessary. They wear blue blankets to symbolize marriage and red if they are not married. The Masai live in keeping with nature. They seem to leave a very light footprint on the earth, with the exception of taking many wives and having many children, but this ensures survival of the tribe. The main source of Masai nutrition comes from the milk and blood of cows that they store in calabashes (gourds). They are used by the tourism industry to promote visits to Africa, but the government is trying to urbanize them so their lifestyle will be no more. Having learned through history about the native indians and the havoc wreaked on them by trying to turn them into Europeans, it is surprising to me the lessons learned from these past mistakes are not used here and that the Masai way of life is not being protected for as long as it is able to exist (with the exception of female genital mutilation). There are so many dichotomies in Tanzania and the way of life of the Masai being lost at the same time as it is being used to promote tourism is just one of them.
The feet photo are from the majestic looking Masai woman who came to the clinic one day. She is wearing the typical Masai sandal made of recycled rubber tire.
Our safari on Sunday, January 19th was in Lake Manyara. The water level of the lake is very low and the whole Savannah is hot and dry. When the rains come they will be very welcome here. Our guides tell us the best time to safari is in February when the wildebeests migrate and have their babies. It brings all wildlife out. Today we saw giraffes, impala, zebras and flamingos at a HOT spring, impala, gazelles and many beautiful birds.
No comments:
Post a Comment