This I Know is True

• Jackie and Larry Phillips are wonderful traveling companions.  When put to the test, we all passed with flying colors
• My dear husband is always there for me - in sickness and in health
• We can’t take anything for granted
• Our earth is fragile and we must care for it and for all of its creatures
• We are lucky beyond imagining to live in the United States
• Many people in this world lack what we consider basic necessities yet they are loving and kind 
• It’s pretty fun to be treated like royalty
• At our age we deserve business class when on marathon flights
• I will never forget Africa - it’s people, culture and unbelievable natural wonders
• I will never go to another zoo

It Takes a Village

We are going to have an easy time of it for our last full day at the camp including a leisurely breakfast - a good thing  since we are all pretty well done in and are contemplating our departure.  

We cannot help but think what awaits us in the U.S.  Water that is clean, plentiful and hot when you turn the tap one way and cold when you turn it the other.  You can drink it. From the tap. Most any place in the country. The toilet will probably flush and you can find seat covers in many public toilets. More important, places you go are likely to HAVE a public toilet. Close by.  If you are in a U.S. Park, you'll probably know where the toilets are and can plan accordingly.   Your bathroom shower will likely provide full body coverage at more than a trickle and you needn't be concerned about the lack of water pressure unless you are washing clothes and showering simultaneously.  I care more about these things as I get older.

Be Here Now.  Mid-morning we set out for a local village, walking the last 20 minutes with Pere who looks out for the occasional animal that might find us interesting enough to investigate. David continues in the Land Rover and fails to tell us that our walk would be all uphill. He mistakenly might have thought that it didn't matter. So we arrive at the village a bit wilted and take in the scene that we have heretofore only seen from the road. 

A young Masai woman invites us into her home that she's made from branches cemented with cow dung. We duck down to enter and must go ahead by feel since the interior is dark save for a very small window atop the fire pit area. We sit down carefully on what turns out to be beds separated by a small common area where the cooking is done. We see this after our eyes adjust to the near darkness.  The man sleeps on one bed and the woman and children in the other. There are  two small  pens near the door that house the baby goats and calves when needed. We find out that the woman is married to an employee at our camp and that she has been to school long enough to learn quite a bit of English. Later, when we come back from out walk around the village, the men demonstrate how to start a fire without matches (which they do very quickly) and the women invite us to the little market they have created on the ground to display their beadwork and other hand-made items.  It is fun to pick things out but not to bargain. I wisely turn all my goods over to David and ask him to do his best to arrive at a fair price for both the buyers and the sellers. We appreciate the honor of being invited to the village. 

Lunch at the camp. We are being so civilized today!  We go to David's son's boarding school this afternoon and as luck would have it, it's Parents's Day so everyone is festive and enjoying their family visit after not having been together for three months.  The head of the school takes us on a tour which is quite sobering for us Westerners.  We see the boys' dorm which is in disarray and in need of repair.  Many of the mattresses are thin with the ticking coming out of the sides and very little bedding on the beds.  The school kitchen takes some getting used to as does the description of what they eat for each meal.  There are no overweight children because food is not plentiful.  There is a school canteen at which the children eagerly assemble, spending the money from their parents on sweet treats.  All the families bring food for a picnic and the children take delight in stuffing themselves.  The girl' s' dormitory is fairly new and nicely kept.  Girls are neat, boys not so much.  There are plans to build a new dormitory for the boys.  Good news.

We meet David's wife and their young daughter who is still at home.  When she is old enough, she will join her brother at this school.  The oldest son is at a high school closer to David's home.  The school we visit has high marks in academic achievement so enrollment there helps to insure admission to better high schools and the university.  Considering that David started life in a Masai Village, having three kids in private schools on academic tracks is pretty amazing.  

Driving in the Dark

Before we left for Africa I took some time memorizing the Big Five - elephant, white rhino, leopard, lion and Cape Buffalo.  I thought this described the most sought-after animals on a game drive but, in fact, the term was rooted in the days when the European hunters came after big game concluding that these were the most dangerous animals to kill.  Some of my joy at photographing the Big Five diminished, but I had to get over it because the term is well-used by many, including those who love the land and the animals.   

Our first full day in Leieshwa Camp started at 3:45 A.M. when we arose to prepare for our hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara.  A swallow of coffee helped as did our scout Pere's keen eye.  He spotted some lions near the road eating a beastie they'd recently killed.  We had no idea how he was able to direct David to the exact place where the action was occurring.  On we went in the dark, staying on the road and avoiding most of the big ruts until we got to the Balloon site.  

Our captain was a crusty, no nonsense guy with a dry sense of humor (I was seated next to him) and a wonderful skill set.  I had no sense of anything but peace while aloft and never a thought but that we were completely safe.  Not long into the flight, we came close to a river where we saw the elusive rhino with a horn of vast proportions standing near the river bank.  The guides think there are less than 20 rhinos in the entire Mara which is a bit over 700 square miles.  This stroke of luck completed our sighting of the Big Five.  

A good breakfast and on we went for a full-day game drive.  Later, Larry was designated to request the lunch stop and to tell David that we would not mind heading back to the camp after one more search for the leopards said to be in the area.   We'd also take a final look at the two cheetahs we'd seen earlier scouting a large group of wildebeests.  They were looking for babies but failed to find a proper target which left us denied (or spared) a look at the hunters in action.  Some things in nature are hard to accept and it can be quite challenging being an observer.

We also decided that an evening game drive (starting around 9 P.M.) was not in the cards so we braved disappointing David again by saying we'd enjoy the sunset drive but that there'd be no late night in our immediate future.  He graciously accepted our plan and we set off for the sunset viewing area which included many animal sightings  along the way.  We saw hoards of giraffes called a tower when in a standing group and a journey when they are on the move.  For sunset, Pere gathered wood, made a fire, set up our chairs, and opened some wine.  Jackie and I had to leave the campsite for the nearest bush before we settled down, but we enjoyed the juxtaposition of roughing it with our long-stemmed wine glasses.  Not a bad life.

The Wows Have It

Today we leave Oliver's camp, Tanzania, and Chris. Hard day for goodbyes but we are happy that Chris can spend some time at home now. We set off for our five-hour drive to Kilimanjaro complete with our packed lunches to eat at the airport. It's a weekday so the towns and roadsides are busy with activity and travelers. We finally get through Arusha and in spite of traffic and a stop light that promotes gridlock, we are in good shape. Things deteriorate at little at the airport when the security check X-ray machine breaks down and we all stand waiting. Someone wandered over and looked at the machine, another was summoned and pushed some buttons and someone else turned off the breakers in our part of the airport.  A winning combination got things up and running but with delays, we despaired of making our connecting flight at the commuter airport in Nairobe.

When we got there we were shepherded quickly through various queues and found out the small plane waited for us. We stood and stared at it for almost 1/2 hour and then someone decided we were good to go.  Ron and I made the mistake of taking two back seats that were literally not able to accommodate our long legs and when I ended up smashed against the window, I almost sprinted over Ron to get up to an empty seat in the front.  In a minute he joined me because even with 2 seats to himself, he was bent in half. We buckled up, the passenger in the back passed up the water and the passenger in the front sent around the mints. A bit of a rev for the engines and we took off on the dirt runway and were airborne. Our airstrip was the first of three planned landings so off we went for our 40-minute flight to the Masai Mara.

Waiting faithfully was our guide David and his spotter, Pere, a Masai warrior.  We got into a well-loved rattletrap Land Rover and off we went at a speed dictated by some of the worst roads we'd encountered.  The sands in Chobe were a challenge they simply served to prepare us for what was afoot in the Mara. Our first game drive in Kenya started without ceremony, although we'd been up since before 6 that morning.  When we arrived at Leleshwa Camp near sundown, it was with no small relief that we had dinner and went to bed.

We found some time to laugh about the nicknames Chris and his fellow guides have for the different nationalities.  The Americans are "the Wows" because we say "Wow!" when we see great things.  We all became conscious of how often we do say "Wow", but we considered it a compliment.  What is better than enthusiasm for all the awesome things we are seeing in Africa?

The Tsetse Fly and I

A full day in Tarangire, Chris's favorite National Park. Larry and I leave a bit early with our armed guide, Milton, and a ranger from the park armed with a large bore elephant gun for a morning walk around camp.  We see many animals roaming and grazing including elephants and one lone Cape buffalo that required evading. Those beasties traveling alone have usually been ejected from the herd by the reining bull and are said to be pretty grumpy. I start the walk feeling somewhat unwell and take to some deep prayer along the way, knowing that it won't be easy to tend to me if I am unable to remain ambulatory. People who require more than first aid have to make it 45 minutes by vehicle to the air strip. I give thanks when I start to feel better and can enjoy all we are learning from Milton along the way.

When we get back, the four of us head out, taking our lunches packed to order because we are taken care of even when we are away from the camp. We are treated to a constant barrage from the tse tse flies and they are annoying creatures. They are attracted to various colors, including black, so they follow the Land Rover with it's black covered spare tire and black window tracks.  When we stop they come right in and enjoy a snack (us) whenever possible.  Bring out the bug juice.

We see more varieties of birds and animals including a harem of mongoose whom we find a source of amusement with their constant antics. Like the warthog, they are always busy although they don't seem sure of what they are up to. Like some people, yes?

Chris is our hero. We learn more about each other including that he is Catholic and that one of his brothers is a priest. He and his wife both work and they have two children. His wife's father is Muslim and refuses to meet Chris or to recognize his daughter's marriage. The wife's parents are divorced so at least they have the mother, who is Christian. We have seen some Muslim people here.  Islam is a prominent religion in East Africa.

A great dinner at camp with more conversation with the world travelers. Jackie and Larry are the first to go to their cabin, always with a guide, but soon they return. The ellies were eating dinner by our cabin (ah ha!) so they could not proceed. We, they, and Toni's family spent another half hour in the lodge until the coast was clear. Another great day in the bush. 

An Ellie on My Doorstep

We are saying good-bye to our beautiful Exploreans Village and making our way to Tarangire National Park and, eventually, our first bush camp.  We pass through Mosquito Village, so named for its many rice paddies, and we see many of the Masai people in colorful robes.  The occasional young man in black announces his  recent circumcision. He will need to wait a full year until he achieves warrior status after having undergone the procedure minus anesthesia or movement which is perceived as cowardice. Other robes with bright colors have been made in China and are bought cheaply in bulk. We know so well.

Our lessons about Africa continue in Tarangire where we see a clan of warthogs and a dazzle of zebra. Elephant, lion, and leopard are described in the singular but warthog,to describe a bunch of them, just doesn't seem right. They don't have the big animal status after all although I am fond of the homely little guys.

We arrive at Oliver's Camp late afternoon so are able to see around the grounds, albeit briefly, and to be shown to our tents which are a few minutes walk from reception.  Our tent is spacious with two beds, a desk and chair, open closet, bathroom with shower and a wonderful outside shower with a view of the sky and trees that can not be beat. It is my favorite part of the lodge. Our own porch with lounge chairs, and we were all set.  Communication with staff was via walkie talkie and each room came equipped with a big air horn. When we were ready for dinner staff came to walk us down.

We all ate together at a long table and quickly fell in love with Toni, a 13 year old Swiss girl on safari with her parents. Later she shyly asked for my email address and her mom told me later that it was because she wanted us to stay with them should we ever visit Switzerland.

Back in our cabins for the night, Ron quickly fell asleep. I was reading when I heard a slow Clomp, Clomp, Clomp, followed by Chomp, Chomp, Chomp. It came from two locations which sounded like they were inches from our cabin. A feeling of unease welled up in me when I remembered that all that separated me from a several ton animal was a thin piece of canvas. I woke up Ron to join in the hand-wringing which he promptly declined. I went to sleep myself about 20 minutes later, marveling at what a human being can get used to in short order.

Not Like I Imagined

After an early breakfast, we depart for the long-awaited  Ngorongoro Crater. We find out along the way that the name derives from the local peoples' description of the sound the bells make on their herds of goats.  We are a bit above 6,000 feet and we have to go up before we can come down.  At 10,000 feet we are enveloped in a beautiful cover of clouds and down we go on the switchback roads, amazed to hear that the elephants descend as well, seeking water. They occasionally resort to sitting down and sliding on their behinds when it's too steep.

As has happened frequently in Africa, this is nothing like I imagined. The Crater is a super large caldera akin to Yellowstone.  In fact our guide Chris was sent by his company to the US to visit Yellowstone. The caldera is 25 miles across and is 2 million years old. It is home to countless animals (over 25,000), many of whom never leave.  Others migrate during the rainy season, heading for the Serengeti. We were able to complete our sightings of the Big Five when we saw, in the distance, a rhino. Not a white rhino, but maybe that will come later. If not, we have been so lucky it does not matter.

There are multiple terrains within the Crater and various watering spots including a river, beautiful natural springs and the alkaline lake. All attract countless animals including what must have been thousands of pink flamingos. Unreal.

We cover most of the Crater during the day, returning home in a tired heap with time to rest just a bit before dinner. R, J, and L got massages but I rested quietly by myself. Those kids had two massages in one week.  We are all taking care of ourselves.

Three Times Through

At 5:30 A.M. I couldn't manage a swallow of coffee but while still not myself, I am so much better. Off we go at 6 A.M. for another flying adventure.  We arrive early at the  Nairobe airport because there were THREE security checkpoints in addition to baggage screening and the requisite immigration lines. At the gate we boarded stinky buses into which not another human being could have been crammed for a long, slow ride.  When we stopped, the cork flew out of the bottle and we were all flung toward the plane. We settled ourselves and our possessions for a 30-minute with me wondering why not drive. Not a good choice given road conditions so there you go. We meet Chris and Clara at the airport and learn that Chris will be our guide throughout our visit in Tanzania and that Clara is the local Born Free representative. We later learn that the exotic looking Clara is half Dutch and half African and that her Dutch relatives likely lost their land when their land leases expired, this the policy of the Tanzanian government that is now fifty yeas old.

Chris is just wonderful. He takes us on a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park and teaches us a lot about the animals and ecosystem of the area. We enjoy talking with him very much, especially about the Masai people who populate this area. We are tired when we arrive at Exploreans Lodge but quickly revive  when we see the absolutely stunning grounds and attentive staff who great us with herbal-scented towels and greetings of Jambo, hello in Swahili. The staff at the lodge speak Swahili, their native language and English, at minimum.

Our quarters are all private residences with a large living room that has a small office space and fireplace. The bedroom is huge with king size bed, another fireplace and an easy chair and footstool.  Each room contains a day bed, as well. Extra large bathroom with bench and a shower to accommodate two persons. When I stepped out onto our lanai, I could have reclined one the divan, or sat at the table. Instead I stood at the rail and watched an elephant across the way who watched me right back. Heaven, anyone?