Moshi and beyond

Back home. We had an "extreme" cultural wake-up call on the extension. Our guide and driver were young gentlemen, and I mean Tanzanian gentlemen and took us to see endemic birds. This trip was an amazing demonstration of culture. To see endemic birds takes you way beyond places on the map. The villagers were so poor yet happy. They have almost nothing. The women work extremely hard washing clothes in the river, gardening, walking for water, preparing food for market. I think some of the women display their vegetables and get guards to watch them at night. Sugar is unknown except for an abundance of coke and sugar cane, which grows abundantly as well as sisal. The last night we stayed in what was suggestive of a village hut; no electricity, light by lantern, minimal food but better than the OAT tour. Our hosts and Byron and I traveled by very rough road, and one route in the West Usambaras was closed. We got struck only once. Byron saw over 250 life birds. I saw less but the cultural experience and the children and people I met, I will never forget. The fresh vegetables and fruits were unlike any I have ever tasted.

Outside of Arusha

August 14, 2013 - Back outside of Arusha at the doctor's home in the middle of nowhere - and I really mean it!!! The two dogs here greeted us so warmly and we are now sitting on Fiona's veranda eating homemade vegetable soup, delicious local cheese, her wheatbread, and tomato stuffed avacado. We will take a short game drive at 5pm. I think we are 7 hours ahead of you. We are meeting our new driver and guide tomorrow at 8am. Went to the market this AM and left the rest of our tour, but we made friends with a couple we might travel with again. They are from California. Hope all is well!! I think it will take a week to recover from our 'vacation'. Love, Sandy

Tanzanian public school and brick making

August 13, 2013 - Today we visited a Tanzanian public school (it was incredible). The students all wear uniforms and are very well-behaved. They study very hard. The first thing they do every morning is gym exercses and they sing and dance to wake up and get ready for school. I got some really neat pictures of the Tansanian primary school. AND, I taught the 4th graders the Cha-Cha!! After that, we went to a place where they make bricks. You can't believe how labor intensive this is. The workers dig the clay in the heat, and make the bricks in kilns with firewood. All they want is for their children to receive an education. It is so sad. It looked like a prison camp. More tomorrow.

At the hotel, lion family, malaria, tse tse flies

Finally got to Internet. I am so happy all is ok. We were less than five feet from a big male lion today!! In fact a whole family of lions came near us. They were checking out some prey but we never saw a kill. I am so glad I didn't see this. The tent safari was fabulous; the campsite had down comforters and electricity and we met the cook and learned about Tanzanzian culture and tribal practices. One of the tribes beats there wives; they believe it shows how much they love them. We learned about the spread of AIDS and malaria and the tse tse flies. Love you so much, Mom

Safari with linoness, Ngorongoro, and mosquitoes!

August 10, 2013 - Hello again!! On a safari today and got a fabulous picture of a lioness right by our camp. Beautiful sunrise with perfect weather. Two more nights here in the Serengeti!!! Miss you all! Love, Sandy

August 11, 2013 - Going to Ngorongoro tomorrow and will be in a good hotel with internet, so please write to me. Just saw a black rhino!! Got the Big 5! Love, Mom

August 12, 2013 - We are at a nice hotel now. Some of the people in our group are sick, and one man has an infection. The mosquitoes DO NOT LIKE ME!!

Ngorongoro Crater, and many more animals!

Hello everyone!

August 8, 2013 - Went to the Norongoro Crater today! We saw the spot where Leakys discovered the first evidence of man. The weather is great, not too hot and no rain. The birds are beautiful. We have a dusty ride to the tent camp in the Serengeti for four nights.

August 9, 2013 - Hello again, it's noon in the Serengeti and we have already seen lions, hippos, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, masai ostrich, and TWO CHEETAH! More dust and rough roads, but great weather, guide, and food.

Link to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area: http://www.ngorongorocrater.org/

Text Messages from Africa!

Amazing how technology is!! Here are texts from Sandy to Sara with updates from the trip!!

August 5, 2013 - We spent the day at a village for the deaf, dumb, and blind artists. Now a few of us went to a small village where we drank beer and ate fried bananas and barbequed goat meat. The poverty is heartbreaking. Ready for bed.

August 6, 2013 - We saw wildbeast, lots of zebra, impala, elephant families, monkeys, warthog, leopard, dik-dik, and mongoose. And of course, awesome birds!! Of to the tent camp hotel. Love, Mom

August 7, 2013 - Got up early for a five hour safari. We saw elephant families, about 25 baboons, giraffe, baboons, ostrich..... and we got very lucky - we saw 6 lionnesses!! And got pictures! Can't wait to show you! More hiking in about an hour.... we then went to a Masai village and saw a very hard life for women. The women do ALL the work, while the men sit around all day and think of ways to get more wives and more cows.

Adventures in Arusha

Jambo,

We are really seeing African culture. The peole are the poorest I have efver seen. Americans are millionaires by comparison. I am learning so much about the culture. Our fellow travelers are very well-traveled and we are getting lots of tips for future trips. Today we head to the Serengeti. We are awakened each morning by excessive Buddhist chanting. They have so much energy. Food is excellent; we ate goat barbecue. We saw little monkeys yesterday right at the hotel. We will start tent camping today. A mosquito kept buzzing under the bed net and i was up al night. Guides are incredibly knowledgeable and share very energetically. Take care everyone and keep posting if you can.

Love, Sandy

Omg, you can't believe the B&B Bryon has arranged for us near the Kilimanjaro airport. We were taken by private shuttle at ten past midnight. Kilimanjaro Airport nearly deserted. We travelled for nearly an hour down the most awful rough road with the most delightful driver. Had no idea where we were going but had to go thru three guarded iron gates, with gatekeepers to arrive at the most beautiful stucco complex of an biologist and her husband who in a tropical disease doctor/consultant . We slept in the most wonderfully quiet cottage room under treated mosquito-net bedding. Byron got up early and I slept in until 10 am. We were then treated to a delightful breakfast of eggs, homemade sourdough bread, bacon, mushrooms and fried tomatoes and Tanzanian coffee with also fresh red raspberries and bananas and the best fresh squeezed orange juice I have ever tasted. We are sitting on the veranda and both mountains (Kilimanjaro to the left) is within view and just saw a long-crested eagle in the tree. There are colourful sunbirds here and another beautiful bird with a black zebra-streaked face and yellow chest. Got(bumped up to first class on our long flight here) so we arrived rested and exceptionally well-fed--salmon twice yesterday). The doc and I are discussing Tanzanian life and culture on the veranda. At 3 today, we leave for the tour out of Arusha. more later ..let me know you are all well.

Bye Bye Amsterdam, Hello Ashusha!

Hi all, Two days birding. Love Amsterdam! We are right on the canal. Food is fresh and delIcious..we are trying all kinds of dif. beers. Byron and I saw saw lots of birds, and we went to the "red light" disterict last night and the whole thing was so upsetting I coudnlt sleep. The girls charge 50 Euros. a screw... so very sad. anyway, off to Ashusha getting in at midnight. Stay well and take care! p.s. Keep checking: travelingtheserengeti.blogspot.com will post when I can!

Made it to Amsterdam!

Hi all, Having a great time! Somehow learned how to prevent jet lag, and we were able to sleep on the overnight flight and then bird all day yesterday and today. Amsterdam is unbelivable! The architecture, gardens, and cyclists are amazing. Our guide is a world class birder and has been all over the world. There are no overweight people here; they are all tall and slender. The beer is incredibly good, medium-dark and the dark bread they have is delicious. Many fresh vegetables and lots of ham. We are off to Tanzania tomorrow am and now going to dinner and the red-light district. I wandered into a "coffee shop"" last night but soon discovered it was a pot-smoking joint. Hope all is well! Sandy