The Redhead family goes to Kenya and Tanzania
Jan 6th, 2012, 12:00 PM
#26
I've read your trip reports before so was anxious to read this one. You show such joy in your travels, it makes it a true joy to read. What a great adventure for you and your parents. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Jan 6th, 2012, 03:56 PM
#28
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Thank you for all of the comments! 
I have so much fun on my trips and writing about them lets me relive them from home.
Femi, the bit about Malarone is that there is a generic coming out soon (possibly out already actually) and that may (hopefully will) lower the price.
I have so much fun on my trips and writing about them lets me relive them from home.Femi, the bit about Malarone is that there is a generic coming out soon (possibly out already actually) and that may (hopefully will) lower the price.
Jan 6th, 2012, 03:57 PM
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<b><u>December 18:</u></b>
We all slept pretty well that night because it rained, making it cooler and keeping the animal traffic down a bit. The night before, a herd of wildebeest had come through right in front of our cabins (partially between the cabins and the path) and they sounded like a herd of wildebeest. As the windows don’t close at the top there little blocking the grunts, stomps and other noises that come from a herd going for a 3am stroll. I did have to laugh about the little critter that spent the night on my front porch again. I don’t know what kind of critter it was but apparently it found my snores interesting and for two nights sat on my porch bench pooping its little butt off.
This day started with a short game drive and then to the Ndutu airport for a flight to Arusha for the drive to the border and on to Amboseli. The first thing to greet us as we left the lodge was a wildebeest carcass. Lovely. I would say that our breakfast looked (and likely tasted) a lot better but the vultures having breakfast would likely disagree with me. To each their own?
Because of the rain the night before and all of the resulting mud we had to be very careful where we went. We ended up down by the stream/river watching hundreds (if not thousands) of wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. The zebra noises still make me laugh. They sound like some unholy combination of a donkey braying, a dog barking and a slipping belt in a car engine. I love it! As the different groups within the herds would come down over the ridge and onto the sides of the small river, zebras from the various groups would call to each other. We probably sat there just watching the herds move across for well over an hour and we all smiled the entire time, pointing out the many zebra babies and watching the antics of the wildebeest. There is something about young males in any species where if they’re not kept exactly on task, you turn around and they’re head butting. They’d spin with horns locked for a moment and then look around like “we’re not doing anything! Completely innocent! Wasn’t me!”
As time crept closer to our flight, we turned around and watched a large family of giraffe stroll down the side of the stream. There were at least eight of all different sizes and ages. There’s just something about those long legs, long necks and ambling walk that is fun to watch for long periods.
I loved seeing how the different animals interact with each other. The lions were so affectionate to each other, just like house cats. The wildebeest didn’t seem to interact much (other than to butt heads now and then). The zebra would call to each other and really reminded me of watching a herd of horses. They interact and some are more affectionate than others, but they’re not near like the lions. The elephants stayed in fairly close groups, were openly affectionate and would actively surround the littlest members at the slightest sign of anything potentially dangerous or even questionable. The giraffe seemed to fit into the middle of these widely varied groups. They were close, but not visibly affectionate. Protective of the young but not hyper-protective like the elephants.
On the way to the airstrip we passed back by the carcass from earlier. It had been quite picked over that morning, but there was visibly even less of it now. It’s amazing to think about how quickly the various animals had picked a large animal down to a few shreds of skin and bones. Those bleached white bones we saw everywhere could have been only a couple days old rather than weeks or even months old as I had originally thought. Eww.
The Ndutu airstrip is a small parking lot (with parking spots designated with cantaloupe sized stones) and a gravel runway with prints and poop all over it. Definitely a fun contrast to the gate security and multitudes of rules we’re becoming used to. By the time the plane arrived, 40 minutes early, a few more vehicles had arrived to drop off and pick up guests. It was a simple process of pulling a few bags out, tossing ours in and pointing people to the plane door. This is why they say to please bring bags that aren’t large roller bags and to keep your bags to a weight limit. Eli was going to drive to Arusha and said that it would take him the rest of that day and a good chunk of the next day to get there. We’d be there in an hour or so, including a stop at Lake Manyara. The pilot finished loading the bags, counted noses and off we went, waving goodbye to Eli.
Mom laughed when she saw both Dad and I taking pictures of the instrument panel from our seats. It’s a pilot thing, how could we resist? We flew over the Crater on the way and loved the opportunity to see it from the air. What a view! A quick stop at Lake Manyara to drop off a handful of passengers (there were 14 seats including the pilot and co-pilot) and we were at the tiny Arusha airport. Jacob was there to meet us, again with wet washcloths and a bottle of water. Off we went for Namanga border crossing and Kenya.
Jacob said that the highway has been redone in the last few years and I was actually surprised by the quality of the highway. It was paved! After a few days of some really rough roads in the park pavement was a fun thing. It was odd to see a big snake in the middle of the highway. Jacob said it was a cobra. Ewww! I didn’t feel bad when we ran over him (there was a car coming so swerving wasn’t an option if Jacob had been inclined). Twice on the long road we came to signs and painted concrete tubes pointing us to a detour on the old gravel/dirt road for a while. Driving the entire way on that road would definitely get old fast and definitely explains why it takes so much more time than you might expect given the distances.
At Namanga we met our new guide/driver, Allan from WildTrek safaris. Allan was poking around under the hood of his LandCruiser (NOT reassuring) so Jacob pointed us towards the offices we needed to visit. We filled out the forms and had our fingers scanned to leave Kenya. We exchanged our Tanzanian shillings for Kenyan shillings and headed for the LandCruiser (happily with the hood down now). We drove the short distance to the Kenyan side of the border crossing area. I found it very interesting that we weren’t exactly in any country for a few minutes as we our passports had been stamped as leaving Tanzania, but we hadn’t entered Kenya yet. At the Kenya desk, we filled out the entrance form and then another form to pay for our visas with cash. The man at the desk was very friendly and told us to have a seat and wait. After about 10 minutes of waiting, his coworker called us over and gave us our passports with the pretty Kenyan visa stickers inside. Mom was happy as now she has a sticker visa in her passport instead of just stamps.
We stopped at an ATM for more Kenyan shillings and while Dad, Allan and I were inside the little ATM area Mom waited in the LandCruiser. Bad idea. All of the Maasai women trying to sell things came to the window and were pleading with her to buy something or trade for something. Mom wasn’t interested in their wares and isn’t used to that sort of pushy so was very uncomfortable. I would highly suggest if you’re uncomfortable with that sort of thing to close the windows when stopped and/or to go inside.
We headed off for Amboseli and managed to see plenty of fun animals even on the “highway” (can a gravel/dirt road truly be called a highway). Dad spotted gerenuks on the side of the road and asked Allan to stop and go back. Yep, gerenuks. One obliged us by standing straight up for a quick snack. Very fun! They look so strange when they do that as their hips are just perfectly straight like a human, but I’ve never seen any other four legged animal able to do that really. Even dogs have a bit of bend forward if they stand up on their back legs. Cool, but a bit freaky. There were also the requisite herd of goats crossing the road, giraffe posing right on the side of the road and baboons.
Upon entering Amboseli (after the stop for paperwork and the attempted sales by the pushy Maasai) we got to see a new family of ostriches. A male, female and four little babies. Very cute! They were little fluffballs with legs but I had a sudden urge for KFC that was a bit awkward. Lots of small birds, antelopes (Thompsons and Grants gazelles, hartebeest, etc), buffalo, elephants and even a lizard greeted us on the way through the park.
The Amboseli Serena lodge was absolutely gorgeous. The walkway to the rooms were lined with lush greenery and flowers, and the little monkeys running around everywhere were hilarious. The walls of the rooms were painted with fun scenes and the porches were very welcoming. Internet was available for a small charge so we signed up for a bit of time both before and again after dinner to check email and check in at home using Skype.
The buffet dinner was absolutely fantastic. Our waiter was Francis and he patiently explained that dinner was a mix of buffet and ordering. You order your soup (choice of two) and your entrée (choice of three to four options I think), then go to the buffet for your salad, sides, pasta station and dessert.
The food was delicious! It was a very nice change from the set menu at Ndutu. A set menu made sense at Ndutu as there were so few people, but there were enough people at Amboseli Serena to justify a buffet. The pasta bar was a lot of fun (yes, I’m easily amused). You pick what veggies you want added to your pasta and give the plate with those choices to the cook. They cook those in front of you and then add the pasta, a bit of red sauce and pour it back onto the plate. It was very simple and easy, but oh so good. If that wasn’t enough to stuff you, you still have an entrée to eat and you don’t want to miss a bite of that. The desserts were very pretty, but somewhat tasteless. That really didn’t matter though as I never had much room for dessert anyway as everything else was so good.
One thing I noticed in both Tanzania and Kenya was that the waiters were professionally trained. They served or picked up plates from your right, they paid attention and didn’t bring the next course until everyone was finished with the current one, would clear out any unused utensils with the proper course, etc. That’s something I only see at home at fancy restaurants. Mom said that that’s how the wait staff is on large cruise ships as well. Maybe that’s a common thing in some places but I found it fascinating as I’m completely not used to that.
We all slept pretty well that night because it rained, making it cooler and keeping the animal traffic down a bit. The night before, a herd of wildebeest had come through right in front of our cabins (partially between the cabins and the path) and they sounded like a herd of wildebeest. As the windows don’t close at the top there little blocking the grunts, stomps and other noises that come from a herd going for a 3am stroll. I did have to laugh about the little critter that spent the night on my front porch again. I don’t know what kind of critter it was but apparently it found my snores interesting and for two nights sat on my porch bench pooping its little butt off.
This day started with a short game drive and then to the Ndutu airport for a flight to Arusha for the drive to the border and on to Amboseli. The first thing to greet us as we left the lodge was a wildebeest carcass. Lovely. I would say that our breakfast looked (and likely tasted) a lot better but the vultures having breakfast would likely disagree with me. To each their own?
Because of the rain the night before and all of the resulting mud we had to be very careful where we went. We ended up down by the stream/river watching hundreds (if not thousands) of wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. The zebra noises still make me laugh. They sound like some unholy combination of a donkey braying, a dog barking and a slipping belt in a car engine. I love it! As the different groups within the herds would come down over the ridge and onto the sides of the small river, zebras from the various groups would call to each other. We probably sat there just watching the herds move across for well over an hour and we all smiled the entire time, pointing out the many zebra babies and watching the antics of the wildebeest. There is something about young males in any species where if they’re not kept exactly on task, you turn around and they’re head butting. They’d spin with horns locked for a moment and then look around like “we’re not doing anything! Completely innocent! Wasn’t me!”
As time crept closer to our flight, we turned around and watched a large family of giraffe stroll down the side of the stream. There were at least eight of all different sizes and ages. There’s just something about those long legs, long necks and ambling walk that is fun to watch for long periods.
I loved seeing how the different animals interact with each other. The lions were so affectionate to each other, just like house cats. The wildebeest didn’t seem to interact much (other than to butt heads now and then). The zebra would call to each other and really reminded me of watching a herd of horses. They interact and some are more affectionate than others, but they’re not near like the lions. The elephants stayed in fairly close groups, were openly affectionate and would actively surround the littlest members at the slightest sign of anything potentially dangerous or even questionable. The giraffe seemed to fit into the middle of these widely varied groups. They were close, but not visibly affectionate. Protective of the young but not hyper-protective like the elephants.
On the way to the airstrip we passed back by the carcass from earlier. It had been quite picked over that morning, but there was visibly even less of it now. It’s amazing to think about how quickly the various animals had picked a large animal down to a few shreds of skin and bones. Those bleached white bones we saw everywhere could have been only a couple days old rather than weeks or even months old as I had originally thought. Eww.
The Ndutu airstrip is a small parking lot (with parking spots designated with cantaloupe sized stones) and a gravel runway with prints and poop all over it. Definitely a fun contrast to the gate security and multitudes of rules we’re becoming used to. By the time the plane arrived, 40 minutes early, a few more vehicles had arrived to drop off and pick up guests. It was a simple process of pulling a few bags out, tossing ours in and pointing people to the plane door. This is why they say to please bring bags that aren’t large roller bags and to keep your bags to a weight limit. Eli was going to drive to Arusha and said that it would take him the rest of that day and a good chunk of the next day to get there. We’d be there in an hour or so, including a stop at Lake Manyara. The pilot finished loading the bags, counted noses and off we went, waving goodbye to Eli.
Mom laughed when she saw both Dad and I taking pictures of the instrument panel from our seats. It’s a pilot thing, how could we resist? We flew over the Crater on the way and loved the opportunity to see it from the air. What a view! A quick stop at Lake Manyara to drop off a handful of passengers (there were 14 seats including the pilot and co-pilot) and we were at the tiny Arusha airport. Jacob was there to meet us, again with wet washcloths and a bottle of water. Off we went for Namanga border crossing and Kenya.
Jacob said that the highway has been redone in the last few years and I was actually surprised by the quality of the highway. It was paved! After a few days of some really rough roads in the park pavement was a fun thing. It was odd to see a big snake in the middle of the highway. Jacob said it was a cobra. Ewww! I didn’t feel bad when we ran over him (there was a car coming so swerving wasn’t an option if Jacob had been inclined). Twice on the long road we came to signs and painted concrete tubes pointing us to a detour on the old gravel/dirt road for a while. Driving the entire way on that road would definitely get old fast and definitely explains why it takes so much more time than you might expect given the distances.
At Namanga we met our new guide/driver, Allan from WildTrek safaris. Allan was poking around under the hood of his LandCruiser (NOT reassuring) so Jacob pointed us towards the offices we needed to visit. We filled out the forms and had our fingers scanned to leave Kenya. We exchanged our Tanzanian shillings for Kenyan shillings and headed for the LandCruiser (happily with the hood down now). We drove the short distance to the Kenyan side of the border crossing area. I found it very interesting that we weren’t exactly in any country for a few minutes as we our passports had been stamped as leaving Tanzania, but we hadn’t entered Kenya yet. At the Kenya desk, we filled out the entrance form and then another form to pay for our visas with cash. The man at the desk was very friendly and told us to have a seat and wait. After about 10 minutes of waiting, his coworker called us over and gave us our passports with the pretty Kenyan visa stickers inside. Mom was happy as now she has a sticker visa in her passport instead of just stamps.
We stopped at an ATM for more Kenyan shillings and while Dad, Allan and I were inside the little ATM area Mom waited in the LandCruiser. Bad idea. All of the Maasai women trying to sell things came to the window and were pleading with her to buy something or trade for something. Mom wasn’t interested in their wares and isn’t used to that sort of pushy so was very uncomfortable. I would highly suggest if you’re uncomfortable with that sort of thing to close the windows when stopped and/or to go inside.
We headed off for Amboseli and managed to see plenty of fun animals even on the “highway” (can a gravel/dirt road truly be called a highway). Dad spotted gerenuks on the side of the road and asked Allan to stop and go back. Yep, gerenuks. One obliged us by standing straight up for a quick snack. Very fun! They look so strange when they do that as their hips are just perfectly straight like a human, but I’ve never seen any other four legged animal able to do that really. Even dogs have a bit of bend forward if they stand up on their back legs. Cool, but a bit freaky. There were also the requisite herd of goats crossing the road, giraffe posing right on the side of the road and baboons.
Upon entering Amboseli (after the stop for paperwork and the attempted sales by the pushy Maasai) we got to see a new family of ostriches. A male, female and four little babies. Very cute! They were little fluffballs with legs but I had a sudden urge for KFC that was a bit awkward. Lots of small birds, antelopes (Thompsons and Grants gazelles, hartebeest, etc), buffalo, elephants and even a lizard greeted us on the way through the park.
The Amboseli Serena lodge was absolutely gorgeous. The walkway to the rooms were lined with lush greenery and flowers, and the little monkeys running around everywhere were hilarious. The walls of the rooms were painted with fun scenes and the porches were very welcoming. Internet was available for a small charge so we signed up for a bit of time both before and again after dinner to check email and check in at home using Skype.
The buffet dinner was absolutely fantastic. Our waiter was Francis and he patiently explained that dinner was a mix of buffet and ordering. You order your soup (choice of two) and your entrée (choice of three to four options I think), then go to the buffet for your salad, sides, pasta station and dessert.
The food was delicious! It was a very nice change from the set menu at Ndutu. A set menu made sense at Ndutu as there were so few people, but there were enough people at Amboseli Serena to justify a buffet. The pasta bar was a lot of fun (yes, I’m easily amused). You pick what veggies you want added to your pasta and give the plate with those choices to the cook. They cook those in front of you and then add the pasta, a bit of red sauce and pour it back onto the plate. It was very simple and easy, but oh so good. If that wasn’t enough to stuff you, you still have an entrée to eat and you don’t want to miss a bite of that. The desserts were very pretty, but somewhat tasteless. That really didn’t matter though as I never had much room for dessert anyway as everything else was so good.
One thing I noticed in both Tanzania and Kenya was that the waiters were professionally trained. They served or picked up plates from your right, they paid attention and didn’t bring the next course until everyone was finished with the current one, would clear out any unused utensils with the proper course, etc. That’s something I only see at home at fancy restaurants. Mom said that that’s how the wait staff is on large cruise ships as well. Maybe that’s a common thing in some places but I found it fascinating as I’m completely not used to that.
Jan 7th, 2012, 04:14 AM
#30
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Love your report! Almost like being there with you. Must comment about trained waiters...at one lodge, they must have had waiters still in training...when I lifted my coffee cup to drink, the waiter immediately removed my saucer. He must have been told to remove used dishes promptly.
Jan 7th, 2012, 08:45 AM
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For a gal into 'poop' did you ask Eli who/what was the critter at Ndutu Lodge. The guides are really good with 'poop.'
The critter might have been a hyrax, which seem to show up everywhere and that many confuse with a rat, but as it has NO tail, isn't. The hyrax is actually a cousin to the elephant... yup!
Elainee - too funny, saucer removed as cup raised
Me thinks that waiter needed more training!
The critter might have been a hyrax, which seem to show up everywhere and that many confuse with a rat, but as it has NO tail, isn't. The hyrax is actually a cousin to the elephant... yup!
Elainee - too funny, saucer removed as cup raised
Me thinks that waiter needed more training!
Jan 7th, 2012, 10:07 AM
#32
From the Serena Lodge in Amboseli were you lucky enough to get a clear view of Mount Kilimanjaro?!
Oh yes I remember those Vervet Monkeys everywhere.
Did you have a back porch that backed onto the Water Hole..they lit it up at night , so you can watch the animals come to drink.
Nice Report I am enjoying following you around on your Safari.
Oh yes I remember those Vervet Monkeys everywhere.
Did you have a back porch that backed onto the Water Hole..they lit it up at night , so you can watch the animals come to drink.
Nice Report I am enjoying following you around on your Safari.
Jan 7th, 2012, 12:32 PM
#34
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Percy, we had very clear views of Kili. It was gorgeous! We were down the one side away from the water hole but still had a great view of monkeys everywhere.
Sandi, hyrax looks like a good possibility for my mystery pooper. I meant to ask Eli about it but forgot.
We were down the one side away from the water hole but still had a great view of monkeys everywhere.Sandi, hyrax looks like a good possibility for my mystery pooper. I meant to ask Eli about it but forgot.
Jan 21st, 2012, 01:26 PM
#36
Hi Iowa -
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
My daughter and I have spend the last three summers in TZ. We weren't planning to go this year, but she just sent an email saying she is re-thinking that decision as she can't imagine not going. It really gets under your skin.
Our first year we did a few safaris including to the Crater. It sure is beautiful country.
We are not the biggest animal lovers so a 2-week safari would be a lot for us, but we enjoyed driving through all the villages and seeing the Masai families and learning about their lifestyle/culture.
Glad you had a good time and look forward to hearing the rest.
Asante sana!
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
My daughter and I have spend the last three summers in TZ. We weren't planning to go this year, but she just sent an email saying she is re-thinking that decision as she can't imagine not going. It really gets under your skin.
Our first year we did a few safaris including to the Crater. It sure is beautiful country.
We are not the biggest animal lovers so a 2-week safari would be a lot for us, but we enjoyed driving through all the villages and seeing the Masai families and learning about their lifestyle/culture.
Glad you had a good time and look forward to hearing the rest.
Asante sana!
Jan 22nd, 2012, 04:56 PM
#38
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KathBC, I'm trying, I'm sorry!
The last couple weeks have been a bit insane between work, family, friends and a massive house cleaning that got a wee bit out of hand.
As soon as I get the massive pile of clothes sorted off of my bed and can sleep in my bed again, I'll get back to writing. Thank you for your patience!
The last couple weeks have been a bit insane between work, family, friends and a massive house cleaning that got a wee bit out of hand.
As soon as I get the massive pile of clothes sorted off of my bed and can sleep in my bed again, I'll get back to writing. Thank you for your patience!
Jan 22nd, 2012, 06:44 PM
#39
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I decided to ignore the massive pile on my bed and just stay in the guest room again (which was probably going to happen anyway). I'll finish cleaning up my closet/drawers this week, remembering Africa is so much more fun!
<b><u>December 19:</b></u>
Today was spent at Amboseli, which means elephants. No matter how often I saw these giants I was still amazed at how large, yet how quiet they were. More than once they’d walk across the road 20 feet behind us and I couldn’t even hear their steps. Hmm, elephants walk quieter than half of my coworkers in heels. There’s something awkward about that!
We started off with watching a large family of elephants stroll along next to the road. It was a gorgeous clear morning so we had a great view of Kili standing watch over the area. We watched as they leisurely strolled through the grass on their way towards the swamps to spend the day. After watching the herd of elephants we drove a bit and returned to the lodge for a few hours over lunch time.
Allan had been surprised that we hadn’t already visited a Maasai village in Tanzania and talked us into visiting a village around lunch time. I was a bit uncomfortable with the idea simply because it felt too much like treating the Maasai like the animals. It’s one thing to watch and take photos of the animals and how they live; it doesn’t feel right to do that with people. Allan assured me that they actually really appreciated visitors. Allan stayed in the car when we were greeted by Daniel (we were told he was the chief’s son), Richard (the medicine guy) and another man. We ended up taking photos with the villagers while they did one of the dances. The woman standing to my right was NOT pleased to have us there at all. One of the women to my left was very friendly and introduced herself as Alice.
Daniel took us on a brief tour of the village, including inside one of the huts. Even I had to duck going inside (I’m 5’3” so ducking is a rare thing for me) and it was almost completely black inside. Once our eyes adjusted to the tiny amount of light from the coals and the two tiny openings we could see the woven branches supporting the roof through the smoke. Once we were back outside, Richard gave us a talk on some of the medicines he uses and how they can cure things like cancer that the hospitals can’t. A couple of the men demonstrated how they start fire with a stick and small flat board (that part was really neat). Daniel made a point of telling us how important it was to buy things from the villagers so that they could support themselves after the long drought killed off <i>hundreds</i> of their cattle. We were split up (should’ve said no to that idea) and taken past the blankets of bracelets, necklaces, little wooden animals and other items. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever I reasonably can, but I did get quite tired of the constant “I made this” or “she made that” when we had seen the <u>exact</u> same items throughout the area and on various blankets. I wanted to know prices for each item, but was told that we needed to wait until the end and then we would negotiate for the entire lot. Something smelled quite fishy and it wasn’t the goats. I played along and picked out the pieces I liked.
Once I said “I’m done” and refused to let Daniel keep pushing me towards more villagers, we went to the end of the row and he counted the items he had stashed in his clothing in front of his torso (much like an apron pocket) and wrote a price on his arm with a piece of hay. I just about choked when I realized that that was about equivalent of $140 US. I’m all for supporting a local village but attempted highway robbery just pisses me off. I got out a pen and we negotiated on my arm (I’m not going to write on a strangers arm, it just seems rude). I ended up paying a fraction of that first price. It could definitely get intimidating as there were about 10 men circled around us and cutting off my view towards my parents or anyone else. I’m a little too stubborn (or stupid) to be intimidated but for most women, especially younger, that would probably be very intimidating. As soon as we finished our deal, the guys split up a bit and I could see my Mom finishing her shopping. Her ‘guide’ had just given her the price on his arm and she was realizing the price he was asking wasn’t Tanzanian shillings (about 1600 to 1) but Kenyan shillings (about 100 to 1). They started her out around the same price they tried with me. The guys had circled her a bit and she was definitely not okay with it. I went over and helped her negotiate. While we were doing that, Richard was asking Dad to sponsor his college for a year or two.
We ended up seeing the little school on the way out and the teacher gave us a spiel about how they needed money to build a new school and how many pupils they have coming from all over the area, etc. Dad has seen too many of the exact same scenarios in his Rotary travels and I’m fairly decent at spotting BS. It was completely setup for our benefit, including the two little boys sitting at the rough desks inside. We finally got out of there and headed back to the lodge with Allan.
The entire thing left a bad taste with all three of us. It was too much of a posed thing and didn’t seem natural at all. Everything felt posed for the silly tourists and seemed like someone playing the system. I fully understand that there is a level of poverty that I’m simply fortunate enough not to be familiar with, but it really came across as “if I’m poor, I get $5 but if I’m poor and have a limp, I get $10.” I know dang well that they made a fraction of the items they were selling as their own, if even any. I don’t like being lied to and it was very blatant. Daniel kept assuring us that the money from our visit and from our shopping would go to the village and would go to the school, etc but I wouldn’t be surprised if it mainly went to Daniel, Richard and the chief. I wanted to learn about a different culture but really was just treated like an open wallet, and a stupid one at that. I really hope that our experience was more the exception than the rule with visits like that.
After lunch and a break, we went back out and saw hippos and an enormous fish eagle. They look very similar to bald eagles and are quite impressive. Another wonderful dinner and off to bed.
<b><u>December 20:</b></u>
This morning we got to see a large herd of elephants stroll towards the road from quite a distance and in the second half of the herd was a tiny baby. Allan said that she was a brand new baby (as in less than 24 hours) because she still had cord hanging. Later we could see that Mama was still bloody from the birth. I loved watching elephants, but there’s something truly special about babies. Baby animals of every species are fun to watch because you never know what they’re going to do next.
The tiny baby stumbled about a bit now and then like she wasn’t quite steady on her pins. However just like all toddlers, she was too full of excitement to remember that little detail. I watched as she swung her trunk left and brought it back right. In a heartbeat it went from a fun toy on the front of her face to a wild creature that had gone crazy. That little trunk continued to sweep right and the toddlers legs went with it. Down she went in a surprised little heap. Within an instant, the adults had surrounded not only that baby but the other youngest in the group. Suddenly there were three clusters of enormous aunties on watch for anyone dumb enough to mess with the herds babies. Once they were assured that the only danger to the baby was the baby herself they resumed their stroll.
The herd crossed the road behind us with the mama and baby towards the back. The little one struggled over the low berm next to the road but she couldn’t make it up and over the edge and onto the road. Mama tried to help her by “holding” the baby between her trunk and foreleg and lifting the baby over. Good in theory, not so good in practice. Mama basically grabbed the baby under the bum, stood her up on her head and straight over onto her side. Whoops! While Mama was standing the little one up on her head, one of the aunties was dragging her foot through the side of the berm to tear it down to a level the baby could get past. Once the baby was back on her feet, with a (much smaller) boost from Mama, she was up and over the shorter berm.
They finished crossing the road without further mishap and headed for the swamp for the day. As they walked off, we sat and watched for a little while and laughed as the baby bounced around a bit and stumbled around a bit more. I never saw her go down again but it was pretty close a couple times.
I don’t know how anyone could ever see a little stinker like that and not absolutely fall in love with the entire species. No matter how often I saw them, I never got over how incredibly gentle and family oriented they seemed most of the time. However, once they thought they were threatened they would turn those tusks out, circle their young and gentle was one of the least apt descriptions.
After lunch, we went back out and headed up a long set of stairs for a lookout point. There wasn’t much to see right then, but it was good to get out and have a short walk. We ended up driving around for a little while and found an excellent spot to sit and both watch a large herd coming out of the swamps and take pictures of the gorgeous orange sunset. The elephants were in front of us and the sunset behind us. Once the sun was behind the clouds and the elephants were in the distance we headed back to the lodge for our last night at Amboseli.
I'll finish cleaning up my closet/drawers this week, remembering Africa is so much more fun!<b><u>December 19:</b></u>
Today was spent at Amboseli, which means elephants. No matter how often I saw these giants I was still amazed at how large, yet how quiet they were. More than once they’d walk across the road 20 feet behind us and I couldn’t even hear their steps. Hmm, elephants walk quieter than half of my coworkers in heels. There’s something awkward about that!
We started off with watching a large family of elephants stroll along next to the road. It was a gorgeous clear morning so we had a great view of Kili standing watch over the area. We watched as they leisurely strolled through the grass on their way towards the swamps to spend the day. After watching the herd of elephants we drove a bit and returned to the lodge for a few hours over lunch time.
Allan had been surprised that we hadn’t already visited a Maasai village in Tanzania and talked us into visiting a village around lunch time. I was a bit uncomfortable with the idea simply because it felt too much like treating the Maasai like the animals. It’s one thing to watch and take photos of the animals and how they live; it doesn’t feel right to do that with people. Allan assured me that they actually really appreciated visitors. Allan stayed in the car when we were greeted by Daniel (we were told he was the chief’s son), Richard (the medicine guy) and another man. We ended up taking photos with the villagers while they did one of the dances. The woman standing to my right was NOT pleased to have us there at all. One of the women to my left was very friendly and introduced herself as Alice.
Daniel took us on a brief tour of the village, including inside one of the huts. Even I had to duck going inside (I’m 5’3” so ducking is a rare thing for me) and it was almost completely black inside. Once our eyes adjusted to the tiny amount of light from the coals and the two tiny openings we could see the woven branches supporting the roof through the smoke. Once we were back outside, Richard gave us a talk on some of the medicines he uses and how they can cure things like cancer that the hospitals can’t. A couple of the men demonstrated how they start fire with a stick and small flat board (that part was really neat). Daniel made a point of telling us how important it was to buy things from the villagers so that they could support themselves after the long drought killed off <i>hundreds</i> of their cattle. We were split up (should’ve said no to that idea) and taken past the blankets of bracelets, necklaces, little wooden animals and other items. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever I reasonably can, but I did get quite tired of the constant “I made this” or “she made that” when we had seen the <u>exact</u> same items throughout the area and on various blankets. I wanted to know prices for each item, but was told that we needed to wait until the end and then we would negotiate for the entire lot. Something smelled quite fishy and it wasn’t the goats. I played along and picked out the pieces I liked.
Once I said “I’m done” and refused to let Daniel keep pushing me towards more villagers, we went to the end of the row and he counted the items he had stashed in his clothing in front of his torso (much like an apron pocket) and wrote a price on his arm with a piece of hay. I just about choked when I realized that that was about equivalent of $140 US. I’m all for supporting a local village but attempted highway robbery just pisses me off. I got out a pen and we negotiated on my arm (I’m not going to write on a strangers arm, it just seems rude). I ended up paying a fraction of that first price. It could definitely get intimidating as there were about 10 men circled around us and cutting off my view towards my parents or anyone else. I’m a little too stubborn (or stupid) to be intimidated but for most women, especially younger, that would probably be very intimidating. As soon as we finished our deal, the guys split up a bit and I could see my Mom finishing her shopping. Her ‘guide’ had just given her the price on his arm and she was realizing the price he was asking wasn’t Tanzanian shillings (about 1600 to 1) but Kenyan shillings (about 100 to 1). They started her out around the same price they tried with me. The guys had circled her a bit and she was definitely not okay with it. I went over and helped her negotiate. While we were doing that, Richard was asking Dad to sponsor his college for a year or two.
We ended up seeing the little school on the way out and the teacher gave us a spiel about how they needed money to build a new school and how many pupils they have coming from all over the area, etc. Dad has seen too many of the exact same scenarios in his Rotary travels and I’m fairly decent at spotting BS. It was completely setup for our benefit, including the two little boys sitting at the rough desks inside. We finally got out of there and headed back to the lodge with Allan.
The entire thing left a bad taste with all three of us. It was too much of a posed thing and didn’t seem natural at all. Everything felt posed for the silly tourists and seemed like someone playing the system. I fully understand that there is a level of poverty that I’m simply fortunate enough not to be familiar with, but it really came across as “if I’m poor, I get $5 but if I’m poor and have a limp, I get $10.” I know dang well that they made a fraction of the items they were selling as their own, if even any. I don’t like being lied to and it was very blatant. Daniel kept assuring us that the money from our visit and from our shopping would go to the village and would go to the school, etc but I wouldn’t be surprised if it mainly went to Daniel, Richard and the chief. I wanted to learn about a different culture but really was just treated like an open wallet, and a stupid one at that. I really hope that our experience was more the exception than the rule with visits like that.
After lunch and a break, we went back out and saw hippos and an enormous fish eagle. They look very similar to bald eagles and are quite impressive. Another wonderful dinner and off to bed.
<b><u>December 20:</b></u>
This morning we got to see a large herd of elephants stroll towards the road from quite a distance and in the second half of the herd was a tiny baby. Allan said that she was a brand new baby (as in less than 24 hours) because she still had cord hanging. Later we could see that Mama was still bloody from the birth. I loved watching elephants, but there’s something truly special about babies. Baby animals of every species are fun to watch because you never know what they’re going to do next.
The tiny baby stumbled about a bit now and then like she wasn’t quite steady on her pins. However just like all toddlers, she was too full of excitement to remember that little detail. I watched as she swung her trunk left and brought it back right. In a heartbeat it went from a fun toy on the front of her face to a wild creature that had gone crazy. That little trunk continued to sweep right and the toddlers legs went with it. Down she went in a surprised little heap. Within an instant, the adults had surrounded not only that baby but the other youngest in the group. Suddenly there were three clusters of enormous aunties on watch for anyone dumb enough to mess with the herds babies. Once they were assured that the only danger to the baby was the baby herself they resumed their stroll.
The herd crossed the road behind us with the mama and baby towards the back. The little one struggled over the low berm next to the road but she couldn’t make it up and over the edge and onto the road. Mama tried to help her by “holding” the baby between her trunk and foreleg and lifting the baby over. Good in theory, not so good in practice. Mama basically grabbed the baby under the bum, stood her up on her head and straight over onto her side. Whoops! While Mama was standing the little one up on her head, one of the aunties was dragging her foot through the side of the berm to tear it down to a level the baby could get past. Once the baby was back on her feet, with a (much smaller) boost from Mama, she was up and over the shorter berm.
They finished crossing the road without further mishap and headed for the swamp for the day. As they walked off, we sat and watched for a little while and laughed as the baby bounced around a bit and stumbled around a bit more. I never saw her go down again but it was pretty close a couple times.
I don’t know how anyone could ever see a little stinker like that and not absolutely fall in love with the entire species. No matter how often I saw them, I never got over how incredibly gentle and family oriented they seemed most of the time. However, once they thought they were threatened they would turn those tusks out, circle their young and gentle was one of the least apt descriptions.
After lunch, we went back out and headed up a long set of stairs for a lookout point. There wasn’t much to see right then, but it was good to get out and have a short walk. We ended up driving around for a little while and found an excellent spot to sit and both watch a large herd coming out of the swamps and take pictures of the gorgeous orange sunset. The elephants were in front of us and the sunset behind us. Once the sun was behind the clouds and the elephants were in the distance we headed back to the lodge for our last night at Amboseli.
