Hello from Ngrongoro Farm House!
It's Saturday in Tanzania, and our two weeks here are coming to an end. We’ve been mostly in the national parks and conservation areas of northwest Tanzania- Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.
Yesterday we visited Oldupai Gorge, site of Mary Leakey's discovery of the Zinjanthropus skull. Today we drive to Lake Eyasi, south of Ngorongoro, and home to the Hadza people, who have have lived in this area for thousands of years. Tomorrow we hope to visit the Hadza, and perhaps join them on a hunt. Monday night we begin the long flights home.
Tanzania is the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Within its borders are well over one hundred tribes, each with its own language. Everyone speaks Swahili, a language in which every word ends with a vowel.. This is one positive legacy of the twenty-five-year socialist presidency of Julius Nyerere. As we understand it, albeit with some serious missteps, Nyerere succeeded in forging a Tanzanian national identity by emphasizing education and a common language.
We have loved being in Tanzania, more specifically, loved being on this particular trip, travelling with Prescott College professor and naturalist Walt Anderson, driver guides Augustine and David, and six others, three of them students. The days have been long, generally twelve hours in the field, and that's what it takes if you really want to locate and observe wildlife.
The part of Tanzania we have seen is simply beautiful, offering gorgeous scenery in addition to stunning and plentiful wildlife. We are on the cusp of the rainy season, so wildlife is concentrated around water, whether a river or a puddle in the road. We saw more birds, mammals and reptiles than you can imagine, all unfettered by fences.
Observing wildlife behavior was such a treat. Whether the subject was lions squabbling and mating, a pack of African wild dogs sleeping, or serval cats disappearing in the grass, nature did not disappoint.
Although all our accommodations have been unique, welcoming and clean, the temporary Katikati camp in the Serengeti stands out. We spent four nights at Katikati, dining in the open air, and sleeping in canvas tents in total darkness. A generator ran a few hours each evening to recharge phones and camera batteries. If you wanted a shower, a bucket of hot water was hoisted above your tent. What a treat after a long dusty day.
Time is running out, so I'll end here. If you want more photos, you’ll find them on Facebook. For me, posting there is easier, and more immediate.
Love, Toni
P.S. We did meet up with a group of Hadza.
