These are our personal thoughts written during the trip itself.
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Mark's EntryDecember 27 - “Oh, we’re not landing THERE, are we?”Breakfast was a buffet, thank goodness, but it wasn’t very good. However during breakfast they had Dolly Parton’s Christmas CD playing over and over again. How strange to be sitting in Africa so close to the equator and hear a country rendition of “Winter Wonderland”. I was again not feeling well and it was making me really upset. While waiting for our driver I finally admitted to Ann that I wished I was back home in the states. She encouraged me to push on and we did. We waited at the small Arusha airport for our flight. It was a half-hour late taking off, but that didn’t matter because we didn’t have a connection. The plane was a 12-seater and quite a ride. Both Ann and I felt a bit airsick at times. As we approached the landing strip in the Serengeti both Ann and Jacob reacted to it (I knew exactly what to expect). It wasn’t much more than a clearing in the bush. It had a dirt runway and a small hut as the “office”. As we approached, Ann said, “Oh, we’re not landing THERE, are we?” We met Mr. Makundi who would be our guide for the next few days. He rushed us to the lodge (about 40 minutes away) so we could get lunch. On the way we saw some giraffes and a hippo. We wanted to stop and look, but Mr. Makundi said, “No, no, giraffes are all over the place. We will see plenty of them.” We were too late for regular lunch but the lodge staff prepared us some rather good beef stroganoff. We checked into our room, which was very similar to the one at the previous hotel (they are all the same chain), only older. And then we started our first game drive. Fortunately I was feeling quite a bit better by then. Game drives in the Serengeti are interesting. You drive on dirt roads that very often have deep ruts in them. The best speed you can do is about 35mph, but the average is closer to 20. The roads are also narrow so whenever we come across another vehicle we have to really slow down, move to the site and pass within inches of each other. The ride is also quite bumpy. You get jostled around a lot. Hold on tight. At the time we were there, the rains had already greened up the place and the animals were spread out. During the dry season they stick to the watering holes and rivers. We didn’t see any large herds that day but we did see quite a few small groups of animals. The drive lasted for about 3 hours. Sometimes we would find a new group of animals every 2 or 3 minutes, but once I think we went for a half-hour without seeing any. We returned to the lodge, and went to dinner. Finally a ‘casual’ atmosphere. Dinner was a buffet with ‘real’ food, which we all needed. Spaghetti with meat sauce was a pleasant surprise. And they actually played some African music, rather than country. All the buildings at this lodge are large parabolic domes. And in the dining area, these domes are the ceilings (like cathedral ceilings). Because of this sound bounces and echoes in unexpected ways. People can be having a quiet conversation on one side of these large rooms, and can still be heard rather clearly on the opposite side. This is exactly the same effect you find in the Capitol Building under its dome. After dinner we walked through the bar area towards our room and found a big performance going on. Apparently they have entertainment after dinner each night. This night the performers were doing all kinds of rather impressive acrobatic stunts including some impossible (at least in my mind) balancing on a bongo board. Jacob really liked the show. The funniest part was that it had to be the ‘gayest’ show since ‘The Wiggles’. The performers seemed to really like working so closely with each other. Time for bed, and, oh no! More hard beds. And there were really uncomfortable. I couldn’t sleep in any position except on my back, which is definitely not my favorite. |
Ann's EntryI Win! (not really)Arusha, Tanzania – 27 Dec 2007 – 10:00 After “being collected” from the Kilimanjaro Airport, Dennis shuttles us to our hotel for the night. We don’t get to see much, including the bird that flies right into the windshield of the vehicle and scares the living daylights out of Jacob! In the morning, Mark is still feeling sick. (I’m starting to refer to him as “Mr. Pregnant” with all of his morning sickness.) Our guide wants to take us places, but Mark feels as though he cannot move without becoming violently ill. I feel so bad for him. He is on his trip-of-a-lifetime, and he’s not enjoying it to its fullest. He says he is happy, but I think otherwise. While sitting in the hotel lobby, Mark says, “I want to go home.” WHAT??? I don’t believe I’m hearing this. I thought I would be the first one to utter this statement, or maybe Jacob would be the first one to whine about it…but, no! I encourage Mark to keep moving, because either way (home or onward), we can’t stay at the hotel. I ask Dennis to drive slowly, directly to the airport with no extra stops. This way, Mark doesn’t have to do anything other than sit in a vehicle of some sort. I’m trying to reduce as much stress as possible. Clean and GreenArusha, Tanzania – 27 Dec 2007 – late morning Now I know why Tanzania is so hard to get into. Prior to leaving the United States, I had to fill out visa applications (tons of paperwork for 3 people.) The paperwork for Tanzania was a little bit different from the other countries in one respect – we had to prove (by submitting a recent pay stub) that we were gainfully employed. No slackers allowed in Tanzania! And now I can see why this is so. Like Uganda, the Kilimanjaro Airport is a short drive from our hotel in town. Thus, we pass through many small villages along the way. In Uganda, the poor villages are dirty. There is not much activity. Many people sit on their front door stoops just passing time. In Tanzania, the villages are poor, but everyone works! The houses are clean (and made of cement.) Women are sweeping and cleaning what they have. Men are working in their yards or along the road to clean up. There are many tropical plants. There is a sense of community – everyone works together to make life better. Arusha itself is third largest city in Tanzania, according to our guide. It has paved roads, and separate sidewalks for pedestrians. There are modern buildings (such as the UN site) and traditional Mom-and-Pop shops selling just about anything you could need, want, and/or use. In the center of town is a clock tower that marks the half-way point between Cairo and South Africa. And best of all – no chickens! Another interesting sign catches my attention. It is outside of the aforementioned UN building. It reads: No Hooting. I guess that means you have to wait patiently and quietly for a guard to unlock the gate so you can drive onto the premises. I believe that Arusha is more open-minded than some other places. For example, Makrere University (in Kampala) has the traditional course offerings: mathematics, sciences, etc. However, in Arusha, we pass a teacher’s college designated for those who wish to work specifically with students with disabilities. I see some folks using wheelchairs in downtown Arusha. The only person staring is me. Everyone else seems to function as if it is a perfectly normal day. We arrive at the Arusha airfield early and check-in. (Notice that we have downgraded from “airport” to “airfield.”) While I read a book and wait, a group from Norway arrives to get a connecting flight. The man at the counter tells them that their luggage weighs too much for the plane. They have to decide what they will leave behind for shipment on the next available plane. As I observe them going through this process, I can’t help but notice a full case of vodka from Norway. I am pretty certain that it is actually vodka and not just a box being used to transport other things. Who in their right mind would travel with a full case of vodka? Looks Can Be DeceivingArusha Airfield – 27 Dec 2007 – noontime Our plane out to the Serengeti is propeller-type. It leaves a half-hour late. Dang, the thing is small! It looks normal size from the office of the aviation company. It even looks normal size out on the airfield. When I climb aboard…that’s when I discover that this plane is made for Smurfs! We all know that Mark is a big guy, and there are many places where he can’t stand up straight due to low ceilings. But you know its bad when even Jacob has to duck his head and can’t stand up straight, either. The flight itself lasts just under an hour. We are flying low enough that we can still see trees and large structures on the ground below. We can see vast plains with old volcanic mountains jutting up – all covered in green. We can see rift valleys. All very beautiful as we fly through (not above) the clouds. We are to land at the Seronera Airstrip (again, notice the downgrade from “airport” to “airfield” to “airstrip.”) During the flight, I give this some thought. How, in the midst of all this greenery, did they get any asphalt out there to make an airstrip? They didn’t. The Seronera Airstrip is a long patch of dirt with a black and white windsock at the end of it. As we gradually descend, I realize that this “mini-plane” I’m on is going to land on a stretch of smoothed-over dirt. How surreal! When they say that you will land “in” the Serengeti – they mean it! I could see hippos in watering holes from the plane. Attached to the Seronera Airstrip is a shack with the words “Coffee Shop” on the side. Did that Norwegian box of vodka make it on this plane? I think I need some. |
| next day: December 28 | ||