Trekked in the cool morning air to the dining lodge for breakfast. In the daylight, we were able to get a much better look at the giant baobab tree sticking out the center of the structure. A Maasai cloth was hung over each of our seats for the cool weather, cool being a relative term. Hot water was available, along with teas, hot chocolate, and Africafe instant coffee, which seems to be the coffee of choice everywhere. We were served a nice selection of fresh fruit, and eggs if we wanted them. The clink-clink (ngorngoro, ngorongoro) of cowbells was the music for our morning meal as the Maasai passed by with their herds. Screens instead of walls brought the outside in.
our banda
The walk back
We went off-script again today, opting to forego the cultural walk around town and the inevitable sales pitches that would accompany that trek. After some relaxation, Geoffrey brought the car and drove us down to the lake just behind the lodge. We drove over a vast open area that is probably under water during the rainy season. We passed one or two locals bicycling across the area - it must be a difficult ride, as nothing is nearby and the "road" is not smooth. We caught glimpses of a couple of other lodges up on the bluff that faces the lake.
The wildebeests here are tan rather than the usual gray/black
The often lonely trek of the Maasai
An expanse of pink in the distance turned out to be a huge flock of flamingos. During the rainy season, flamingos inhabit the edges of Lake Manyara in exponentially greater numbers, but this was still the biggest flock I'd ever seen. Flamingos feed on blue-green algae found only in very alkaline lakes; this algae is actually what gives the flamingo its pink color. The pink turned into a flurry of Good and Plenty candies when the flock took to the air, exposing black flight wings not visible on land. Beautiful. We lingered a while at this peaceful, isolated location.
Geoffrey's well-used bird books
Back at the Burudika Lodge, we trekked back to the Baobab restaurant once more for a hot lunch. We saw some colorful lovebirds in a tree just outside. Packing up our bags once again, we piled into the car and waited while Tim checked out. He was inside quite a long time, finally emerging only to inform us that we had to wait a bit longer. One of the staff came loping across the wide property with Tim's long-awaited change. That same staff then had to run another distance to open the gate for us, certainly earning his wages.
They don't call it Dusty Roads for nothing
We were definitely back in "civilization" as we traveled from Manyara back to Arusha. The roads were smoother and people were everywhere, a stark change from a week of animals and wide open spaces. Traffic grew heavier as we neared Arusha, with many dala dalas, minibuses that serve as public transportation. Rather than having some kind of official logo, these dala dalas were decorated in every conceivable manner, perhaps a result of the driver/owner's self-expression, or paid advertisements. Maybe they are all privately owned. We saw several packed uncomfortably full with riders.
St. Constantine's International School
Geoffrey had pointed out the Cultural Heritage Center on our way out of Arusha days earlier, and said we could stop when we returned, if we so desired. We arrived in the late afternoon, and were greeted by several whimsical metal critters lining the entrance. I'd expected a museum of sorts, but this was more of a collection of African arts and crafts for sale. We spent some time perusing the tremendous variety of crafts, when we were informed that the art gallery would be closing in one hour. So there was more to this place, and we quickly crossed fanciful sculpture gardens to the modern-looking building beyond. This place was a startling and delightful surprise - a beautiful, several-storied art gallery with artwork expertly displayed around a circular center, like a smaller version of the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. The owner said he financed this privately-owned facility with revenue from the sale of tanzanite.
"Cultural Heritage is a unique cultural centre on the outskirts of Arusha. We have curio shops, a jewellery boutique, a tanzanite and precious stone counter, a restaurant, bargain centre and outstanding commercial art gallery. We have a vast array of ornaments, jewellery, antiques and local crafts to cater for any budget. High quality clothing, textiles, accessories, books and spices can also be found onsite at Oneway and the Spice Centre...The only collection of its kind in the world, ranging from African antiques to contemporary painting and sculpture you will be dazzled by our assembly of art and artefacts. Find some of our collections in the central store or come and experience the Gallery; a breath taking feat of engineering and artful display that will leave you awe-struck."
The beauty of the country and the wildlife was captured in many creative and provoking styles. We were surprised to find many western artists' works featured along with the many talented African artists. A docent proudly pointed out a huge, wall-sized painting of some lions recently purchased by "the NFL" for 300,000 USD. It didn't occur to me then, but it would have made sense if it was someone from the Detroit Lions franchise. Unfortunately, picture-taking was not allowed inside the gallery, and one hour was not nearly enough time to really enjoy this place. It reminded me of the European tour I went on in college, when we were given just enough time to run into the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, then get back on the bus!
Geoffrey had noticed Tim's affinity for coffee during our time together, and promised to take him to a place with great coffee. Coffee is a huge part of the economy here - we passed many coffee plantations around Arusha. Once we'd all found our way back to the car after our cultural fix, we drove to a little strip mall in town where I saw more westerners than I'd seen our whole time in Tanzania. This place clearly catered to western tastes, and it was here we visited Msumbi Coffee shop. Click the link to see The Story of Msumbi Coffee. The smell of roasting coffee beans beckons, and big containers of loose coffee beans stand before the visitors as they enter the shop. Wall posters describe the subtle art of coffee. Some in our group bought coffee to bring home. I cannot attest to the flavor of the coffee, as I am not a coffee drinker, but I found the shop inviting.
Ted and I stopped into a few of the other little shops nearby, and it took a while to get everyone back to the car. Then we drove back through downtown Arusha, past the clock tower, and on to Planet Lodge for our final night in Tanzania. Tim invited Geoffrey's family to join us for dinner, but realized our guide was probably anxious to get home after being away for so many days. Geoffrey promised to bring his family by for a visit the next day.
strip mall
city sights
Many children in the city wore
school uniforms
amazing skill
Planet Lodge is a walled facility tucked away from the main street. Several circular little bungalows are divided into two units that have air conditioning and TV, amenities missing for most of our trip. We were surprised by the large number of westerners at dinner, including a table of eight elderly women who were not too concerned about blocking the buffet table. All-you-can-eat buffets often bring out the "best" in people, don't they? Regardless, we savored our last dinner together, and the guys came to hang out in our room for a little while afterward.
main building
Our last day in Tanzania we had breakfast with the western crowd again. I watched safari cars loading up with supplies as they prepared to begin the journey we had just completed, remembering the uncertainty about what lay in store, and the excitement for the adventure.
We had several hours before our flights, and spent some time hanging out in the lounge area. The guys were excited to see a soccer match on the TV, but it turned out to be a replay of an old game. A chess competition was foiled when we realized pieces were missing. Our guide brought his beautiful young family to the hotel say hello. It was clear they were a very loving, happy family, and I felt a bit sorry that we had taken him away for so long. How different his children's lives must be from what he experienced growing up in a Maasai village with many siblings and half-siblings, herding livestock and having little contact with the outside world. Now he lives in the city and sends his children to an English-medium school, where English is the primary medium of instruction. We were thankful for the opportunity to meet them, and to see another side of life in Tanzania.
We were served a hot lunch on the outside terrace, really lovely with the beautiful surrounding gardens. Then it was time to pile into the car once more. There was some discussion about making two trips to the airport, since the boys' flight was several hours after ours. But they kindly declined, as they didn't want our guide to have to do the trip twice. The figured they could just as easily wait at the airport as in the hotel lobby. On the drive east, we passed many coffee plantations, drove over some rough road, passed through a little village, and had a nice view of Mt. Meru to our left.
Rifle-toting guards manned the gate into the airport, and each car was stopped and checked. Too soon the moment I most dreaded had arrived - having to say goodbye to those three amazing young men who mean the world to me. Geoffrey promised to stay with them for a while and show them where they could get a cup of coffee while they waited, as we were not sure what would be available inside this little airport. Tim and I had to pass more than one security check, fill out forms, show papers, then continue on through another security scan. We discovered the airport had some lounges and places to eat or drink, so I called Geoffrey to let the guys know. Tim answered Geoffrey's phone, which threw me for a loop - I guess Geoffrey passed the phone over when he saw who was calling.
Oh, how I love these men!
We waited in a tiny boarding area, where nearly everyone looked like westerners. We boarded our Qatar flight for the one-hour flight to Zanzibar. An announcement was made congratulating a group of successful climbers of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the group let out a whoop. We did see some people sporting "Mt. Kilimanjaro - Been There, Done That" T-shirts throughout our trip. According to our guide, it takes about seven days to ascend and descend the 20,000-foot peak of this highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
We again sat on the tarmac for an hour in Zanzibar, before continuing on to Doha, Qatar, then finally on to Thailand which, save the absence of our family, is starting to really feel like home. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to share this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with our boys.
We waited in a tiny boarding area, where nearly everyone looked like westerners. We boarded our Qatar flight for the one-hour flight to Zanzibar. An announcement was made congratulating a group of successful climbers of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the group let out a whoop. We did see some people sporting "Mt. Kilimanjaro - Been There, Done That" T-shirts throughout our trip. According to our guide, it takes about seven days to ascend and descend the 20,000-foot peak of this highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
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