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Published: August 24th 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009 -
I met Dan and Bill downstairs. Both fellows asked if they could put items in the suitcase I was leaving behind. Although it had been expanded several inches by unzipping the zipper, we stuffed it to the gills and almost had to sit on top to get it closed.
Before we left, Lennard gave us the shocking news that he wouldn't be going with us. He had severe back problems and would stay in Dar to seek medical attention. What a disappointment! We knew how much he had looked forward to this part of our journey. To be surrounded by beautiful scenery and photograph the majestic animals was a dream he talked about on the long flight to Africa. It wasn't going to be the same without him. We reluctantly said goodbye and wished him luck.
Our two vehicles drove us to the airport, and we saw the Cessna Caravan that would take us to Arusha. Although it had seats for 14 people, we were ten in all: Dan, Bill, Hudson, James, Sheiba, John, Geofrey, Martin, our pilot Captain Bernard Shayo who was our newest team member as well as being the Chief
Pilot of Tanzania's Wildlife Division, and I.
I grinned from ear to ear when I took my seat, and the smile never left my face until I got off the plane. What a treat! I kept thinking about how lucky I was. Never in my wildest imagination would I have pictured myself involved in the exciting adventures that have come my way, much less as a senior citizen. I felt gratitude to the Tanzanian government, IYPE, Lennard, Dan, Bill, my husband Howard and anyone who played even the slightest part in my being there.
We taxied, then lifted off. The view of sites below constantly changed—first the tops of houses and palm trees, then the Indian Ocean which was blue but had patches of green, then rivers, flat plains, isolated roads, bomas, dry lakes, hills and mountains. The colors of the land were green, yellow, then brown. Fluffy clouds reminded me of cotton candy at the circus.
Suddenly, something spectacular appeared to be floating in the air. Excited, I asked, “Is that Mt. Kilimanjaro?” Those who were still awake rushed to look out the window. The answer was a resounding “Yes!”
Everyone's cameras came out. It
wasn't easy to get pictures, because clouds kept covering it or the plane's wing kept dipping to obscure our vision. I managed to get a few shots—some of which I hear were unusual, because there were two peaks, not one. Most people know the crest covered with snow. The other had just a small amount of the “white stuff” but was almost as high.
Last year, I managed to get a photo of the base of Kilimanjaro, though clouds obstructed everything else. This time, I got the top, but again, clouds blocked the rest. I guess I'll have to come back once more to get the middle and make a composite of the three pictures to show the magnificence of Africa's tallest mountain.
Arusha is at a higher elevation than Dar. Although the cabin was not pressurized, I was fine during the 1 ½ hour flight. We landed and were met by several men and two cars. One gentleman reminded me of a tall, slim Texan. I learned his name was Steve Lelo, and he was the Principal Tourism Officer of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). I nicknamed him “Ranger Steve” and felt all he was missing
were a large rodeo belt buckle and a pair of boots.
We drove for a while, then went through a small alleyway that was typical of others we had seen in the cities. At the end of it was a large compound with buildings including a blue one with the sign “Green Valley Sec. School.” Girls who were dressed in colorful clothes were ready to greet us with a dance. They began, but the camera wasn't set up yet, so had to start over again once Bill and Dan were ready. Many younger children, most of them in green uniforms, were eager for us to move to the tables that had been set up around the corner.
There the boys and girls went through their routine, with a song that had them stretching and bending, then sticking out their tongues to the side—fully enjoying every minute.
The dancers continued their entertainment near the tables. I couldn't hear all the words they were singing, but the ones I caught were about the earth and how we should protect it. They were followed by two girls. One held the microphone while the other read a speech telling of the
school's history. It was opened in 2000 by Mr. Y.A. Njarita who is the owner and Managing Director. There were few students in the beginning, but it has grown considerably. I believe the total number is in the hundreds. Many, including Maasais and nomads, are from around the country and board there, while others live nearby. Some of the children had gone home for the semester break.
Primary school is compulsory in Tanzania. There are government grammar schools which teach in Swahili and also English medium schools. The grade levels go to up to the equivalent of our high school seniors. The curriculum includes math, general science, biology, geography, history, English, Swahili and French. I'm sure I haven't listed everything.
Green Valley School students have continued to pass the National Examinations with flying colors each year. The speech mentioned that in addition to scholastics, African culture is stressed. Another goal is to prepare the students to meet international challenges
After thanking us for our efforts to promote tourism, came these words: “We also call upon our government to stress much on environmental conservation through curriculum implementation in schools since wildlife is our national treasure in the society.”
These were the same students who gave a presentation to those assembled at the IYPE conference last year. I noted then that many in the audience had tears in their eyes. The effect here was the same. What remarkable children, and how fortunate they were that Mr. Njarita's strong vision was to instill these values on the next generation.
The teachers and staff then asked for our remarks and gave me the microphone first. I told them I was from Houston where we train astronauts who go into space. Several others from our team spoke, then we were invited to join the faculty and staff for lunch; the food was very good. We had an opportunity to exchange ideas before taking pictures and leaving for our next stop, a meeting with Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) officials.
There is a bust (statue) of Julius Kambarage Nyerere in the lobby of the TANAPA building. He was the first President of Tanzania and is called both
Baba wa Taifa (Father of the Nation) and
Mwalimu (Teacher) because of his first profession. According to Wikipedia, he was “...the second person to gain a university degree outside of Africa.” Think of that!
We landed safely
Thanks to our Captain and beautiful planeIn 1949 when he received a scholarship to go abroad only one other African out of millions had gone overseas for an education.
We went upstairs and were greeted by experts in the field. Among them were Erasmus M. Tarimo Director of Wildlife, Ministry of NRT, Wildlife Division, whom we missed seeing in Dar; Edward S. Kishe, Director of Resources Confirmation and Ecological Monitoring; and Allan J.H. Kijazi, Director of Planning, Development Projects and Tourism. The latter two were with TANAPA. Other people contributed, as well.
Hudson introduced the reason our team was there and elaborated on IYPE's outreach program with its emphasis on science, research and education. Dan addressed geoscience for the human problems and solutions that may be found, while I stressed putting a face on what was happening. How did it affect people's everyday lives?
Everyone was fascinated by what Bill brought to the table. They gathered around his computer and listened to what he had to say. Afterwards, maps came out, and we looked at possible routes for the next wildebeest migration.
Before we left, each of us was given a large bag filled with “goodies” which included a knit shirt with
Green Valley School Dancers
Note the anatomy posters on the fence the parks' official logo, another in cotton, a hat, pencils, maps, CD and a large umbrella for the rainy season which was starting but hadn't affected us too much as yet.
Our last stop before going to the hotel was a visit with Dr. Simon Mduma, Director General, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI). So far, everyone we met added to our knowledge of wildebeests, the area and the migration. Dr. Mduma was no exception. He had all the facts at his fingertips, because he headed the unit responsible for conducting wildlife surveys throughout Tanzania. Results went into the national biodiversity databases.
It had been a long day, and we looked forward to being able to relax. We drove to the African Tulip, a small boutique hotel. I loved the intimacy, African paintings and other artwork, as well as the attention to detail. The staff was very friendly, and it felt like home, albeit a luxurious one. Our rooms were upstairs, and I climbed several flights, not being in as good a shape as I originally thought. Or was it the altitude? The rooms were very spacious, with large windows and a “windowseat” covered by cushions where I could
sit and glance out at the surroundings.
The owner/director Sanjay Pandit welcomed us, and I talked to him about my involvement with India and Indians. Several friends in Houston are Indians from East Africa whose families have been there for generations. In the 1800's many people were brought from India as laborers but remained to become merchants, artisans and government employees, as well as professionals. Others arrived later, escaping from the turmoil in Kenya and Uganda. A number of the hotels in Tanzania are owned by Indians. One little known fact is that Freddy Mercury, the lead singer in the old rock group Queen, was a Zoroastrian (Parsi) born in Zanzibar as Farouk Bulsara. How's that for trivia?
All of us went to dinner at the Kibo Palace Hotel where Edward Kishe and several others joined us. We had a good time getting to know one another away from offices and meetings. Because we were to leave for Ngorongoro soon after breakfast in the morning, we didn't stay long after we ate.
When I returned to my room I took a nice shower. Did I say nice? It was the best I've ever had—just the right temperature
and pressure, and I've told everyone about it ever since. I liked it so much, I awoke extra early just to enjoy another one before we left.
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Ahmed
non-member comment
This is a very readable blog
I like this blog because it is narrative and informative without being "overloaded" (as is the case with many travel blogs nowadays). The photographs are simple and have a positive human interaction dimension which tends to be left out by many "safari" photographers. Cheers!!!