Blogs from Arusha, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 6

Northern Serengeti Another edge of the seat drive in Arusha to airport at 0630. Students in uniforms trying to get to school by walking or on back on pickups in face of major one road road traffic with crazy drivers and farmed carrying goods to market on hand or donkey drawn carts. Total pandemonium but no deaths that we saw.Airplane a small single engine cessna, with interesting flight over Masai villages and Ngorogoro Crater. Landed at Kotogende airstrip. Picked up by Africa 365 guide "SP". Interesting day watching wildebeest massing by the ten thousands along the Mara river for a crossing that did not happen today-maybe we will get lucky tomorrow. Spottings of a rare rhino in this area,elephants, hippos, zebras,cape buffalo,giraffe,and many others. Did not arrive at lodge until dark. Amazing place with panoramic view ... read more

Ride to Arusha Long day of flights was relatively uneventful. 1 hour ride to Arusha from kilamanjero notable for craziest drivers and pedestrians on narrow road for 36 km. There must be a busy trauma unit nearby.Hotel is okay except for spider that greeted Linda in the shower. Up early in am for transfer to airport for bush flight to north Serengeti at 645... read more

Day 4/5 After what was a bit of a disappointing breakfast, we set off again for a shopping centre looking for the elusive football shirt - no luck. We got picked up by Joe for the airport, and asked if on the way we could stop at one of the sports shops we had seen for a shirt. We went to the shop of one of his friends, and Russ is now the proud owner of a shirt, complete with wonky Adidas embroidery logo! At the airport, we were a little early for the flight, but eventually approached the entrance and were asked for our Yellow Fever vaccination certificate and flight details. We're not sure how much of it she could read, as she studied it intently, but we were allowed to pass through to check ... read more

Geo: -3.36, 36.67Two weeks of 'Hokey Pokey', ‘Head & Shoulders, Knees and Toes', ‘Row Row Row Your Boat' and various other shenanigans with 2.5-6 year olds was plenty for me! Much to my surprise, my 2-week volunteer placement was at the Best Center for the Blind (BCB) working in the mornings at the ‘nursery' (preschool) with the children (with sight) of blind parents and then providing basic health education for the parents in the afternoons. Jim was working with ‘Women in Action', an organization that provides care for men, women and children infected with HIV/AIDS. It also assists widowed women to start up small businesses, many that only generate a few dollars a day, but it's enough to enable their families to survive. He put together a grant application to the United Nations Development Program for ... read more

I have now been home for a week. I left Arusha on the 5th of February and made my way to Ethiopia for an overnight stay. I then travelled to Johannesburg and then home to Sydney. My final days in Africa were spent organising a safari for mum and then exploring Arusha on my own once she left. I visited many markets and experienced daily life. Staying in the one place for quite a while allowed me to see how people live. Sitting up on the rooftop bar at my hostel and looking out onto the streets of Arusha, I could see and hear the daily lifestyle of the african people. So many are unemployed and walk the streets all day just trying to make ends meet. The noises at night were so loud I felt ... read more