Bismarck RockMy what a lovely... rock. If there aren't a lot of tourists sights in the city, ya gotta hit 'em all.
We set out in the morning determined to do Mwanza in a day, a giant-sized task which would demand the precision planning of a rocket scientist and the stamina of a Kenyan distance runner. Fortunately, this turned out to be more of a leprechaun-sized task because I have neither of those traits. First on the short list of Mwanza’s tourist stops was Bismarck Rock, which got its name because, er... I'm not sure. Hey, random fact that I should have shared: Mwanza sits on coast of Lake Victoria. Mwanza is also known as “Rock City.” Imagine formations like Bismarck Rock, scattered throughout the hills surrounding the city. At this point, I confess to not taking enough pictures (you may have noticed that in previous blog entries??). It’s a serious condition and I am seeking treatment to overcome my anxieties about being seen as a tourist. It will take time though and I beg your patience.
From Bismarck Rock, we headed to the ferry, which travels to Saa Nane Island. Arriving at the ferry office, we found out that we had missed the ferry by a few minutes, as it actually had left EARLY. That’s no misprint. Standing in continental Africa,
This lion is crying"Hey, so the lion gets stuck in the cage on an island and the bartender says, 'Why the long face?' Then the lion ate the bartender! Ya get it?"
we witnessed the engimatic event of something happening BEFORE it was scheduled. Utterly dumbfounded, we went across the street to a restaurant called Tilapia for lunch. The restaurant sits on the edge of the lake and it’s called “Tilapia.” Can you guess what is the specialty? I knew you could. Aside from their penchant for seafood, they also have some pretty good Indian dishes, which I learned firsthand. Upon arriving, we met up with Nazir, a friend of Jen (seriously, it seemed like she knows at least half of the people in town). Originally born in Zimbabwe, Nazir lived for a while in Dubai and had moved to Mwanza to start a fishing business. He is quite an interesting, well-traveled guy and he even paid for our lunch!
Thus satisfied with Indian food, we returned to the ferry pier and got tickets for the next departure. The “ferry” was more accurately the hull of a boat with a roof over it. Except for the group of school kids, the rest of us had to crouch while boarding the boat. Without any real seats, seating was, well, in whatever fashion you could contrive it. Fortunately the trip only took about
Storm's a-comin!Normally, when you see clouds like this, the last place you might want to be is on an island with no shelter. Fortunately, we Midwest people can drive in snow, so a little rain is no problem.
10 minutes, supposedly. About halfway across that distance, our trusty schooner’s engine sputtered... and stopped. Our skipper muttered something and pulled the engine out of the water and onto the back of the boat, with a few deft moves which said “I’ve done this before... many times.” Good times in Africa. We joked about swimming back but someone mentioned crocodiles (or was it alligators?). Details. 30 minutes later, we were underway again.
The island didn’t hold a great deal to see but offered a great view of Mwanza and Lake Victoria. As Jen had advertised, a few animals live on the island (in enclosures). Among those is one which I have dubbed “The Saddest Lion in Africa.” Honestly, he’s a full grown lion living in an indecently small fenced area. So consider the facts: adult lion (1) in small habitat (2) with no females or other friends (3)living on an ISLAND. If you can find a sadder case deserving this title, let me know. Check out the picture and tell me he doesn’t look sad, I dare you. We wandered around the island further and somehow acquired a “guide” who was convinced that he could throw out the names
Bob, our Tour GuideActually his name isn't Bob. However, he was convinced that he could feed us the names of a few plants and then get a commission.
of a few trees/plants and then request a small payment for his services at the end of our “tour.” He also had a survey form for us to fill out from the park service about our visit to the island. We decided that he was placed on the island to do this research for the park service but thought that he might earn some extra money on the side by appointing himself the park guide for tourists in need. It is good to see that some Tanzanians have the same enterprising spirit as some Kenyans, with a similarly backwards tack.
Our return to the mainland was uneventful. That evening, we went to a party on campus for the students from one of SAUT’s academic programs. Advertised to begin at 7, the party commenced at 9 or 10 (around there?). In defense of the party planners, a large part of the delay was waiting for a generator, to run the music. So here’s the “think about that” moment. SAUT has made tremendous progress in recent years, with new buildings in progress and increased enrollment. Nevertheless, here is a group of students who have to make arrangements, at a cost, to have electricity for their evening. Do we have it easy? Possibly.
Tanzania's Flag
Map of Tanzania