Blogs from Tanzania, Africa - page 368

1. Teachers can hit students. They normally use a stick (and carry it around with them) of some sort but I've also seen a ruler. They also grap the ears of the students. 2. There is no power between 7 am - 7 pm because the country is in the middle of a drought (although not as bad as western Kenya) 3. No tvs, very few computers. I guess it doesnt make sense to have computers when you don't have electricity. 4. Students have to pay for school. Fees range between $10-$100 a year for grades 1-8 and more for high school. 5. Students need to bring their own supplies. 6. No gym. 7. No cafeteria. Students either buy some cheap fruit or meet their mothers for a meal. They get about an hour break. 8. ... read more

March 3rd, 2006, Day 57 of our cruise of 105 Zanzibar, Tanzania Very, very hot, maybe the hottest of all our ports We had a wonderful safe day with our friends and Mohamoud the II; we walked 5 hours. I hope you enjoy the pictures Hello my children, hello granny. Ttys, love to all ... read more

Lake Manyara Lake Manyara is the only place in Eastern Africa with lions that fall asleep in trees. While we were not privileged enough to witness this phenomenon, we did see lions, baboons, more monkeys, elephants, hippos, zebras, gazelles, giraffes and many new birds. So it was good fun and a pretty low key end to our last safari. The lake Manyara area is quite affluent and fertile. There is lots of rain and agriculture and it shows in the homes, shops and roads. People are not quite as desperate and needy. They seem to have a reasonable standard of life. In Lake Manyara we stayed at the Wild Africa Lodge. It was a neat place because the rooms were actually tents. It is difficult to explain, but essentially the foundation is built with a bathroom. ... read more

Ngorongoro Crater The crater is one of the most famous reserves for black rhinos because it is so easy to protect them in the crater. There is one road in and one road out. We did not see any, but the trip was really amazing. The views and vistas as well as birds and other wildlife were great. We saw more hippos, more lions, plus all the usual suspects (zebras, ostrich, toppees, gazelles, giraffes, and elephants). We also saw a great deal of Maasais. The Crater itself was created by volcanic activity and left a plateau 22kms in diameter. Perhaps the best part of the crater was our accommodations. We stayed at a coffee plantation (The Plantation Lodge) in the most amazing little cottages. The owners were German and the food was unforgettable as were the ... read more

Instead of heading off to Kampala as expected, we decided to hang out for a while, mostly because on the day we chose to travel to Uganda they held their first "free" elections in 25 years. Most elections in africa end in some sort of blood bath, so we went on safari instead. The safari, it self ,was magnificent. Ngorongor crater is the worlds largest collapsed vocanoe dome. It has a unqiue ecosystem, where many of the animals on the bottom of the crater (more than 12 kms in diameter) never leave. We saw hippos, black rhino, elephants, jackel, hyena, lions on the prowl, cheetah, cranes, wildebeast, buffalo, and more. It was the first time we'd seen a cheetah and the first time for a live lion. I have pictures, and I'll post them eventually. I've ... read more