http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/EllenG/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from EllenG en-us Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:29:13 +0000 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:29:13 +0000 Friday April 3 2009 James had approached me the night before about transportation. I was given the choice of driving in the Land Rover or flying with the others though there might not be enough seats for all of us. Someone would have to forfeit his place. I said ldquoI'll see more if I go by car won't Irdquo And so it was decided.After our lunch at the Serena the others departed f http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Serengeti-National-Park/blog-431064.html Wednesday April 8 2009 I was sorry to be leaving Tanzania. What an unbelievable experience. Bill would stay until Sunday while Lennard and Dan would be there a few more weeks.I went down to breakfast converted my Tanzanian shillings to US dollars and was greeted by Sheiba in the lobby. James was there too. We weren't sure who was going to the airport with me so said our farewells just http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-430225.html Tuesday April 7 2009 We gathered our gear and entered a luxurious bus that Sanjay himself drove to the Kilimanjaro Airport. I was in the front seat across the aisle from him right over the wheels with a panoramic view through the large windshield. The scenes and activities of the countryside provided good photo ops. I was so busy taking pictures that we were at our destination before I re http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-430223.html Sunday April 5 2009 I felt so good after getting a full night's sleep that I opened the sliding doors and walked onto the balcony. I watched two small dikdiks midget antelope with large eyes eating the grass below and searched for animals on the plains in the distance.I showered dressed and looked forward to having a light breakfast. As I stood in the buffet line a hornbill swooped down http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Serengeti-National-Park/blog-430220.html Monday April 6 2009 After a quick breakfast and checking out of the Serena we loaded our luggage and drove to the airfield. It gave us one last opportunity to see some of the wildlife again. Our plane was ready for us to board and we took our seats. Since I had been on the left side of the aisle on the first flight I decided to sit on the right this time. We prepared for takeoff but h http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-430221.html Saturday April 4 2009 When it was light outside I dressed and went to the front desk asking how contact the physician. Dr. Edmund Nzella was there in a flash. After hearing my symptoms he determined it was bacterial. He said to do go to the dining area where I had been heading. He would find me and bring what I needed.I saw my colleagues and told them my predicament. They were very co http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Serengeti-National-Park/blog-430219.html Friday April 3 2009 Our two vehicles traveled caravanstyle on the way to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority NCAA Tanzanians love acronyms and there are many. We passed people who were walking or biking to work students who were going home for the semester breakmdashsome waiting for buses and others on footmdash Maasai women and children congregating under the trees and oth http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-429292.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-429265.html Wednesday April 1 2009 Our group was smallermdashonly Lennard Dan Bill Hudson Sheiba Martin and I would do the day's activities. We were late for our appointment with Professor Rwekasa S. Mukandala Vice Chancellor University of Dar Es Salaam USDM but he was kind enough to rearrange his schedule and meet with us. The history of USDM is quite interesting. Begun in 1961 as an affil http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-429255.html Tuesday March 31 2009 I had a slight problem with my stomach so thought I'd be conservative about what I ate at breakfast. My mouth watered for the fresh fruit but I was content with ldquoover easyrdquo eggs. No sense in tempting fate.Our first appointment the next morning was with ITVmdashIndependent Television Limited a station that began in 1994. The majority of its programming http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-429114.html Monday March 30 2009 Two vehicles picked us up for our day's activities. Sheiba Bulu the Ministry's Communications Officer joined us for the duration of the factfinding mission. She was a very valuable member of the team at least in my eyes. Besides her other duties she was the person who found the Ladies' Room for me in each of the places we visited. At my age that was essential. W http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-429108.html Sunday March 29 2009 After traveling almost 24 hours from Houston via Amsterdam Lennard Dan and I arrived in Dar es Salaam the night of March 28th. Each of us had a good night's sleep and awoke ready for the adventure that lay before us. The Southern Sun Hotel was our home base. It proved to be idealmdashcomfortable rooms savory meals and a wonderful staff eager to help us. As we ate http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-428800.html Preface Wildebeests also called gnus are antelopes. They are not as agile as their cousins the impalas who according to nationalgeorgraphic.com can ldquoleap distances of up to 33 feetrdquo often ldquosoaring some 10 feet in the air.rdquo Nor are they as sleek as their cousins the gazelles. They both run 50 miles per hour but wildebeests lack the grace of their slimmer relative http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Serengeti-National-Park/blog-428741.html Sunday May 11 2008The trip was almost over. I wandered around the grounds of the hotel getting lots of photos including ones of the Marabou storks that feed on scraps from the hotel. They normally are quite tall with long legs. When they sit however their knee joints are backward' and it looks as though they have big feet. I found them fascinating so watched them for a while.After e http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-314833.html Saturday May 10 2008I met Bill near the dining hall. He said that Dan was very sick and hadn't slept most of the night. Because many of the attendees were checking out and leaving for the airport Bill suggested the two of us should find people who would give their impressions of the conference. We managed to locate a few who who were still there and got their comments on camera. We showed t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-314465.html Friday May 9 2008My stomach was still bothering me so I ate only an egg and one thin pancake. I was afraid to eat anything else.The sunrise was wonderful especially since I could see Lake Natron in the distance. A majestic view of Oldoinyo Lengai was in another direction. I felt completely at peace.Bill shot video from the hill while I walked around. Each of us took pictures of the clouds http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area/blog-314340.html Thursday May 8 2008Early the next morning we met for breakfast and got ready for the conference. Dan had been kept so busy since arriving in Tanzania that he didn't have an opportunity to see any of the country. At that point almost all his time was spent at the lodge preparing for the big event.Exhibitors were busy setting up their displays. Among them were UNESCO and BRGM the French Geosc http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area/blog-314300.html Wednesday May 7 2008Though we all left wakeup calls there were no phones. Instead one of the workers knocked on each door. I quickly showered and dressed hoping to get a good picture of the sunrise. I was a bit too late. The photographers in our group said I had just missed a beautiful red sky. I took other shots including Majura with two of the workers. One was dressed in traditional http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area/blog-314073.html Tuesday May 6 2008After an early breakfast the next morning we left for a day full of activities. Taking the road to Engaruka we waited for the other Land Rover outside a small shop. A woman brought corn to be milled and we watched it being ground into meal then put into a large burlap sack. Nearby another woman was setting up her fruit stand. We bought bananas for the trip.We stopped at http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area/blog-313957.html Monday May 5 2008We were awakened early the next morning in order to eat and leave soon after the sun came up. Instead we found it was cloudy with occasional chilling rain. We finally set off at 9 a. m. The fog was so dense at times that it was difficult seeing where to drive on the mountain road. The lanes were even more narrow due to construction. In some areas only one was open so we ha http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area/blog-313770.html