Len Sally

Day 12-Arusha and Mt. Meru Craft Market Sleeping in until the sun hit our faces was so nice! We weren’t scheduled to have Francis’s services today, but he said he would borrow a friend’s car and take us shopping. We went to a large craft market to buy some things. The shopkeepers were very aggressive, but we just had to smile, say “No, thank you”, and keep moving. The open air stalls were filled with African ebony carvings, Tingatinga paintings, batik, and beaded jewelry made by the local people. We purchased several things and had a great time meeting the people. Although Kiswahili is their language, many of them speak enough English to communicate with tourists. They’re very friendly, happy people. When Len explained to Francis that he is the director of an Assisted Living facility, ... read more

Day 10-Maasai Schools Our cook made a good, hot breakfast for us the next morning. We shared it with our Maasai guide and then went to his boma. We met one of his two wives, one of his 6 kids, his mother, and his 105 year old grandmother. He invited us in to one of his huts. What kind of compliments can you give when visiting one of these places? What a life! Before we left to visit the school, our guide wanted Sally to show the gathered people her knee replacement scar. In their language, he explained the surgery to them. Their eyes got big, and they all wanted to touch it! They were very concerned about the pain she must have endured. Apparently, they don’t know about anesthesia. Someone showed up with a pickup ... read more

Day 8--Ngorongoro Crater We started the day with an early breakfast, so we could be among the first safari vehicles on the crater floor. Since this lodge was our little bit of luxury, the large breakfast selection was more than we were used to. When Francis picked us up we noticed he had washed our vehicle! It was a nice gesture, but it didn’t last long as the roads were to be some of the worst we’d been on. We loaded up with lunch boxes in hand. Did we mention the horrid lunch boxes with various food items that were unsafe to eat? Needless to say, lunch time was not a banquet! The drive down to the crater floor was nothing more than a “cow trail” of only one lane. The switchbacks made the view of ... read more

The Serengeti has 2 seasons-wet and dry. During the dry season over 1 million wildebeest and thousands of zebras migrate north into Kenya in search of grass. As the rain returns to the Serengeti they return to Tanzania. As they move many of their predators and accompanying scavengers follow them. This is referred to as the Great Migration. The rain had started in the northern part of the Serengeti, and it was beginning to turn green, so the migration has begun. We left camp at 6:00 a.m. to head to the Mara River to see the Great Migration. Not far from camp we came upon a pride of at least 10 lions with 2 males and a cute cub. We drove near them and got some great pictures. Further down the road was a freshly-killed wildebeest. ... read more

Last night we stayed at a beautiful place called Ngorongoro Farmhouse. There’s a large main building with the rooms in detached duplexes that were very large and modern. It certainly didn’t seem like Africa! They are surrounded by coffee and flower fields. It’s back to tents tonight, so we appreciated the luxury. Francis met us for breakfast and took us to meet an Iraqw man named Paulo. His village is spread out over many hills and valleys that we walked with him. He explained his tribe and their culture. He was educated and placed a very high priority on education for his family. Paulo took us to an area of cliffs and gorges where there are caves. His people hid in these caves during a war with Uganda in the late 1970’s. We saw many ... read more