http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Tanzania , Centre en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:27:38 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:27:38 +0000 Hi everyoneFirst I have to say I have the best field assistant on Earth. I am just so happy to have such a trustworthy hard working guy looking after things out hereI am back in the field and have a little portable modem with me this time so I can access the internet if briefly which is very exciting and luxurious Irsquove spent the morning meeting with field assistants who are superv http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-431013.html Day 13 Dar Es Saleem 11809We left at 0900 again and only 1 minibus turned up. With number swelling due to people arriving here early needing to be picked up as well there were too many of us for the one minibus. A second one arrived and it was pure luxury blacked out windows curtains with uber comfortable spacious seats. We had an hour to kill in Stone Town which I used to get some cash http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-430990.html Ahhh this country. It feels like so many things have happened since I last posted I donrsquot know where to start Lots of ups and downshellipIrsquoll start with whatrsquos freshest in my mind at the moment and which I will warn you is very sad at least it was for me. On the way back from the field 2 days ago we stopped by a village where a field assistant I worked with last year li http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-430409.html After a leisurely breakfast we got ready to drive back. So it was going to be the twohour track again to the main road. But on the way down we hadnrsquot noticed there was a turn on the way Many parts of Tanzania are so sparsely populated that there is only one little dirt track for hours and nothing else no crossings nothing. Well so went straight without noticing as it was in the middl http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Selous-Game-Reserve/blog-401925.html With the usual 24hour entry rule we planned for a game drive in the early morning and a second one in the late afternoon. With the camp only 10min from the gate we didnrsquot have far to go to get started. But our joyful mood was dented when we bumped into Katie and Kenny who were scanning the forest with other people for dead animals it turned out the monkeys we saw the previous evening w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Selous-Game-Reserve/blog-401894.html Another Bank Holiday weekend so we couldnrsquot really stay in Dar This time the decision fell on Selous Game Reserve the biggest game reserve in Africa. Itrsquos about the size of Switzerland But only the NorthEastern part is open for photo safaris the South is for game hunting with rich Arabs and Westerners going there. We that were my housemates Ellen and Sara Rita and myself ch http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Selous-Game-Reserve/blog-401869.html so im already back in town. its only saturday. i couldnt stand to be in the village for any longer. and when i was headed back on monday it felt so right. so natural. i was happy. i wanted to make sure to document that in a journal entry. that did not last long. so like i said i headed back monday. and people were excited to see me. one guy told me he thought i went back to america. good. it was n http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Singida/blog-373562.html Dear Far Away Faithful Readers We have just completed a 2 week training seminar and are ready to write grants and tackle some of the issues that the village survey pointed out as being of importance to their health and wellbeing. We have lots of work ahead of us. It was also a time to relax and renew acquaintances with 12 of our group. Everyone is still energized and ready to push their sle http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Dodoma/blog-370963.html We left the coast and headed towards Malawi it was to far to travel in a day so we headed to our campsite in Iringa. On the way we drove through Mikumi NP where we saw Elephants drinking Giraffes eating and loads of Zebras. It made a nice break in the drive otherwise we were looking at trees. The only problem was that we couldn't stop for toilet breaks When we got to the campsite the sun http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-354678.html Today we crossed into Tanzania. The border crossing was fine hakuna matada The journey was quiet and uneventful apart from Richard our driver getting a speeding ticket and running over a chicken. It was very hot in the morning when we stopped for breakfast and I discovered maple syrup on toast mmmWe arrived at Iringa at about 5pm and put our tents up. I had a nice hot shower and then went http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-353909.html It is hard to believe that our stay in Dodoma and Tanzania has come to an end. Our time here almost a year and a half has never dragged. I do not think there has been a moment when we have wished time to move on a little quicker. In fact mostly it has felt like time was rolling along at an accelerated pace. Be that as it may we have now come to the point of saying our goodbyes and returni http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Dodoma/blog-353895.html Wednesday November 19 2008Well things worked out good for us. We decided to fly home today Our flight Dar Es Salaam at 1140 it was 31 deg C and about 97 humidity. The airport is not air conditioned everyone of us was soaked from sweating so much what a great condition to be in to travel on a plane for the next 10 hours It was a perfect flight and we landed in Amsterdam slightly ahead of pl http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-347222.html Tuesday Nov 18 2008Travel to Dar Es SalaamFell asleep last night watching TV it was right after supper around 800. I woke up at 1000 wrote Denise a text and fell asleep. I was feeling a bit better took my diarrhea pills and think that made quite a difference. What did I learn DONrsquoT drink ANY milk products Woke up a couple of times throughout the night but was for the most part OK.Got http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-347221.html Monday November 17 2008SERNGETIWhat a treat this was We left the hotel at 500 AM in order to arrive at 700 when the gates open. It promised to be a great day hellip little did we know Me and my stolen roll of toilet paper were offAs soon as we got inside the Park we were met by all kinds of monkeys. We carried on and throughout the day saw Wildebeest Zebras hippos corcs hyenas girr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-347220.html Sun Nov 16 2008We drove from Tabora to Mwanza Elias and Dickson drove us the 5 hours to get here. Toads were mostly paved actually but it took us 2 hours to travel 116 kms over quite rough roads.When we arrived we first looked up the Safari company that was organized for us for the Serengeti. Then we went to the hotel that was booked for us hellip then we found another hotel We went to a nic http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-347219.html We spent most of the day on Tuesday in Dodoma trying to sort out our roof rack. Finally managed to leave at about 2 heading in the direction of Morogoro an agricultural town some 500km inland from Dar es Salaam that lies encircled by the Uluguru Mountains. The drive down to Morogoro was stunning we followed the distant line of the Rubelo Mountains on our right and then broke through into the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-345790.html Saturday November 16 2008Well the journey as it was to be is now over the events are now stories the pictures are the reminders and the experience will forever embrace me. I canrsquot imagine that what I have seen and experienced will ever leave me. The faces the smells the scenery the challenges the events are too real now hellip they arenrsquot from a TV documentary these are real.As http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-345562.html Saturday Nov 15 2008Wil fill in later ... just trying to add pictures http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-345319.html Friday Nov 14 2008I keep saying each day that therersquos something new and amazing that catches my eye well today was no different. I am almost glad that we are done visiting childrenrsquos homes. The desperate situations they live in the lack of food the poor housing clothes that are worn and torn and dirty hellip its amazing.We went to a town called Inala itrsquos about 11 kms East http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-345312.html Thursday Nov 13 2008A much better day we managed to get many of the kids done today. As it turns out we only have Friday to get the remaining kids done and I think we shall be OK. Its amazing how excited the kids get over the pictures and the letter writing. They get all giggly and begin to fix their clothes and try to look as nice as they can. Some of the kids can write others wersquove either http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Tabora/blog-344954.html