Blogs from Arusha, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 63

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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha February 7th 2006

Here I am in Tanzania! Its all a bit crazy but my journey started on the morning of february 2nd with a train journey from edinburgh waverly to london kings cross. I met up with Elsie (a fellow volunteer from Inverness) at the station at 9, we had met once before, and said our goodbyes to our parents. We spent the journey playing cards and chatting but when we got to london the problems began namely- I couldn't lift my rucksack! we had to get an underground and a bus from kings to the airport and that was interesting! Anyway- at the airport we did some last minute shopping in Boots and then went to meet the others at Cafe Nero. We spent a couple of hours chatting to everyone and then it was time to ... read more

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha February 5th 2006

Apologies for the mammoth entry but we've seen so much in such a short space of time so we'll skip to the highlights and try not to ramble on too much. On Sunday we drove out from Kenya to Arusha in Tanzania and on Monday started our journey in 4x4's into the Serengeti via the rim of the Ngorongoro crater so named for the noise the cowbells of the Maasai's cattle make. There are 51,000 Maasai in the conservation area and we saw loads of Maasai villages and the Maasai themselves along the way. We entered the Serengeti past a very dry lake Manyara and the Oldoinyo Lengai Mountain which is the Maasai's God. First spot into the Serengeti was a pregnant hyena which stank like pure evil. We spotted loads of animals: Zebras, Giraffes, herds ... read more
Lions with their kill
Serengeti sunset
Lions in the Serengeti

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha October 20th 2005

Une autre journée de voyagement. Nous arrêtons quelques heures à Arusha pour faire quelques provisions. Ensuite, nous arrêtons dans un autre village masai. On nous montre l'école, les maisons et les gens. Cela ressemble un peu à notre première expérience, sauf qu'ici, les hommes font une démonstrantions de leurs danses, the jumping warrior, tout en chantant et un peu plus loin, les femmes font de même. Comme je suis la plus proche du groupe de femmes, elles me prennent par la main et m'entraînent dans leur danse sans oublier de me parer de leur traditionnel collier de "perles" qu'elles offrent rapidement de me vendre après la danse! C,est ce genre de rapprochement que j'aime. Dommage qu'un voyage de groupe ne nous permette pas de faire des rencontres si souvent. Voilà l'essence de voyager: avoir des contacts ... read more
Julie the masai dancer
Jolie maman masai
fillette

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha September 22nd 2005

Meserani Snake Park was a dusty campsite. Dust, dust, dust. Everywhere you go it’s there. In your hair, on your clothes in your food and just about everywhere else one can think of. We later discovered that it wasn’t just the campsite that was dusty but most of Tanzania. Red sand covers the surface of the land in which acacias and aloes thrive and animals survive. We paid a visit to the Snake Park itself where we witnessed the murder of many little chicks by various venomous snakes. During, well, just prior to a demonstration of how cute and cuddly a python can be, the skilled snake handler was bitten by a Tree snake (allegedly one of the most venomous snakes in Africa), he promptly went a bit peaky looking, leapt the enclosure wall and was ... read more

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha September 7th 2005

The morning was spent in Arusha being mobbed by Idi Amin Dada (as he said he was) & his friends trying to sell us paintings. We hid in a patisserie but they just waited outside until it was time to get back on the truck. Needless to say we didn't buy any paintings even at special cheap cheap friends price. Had a hotdog lunch under a Baobab tree on route to Tembo & when we arrived some of us went for a scenic hill walk to watch the sunset but spent more time watching the ground trying to find the path. Had a much deserved swim & played keepie uppies with an old lemon in the pool. This progressed to an old volleyball & the world keepie uppie record @ 72 is now held by Lizzie, ... read more
Lunch Stop

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha September 6th 2005

Having suffered with the sun yesterday we went out dressed as if we were in the Foreign Legion. Next to the Snake Park was the Masaai cultural centre which had recreations of the Masaai homes, bush camps, costumes & rituals. We learned about the male & female circumcision & although no longer legal in Tanzania female circumcision is still performed. From the centre we took a camel ride to a Masaai village, where we got to see inside a real Masaai home, swing the Masaai kids up in the air (which they seemed to enjoy until one got kicked in the face) & took part in some dancing which involved trying to bounce as high as possible. We caught the camel train back to the campsite & passed by a cattle market on a football pitch. ... read more
Maasai Warriors
Maasai Luke

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha September 4th 2005

Got up reasonably early to go across the Kenya/Tanzania border on route through the Serengeti we saw Superb Starling, Maribou Storks, Purple Heron & Giraffe all just from the truck window. In Tanzania we were staying at the Mesarani Snake Park, Arusha where we had snakes, vultures & crocs just behind our tents (all fenced off but we did have a few escapees during our stay). Drink of the Day: Springbok (Amurula & Creme de Menthe). ... read more

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha February 4th 2005

Friday 4th February I didn't cry! The alarm clock went off at 7 am and I rushed onto the balcony and there it was in all its glory. How dare a mountain be so beautiful! I had been told that there was no snow on it, but there was. There were two big bare patches going up to the top, on the Gillman's peak side, but it certainly wasn't snow less. I felt so at home there on the balcony in the morning light. It was quite cool and I embarrassingly stood in my nighty just soaking it all in. Luckily there was no one about, just a brown dog trotting past. Kilimanjaro seemed further away than I remembered. The sky was the palest blue and that lovely, lovely dove was cooing, 'kr-krrrr-k, kr-krrrr-k', you know ... read more
New Arusha Hotel
New Arusha hotel baby pool
The lodge overlooking Mt Meru

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha June 22nd 2003

This, along with all my other Africa blogs, were actually emails sent to friends and family. I didn't know much about blogs at the time, but now I do. Hello all! I have a few hours in a very small town while waiting for the tour company to take me on Safari to the Ngorongoro Crater. Today I go to the crater rim and stay in the Crater Wildlife Lodge. I hear it's absolutely breathtaking there. Tomorrow we go into the crater and I'm hoping to see "the big five" ... elephants, lions, rhinos, hippos, and cheetas plus a few other animals we can only see in zoos in the States. I'll be in the crater for the summer solstice... except that it's winter here. Originally, my brother and his family were supposed to come with ... read more
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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha June 8th 2003

We left Dar on an early bus to Arusha where we planned to go on Safari. It was a full day on the bus with a short stop for lunch. When we got there I planned to walk around and check out a few places for accommodation. We had heard that things were a bit of a scramble in Arusha until after you purchased a safari since all the touts would be after you big time for the big dollars. We did have a little scuffle at the station, but Rasta Carlos was on hand to lead us to a nice guesthouse away from the touts. Kristen did cause quite a stir when she ripped up the price list of one of the touts in an effort to show him she really wasn't interested in reading ... read more




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