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Published: August 21st 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 After 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 a large souvenir shop where a wide variety of handicrafts were sold. I bought a red checkered Maasai blanket and various items for gifts. Because of the new airlines weight restrictions, I would often like something but would pick it up and put it back. It was too heavy, and I didn't want to be charged more at the airport.
On the way to Engaruka, we got out to see the plains and Engaruka Scarp. Ancient fossilized termite mounds, some as high as 6 feet tall, seemed to be everywhere. Several looked as though they were designed by architects. Charles said not to go too close, because snakes make a home in them. I didn't have to be warned twice.
An older
Masai man stood on the hill above us. He seemed reclusive and covered his face. He wore less clothing than any other men we had seen, had a knife hanging from his belt and carried both spear and a club. Majura started talking to him, and shook hands when we were about to leave.
Driving towards our next stop we saw women washing clothes in a river. Only one stream supports life in the area. Humans and animals share it. As we passed people along the way, we waved and said “Jambo” (“Hello”) through the open window. They smiled and waved back. It's amazing how knowing just one or two words in their language can help gain their acceptance. Donkeys and dwarf cattle wandered about. As we entered the Engaruka region we saw a Maasi man on primitive crutches; he had lost a leg.
Our leaders paid for us to enter the area that is in the Monduli District. A tall Maasai man who is with the Antiquities Department of the government introduced himself to us. When he said, “My name is Israel,” I was astonished and told him that Israel was my maiden name—that I'm Ellen Israel
Goldberg. We bonded immediately.
He drove with us past a sign that said “New Jerusalem Settlement” until we reached an archaeological site dating back to the Iron Age. It's estimated that people started moving there sometime around the 15th Century A.D. Their origin is only speculation, but it appears that some may have been from the Indus Valley or the Fertile Crescent. Another belief is that in an earlier era, Jews who were descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes found their way to the region.
At one time, it was home to thousands of people in seven villages. They established an elaborate irrigation system complete with terraces and channels, and used advanced techniques of farming. Early inhabitants grew crops, possibly sorghum.
Pottery, arrowheads and other artifacts have been uncovered, and there's evidence of smelting techniques for spears and arrows. The area was abandoned in the 1700's. Could they have run to escape other tribes? No one knows, but it was deserted quickly.
Standing in an area rimmed by rocks, Israel told us we were on top of a large house. Underneath, archaeologists found rooms, a fire place, ash, carbonate and bones which indicate they may have
Israel and Israel
Israel O. Molel and Ellen Israel Goldbergbeen hunters. Originally there was no roof, though animal skins may have served as one to protect them from the elements.
Several mounds of big rocks not far away were actually burial plots for long-ago residents—about ten to a grave. A larger one may have three times that number.
I asked about marriage among the Maasi. Israel said that men usually have more than one wife, sometimes many. The husband's family “pays” the bride's family in cattle, a sign of wealth.
I was also interested in food. Milk, maize and occasionally beef are part of the meal. They drink blood and/or mix it with milk or food. Soup is also important; some made with special plants help cure malaria. I noticed that many Africans had brown stains horizontally across their teeth. I was unsure of the reason. Possible causes could be poor oral hygiene—not brushing—foods that color them, or high concentrations of chemicals like fluoride in the water. In addition, many suffered from eye disease. At times I saw flies crawling in the eyes of children. I was worried about whether it could lead to blindness, and wondered if it was treatable.
We walked to the
bank of the river and went on the narrow path at a steep incline. I slipped on loose gravel and fell on my rear. Although I wasn't hurt, Israel was quite concerned and held my hand the rest of the way down.
Our box lunch was waiting for us. We sat on rocks under the trees and watched the water flow past us. When we finished, Israel collected the food packs we hadn't opened. Had I known, I would have only eaten a bit of lunch, because he was taking it to the school children who were in classes nearby.
On our way to the crater known as Pit of God, we caught our first glimpse of Oldoinyo Lengai also called Mountain of God. According to Charles, Majura and Fredrick who prepared a booklet for us, it is the youngest active volcano in Northwest Tanzania. They said “It is the only active volcano on Earth emitting natrocarbonatite magma 1.2 ma.” It has frequent eruptions, with major ones in 1917, the 1940's and 1967. The most recent one occurred in April of this year. From where we were, it appeared as if a large plume of smoke was coming
from the caldera, but later it was thought to have been a cloud.
We got out of the vehicles to look for rock samples containing carbonatite. We saw shiny particles of silica that were silver, thin and brittle.
Rainer and Vicky wanted to climb to the top of the volcano, but they would have had to begin at midnight due to the heat and lack of water. One side was too steep; the other was too slippery. The plan was aborted, because of the danger involved.
We continued on our way to the crater. When we reached it, the area was deserted—until Maasai women and children appeared from nowhere. They, too, had bracelets and necklaces which they wanted us to buy. The blankets they wore had many holes, and they seemed poverty-stricken. They finally went to sit under a tree when Fredrick began speaking.
After Fredrick received his geology degree he continued his education, but not to get a Masters or PhD in the subject. He got an MBA, because he wanted to be able to give complete service to clients who brought him projects. He is interested in eco-tourism and wrote a paper on the
subject. It was accepted for an IYPE conference in Oslo.
Before coming on the trip, I thought all craters were caused by meteors striking the earth. I learned that many are collapsed volcanoes which have erupted and have become empty. In the case of the Pit of God, rain water drains through fissures, so no lake was created.
He said that not all craters are depressions in the ground. He pointed to a nearby one that was above the ground. And of course, we could all see Oldoinyu Lengai, that was still vital. It is sacred to the Maasai.
He explained that rising magma comes together with water and causes steam. Sometimes there's lava, while other times there's ash. O'Lengai is relatively cool, with temperatures 500-600 degrees Celsius (932-1112 Fahrenheit). When the lava is fresh, it's black, then it changes to brown, yellow and finally white.
We had a good view of the Rift Valley Escarpment. Fredrick talked about plate tectonics and how one part of the land is pushed up, while the other sinks. I learned quite a bit that day and hope I've restated it correctly.
We stopped to get pictures of the
volcano on our way to the Engaresero Village. The day's activities took longer than planned, so we decided to go to the campsite before seeing Lake Natran. We crossed what were probably riverbeds made by the lava. The black sand was slippery, and while one Land Rover made it through, ours got stuck. Nothing was effective until some of the men put their muscles to the task.
We parked it on more solid ground and walked around. I got quite excited, because I found a bone. Thinking I had uncovered something ancient, I showed it to Charles. With a smile, he said that there was a drought last year, and many animals died. This was part of one of them.
There was a fee to enter the village in the Conservation Area. While our leaders paid for us, we walked around outside the small building to a sense of the land. Marc bought souvenirs from a woman who sat on the dirt with her wares in front of her.
The ground proved to be a fertile source for rocks. Throughout the trip, people looked down more than they looked straight ahead, unless they were taking pictures. Rainer
Above Ground Crater
View from "Pit of God" found some nice specimens and was happy to pose with Charles and Vicky using the volcano as a backdrop.
Going toward our campsite we passed a group of Maasai houses. A number of cows wandered freely outside and in the surrounding fields. In order to get to our destination, we had to cross a river. Maneuvering through it was difficult, but we were successful.
What a treat to see our new home for the night. First we met inside a round lodge open on all sides. The owner, originally from Germany, talked to us before we were shown to our tents. His dog had a beaded collar made by the Maasai women. Though we were in a remote area, Internet access was available—just another example of a modern convenience in a primitive setting.
Porters carried our luggage to the tent which had canvas sides and a thatched roof. Each tent had two beds with mosquito netting, and a Maasai blanket served as the curtain separating the sleeping quarters from the bathroom. The mirror was within an interesting curved branch (probably from one of the unusual trees outside) which held the toilet paper roll. A sign above the
sink said not to use the tap water for brushing teeth. Bottled water was provided, and we could get more. The soap boxes said Karibu, the Swahili word for “welcome.”
After washing up, we gathered in front, so we cold go to Lake Natron. We drove a bit, then got out to walk the rest of the way. The grasses were high, and the ground was mushy, so several people turned back. We tried to smash the vegetation down and walk on top of it, but that didn't always work. My shoes got soaked, and when I finally got to the flat area, started sinking in the mud.
We had a wonderful view of the huge flock of pink Lesser Flamingos. Some in flight were noisy as they flapped their wings Because the sun was going down, Majura yelled for us to come back. It was uncertain if there would be time to return in the morning.
I took a shower when we got back, then went to join everyone who was already seated at the table. Several people made toasts, and we enjoyed a good meal. A few hours earlier, Majura told me he wanted me
to go with him to a nearby Maasai village after dinner. It was about 9:40 p.m. when he asked, “Are you ready?” I said yes and rose to leave.
Our friends looked surprised and asked where we were going that time of night. We told them, and they indicated that we had more energy than they did. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
We took several camp employees with us, as the village is where they live. Normally they walk both ways—perhaps two miles on the other side of the river. The ride seemed a lot further than that. There were no lights other than in some of the houses not far away. With no moon, we could see the black sky dotted again by thousands of stars.
It was too dark to see who sat outside waiting for us. Plastic chairs were arranged in a semi-circle, with two facing the group. I was given a place next to the leader. He talked passionately about problems affecting the area. Because of falling ash from the volcanic eruption, the government moved residents from another village to theirs. The newcomers were farmers who
wanted to return home.
A more serious problem involved a plan to build a soda ash factory at Lake Natron. I asked if they had a lawyer, and he said they did, but the lawyer had never been to the village. They continue to fight against the proposal.
The population of the greater area was approximately 6,000, though this particular village was small. There were elementary and secondary schools, as well as boarding schools in the region. Many of the residents work as guides or in the camps for tourists.
We said good night, then I went to a nearby area that had a dim light. It was a tiny bar with no room for tables. People sat on a stone wall, and there were no sides to the place—literally an “open” bar. When a customer gave his order, the owner would go behind the counter and get the bottle of beer. One of the patrons was a fellow from our camp. During the conversation he said his father was rich and had many cattle.
I moved to an open-sided “pool parlor” which also had a light. One of the young men was very gregarious. He
said his father was a carpenter, and he himself wanted to be a designer. Although he built houses there, they were very simple. His goal was to create interesting buildings, and with his intelligence and ambition, I'll be he'll succeed.
Majura and I returned to the camp. Since most lights were off, I couldn't see a thing. He held my arm to guide me onto a short bridge and past stumbling blocks.
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BekaBoo
non-member comment
Primitive Soaps
I have a friend who is leaving from a very small and primitive village in Tanzania in about a month. She is a Chrisitian missonary traveling with others, each of whom has 1 specific goal to reach while they are there. My friend, Marsha, has to responsiblity of teaching those people about hygene. They have never even dreamed that there was something like soap, they clean themselves in the filthy streams and rivers nearby and that has always been good enough for them. But Marsha wants them not only to try soap, which they cannot buy for themselves because any store that would carry it is very, very far away and they don't even know or believe in money of any kind at all. SO....we have all been searching high and low for a simple recipe that they can use to make a little soap, at least, and maybe just for the 1st but not the last time, know how it feels to be completely clean. Well, that won't happen because they don't what clean water is, either. So, if you could help us find the appropriate recipe, we would be ever so grateful to you. The people there don't have clean water, lye, vinegar, or anything else that you yourself did not see while you were visiting there. Consider them much more primitive than the people in even Jesus Christ's time. You know what they do have? They have plenty of fragrances, plenty, I guess because without them they would stink like skuncks, each and every one of them. Can they add fragrances to their soap? Again, my God bless you in a very, very special way, for even giving this a thought, even reading this message at all. Whatever you can or cannot do for us, leads us to say together, "THANK YOU OR SO VERY, VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!" Will you be going back there someday? Sincerely Yours, Alina (from Poland), Fay, Marsha, the missionaries, the people in that little, bitty village in Tanzania and BekaBoo (that's me and I do say - BekaBoo really does always and forever say to you BekaBoo does love you, too.)