CindyandEileen

Yep we are home 12-hours before planned ! We left Arusha, Shannon, and Bariki on.... let's see what day was that - oh yeah, Thursday afternoon. After a brunch with Bariki's parents, Shannon's boss Alice, and Bariki's brother Solo we were treated to some Maasai dancing by not only Bariki and Solo, but Mamma too. It was a great send off. We left Arusha for our overnight stay in Dar Es Saalam after a stop off in the exotic white sands of Zanzibar .... Eileen just wanted to sneek off the plane for a little beach time, but alas it was only a stop off of 15-minutes. Next morning at 7:25am.... Friday, which was yesterday but seems ages ago .... we caught our South African Air flight to Johnnesburg-South Africa....4-hour flight. A little more shopping (yes, ... read more

Since we have been back in Arusha we enjoyed one of their holidays "nane nane" (8/8 or Aug 8th). It is a holiday celebrating agriculture here in Tanzania. It is like our state/county fairs....without the rides. We learned about how the goat hides are processed .... takes about a month. We purchased jewlery, pillow covers, goat skin picture frame , sandles, and then some glasses, forks, and cutting knife for Shannon and Bariki. It was fun to pick out what we wanted and for Shannon and Bariki to negotiate ... she holds her own quite well that impresses the locals...and us. That evening we had our wild game night eating Eland ( a large moose that we saw in Ngorongoro Crater ... first we see, then we eat ). Afterwards we went and watched cultural dancing ... read more

Hamjambo ! Our day began with breakfast on Shannon & Bariki's beautiful outside porch before we ventured out to the local weekend market. All the freshly picked vegetables and fruits are too numerous to mention except to say they have the biggest avacados we have ever seen. We saw chickens being carried by their legs to the bus after purchase, sugar cane, potato, maze, rice and more. So many women and girls carrying a variety of items on their heads... including bunches of plantains. It is amazing how they can carry so many different items - laundry, just piles of socks, food, baskets.... just so many things. We bought fabric for some skirts - many colors and designs to pick from. We had a great lunch of chicken, fish and beef with rice, beans, avacado, and ... read more

We don't know where to start. Yesterday was a day of awe - pyramids, sphinx, tombs.... You can not appreciate until you are here these magnificent structures - to stand next to them, touch, climb up - in - down in some of the oldest stuctures in the world. It was an experience we will remember forever. Don't know where to start about today. We met up with Dr. Hawass who was busy writing his new book, but took the time to make arrangements for us to see some of the more important sights we had not experienced. He sent us off in his car with driver to pick up Dr. Mostafa, Director of Islamic Administration from Dr. Zahi's office. We started off at the Religious Complex in Old Cairo where we were greeted by Lydia ... read more

Yes we have arrived ! After landing in Denver we took off for London where Eileen was frisked due to Ipod in pocket....and what a frisk it was ! We then loaded into a 500+ seater Egypt Air filled with many nationalities and only a few Americans. Our tour company picked us up and gave us a mini tour as we dodged cars, pedestrians, and more and more and more and more cars on the way to our hotel. WHAT an experience ! This place is awake 24-hours and if it wasn't dark, you would never know it is nearly 1am Monday...wait a minute didn't we leave Saturday at 2pm from Oakland ?!?! We have already been asked if we are American actresses in the elevator ... and in our tired looked condition that's a sorry ... read more