I am sitting at the beach now, enjoying a wonderful view of the dead sea and an idyllic mid-20s breeze under the shade of a bamboo umbrella. It doesn't get much better than this. On the whole, I'd say this has to rank as one of the best trips I've done yet; everything has gone off without a hitch and the experiences have been both varied and incredible. I'm thinking I'll do a top 10 recap and post some pictures when I'm back home. For now, here's the skinny on my time in Jordan:
- met my transfer at the airport for a very speedy ride to New Park Hotel. Unlike Egyptians, Jordanians do exhibit an awareness of traffic lanes, but they have not yet obtained a knowledge competence level in that skill set. New Park had a great location, walking distance to everything I needed, and a helpful staff, including what I would swear was an Arabic clone of the guy from take home chef on the food network. But the good stopped there... Worst hotel I've stayed in on this trip, reminding me more of my western dorm room than an adequate hotel. The dearth of heat forced me to skip morning showers and a toilet that stops working isn't even funny when you are still battling a bit of traveller tummy. I am officially retiring from hotel bargain hunting. The upgrade to misk hotel when I got back to Amman has been money well spent, with comfy beds, a heater that works, and a flesh-ripping hot shower that would make a dodge ball proud while still under $80 a night.
- started the next morning with the included breakfast (1 hard boiled egg and some cold pita), then went in search of the bus station to get tickets to Petra. Next thing I knew I was sitting in the back of a shared taxi, wedged between the door and a local who translated to the driver for me. It cost all of about 50 cents for a 3.5 km ride up the hill. Which reminds me, Amman definitely rivals San Fran for its hillyness. Possibly even exceeds it.
- had planned to catch a cab back as well, but upon stepping out of the station I saw what was easily the largest mosque dome I've ever encountered in the distance and decided I'd go for a little walk. Ended up walking the whole way back, which was quite enjoyable being all down hill and gave me the chance to see more of the local life here. Stopped into a supermarket with cut to order cheese and a smoking cashier, grabbed a chicken "wrap" at a local restaurant which was more like a delicious chicken pita calzone, took photos of said mosque, and of course got to stroll through the local protests.
- hiked up 240000 flights of stairs to the citadel for some terrific views of the city, then strolled through the downtown area to continue to graze on local delicacies for my dinner: some baklava topped pastries, fresh sugar cane juice (it's like wheat grass juice with 45 pounds of sugar), and a feast of falefel, hummus, and pita that left me beyond stuffed for less than $1. Food is very cheap here.
- got up at the crack of dawn the next morning to catch the 6:30 bus to Petra and arrived in the bigger-than-expected Wadi Musa about 10:00. Tried to meet back up with Kevin and Colm but they were already deep in the site so we agreed to settle for a post hike beer together back in town later.
- struck out on my own instead, determined to try the alternate siq into Petra so I could avoid my first glimpse of the treasury until the night walk. No amount of "it's not allowed" and "danger" warning signs would deter me. The guides wanted 50 dinars (about 70 Canadian dollars) so I shirked them off, and just hung around taking pictures until the tourist police didn't seem to be paying attention, then started slipping around various rock formations until I was out of site. It was absolutely incredible! I don't know if either words or pictures will really do it justice, but I was immediately alone in some of the most beautiful and unique wilderness I've ever seen, with massive rock walls on either side of me and indescribably colored and twisted rock formations from eons of flash floods all throughout. There was no one else back there save a few bedouin shepherds who called out to tell me the way, and when they started playing a flute as I passed, the sound echoing throughout the narrow gorge left me feeling like I was in another world.
I downclimbed to the bottom of the siq to walk along the water carved path, and time passed by without any sense of how far I had gone given my slow, jaw dropped pace. As the wadi narrowed the hike became a bit more difficult... Boulders the size of cars had been lodged and left suspended between the walls, sometimes with smaller stones literally embedded right into them, and I was dumbfounded by the forces the flash floods could produce as I climbed over and under the evidence. I had read up a bit on this route and knew it was the tail end of the rainy season, and that if it rained anywhere within 50km it could fill this gorge pretty quick, so I had kept an eye on the forecasts and sky a head of time. Even so, I have to admit being a little nerve-wracked back there on my own. I didn't know if there were snakes or other creepy-crawlies I needed to be aware of, and was double checking every hand-hold before I touched it. Planes passing overhead occasionally caused an echo that sounded like distant rushing water and often gave me pause. At one point a plastic bag suddenly blew around a corner ahead of me and nearly unleashed another spontaneous bout of traveller tummy. This was my version of 127 hours, and probably not the brightest thing I've ever done, but I figured as long as there were other footprints and a couple bars on my cell reception, it wasn't the stupidest thing I'd ever done either and so kept going. I finally hit a point with several more wedged boulders with a narrow drop on the other side of about 15 feet and started questioning my course of action but was too curious about what was beyond to stop there. It took some doing getting down, keeping 127 hours in mind I was neither willing to drop my backpack down to commit nor set it down at the top in case I fell and desperately needed the contents. The only handholds on the water smoothed rocks where on the boulders and I didn't want to risk dislodging one on top of me so I held most of my weight by pressing against both walls while trying to hang on to my pack and slowly lower myself down, second guessing myself and considering turning back several times over. Eventually I got down though, went 10 more yards, then hit a deep and long stretch of water that reached to both walls along its entire length. Not entirely impassable, but there was more past it, and all other footprints had now ceased to exist, so I finally smartened up and turned back. I had been telling myself that climbing back up would be easier and was calling myself rather unpleasant names the whole way back when that turned out not to be case. But eventually I hit the wider parts again, and then the Bedouin, who I stopped to talk to and gave them cookies and water. Tried asking questions about whether I had been going the right way or not but couldn't get a good answer. They just kept point back to the main entrance and saying "big siq, big siq".
So back to the big siq I went, and boy did that cause a commotion when I came strolling in right down the middle of the tunnel this time. The tourist police thought I had snuck into the park and demanded to see my ticket, then reprimanded me for going back there alone and told me I was lucky. In truth, I don't think it was all that dangerous. Others do it, and it's even shown on the main site map, plus I had told Kevin and Colm where I was going just in case. In hindsight though all the "not allowed" statements might have been referring to it still being rainy season and it's quite possible they only allow it during dry season, which would explain why there was water blocking the path.
Anyway, it was totally worth it and an undisputed highlight of my trip.
- getting back to the main entrance, I headed into Petra proper. Not much I can say about that, it easily rivals machu pichu in my mind and simply has to be experienced in person. The siq, though not as impressive after my wadi muthlim experience, was still cool, and no amount of pictures can prepare you for your first glimpse of the treasury. Went on a little further to the amphitheater, gawking the whole way, then headed back to town to meet Kevin and Colm for a beer. Was great to see them and have some company again. We did the Petra by night walk together, which was quite forgettable. Did not meet expectations at all.
- second day I way overslept and didn't have time to hike to the other end of Petra, so decided not to redo the sections I'd already done. To be honest, I didn't mind spending the day relaxing in the hotel lobby. Egypt and Tanzania aren't places you do much walking, spending most of your time in a jeep, bus, boat, or train, as eager to avoid the aggressive peddlers as any trouble you might find. So after two weeks of hardly any exercise, I walked over 20kms the first 2 days in Jordan and didn't feel like moving much on the third. Plus I was happy to skip another run through the hassle gauntlet. I've completely hit my limit in that and have started becoming just as aggressive back. Fortunately it was non existent in Amman so wadi musa should be the last I see of it.
- speaking of which, outside the pests in Petra, I'm really liking Jordan. While the Egyptians were surprisingly friendly, they could get abruptly rude as soon as they realized you weren't going to buy anything, and you had to pay attention to avoid getting screwed over any chance they got. The Jordanians on the other hand I've found to be more laid back, helpful without expectation, and most importantly very honest. A couple of times I handed someone more cash then I should have, and they just smiled, gave me the right change back, and took the time to explain the amounts and values of the change so I'd understand. They appreciate but don't demand baksheesh, and even their protests are peaceful and subdued. The country is far more lush too; north of queen Alia airport I saw honest to goodness grass growing in actual dirt instead of just sand. The weather has been a bit chilly, but far more to my liking. In short, I'd say Jordan is like the Canada of the middle east. It would make for a very comfortable and relaxing vacation, with history, culture, nature, weather and beaches all in one. Highly recommended, and I wouldn't mind at all if I found myself back here someday.
- The dead sea was, well, the dead sea. Began with a beautiful drive out from Amman, then docked at the dead sea spa hotel for the day. It's pretty cool to be able to stand upright I water without being able to touch the bottom nor needing to tread at all. Twas a bit chilly, but the top 10 inches or so are significantly warmer than the water below, and fortunately that's all you need when floating. The water even moves differently, with the subtle rolling waves leaving the even gentler ripples unaffected. Swam out deeper on my own this morning, it looked like a deep green-blue sheet of silk as far as I could see. Finish it off with a rest on the beach while drying into a salt cake, and the best buffet lunch I've seen in this part of the world, and it's a fantastic way to end the trip. I can't remember the last time I felt this content.
I'll have to bottle up this feeling and try to hang on to it tomorrow, cause I'll be leaving my hotel at 5:30AM to embark on a 24 hour journey home. Stay tuned for more pictures and a recap when I get there. And after I sleep.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Adventure in Africa
Like I said, I was too busy just hanging on during our final drive back from the safari camp to get good video, but the picture I just uploaded to flicker should give you a good idea of what it was like.
The whole thing is a bit of a blur really. I just remember sliding sideways for the 1000th time. Then seeing a big rut 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Then the world spinning in an unusual way. Don't remember much else, although I do recall both Freddy and I dropping s-bombs as it happened so apparently that means the same thing in Swahili.
We had no seat belts but somehow I was still in my now-skyward seat when the music stopped. Not really sure how I was bracing myself even but I do remember it seeming quite effortless. Must have been some adrenaline. Freddy was plastered on the ground side door, but stuck a foot out his half open window and managed to stand up, reach across and roll down, er... over, my window, then I climbed out on to the roof. I mean, side. While Freddy climbed out, I sat there watching the only other jeep we'd seen all day drive off into the distance, just far enough away they for sure wouldn't see our unorthodox orientation and wonder if we needed help.
The incredible thing is that this could have easily happened anywhere on the "road" and we would have been stranded for hours, if not days, but the mishap actually held out until we were only 50 yards from the next road, so it didn't take too long before there was a pile up of more jeeps pointing and staring. Good thing too. We climbed down to walk over to them and saw big-cat prints larger than my hands all along the road. I have the pictures to prove it, and given they weren't washed out by the night's downpour they had to have been fresh within the last couple hours. A long walk for help might have been "very danger" in Freddy's words. Instead, it was just memorable, and I couldn't stop laughing every-time I thought of it for days afterwards.
So how many African safari drivers does it take to flip back a rolled over jeep? I forgot to count actually. More than could fit around the jeep though, so we ended up attaching a tow cable to the rollover bars (apparently not just for decoration) and using another jeep to pull it back upright.
"twendi twendi twendi!" I remember the shouts. That's Swahili for "let's go". (have since learned Arabic is yella). Then we were back on all fours, with just some minor body damage to the front of the jeep, and admonitions from the other drivers to keep twendi-ing, without even pausing long enough to say thank you. Apparently rolling a jeep in the serengetti is a $200 fine (a huge sum for Tanzanians) and the sympathetic drivers wanted us no where near the scene for a single moment longer than necessary. Although it had never happened to freddy before, several drivers told me it had to them many times and the drivers all look out for each other out here. Sometimes just to point out a leopard and help each other earn a bigger tip, other times to ensure each other lives another day. You don't mess around out here in the bush.
We stopped a little ways off to wash the mud off the truck and I told Freddy about my helicopter rescue experience on crowsnest mountain and his eyes almost popped out of his head at the concept of a government that not only doesn't punish you for an accident, but actually helps you out of it. He just shook his head in bewilderment when he heard the helicopter was sent for free. We truly do have it good in Canada. I wish I could always remember that and never complain. Especially after now seeing what Egyptians are dealing with.
Anyway, that's the story. Definitely 1 of my top 10 experiences from this trip. Maybe from any.
The whole thing is a bit of a blur really. I just remember sliding sideways for the 1000th time. Then seeing a big rut 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Then the world spinning in an unusual way. Don't remember much else, although I do recall both Freddy and I dropping s-bombs as it happened so apparently that means the same thing in Swahili.
We had no seat belts but somehow I was still in my now-skyward seat when the music stopped. Not really sure how I was bracing myself even but I do remember it seeming quite effortless. Must have been some adrenaline. Freddy was plastered on the ground side door, but stuck a foot out his half open window and managed to stand up, reach across and roll down, er... over, my window, then I climbed out on to the roof. I mean, side. While Freddy climbed out, I sat there watching the only other jeep we'd seen all day drive off into the distance, just far enough away they for sure wouldn't see our unorthodox orientation and wonder if we needed help.
The incredible thing is that this could have easily happened anywhere on the "road" and we would have been stranded for hours, if not days, but the mishap actually held out until we were only 50 yards from the next road, so it didn't take too long before there was a pile up of more jeeps pointing and staring. Good thing too. We climbed down to walk over to them and saw big-cat prints larger than my hands all along the road. I have the pictures to prove it, and given they weren't washed out by the night's downpour they had to have been fresh within the last couple hours. A long walk for help might have been "very danger" in Freddy's words. Instead, it was just memorable, and I couldn't stop laughing every-time I thought of it for days afterwards.
So how many African safari drivers does it take to flip back a rolled over jeep? I forgot to count actually. More than could fit around the jeep though, so we ended up attaching a tow cable to the rollover bars (apparently not just for decoration) and using another jeep to pull it back upright.
"twendi twendi twendi!" I remember the shouts. That's Swahili for "let's go". (have since learned Arabic is yella). Then we were back on all fours, with just some minor body damage to the front of the jeep, and admonitions from the other drivers to keep twendi-ing, without even pausing long enough to say thank you. Apparently rolling a jeep in the serengetti is a $200 fine (a huge sum for Tanzanians) and the sympathetic drivers wanted us no where near the scene for a single moment longer than necessary. Although it had never happened to freddy before, several drivers told me it had to them many times and the drivers all look out for each other out here. Sometimes just to point out a leopard and help each other earn a bigger tip, other times to ensure each other lives another day. You don't mess around out here in the bush.
We stopped a little ways off to wash the mud off the truck and I told Freddy about my helicopter rescue experience on crowsnest mountain and his eyes almost popped out of his head at the concept of a government that not only doesn't punish you for an accident, but actually helps you out of it. He just shook his head in bewilderment when he heard the helicopter was sent for free. We truly do have it good in Canada. I wish I could always remember that and never complain. Especially after now seeing what Egyptians are dealing with.
Anyway, that's the story. Definitely 1 of my top 10 experiences from this trip. Maybe from any.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Leaving Luxor
Hard to believe, but my time in Egypt is already over. Our group had our last supper together last night, then flew back to Cairo way-too-early this morning, where most headed back for one more day in the capital leaving Elizabeth and I to tour the Cairo airport for many-more-hours-than-we-needed. It was an adventure in itself though, and I have to admit it is pretty cool looking at the departure board and seeing Bagdad, Kuwait, and other exotic locations instead of Vancouver and Winnipeg. We finally found our way to the checkin counter for her flight to Istanbul, then I ran the hassle-gauntlet on my own one last time (I hope... No I am not going to give you bakshish for pointing me to the bathroom 10 meters away!!!) to catch a shuttle to terminal 1 before catching an evening flight to Jordan.
Highlights of the past few days:
- we spent Wednesday sailing on the Nile on a feluca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. I managed not to get sea sick despite the unusually windy day, which was good given I was already battling traveller tummy that day. It was nice, but not my activity of choice and I was happy to switch to the support boat for the afternoon to enjoy easy access to the bathroom and beer fridge. Spent the evening strolling through a local village and playing group games on board the ship before retiring back to the feluccas for a group sleep over. Or awake over, given how bloody cold the wind was. I was lucky enough to find an extra blanket in the middle of night so I slept much better than others.
- Thursday we caught the bus and finished the journey to Luxor by road, stopping at a couple temples enroute. I can't remember the names at all, each temple is impressive but completely blurring together now. I do remember driving through what appeared to be a more lush area of Egypt, passing dozens of tractors and countless donkey drawn carts, each loaded with mounds of sugar cane. Luxor seems to be more affluent then the other areas we've toured here.
- today began with a donkey ride to the valley of the kings. Apparently I looked like the cowboy of the group so they gave me the difficult ass to ride, along with instructions to be "strong with it" because it was "naughty". Was quite happy when one of the girls quit riding and I got transferred to her "bob marley" mule, who was so well behaved it was almost like riding a fully automated robot.
- the valley of the kings is significant in that some 60+ tombs of various pharohs have been found here, all dug so deep into the mountain that the colors on the walls have been very well preserved. This was the burial location of choice after the Pharohs realized pyramids attract a lot of tomb thieves, although they didn't fair any better here and Tutankhamen's was the only one that survived through antiquity unraided.
- a couple more blurry temples followed before another local lunch. Maybe it was just the traveller tummy talking but I much prefered the Nubian one in Aswan. The others carried on to Karnak temple for the afternoon, but I was templed-out and needing some rest so just crashed back at the hotel.
- one last note about Egypt, the food here is quite good and abundantly cheap, by design. Even at the tourist prices, we've been able to eat for a few dollars a meal, feasting on pita bread, falafel, and kushary, but I haven't managed to find any hummus that rivals Dubai yet. Fingers crossed for Jordan.
On to Amman this evening, then I'll meet back up with Kevin and from the group in Petra Monday before taking a dip in the dead sea Wednesday, then the long journey back to Calgary Thursday. Hard to believe it's that close to being over already, although I am getting a bit of an itch for some home comforts now too. Have to admit though I am going to miss just hanging around here, taking in the sights and sounds, and hearing the call-to-prayer several times a day. It's been very authentic. Shokran Egypt.
Salama
Greg
Highlights of the past few days:
- we spent Wednesday sailing on the Nile on a feluca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. I managed not to get sea sick despite the unusually windy day, which was good given I was already battling traveller tummy that day. It was nice, but not my activity of choice and I was happy to switch to the support boat for the afternoon to enjoy easy access to the bathroom and beer fridge. Spent the evening strolling through a local village and playing group games on board the ship before retiring back to the feluccas for a group sleep over. Or awake over, given how bloody cold the wind was. I was lucky enough to find an extra blanket in the middle of night so I slept much better than others.
- Thursday we caught the bus and finished the journey to Luxor by road, stopping at a couple temples enroute. I can't remember the names at all, each temple is impressive but completely blurring together now. I do remember driving through what appeared to be a more lush area of Egypt, passing dozens of tractors and countless donkey drawn carts, each loaded with mounds of sugar cane. Luxor seems to be more affluent then the other areas we've toured here.
- today began with a donkey ride to the valley of the kings. Apparently I looked like the cowboy of the group so they gave me the difficult ass to ride, along with instructions to be "strong with it" because it was "naughty". Was quite happy when one of the girls quit riding and I got transferred to her "bob marley" mule, who was so well behaved it was almost like riding a fully automated robot.
- the valley of the kings is significant in that some 60+ tombs of various pharohs have been found here, all dug so deep into the mountain that the colors on the walls have been very well preserved. This was the burial location of choice after the Pharohs realized pyramids attract a lot of tomb thieves, although they didn't fair any better here and Tutankhamen's was the only one that survived through antiquity unraided.
- a couple more blurry temples followed before another local lunch. Maybe it was just the traveller tummy talking but I much prefered the Nubian one in Aswan. The others carried on to Karnak temple for the afternoon, but I was templed-out and needing some rest so just crashed back at the hotel.
- one last note about Egypt, the food here is quite good and abundantly cheap, by design. Even at the tourist prices, we've been able to eat for a few dollars a meal, feasting on pita bread, falafel, and kushary, but I haven't managed to find any hummus that rivals Dubai yet. Fingers crossed for Jordan.
On to Amman this evening, then I'll meet back up with Kevin and from the group in Petra Monday before taking a dip in the dead sea Wednesday, then the long journey back to Calgary Thursday. Hard to believe it's that close to being over already, although I am getting a bit of an itch for some home comforts now too. Have to admit though I am going to miss just hanging around here, taking in the sights and sounds, and hearing the call-to-prayer several times a day. It's been very authentic. Shokran Egypt.
Salama
Greg
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Captured in Cairo (JK)
I'm sitting in a sandy cafe just outside Abu Simpel. We were up well before the crack of dawn this morning, on the bus at 4AM for the 4 hour drive from Aswan. I slept most of it, stretched out on the bus floor, and thinking it's gonnna be a long drive back. All for a 2 hour visit of the temple. Worth it though. A very impressive temple, carved in to the side of the mountain by the ancient Egyptians, which the modern Egyptians then painstakingly took apart and reassembled into a fake mountain on higher ground when they built a damn and flooded the old location to create the largest lake in Egypt - Nasser lake.
This marks almost exactly the middle point of my Egypt tour, and my thumbs are feeling a bit better so it's time for an update.
- they say you shouldn't discuss the political situation here but I didn't get off the ground in Nairobi before I was already deep into it with my seat mate Moustafa. A well educated 33 year old regional manager for a packaging company, his views surprised me how, even as a Muslim he still wished for a separation of church and state and was disappointed with the parliamentary election results, but thinks they will change a lot in 4 years when people have time to organize for it better. He did admit though that is just the view of the educated people. 40% or so are uneducated and think otherwise.
- Cairo is an amazing city. I'd shoot myself before I'd live here, but as an experience it easily ranks in the top 5 for cities I've visited in terms of history and character.
- I arrived late at night Friday, went through the laughable arrival visa process, and got up and moving from the hotel just before the crack of noon. Needed to hit an ATM and after the first one said thanks for using our services without dispensing any money, twice (note to self - check bank statement thoroughly this month), I met Tommy, the self proclaimed king of Cairo. He pointed me towards a nearby HSBC ATM and then told me of his tourist services. We had been warned about scams from locals who did this, but his prices seemed really good and he had a bunch of video and written testimonials from other happy customers, including 5 Brits I knew were going to be on my tour, so I bit. He even gave me free coffee, mango juice, and two incredibly delicious falafels (apparently here it's made with fava beans instead of chick peas) while we waited for the driver.
- got a 5 hour tour of Cairo city for 180 Egyptians pounds (about $30), which was just about perfect, as I saw exactly what I wanted to see: the Egyptian papyrus museum, the citadel, a large mosque, tahrir square (there's like 5 tents and a construction site there now, our news and travel advisories are so overblown), a drive through a local furniture bazar, the Cairo tower, and the famous Cairo traffic. That is incredible and worth the trip alone. However many lanes are painted, add at least 50% more to get the actual number of lanes used. Bumper to bumper, with more honking, pedestrians, donkey drawn carts, and aggressive butt-clenching maneuvers than your senses can absorb, yet almost zero road rage. In fact, you soon realize the chaos is actually everyone working together and helping each other on their way. Very impressive.
- the people here are so incredibly friendly and welcoming, extending Egyptian hospitality at every turn - especially in their shops and after a good bakshish (tip). I've been very pleasantly surprised, not at all what I was expecting relative to the news we get at home. I've had children run up to talk to me and welcome me to their country, including some high school girls who wanted to tell me I was like sugar and honey, and people often want to make sure I am happy with my visit and their service. Tourism is way way down, and they are working very hard to make good impressions and get people to come back. That and the lack of crowds, and hence lower prices, makes it a fantastic time to be here. I've felt perfectly safe, even in tahrir square and on the dodgy side streets in Aswan when I went ice cream hunting alone yesterday. If you were thinking of coming here sometime, book it NOW.
- that said, the street vendors are probably even more desperate, aggressive and annoying than usual. I'll likely avoid any more tourist shopping areas.
- herbals teas here are delicious and strong. Black teas are as strong as coffee. Coffee is almost like espresso. Turkish coffee is unreal. Like drinking straight grounds, even with the very small cups it still leaves me jittery for hours. Delicious though, at least until you hit the sludge at the bottom.
- not too much to say about the pyramids and sphinx, other than it is a must see. No matter how many pictures you've seen, it's still cooler live. Also do the trip inside, especially the smaller pyramid. Just not between 12-1 when they lock it without explanation :P
- did the egyptian museum in the first morning with the group. So much to see, you can't possibly take it all in in one day, let alone 2 hours. 2000+year old beautifully preserved papyrus scrolls that are 20 feet long, as well as ostracon and some early codexes from the roman era with copies of psalms and ancient hymns. Tools and weaponry, mummies, tombs, and statues of more pharohs and kings then I can keep straight... except for the Tutankhamen displays which were tremendous in-spite of him being a relatively insignificant king. It definitely makes one wonder how rich the more important figures tombs would have been if they had ever found another unraided. Incidentally, it occurred to me that whats more incredible than all the stuff they've found here is the fact any of these treasures were ever able to be lost and forgotten in the first place. Highlight for me was the 7500 year old artifacts of the earliest known attempts to render the human form in Egyptian art. I heart really old stuff, especially when you can almost glimpse the human lives behind it.
- overnight sleeper train to Aswan was really fun. There's only 4 of us traveling alone in the group, the other 3 being girls, so I got to share a joined double cabin with my very own personal harem for the night. Girl talk is nasty. But being rocked to sleep and waking up an hour from your destination is a much better way to travel for 13 hours than a bus. Even if I did wake everyone up yelling in my sleep :S
- last night was by far the best of the Egypt tour yet. A cruise down the Nile, then we were kidnapped and taken to a Nubian village on the back of a truck (complete with locals hoping on and off the tailgate), and a traditional home cooked meal in the courtyard of a Nubian home while stretched out barefoot on pillows and mats on top of pristine desert sands. Entertainment was listening to the husband and wife converse, and then fight, and then converse again, with no discernible difference in volume or tone other than the guide telling us when it changed. Undoubtedly the highlight was the walk back to the trucks when we were surrounded by locals boys playing drums and singing loudly and dragging each of us into the circle to dance with them. Video available upon access to a sim card reader. The evening was capped off with a night cruise back, Venus and Jupiter bright and close together in the sky, then an Egyptian beer and some more sheesha before hitting the sack.
- incidentally, not everyone wants to try the sheesha here (I need to cut back, starting to get a smokers cough), but we finally got Soshi and Jackson, our amicable Japanese group members, to give it a hilarious go after a couple large Stellas (local brews, not Artois). Soshi kept hacking up a lung, then handed it over to Jackson who masterfully nailed it on his first attempt. They don't speak much English so we were all splitting our sides when Soshi unexpectedly uttered "ya, f@!$k you" at him in his heavy Japanese accent. It's a great group yet again - an interesting mix of ages and accents. 2 of the guys are also going on to Petra the same days I am so it will be nice to reunite with some friendly faces there also. After seeing how impressive the 2 temples at Abu Simpel were, we are very much looking forward to seeing an entire city carved into mountains.
- highlight for me of Abu Simpel was an finished room where you could see one of the art carvings partially etched in stone, with the remainder of the drawing still sketched out in the original black paint. Not only was it cool to get a glimpse into how they did this almost 3000 years ago, but that may very well have been the exact moment when the workers heard of Rameses II's death, and decided to pack up shop and go home since they would not have a royal patronage to pay them any more. A virtual snapshot of history frozen in time. Unfortunately, no photos allowed. You'll have to come see it for yourself.
- the one good thing about this loooooong, bladder-busting, bus ride is that I can cross "see a big desert" off my bucket list. Sand everywhere. Even getting the distant heat sheens. Also, glad I didn't not chose the tour with 4 or 5 days driving through it. I'm having an uncontrollable urge to roll around in some grass right now.
- Aswan is blimey hot. Mid 30s. Me and the Irish guy are struggling to survive. He's kept covered up but I've had to drop to shorts and am running precariously low on sunscreen. Actually it's still surprisingly enjoyable weather given how much I hate being uncomfortably hot, and the evenings are a taste of perfection.
- free evening tonight, then we spend our last 3 days, sailing on a feluca, touring around Luxor, and resting my thumbs again.
Shokran
Ps. I felt like such a schmuck in Dubai without being able to speak any of the language. May as well just get off the plane and declare "I SPEAK ENGLISH, CATER TO ME!!!" I've made it a point since then to learn how to say hello and thank you in the local toungue as soon as I arrive. More would be better and I do pick it up as I go, but you should be able to at least greet and thank people in their own language. Doing so opens a lot of hands and doors to enhance your trip.
PPS. Our tour guide Michael is the best guide I've had on any trip yet, and I've liked all the ones I've had so that really says something. He's super nice and accommodating, has humored my questions about local life and touchy politics (the revolution, inter-religious tensions, and Israeli relations), and willingly shows us around during our free time, which should be his chance to unwind. Egyptian hospitality has greatly surpassed my expectations. Again, book your trips now!
PPPS. One last interesting tidbit I've learned here, you can tell a person's religion just by their names (it's 85/15 split between Muslims and Christians). If you think about it, you should be able to tell which group either Michael or Moustafa fall into.
Pppps. Sorry one more insight, I've been surprised by the amount of poverty here. It's puzzling because it's not a country you hear about through any charitable organizations and it's very well developed, but from the salaries and costs I've heard, many of the people are actually poorer than in Tanzania.
P5s. Under the category of first-world-problems, I'm starting to get cold sores where the bottled water always rubs against my upper lip.
This marks almost exactly the middle point of my Egypt tour, and my thumbs are feeling a bit better so it's time for an update.
- they say you shouldn't discuss the political situation here but I didn't get off the ground in Nairobi before I was already deep into it with my seat mate Moustafa. A well educated 33 year old regional manager for a packaging company, his views surprised me how, even as a Muslim he still wished for a separation of church and state and was disappointed with the parliamentary election results, but thinks they will change a lot in 4 years when people have time to organize for it better. He did admit though that is just the view of the educated people. 40% or so are uneducated and think otherwise.
- Cairo is an amazing city. I'd shoot myself before I'd live here, but as an experience it easily ranks in the top 5 for cities I've visited in terms of history and character.
- I arrived late at night Friday, went through the laughable arrival visa process, and got up and moving from the hotel just before the crack of noon. Needed to hit an ATM and after the first one said thanks for using our services without dispensing any money, twice (note to self - check bank statement thoroughly this month), I met Tommy, the self proclaimed king of Cairo. He pointed me towards a nearby HSBC ATM and then told me of his tourist services. We had been warned about scams from locals who did this, but his prices seemed really good and he had a bunch of video and written testimonials from other happy customers, including 5 Brits I knew were going to be on my tour, so I bit. He even gave me free coffee, mango juice, and two incredibly delicious falafels (apparently here it's made with fava beans instead of chick peas) while we waited for the driver.
- got a 5 hour tour of Cairo city for 180 Egyptians pounds (about $30), which was just about perfect, as I saw exactly what I wanted to see: the Egyptian papyrus museum, the citadel, a large mosque, tahrir square (there's like 5 tents and a construction site there now, our news and travel advisories are so overblown), a drive through a local furniture bazar, the Cairo tower, and the famous Cairo traffic. That is incredible and worth the trip alone. However many lanes are painted, add at least 50% more to get the actual number of lanes used. Bumper to bumper, with more honking, pedestrians, donkey drawn carts, and aggressive butt-clenching maneuvers than your senses can absorb, yet almost zero road rage. In fact, you soon realize the chaos is actually everyone working together and helping each other on their way. Very impressive.
- the people here are so incredibly friendly and welcoming, extending Egyptian hospitality at every turn - especially in their shops and after a good bakshish (tip). I've been very pleasantly surprised, not at all what I was expecting relative to the news we get at home. I've had children run up to talk to me and welcome me to their country, including some high school girls who wanted to tell me I was like sugar and honey, and people often want to make sure I am happy with my visit and their service. Tourism is way way down, and they are working very hard to make good impressions and get people to come back. That and the lack of crowds, and hence lower prices, makes it a fantastic time to be here. I've felt perfectly safe, even in tahrir square and on the dodgy side streets in Aswan when I went ice cream hunting alone yesterday. If you were thinking of coming here sometime, book it NOW.
- that said, the street vendors are probably even more desperate, aggressive and annoying than usual. I'll likely avoid any more tourist shopping areas.
- herbals teas here are delicious and strong. Black teas are as strong as coffee. Coffee is almost like espresso. Turkish coffee is unreal. Like drinking straight grounds, even with the very small cups it still leaves me jittery for hours. Delicious though, at least until you hit the sludge at the bottom.
- not too much to say about the pyramids and sphinx, other than it is a must see. No matter how many pictures you've seen, it's still cooler live. Also do the trip inside, especially the smaller pyramid. Just not between 12-1 when they lock it without explanation :P
- did the egyptian museum in the first morning with the group. So much to see, you can't possibly take it all in in one day, let alone 2 hours. 2000+year old beautifully preserved papyrus scrolls that are 20 feet long, as well as ostracon and some early codexes from the roman era with copies of psalms and ancient hymns. Tools and weaponry, mummies, tombs, and statues of more pharohs and kings then I can keep straight... except for the Tutankhamen displays which were tremendous in-spite of him being a relatively insignificant king. It definitely makes one wonder how rich the more important figures tombs would have been if they had ever found another unraided. Incidentally, it occurred to me that whats more incredible than all the stuff they've found here is the fact any of these treasures were ever able to be lost and forgotten in the first place. Highlight for me was the 7500 year old artifacts of the earliest known attempts to render the human form in Egyptian art. I heart really old stuff, especially when you can almost glimpse the human lives behind it.
- overnight sleeper train to Aswan was really fun. There's only 4 of us traveling alone in the group, the other 3 being girls, so I got to share a joined double cabin with my very own personal harem for the night. Girl talk is nasty. But being rocked to sleep and waking up an hour from your destination is a much better way to travel for 13 hours than a bus. Even if I did wake everyone up yelling in my sleep :S
- last night was by far the best of the Egypt tour yet. A cruise down the Nile, then we were kidnapped and taken to a Nubian village on the back of a truck (complete with locals hoping on and off the tailgate), and a traditional home cooked meal in the courtyard of a Nubian home while stretched out barefoot on pillows and mats on top of pristine desert sands. Entertainment was listening to the husband and wife converse, and then fight, and then converse again, with no discernible difference in volume or tone other than the guide telling us when it changed. Undoubtedly the highlight was the walk back to the trucks when we were surrounded by locals boys playing drums and singing loudly and dragging each of us into the circle to dance with them. Video available upon access to a sim card reader. The evening was capped off with a night cruise back, Venus and Jupiter bright and close together in the sky, then an Egyptian beer and some more sheesha before hitting the sack.
- incidentally, not everyone wants to try the sheesha here (I need to cut back, starting to get a smokers cough), but we finally got Soshi and Jackson, our amicable Japanese group members, to give it a hilarious go after a couple large Stellas (local brews, not Artois). Soshi kept hacking up a lung, then handed it over to Jackson who masterfully nailed it on his first attempt. They don't speak much English so we were all splitting our sides when Soshi unexpectedly uttered "ya, f@!$k you" at him in his heavy Japanese accent. It's a great group yet again - an interesting mix of ages and accents. 2 of the guys are also going on to Petra the same days I am so it will be nice to reunite with some friendly faces there also. After seeing how impressive the 2 temples at Abu Simpel were, we are very much looking forward to seeing an entire city carved into mountains.
- highlight for me of Abu Simpel was an finished room where you could see one of the art carvings partially etched in stone, with the remainder of the drawing still sketched out in the original black paint. Not only was it cool to get a glimpse into how they did this almost 3000 years ago, but that may very well have been the exact moment when the workers heard of Rameses II's death, and decided to pack up shop and go home since they would not have a royal patronage to pay them any more. A virtual snapshot of history frozen in time. Unfortunately, no photos allowed. You'll have to come see it for yourself.
- the one good thing about this loooooong, bladder-busting, bus ride is that I can cross "see a big desert" off my bucket list. Sand everywhere. Even getting the distant heat sheens. Also, glad I didn't not chose the tour with 4 or 5 days driving through it. I'm having an uncontrollable urge to roll around in some grass right now.
- Aswan is blimey hot. Mid 30s. Me and the Irish guy are struggling to survive. He's kept covered up but I've had to drop to shorts and am running precariously low on sunscreen. Actually it's still surprisingly enjoyable weather given how much I hate being uncomfortably hot, and the evenings are a taste of perfection.
- free evening tonight, then we spend our last 3 days, sailing on a feluca, touring around Luxor, and resting my thumbs again.
Shokran
Ps. I felt like such a schmuck in Dubai without being able to speak any of the language. May as well just get off the plane and declare "I SPEAK ENGLISH, CATER TO ME!!!" I've made it a point since then to learn how to say hello and thank you in the local toungue as soon as I arrive. More would be better and I do pick it up as I go, but you should be able to at least greet and thank people in their own language. Doing so opens a lot of hands and doors to enhance your trip.
PPS. Our tour guide Michael is the best guide I've had on any trip yet, and I've liked all the ones I've had so that really says something. He's super nice and accommodating, has humored my questions about local life and touchy politics (the revolution, inter-religious tensions, and Israeli relations), and willingly shows us around during our free time, which should be his chance to unwind. Egyptian hospitality has greatly surpassed my expectations. Again, book your trips now!
PPPS. One last interesting tidbit I've learned here, you can tell a person's religion just by their names (it's 85/15 split between Muslims and Christians). If you think about it, you should be able to tell which group either Michael or Moustafa fall into.
Pppps. Sorry one more insight, I've been surprised by the amount of poverty here. It's puzzling because it's not a country you hear about through any charitable organizations and it's very well developed, but from the salaries and costs I've heard, many of the people are actually poorer than in Tanzania.
P5s. Under the category of first-world-problems, I'm starting to get cold sores where the bottled water always rubs against my upper lip.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Assante Africa
I am sure there are many sides to Africa. I can't pretend to know them all in only a few short days. But 1 of which we are all at least peripherally aware, and I have now had a chance to see first hand, is the poverty. I doubt you could come here and not see it.
It's pretty visible, even from the passenger seat of a safari jeep. If you are paying attention you can even see it in the most luxurious hotels: the service is exceptional, and for the hope of a 1 or 2 dollar tip you are treated like an absolute king. I've seen grown men bend over backwards to do the simplest things I could easily do myself, handle my disgustingly dirty laundry with the utmost care, not to mention meticulously manicure the hotel lawns by hand, and then beam when they see my hand go into my pocket. The people here are very willing, even eager, to work and will do whatever they can to improve their economic situation. But their options are limited. My only regret leaving here was that I didn't bring more cash with me to be able to tip more generously.
If you have any amount of conversation with the guides, hotel staff, and shop keepers, which I did a lot since I was traveling alone (and now glad that I did... I would have learned a lot less if I had been in a group and more drawn to just comparing travel stories and first-world-problems), you will be asked a lot of questions about how much your trip is costing, followed by silence as they try to comprehend that sum, and told a lot about the relative incomes, costs, and hardships here. I am sure some of it is targeted, perhaps even choreographed, to draw out the largest tips and best prices they can get. I don't mind at all. I know you are supposed to haggle but it feels close-to-immoral to be able to pay thousands to come here and then nickel and dime the locals. I am happy to tip well and pay the asking price, knowing its still far less than what I would pay at home. The reality is, when it comes to money and being from Canada, there is more where that came from. By the way, if you are German and coming here, you need to do your country proud - leave any colonial attitudes at home open your wallet a bit - to a man every person I asked said your country-men were usually the worst clients. A shame given how friendly I've found you in your own country. British, Italians and French - you aren't too far behind them in their lists. Canadians and Scandinavians, we can hold our heads high as being at the top of their lists. Americans too, this is one area of the world you are loved.
Yesterday I had a relaxed agenda, and so spent much of the day waiting around for my guide, Freddy, who was busy trying to find someone who could fix a problem we were having with our jeep. His concern over what his boss might think if he returned it in defective condition was evident, and he spent more than a quarter of his monthly income trying to rectify it. It gave me incredible opportunities to peer more into this side of Africa, and while not as exciting as the safaris, it was far more impactful.
Jacob, the young manager at country lodge Karatu, upon hearing my guide say he will be at least another hour, said "do you want to go for a walk?"
Why are the unplanned events of a trip always the best?
We walked for an hour as he told me me about his life; his uneducated but good parents, his 9 brothers and sisters (common here, although everyone I've met under 40 has only 1-3 children), his daughter's schooling, his own schooling - he is taking a tourism diploma on top of a full time job (like I said, hard working people), and his dreams of starting his own business. Everyone I've met here shares that dream, and it's vital for the African economy that some do. I believe he will. He was determined and intelligent, the only one in his family to complete secondary (grade 8-12) school - his eldest sister married early, got a job, and made a lot of sacrifices to pay for that. He wouldn't have been able otherwise.
We went to a field where a market had been held the day before, which meant it was now "the day for the bird's market" and was indeed filled with birds picking over the remains. There were people roaming about too, but I paid them little heed thinking they were just cleaning up. I did ask Jacob if that's what they are doing though.
"Oh that is the street children".
You know those moments when you notice something you hasn't before, and the whole world seems to shift in front of your eyes?
All of a sudden I realized those "people" were in fact young kids, rummaging through the garbage piles looking for food and anything else that might have some value.
"They live on the street?"
"Many. Some in the government houses. Some have the parents, but they don't know the importance of education. Or, it is common here, for the woman to get the early pregnancies, maybe before she is married, and she has only a small place to sleep and uses the drink a lot instead of fighting with life. So her kids will come here to look for food, even though it is a school day. The teacher will not repeat the lecture again so when there is an examination they will fail. Their parents will not care. The government tries to help and provides them free schooling. But you know, the parent is your first teacher."
I was moved deeply as I stood there taking in all the information, verbally and visually, not sure what to say or do. 2 young boys kept looking over curiously, giggling with each other. I was picturing my own nephew doing this, and they were even younger than him, and was having a hard time not crying.
I had a half eaten corn-bread muffin in my hand that I had been eating on the walk, but wasn't sure if that was offensive to offer it - homeless people in Canada wouldn't accept it. But I asked and Jacob said sure, so I started walking towards them. They got even more excited and started running towards me, waving, smiling, and laughing, yelling "hello" over and over again with the most delightful sounding childish African accents. Even like this, kids are still kids and are - both full of, and a source of, joy. Another young girl approached with them, seeming more cautious and somewhat like a mother to the two boys. I suspect they know and look out for each other. Everyone here seems to, helping each other with whatever little they have.
I broke the partial muffin in 3 and they each stepped forward with an open hand and gratefully ate the meager offering. I was mad at myself for not bringing my bag and being able to offer more, knowing I had a few granola bars left. Heck, I wanted to put them in my bag and take them with me. How could you not? It's hard to even write this and not tear up. I did have a litre of water left. It was hot and we had to walk back still, but again, there's more where that came from. I gave it to her and Jacob translated my request for her to share with the boys.
Her name was Oseana. She was in standard 6, and already apparently fending for herself and looking out for the younger children. One boy was Nada, in standard 2. The other was Edward, who had never gone to school. Likely none of them will finish, and will struggle to eke out an existence their whole lives. The government houses and schools are there for them, but like Jacob said "your parent is your first teacher".
By the way, thanks mom and dad.
"you had good parents eh?" I asked.
"ya. My dad was not bad, but my mom mostly - she was a good teacher. She was so strict and made us work so hard!" haha. Well, he was one of the youngest people I conversed with here, and the only one who had already bought some land and started building his own house - his family already living there without being able to finish it - so apparently it worked. The others were all saving what they could (you can't get a loan here anyway, unless you have a government job), but all just hoping to one day make that kind of progress. "If God wishes" they like to say.
Freddy came back with the truck shortly after we got back and we drove to quietly to the next town, he a little worried about the repairs they didn't have the tools to complete and myself still a little disturbed by the economic inequality of my situation to the locals and wondering what I could do about it. We got to mosquito creek village (nice name eh?) where I was dropped off to meet my local guide Latif and Freddy headed out to try to find another garage. Latif took me on a walk through the village. With 20,000 people representing over half of the country's 120 tribes. (despite my previous assumptions of inter-tribal tensions in Africa, at least here in Tanzania they have done a bang up job of moving past that in the post colonial era. Freddy said their first president was a great man who made sure that "first, we are all tanzanians - one language, one people". I've not seen any hint of tribal boundaries, they intermarry freely, and speak highly of each others customs. )
Despite its size, the town has only the paved highway, 2 dirt roads large enough for cars, and the rest is just mud walkways between people's houses and "farms". Mud and stick structures are as common as brick, and occasional "businesses" pop out in the most random locations - anywhere someone had a home and the capital to acquire something to start with: a barber's chair, a store inventory, or just produce from their garden. I could go on but when I post pictures in sure they will describe it better than I.
Our tour took us to a local "pub"- a woman's home where she brewed banana beer that we got to try. It's unfiltered (you have to scrape the fermented schlopp off the top first) and quite frankly terrible. But the locals love it because it's cheap, abundant, and has almost 2% alcohol content. Personally I was just glad they showed me the fermenting room after I tried it. It's in large buckets of what looks more like cow dung than beverage, complete with buzzing flies all around, in, and on it. Did not get sick thankfully.
Next was a local house where the family had prepared a traditional lunch for us. Some boiled polenta, plain rice, and also several vegetable and beef stews, some of which were so good I had to have seconds, even though I wasn't sure what was in it (ochre, eggplant, and tomatillos I think).
Again the best part was the unplanned part. Freddy hadn't returned yet so we wondered through the central "shops" and market - my favorite being butchers row that had meat hanging everywhere and live cows you could see in the back. I tried a red banana from one vendor who had just picked it out of his yard that morning - it doesn't get any fresher than eating with people who literally live off the land. Then I bought us a couple of drinks and we sat at a local pub to cool off in the shade, and Latif told me more of his life. He has no salary, all the guides at the town's "cultural program" are self employed - meaning they are just given a little money when a travel company books a walking tour with them, plus whatever tips they get. His rent is only $25 a month (in Arusha it's more like $200), but is only 1 room and has no electricity. A cold water tap. A radio he can use when he can afford batteries. No tv or computer. His meals are mostly just boiled polenta and he seemed to enjoy the home cooked meal as much as I did - it may actually have been a big part of his "income" that day. He seemed a little more beaten down than the drivers and hotel staff I encountered in bigger town. I think here, like in Canada, there is more wealth in the cities than rural areas, only here lack of wealth really means something. On the flip side, the rural areas are also safer and friendlier than cities and we were able to walk around mostly undisturbed, except with frequent school children laughing and running up to say "hello" and grab my hand. You should have seen the look of bewilderment on one boy's face when he did that before I had finished re-applying sunblock. Why is this white guy slimy?!?! Hahaha!
Before driving bak to Arusha, we made one last stop at a Masai village. The Masai are the poor people in this poor country, living in mud and thatch huts with each large family camp surrounded by 5 foot high walls of thorny bushes for protection. They sang and did a bit of traditional dancing, gave me a tour of their homes, and then we were on our way. Apparently their payment is in the form of food as I saw Freddy give them some from a bag he had in the back. I remembered I had a couple large bottles of juice in the back we never needed and asked if I should give them those too which Freddy quickly approved. It feels so good here every time you have the opportunity to help in even a small way and see how gratefully it is received.
What I think I've concluded in seeing this side of Africa is that eventually, the situation here will improve. As much as people talked about how life is now hard and things are getting more expensive, especially gas and electricity, they also all acknowledged that it is getting better, and they love their country. Here especially they are grateful for the peace they enjoy which many other African countries, including their neighbors, do not have. But it will take time to really get where it needs to be, and a happy ending is not guaranteed.
I'm certainly no expert, but from the "Poor Story" book I read 2 years ago, 6 days of hanging out with locals, and my 30+ years of, um, "wisdom", my oversimplification of the problems here are this:
- it has nothing to do with lack of resources: the country is rich in arable lands, gold, diamonds, tanzanite, tourist attractions, and recently some oil discoveries.
- it has nothing to do with the people. They are incredibly amicable, eager to please, and willing to work far more so than we are. Almost every hotel staff that waited on me at night were the same staff waiting on me in the morning too. They have built a social fabric of trust and reciprocity here that is on par with (and required for) the best economies in the developed world.
- that said, corruption and rule of law is a bit of a problem. Not as bad as other African countries, but still an issue that has to be remedied.
- an uneven playing field with developed countries... That was the main take away I got from "Poor Story", a great read if you want to understand more. Short version is the rich get richer.
- colonial era damage - as if the psychological damage of the slave trade wasn't bad enough (it's hard to ask questions about it to be honest), the traditional tribal ways of living were simply not prepared for the more developed and imperialistic European cultures they were hit with, and the power vacuum created afterwards has left much of the capital in the hands of south African and Indian business men. They've been left scrambling to catchup in a world that is changing ever faster and getting more expensive ever since, and it's not easy to catch a speeding train.
- education - until recently, access to it has been very poor and being here is an eye opener to how important it really is. The difference in life quality between those like Jacob and Freddy who had good parents and got education, and the street kids who eventually grow up to be not-so-cute-but-even-more-desperate street vendors is, well, that description describes it actually. Even the Freddie's and Jacob's are a long way behind the average Canadian. The newspapers and magazines I've read here are written in very simple language that I doubt surpass a Canadian junior high reading level. Very few are able to get university degrees, and even a college diploma to learn how to work at a hotel is hard to afford. I just finished reading a local article about how the hotel industry can't find enough "skilled workers" to staff properly.
- lack of capital - there's just none to be had here and most people live day to day with no option to access financing. Getting invited to apply for a credit card while walking through a mall might make their heads explode.
I'll be honest, I haven't the slightest clue what to do about the first three issues. But I think there are a few things we can do about the other two, and I can't imagine anyone being able to come here and not want to help more (aside from those darn Germans :).
1) contribute to education in developed countries. It wasn't that long ago Canada's education system was where tanzania's is today. I still remember my cousins being excited when the book mobile came to their town so they could borrow new books. I've seen the 1 room school houses that many rural Canadians went to as recently as 1 generation before mine. And I remember my grandma, just 2 generations ago, telling me she didn't go past grade 3. It's already better here than it was a few years ago, but anything we can do to speed that up will go along way to ending their poverty. The people here all talk about starting businesses but they really have no idea how to go about it... simple accounting and business plans that we could probably intuit well enough to succeed here without any further training entails concepts that are still quite foreign to average secondary school grad here. I'm willing to bet that local farmers could vastly improve their production if they simply had the ability to navigate around the Internet properly for even a few hours. There are so many other simple problems here that could improve the country's way of life if basic education was enhanced.
I saw a sign last night with a picture of kids and a caption that summed up my feelings beautifully and precisely:
Nourish their bodies.
Feed their minds.
Secure our future.
I probably should have just posted that and spared everyone my long-windedness. And my thumbs. They hurt now.
2) make capital available through micro loan organizations like Kiva. You'll get your money back so it costs you nothing, but could help 1 person go from barely providing for his own family to providing employment for several others.
3) travel. It's fun to do, and every dollar you spend here - for services people work hard to provide and truly earn versus just get - helps.
I don't believe in handouts, but do in providing a hand up. I think the above actions qualify as such, and plan to do more now. I am confident that the more people who have do these for those who don't, the faster the Tanzanians will pull themselves well above the poverty line. And it is themselves who need to do it. I'm now confident they can and will.
Freddy shared a very cool insight with me in the Serengeti. The national animal is a giraffe, which is first of all much cooler than a beaver. :P But he said the reason is because a giraffe is incapable of walking backwards so it always has to move forward. And this is the attitude the people have here, we have to always move forward. I think as their lives and economy improve they will solve the other systemic problems in time also. While there is some "hard feelings" towards a few specific European countries, I haven't sensed any of the bitterness one might expect. Only a lot of smiley people, and a determination to roll up their sleeves and get work.
But a helping hand along the way never hurts.
If you have a few more minutes, I'm hopeful the descriptions of what I've seen will encourage others to offer another one. Many hands make light work.
Assante for reading.
Gregor
(What everyone seems to call me here, and I actually caught myself introducing myself like that this morning)
PS. Swahili is a beautiful language. I'd like to learn it someday. And the tribal languages that speak in clicks. :)
PPS. I love how they call everyone here "my friend"
PPPS. I got to the hotel last night just in time to drop off laundry, grab dinner, and get an email that my 3:30 flight had been cancelled and I needed to leave for the airport at 6AM, precisely 6 hours before my scheduled transfer. Thankfully Freddy had given me his phone number so I was able to call him and he made arrangements to get me an earlier ride. Also the Nairobi airport is pretty decent. I was worried what I was going to do in an Addis-Ababa-like airport for 7 hours. Shudder.
It's pretty visible, even from the passenger seat of a safari jeep. If you are paying attention you can even see it in the most luxurious hotels: the service is exceptional, and for the hope of a 1 or 2 dollar tip you are treated like an absolute king. I've seen grown men bend over backwards to do the simplest things I could easily do myself, handle my disgustingly dirty laundry with the utmost care, not to mention meticulously manicure the hotel lawns by hand, and then beam when they see my hand go into my pocket. The people here are very willing, even eager, to work and will do whatever they can to improve their economic situation. But their options are limited. My only regret leaving here was that I didn't bring more cash with me to be able to tip more generously.
If you have any amount of conversation with the guides, hotel staff, and shop keepers, which I did a lot since I was traveling alone (and now glad that I did... I would have learned a lot less if I had been in a group and more drawn to just comparing travel stories and first-world-problems), you will be asked a lot of questions about how much your trip is costing, followed by silence as they try to comprehend that sum, and told a lot about the relative incomes, costs, and hardships here. I am sure some of it is targeted, perhaps even choreographed, to draw out the largest tips and best prices they can get. I don't mind at all. I know you are supposed to haggle but it feels close-to-immoral to be able to pay thousands to come here and then nickel and dime the locals. I am happy to tip well and pay the asking price, knowing its still far less than what I would pay at home. The reality is, when it comes to money and being from Canada, there is more where that came from. By the way, if you are German and coming here, you need to do your country proud - leave any colonial attitudes at home open your wallet a bit - to a man every person I asked said your country-men were usually the worst clients. A shame given how friendly I've found you in your own country. British, Italians and French - you aren't too far behind them in their lists. Canadians and Scandinavians, we can hold our heads high as being at the top of their lists. Americans too, this is one area of the world you are loved.
Yesterday I had a relaxed agenda, and so spent much of the day waiting around for my guide, Freddy, who was busy trying to find someone who could fix a problem we were having with our jeep. His concern over what his boss might think if he returned it in defective condition was evident, and he spent more than a quarter of his monthly income trying to rectify it. It gave me incredible opportunities to peer more into this side of Africa, and while not as exciting as the safaris, it was far more impactful.
Jacob, the young manager at country lodge Karatu, upon hearing my guide say he will be at least another hour, said "do you want to go for a walk?"
Why are the unplanned events of a trip always the best?
We walked for an hour as he told me me about his life; his uneducated but good parents, his 9 brothers and sisters (common here, although everyone I've met under 40 has only 1-3 children), his daughter's schooling, his own schooling - he is taking a tourism diploma on top of a full time job (like I said, hard working people), and his dreams of starting his own business. Everyone I've met here shares that dream, and it's vital for the African economy that some do. I believe he will. He was determined and intelligent, the only one in his family to complete secondary (grade 8-12) school - his eldest sister married early, got a job, and made a lot of sacrifices to pay for that. He wouldn't have been able otherwise.
We went to a field where a market had been held the day before, which meant it was now "the day for the bird's market" and was indeed filled with birds picking over the remains. There were people roaming about too, but I paid them little heed thinking they were just cleaning up. I did ask Jacob if that's what they are doing though.
"Oh that is the street children".
You know those moments when you notice something you hasn't before, and the whole world seems to shift in front of your eyes?
All of a sudden I realized those "people" were in fact young kids, rummaging through the garbage piles looking for food and anything else that might have some value.
"They live on the street?"
"Many. Some in the government houses. Some have the parents, but they don't know the importance of education. Or, it is common here, for the woman to get the early pregnancies, maybe before she is married, and she has only a small place to sleep and uses the drink a lot instead of fighting with life. So her kids will come here to look for food, even though it is a school day. The teacher will not repeat the lecture again so when there is an examination they will fail. Their parents will not care. The government tries to help and provides them free schooling. But you know, the parent is your first teacher."
I was moved deeply as I stood there taking in all the information, verbally and visually, not sure what to say or do. 2 young boys kept looking over curiously, giggling with each other. I was picturing my own nephew doing this, and they were even younger than him, and was having a hard time not crying.
I had a half eaten corn-bread muffin in my hand that I had been eating on the walk, but wasn't sure if that was offensive to offer it - homeless people in Canada wouldn't accept it. But I asked and Jacob said sure, so I started walking towards them. They got even more excited and started running towards me, waving, smiling, and laughing, yelling "hello" over and over again with the most delightful sounding childish African accents. Even like this, kids are still kids and are - both full of, and a source of, joy. Another young girl approached with them, seeming more cautious and somewhat like a mother to the two boys. I suspect they know and look out for each other. Everyone here seems to, helping each other with whatever little they have.
I broke the partial muffin in 3 and they each stepped forward with an open hand and gratefully ate the meager offering. I was mad at myself for not bringing my bag and being able to offer more, knowing I had a few granola bars left. Heck, I wanted to put them in my bag and take them with me. How could you not? It's hard to even write this and not tear up. I did have a litre of water left. It was hot and we had to walk back still, but again, there's more where that came from. I gave it to her and Jacob translated my request for her to share with the boys.
Her name was Oseana. She was in standard 6, and already apparently fending for herself and looking out for the younger children. One boy was Nada, in standard 2. The other was Edward, who had never gone to school. Likely none of them will finish, and will struggle to eke out an existence their whole lives. The government houses and schools are there for them, but like Jacob said "your parent is your first teacher".
By the way, thanks mom and dad.
"you had good parents eh?" I asked.
"ya. My dad was not bad, but my mom mostly - she was a good teacher. She was so strict and made us work so hard!" haha. Well, he was one of the youngest people I conversed with here, and the only one who had already bought some land and started building his own house - his family already living there without being able to finish it - so apparently it worked. The others were all saving what they could (you can't get a loan here anyway, unless you have a government job), but all just hoping to one day make that kind of progress. "If God wishes" they like to say.
Freddy came back with the truck shortly after we got back and we drove to quietly to the next town, he a little worried about the repairs they didn't have the tools to complete and myself still a little disturbed by the economic inequality of my situation to the locals and wondering what I could do about it. We got to mosquito creek village (nice name eh?) where I was dropped off to meet my local guide Latif and Freddy headed out to try to find another garage. Latif took me on a walk through the village. With 20,000 people representing over half of the country's 120 tribes. (despite my previous assumptions of inter-tribal tensions in Africa, at least here in Tanzania they have done a bang up job of moving past that in the post colonial era. Freddy said their first president was a great man who made sure that "first, we are all tanzanians - one language, one people". I've not seen any hint of tribal boundaries, they intermarry freely, and speak highly of each others customs. )
Despite its size, the town has only the paved highway, 2 dirt roads large enough for cars, and the rest is just mud walkways between people's houses and "farms". Mud and stick structures are as common as brick, and occasional "businesses" pop out in the most random locations - anywhere someone had a home and the capital to acquire something to start with: a barber's chair, a store inventory, or just produce from their garden. I could go on but when I post pictures in sure they will describe it better than I.
Our tour took us to a local "pub"- a woman's home where she brewed banana beer that we got to try. It's unfiltered (you have to scrape the fermented schlopp off the top first) and quite frankly terrible. But the locals love it because it's cheap, abundant, and has almost 2% alcohol content. Personally I was just glad they showed me the fermenting room after I tried it. It's in large buckets of what looks more like cow dung than beverage, complete with buzzing flies all around, in, and on it. Did not get sick thankfully.
Next was a local house where the family had prepared a traditional lunch for us. Some boiled polenta, plain rice, and also several vegetable and beef stews, some of which were so good I had to have seconds, even though I wasn't sure what was in it (ochre, eggplant, and tomatillos I think).
Again the best part was the unplanned part. Freddy hadn't returned yet so we wondered through the central "shops" and market - my favorite being butchers row that had meat hanging everywhere and live cows you could see in the back. I tried a red banana from one vendor who had just picked it out of his yard that morning - it doesn't get any fresher than eating with people who literally live off the land. Then I bought us a couple of drinks and we sat at a local pub to cool off in the shade, and Latif told me more of his life. He has no salary, all the guides at the town's "cultural program" are self employed - meaning they are just given a little money when a travel company books a walking tour with them, plus whatever tips they get. His rent is only $25 a month (in Arusha it's more like $200), but is only 1 room and has no electricity. A cold water tap. A radio he can use when he can afford batteries. No tv or computer. His meals are mostly just boiled polenta and he seemed to enjoy the home cooked meal as much as I did - it may actually have been a big part of his "income" that day. He seemed a little more beaten down than the drivers and hotel staff I encountered in bigger town. I think here, like in Canada, there is more wealth in the cities than rural areas, only here lack of wealth really means something. On the flip side, the rural areas are also safer and friendlier than cities and we were able to walk around mostly undisturbed, except with frequent school children laughing and running up to say "hello" and grab my hand. You should have seen the look of bewilderment on one boy's face when he did that before I had finished re-applying sunblock. Why is this white guy slimy?!?! Hahaha!
Before driving bak to Arusha, we made one last stop at a Masai village. The Masai are the poor people in this poor country, living in mud and thatch huts with each large family camp surrounded by 5 foot high walls of thorny bushes for protection. They sang and did a bit of traditional dancing, gave me a tour of their homes, and then we were on our way. Apparently their payment is in the form of food as I saw Freddy give them some from a bag he had in the back. I remembered I had a couple large bottles of juice in the back we never needed and asked if I should give them those too which Freddy quickly approved. It feels so good here every time you have the opportunity to help in even a small way and see how gratefully it is received.
What I think I've concluded in seeing this side of Africa is that eventually, the situation here will improve. As much as people talked about how life is now hard and things are getting more expensive, especially gas and electricity, they also all acknowledged that it is getting better, and they love their country. Here especially they are grateful for the peace they enjoy which many other African countries, including their neighbors, do not have. But it will take time to really get where it needs to be, and a happy ending is not guaranteed.
I'm certainly no expert, but from the "Poor Story" book I read 2 years ago, 6 days of hanging out with locals, and my 30+ years of, um, "wisdom", my oversimplification of the problems here are this:
- it has nothing to do with lack of resources: the country is rich in arable lands, gold, diamonds, tanzanite, tourist attractions, and recently some oil discoveries.
- it has nothing to do with the people. They are incredibly amicable, eager to please, and willing to work far more so than we are. Almost every hotel staff that waited on me at night were the same staff waiting on me in the morning too. They have built a social fabric of trust and reciprocity here that is on par with (and required for) the best economies in the developed world.
- that said, corruption and rule of law is a bit of a problem. Not as bad as other African countries, but still an issue that has to be remedied.
- an uneven playing field with developed countries... That was the main take away I got from "Poor Story", a great read if you want to understand more. Short version is the rich get richer.
- colonial era damage - as if the psychological damage of the slave trade wasn't bad enough (it's hard to ask questions about it to be honest), the traditional tribal ways of living were simply not prepared for the more developed and imperialistic European cultures they were hit with, and the power vacuum created afterwards has left much of the capital in the hands of south African and Indian business men. They've been left scrambling to catchup in a world that is changing ever faster and getting more expensive ever since, and it's not easy to catch a speeding train.
- education - until recently, access to it has been very poor and being here is an eye opener to how important it really is. The difference in life quality between those like Jacob and Freddy who had good parents and got education, and the street kids who eventually grow up to be not-so-cute-but-even-more-desperate street vendors is, well, that description describes it actually. Even the Freddie's and Jacob's are a long way behind the average Canadian. The newspapers and magazines I've read here are written in very simple language that I doubt surpass a Canadian junior high reading level. Very few are able to get university degrees, and even a college diploma to learn how to work at a hotel is hard to afford. I just finished reading a local article about how the hotel industry can't find enough "skilled workers" to staff properly.
- lack of capital - there's just none to be had here and most people live day to day with no option to access financing. Getting invited to apply for a credit card while walking through a mall might make their heads explode.
I'll be honest, I haven't the slightest clue what to do about the first three issues. But I think there are a few things we can do about the other two, and I can't imagine anyone being able to come here and not want to help more (aside from those darn Germans :).
1) contribute to education in developed countries. It wasn't that long ago Canada's education system was where tanzania's is today. I still remember my cousins being excited when the book mobile came to their town so they could borrow new books. I've seen the 1 room school houses that many rural Canadians went to as recently as 1 generation before mine. And I remember my grandma, just 2 generations ago, telling me she didn't go past grade 3. It's already better here than it was a few years ago, but anything we can do to speed that up will go along way to ending their poverty. The people here all talk about starting businesses but they really have no idea how to go about it... simple accounting and business plans that we could probably intuit well enough to succeed here without any further training entails concepts that are still quite foreign to average secondary school grad here. I'm willing to bet that local farmers could vastly improve their production if they simply had the ability to navigate around the Internet properly for even a few hours. There are so many other simple problems here that could improve the country's way of life if basic education was enhanced.
I saw a sign last night with a picture of kids and a caption that summed up my feelings beautifully and precisely:
Nourish their bodies.
Feed their minds.
Secure our future.
I probably should have just posted that and spared everyone my long-windedness. And my thumbs. They hurt now.
2) make capital available through micro loan organizations like Kiva. You'll get your money back so it costs you nothing, but could help 1 person go from barely providing for his own family to providing employment for several others.
3) travel. It's fun to do, and every dollar you spend here - for services people work hard to provide and truly earn versus just get - helps.
I don't believe in handouts, but do in providing a hand up. I think the above actions qualify as such, and plan to do more now. I am confident that the more people who have do these for those who don't, the faster the Tanzanians will pull themselves well above the poverty line. And it is themselves who need to do it. I'm now confident they can and will.
Freddy shared a very cool insight with me in the Serengeti. The national animal is a giraffe, which is first of all much cooler than a beaver. :P But he said the reason is because a giraffe is incapable of walking backwards so it always has to move forward. And this is the attitude the people have here, we have to always move forward. I think as their lives and economy improve they will solve the other systemic problems in time also. While there is some "hard feelings" towards a few specific European countries, I haven't sensed any of the bitterness one might expect. Only a lot of smiley people, and a determination to roll up their sleeves and get work.
But a helping hand along the way never hurts.
If you have a few more minutes, I'm hopeful the descriptions of what I've seen will encourage others to offer another one. Many hands make light work.
Assante for reading.
Gregor
(What everyone seems to call me here, and I actually caught myself introducing myself like that this morning)
PS. Swahili is a beautiful language. I'd like to learn it someday. And the tribal languages that speak in clicks. :)
PPS. I love how they call everyone here "my friend"
PPPS. I got to the hotel last night just in time to drop off laundry, grab dinner, and get an email that my 3:30 flight had been cancelled and I needed to leave for the airport at 6AM, precisely 6 hours before my scheduled transfer. Thankfully Freddy had given me his phone number so I was able to call him and he made arrangements to get me an earlier ride. Also the Nairobi airport is pretty decent. I was worried what I was going to do in an Addis-Ababa-like airport for 7 hours. Shudder.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Serengeti pics
Some photos are up now. Just teasers, the best are on my camera and will have to wait till I see a proper computer again. And am not running late for a flight. That was bumped up by 6 hours. :P
Taken with Tanzania
Jambo!
That's Swahili for hello. I'm back from my African safari, so it's time for an update. In the last few days I passed through Addis Ababa airport (which now replaces Donetsk as the worst airport I've ever been in), Kilimanjaro airport, Arusha town, Oldupai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro crater. A few highlights and random thoughts:
- my first impressions of Africans was that they were incredibly friendly, socialable, and hospitable. Also, fairly disorganized and not prone to suffer many rules. I wasn't sure why exactly we started boarding a 4:30 flight at 3:00 buy when I saw these characteristics in action it made perfect sense. Sheer poetry in motion, we managed to take even more than the allotted 1.5 hours. From the seeming inability to understand the colored stickers on the boarding passes when asked to embark in a set order, to the seat belts that came off as soon as the flight attendants who had just asked them to be done up walked past, to shiny suit guy who absolutely refused to move to his assigned middle seat until the pilot came back and threatened to have him removed, I was already enjoying my first cultural experience before even leaving Dubai.
- now I really am a loooong way from home. About 14000 Kms as the crow flies, surpassing my previous best (Ayers Rock) by 500Km, and within 2000km of the practical earth-bound limit of Madascar. (The theoretical limit is apparently Kergulen Island, which involves spending $20,000 to take a multiday boat ride to an island full of nothing. Not gonna do it).
- it takes about 9 hours to drive the 400km from Arusha town to Serengeti, mostly because it's nothing but dirt roads from the Ngorongoro conservation area entrance gate. Not gravel. Dirt. My guide said it is called the African massage. I think it's motivation to lose another 5 pounds. Or get a sports bra.
- enroute we stopped at Oldupai Gorge - an archeological site where the oldest hominid remains have ever been found. Some 2 to 3 million years old. The "museum" holds some of the most primitive stone tools and partial skeletons ever unearthed, and you can't help but be awed as you sense the ancient past while over looking the gorge.
- once you hit the Serengeti gate, it would be difficult to overstate the vast multitude if animals. Picture the largest herd of deer you've ever seen. Multiply it by 100. Then place 100 of those all over an open prairie as far as the eye can see. Convert it into wildebeests, then add 50% more in the form of zebras, gazelle, and a sprinkling of other animals, and, well, you might be close. Words, and even pictures, really cannot describe it, the great migration is something you simply have to experience in person.
- here's the list of animals I can remember seeing: wildebeest, zebra, Thompson gazelle, grand gazelle, impala, toapi, heartebeasts lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, black rhino, cheetah, savo cat, hyenas, jackals, dik dik, white stork, black stork, guineau fowl, hoary bastard (I did not make that name up), crowned crane, egrets, hippos, water buffalo, cessafly, baboons, vervet monkeys, warthogs, flamingos, ostrich... That's all I can remember, but I'm likely forgetting a few. I think I saw just about everything but crocodiles, which I don't mind cause I've seen those before. The rhino we just caught on the way out of Ngorongoro crater at the of the safari, completing the Big Five. Ditto for the cheetah, which was the last of the big cats I needed to see. My guide said I was lucky to see all that, especially the leopards. He said most of his safaris never see those, but we caught 3. It was at a bit of a distance, and they were sleeping, so I was far more struck by the lions, but the look on the faces of other drivers when he told them we saw three clearly showed how rare that was. 3 days later he is still talking about how "luck you are" (no typo).
- I didn't get to see anything kill anything. But I did get to see a gazelle chase an ostrich for several hundred yards. And 2 waterbuffalo smash heads. And a male lion move in on another lions mistress. Beat him out but she wasn't having none of that.
- Ngorogoro crater has incredible views from the rim, and seems almost like Disney must have built it after you do the 600 meter plunge inside. I enjoyed the Serengeti game drive more because it felt more special when you managed to spot something non-hoofed-herbavorial, but it is pretty cool to be able to see wild cats, warthogs, hyenas, and several different types of herds just hanging out together all in one shot. Plus there are 25 black rhinos there, compared to only 8 in the whole Serengeti, so a stop there is almost mandatory to see them. Sad how close they are to extinction.
- speaking of which, there were several moments where I felt a tinge of the loss for North America's great wild herds. The Serengeti plains are virtually indistinguishable from Saskatchewan (I actually felt like I was home at times), and I imagine our now defunct animal kingdom used to look a lot like this too. Sad face.
- I sunblock here like a hobbit eats: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies... It doesn't slow down till the afternoon rain clouds roll in.
- I was so incredibly exhausted after my sleepless night/4am flight (really ms flight attendant? Was the hot towel so important you had to wake up for it??) that I fell asleep shortly after arriving at my hotel and didn't wake up until my 6am alarm. 13 straight hours.
- driving in the country side, you pass by numerous flocks of sheep, goats, donkeys, skinny cows, and Masai herders. Often, they are only 8-10 years old, some as young as 5. I hope some of my pictures turned out cause its quite a sight. Ditto for the women walking around carrying large loads on their heads without needing any hands to balance it. One thing to see it on tv, but so surreal to see it in person.
- most memorable moment was the first night in our camp lodge. By "lodge" I mean permanent tents. And by "permanent" I just mean really big and only moved every few weeks. Anyway... I woke up in the middle of the night hearing what I thought was branches breaking and heavy footsteps. A friend just told me about his safari and seeing a couple bull elephants by the camp, so I thought it was either that or giraffes, and hopped on top of the toilet to peer out the roof of the bathroom. Nothing. Went back to bed. Heard it again! I was not going to miss this so I grabbed my headlamp, threw on my shoes, went to the door, paused briefly to wonder if it was really, really stupid to be going outside alone at night, then tentatively did it anyway. Before I got around back to check the noise, I was greeted by the reflection of three sets of eyeballs not 30 yards away. The one closest to me crouched behind the grass. Hmmm, not good. All the jungle cats hunt at night, and the lions often in threes. I scanned the rest of the area then looked back to find the third set of eyes back up, and seemingly a bit closer. Then it crouched again. Interesting. Looked away. Then back. Same thing, a bit closer, then crouching. Ok that's enough! I headed back inside, did up the zipper, shuddered, and then did not get out of bed until again until light. My guide said he heard a lion roar each night, and the camp manager said a lion killed an animal only 70 yards away from the camp last month, so it's possible, though not likely, that's what it was. We also heard hyenas and jackals all during dinner, and after seeing both in daylight now I would estimate what I saw to be more hyena-sized. That's what my guide thinks it was too, and he swears they are not dangerous to humans. I'm inclined to believe that but glad I didn't get closer to find out. Shuddering again.
- incidentally, the next morning I found out that sound was just a flap at the back of the tent when the wind caught it a certain way. Definitely not worth dying for :P
- you do not mess around with shower time at camp. You tell them what time you want it in the morning, and they show up promptly at that time with a few gallons of hot water that they dump into a canvas bag above a wooden crate in your bathroom, then say "good morning, shower's ready." Every minute you linger in bed, the water gets cooler. Once in, it's a race against time to finish washing cause once it's gone, it's gone. By the time it falls to your shoulders it feels only lukewarm, so it keeps you moving pretty quick. The tickle of small growth under your feet helps too. By day two though I was kinda enjoying the morning rhythm. I actually thought I was going to be staying in a more "permanent lodge", but to be honest I totally loved the experience. The scenery was breathtaking, with a herd of taupi frequenting our front doors, and spending a few days that close to nature felt good for the soul. If you are on the fence about doing a safari in your lifetime, I cannot encourage it enough.
- food here is typically eggs and beef bacon with grilled tomato for breakfast. Lunches are packed and you generally get a cold price of meat (chicken leg, tough beef), something brownish (quiche, onion cake), bread and butter, fruit, cookies, juice box. Dinner is usually a soup that could rival Marcel, then meat, mashed potatoes or baked fries, and some vegetables. Nothing you will write home about (except I just did) but decent quality, and too much quantity.
- oh there was actually 1 even more memorable moment. The dirt roads here become mud roads when it rains, and the back roads to the non-permanent camps are essentially then just slip and slides for jeeps. It rained especially hard last night, and we did significant portions of the drive out surfing sideways. Imagine driving through a parking lots of black ice with bald tires. Now imagine the parking lot is full of trees you have to avoid, and the "roads" in between often have just 2 foot wide runners for your tires, with washed out ruts more than a foot deep everywhere else. Factor in that you have to keep your speed up or risk getting stuck, with a good chance no one will drive by for a few days. In the jungle. It made the desert safari seem like go karts. Oh, and seatbelts here are not only optional, but often omitted. Neither Freddy nor I had one. Safety fail. I tried to capture some video of the experience but I'll be honest, I spent most of the time just hanging on. When I get a chance to post pictures from my camera, you will see why.
Spent last night in Karatu now, just outside Ngorongoro park, at an extremely nice hotel (country lodge). Back to Arusha today for some much needed laundry (my white cargo pants are now brown), then off to Egypt Friday. What an amazing trip. Happy face.
PS. Actually wrote this while still in Karatu. Back In Arusha now. Will post later with details of today.
That's Swahili for hello. I'm back from my African safari, so it's time for an update. In the last few days I passed through Addis Ababa airport (which now replaces Donetsk as the worst airport I've ever been in), Kilimanjaro airport, Arusha town, Oldupai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro crater. A few highlights and random thoughts:
- my first impressions of Africans was that they were incredibly friendly, socialable, and hospitable. Also, fairly disorganized and not prone to suffer many rules. I wasn't sure why exactly we started boarding a 4:30 flight at 3:00 buy when I saw these characteristics in action it made perfect sense. Sheer poetry in motion, we managed to take even more than the allotted 1.5 hours. From the seeming inability to understand the colored stickers on the boarding passes when asked to embark in a set order, to the seat belts that came off as soon as the flight attendants who had just asked them to be done up walked past, to shiny suit guy who absolutely refused to move to his assigned middle seat until the pilot came back and threatened to have him removed, I was already enjoying my first cultural experience before even leaving Dubai.
- now I really am a loooong way from home. About 14000 Kms as the crow flies, surpassing my previous best (Ayers Rock) by 500Km, and within 2000km of the practical earth-bound limit of Madascar. (The theoretical limit is apparently Kergulen Island, which involves spending $20,000 to take a multiday boat ride to an island full of nothing. Not gonna do it).
- it takes about 9 hours to drive the 400km from Arusha town to Serengeti, mostly because it's nothing but dirt roads from the Ngorongoro conservation area entrance gate. Not gravel. Dirt. My guide said it is called the African massage. I think it's motivation to lose another 5 pounds. Or get a sports bra.
- enroute we stopped at Oldupai Gorge - an archeological site where the oldest hominid remains have ever been found. Some 2 to 3 million years old. The "museum" holds some of the most primitive stone tools and partial skeletons ever unearthed, and you can't help but be awed as you sense the ancient past while over looking the gorge.
- once you hit the Serengeti gate, it would be difficult to overstate the vast multitude if animals. Picture the largest herd of deer you've ever seen. Multiply it by 100. Then place 100 of those all over an open prairie as far as the eye can see. Convert it into wildebeests, then add 50% more in the form of zebras, gazelle, and a sprinkling of other animals, and, well, you might be close. Words, and even pictures, really cannot describe it, the great migration is something you simply have to experience in person.
- here's the list of animals I can remember seeing: wildebeest, zebra, Thompson gazelle, grand gazelle, impala, toapi, heartebeasts lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, black rhino, cheetah, savo cat, hyenas, jackals, dik dik, white stork, black stork, guineau fowl, hoary bastard (I did not make that name up), crowned crane, egrets, hippos, water buffalo, cessafly, baboons, vervet monkeys, warthogs, flamingos, ostrich... That's all I can remember, but I'm likely forgetting a few. I think I saw just about everything but crocodiles, which I don't mind cause I've seen those before. The rhino we just caught on the way out of Ngorongoro crater at the of the safari, completing the Big Five. Ditto for the cheetah, which was the last of the big cats I needed to see. My guide said I was lucky to see all that, especially the leopards. He said most of his safaris never see those, but we caught 3. It was at a bit of a distance, and they were sleeping, so I was far more struck by the lions, but the look on the faces of other drivers when he told them we saw three clearly showed how rare that was. 3 days later he is still talking about how "luck you are" (no typo).
- I didn't get to see anything kill anything. But I did get to see a gazelle chase an ostrich for several hundred yards. And 2 waterbuffalo smash heads. And a male lion move in on another lions mistress. Beat him out but she wasn't having none of that.
- Ngorogoro crater has incredible views from the rim, and seems almost like Disney must have built it after you do the 600 meter plunge inside. I enjoyed the Serengeti game drive more because it felt more special when you managed to spot something non-hoofed-herbavorial, but it is pretty cool to be able to see wild cats, warthogs, hyenas, and several different types of herds just hanging out together all in one shot. Plus there are 25 black rhinos there, compared to only 8 in the whole Serengeti, so a stop there is almost mandatory to see them. Sad how close they are to extinction.
- speaking of which, there were several moments where I felt a tinge of the loss for North America's great wild herds. The Serengeti plains are virtually indistinguishable from Saskatchewan (I actually felt like I was home at times), and I imagine our now defunct animal kingdom used to look a lot like this too. Sad face.
- I sunblock here like a hobbit eats: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies... It doesn't slow down till the afternoon rain clouds roll in.
- I was so incredibly exhausted after my sleepless night/4am flight (really ms flight attendant? Was the hot towel so important you had to wake up for it??) that I fell asleep shortly after arriving at my hotel and didn't wake up until my 6am alarm. 13 straight hours.
- driving in the country side, you pass by numerous flocks of sheep, goats, donkeys, skinny cows, and Masai herders. Often, they are only 8-10 years old, some as young as 5. I hope some of my pictures turned out cause its quite a sight. Ditto for the women walking around carrying large loads on their heads without needing any hands to balance it. One thing to see it on tv, but so surreal to see it in person.
- most memorable moment was the first night in our camp lodge. By "lodge" I mean permanent tents. And by "permanent" I just mean really big and only moved every few weeks. Anyway... I woke up in the middle of the night hearing what I thought was branches breaking and heavy footsteps. A friend just told me about his safari and seeing a couple bull elephants by the camp, so I thought it was either that or giraffes, and hopped on top of the toilet to peer out the roof of the bathroom. Nothing. Went back to bed. Heard it again! I was not going to miss this so I grabbed my headlamp, threw on my shoes, went to the door, paused briefly to wonder if it was really, really stupid to be going outside alone at night, then tentatively did it anyway. Before I got around back to check the noise, I was greeted by the reflection of three sets of eyeballs not 30 yards away. The one closest to me crouched behind the grass. Hmmm, not good. All the jungle cats hunt at night, and the lions often in threes. I scanned the rest of the area then looked back to find the third set of eyes back up, and seemingly a bit closer. Then it crouched again. Interesting. Looked away. Then back. Same thing, a bit closer, then crouching. Ok that's enough! I headed back inside, did up the zipper, shuddered, and then did not get out of bed until again until light. My guide said he heard a lion roar each night, and the camp manager said a lion killed an animal only 70 yards away from the camp last month, so it's possible, though not likely, that's what it was. We also heard hyenas and jackals all during dinner, and after seeing both in daylight now I would estimate what I saw to be more hyena-sized. That's what my guide thinks it was too, and he swears they are not dangerous to humans. I'm inclined to believe that but glad I didn't get closer to find out. Shuddering again.
- incidentally, the next morning I found out that sound was just a flap at the back of the tent when the wind caught it a certain way. Definitely not worth dying for :P
- you do not mess around with shower time at camp. You tell them what time you want it in the morning, and they show up promptly at that time with a few gallons of hot water that they dump into a canvas bag above a wooden crate in your bathroom, then say "good morning, shower's ready." Every minute you linger in bed, the water gets cooler. Once in, it's a race against time to finish washing cause once it's gone, it's gone. By the time it falls to your shoulders it feels only lukewarm, so it keeps you moving pretty quick. The tickle of small growth under your feet helps too. By day two though I was kinda enjoying the morning rhythm. I actually thought I was going to be staying in a more "permanent lodge", but to be honest I totally loved the experience. The scenery was breathtaking, with a herd of taupi frequenting our front doors, and spending a few days that close to nature felt good for the soul. If you are on the fence about doing a safari in your lifetime, I cannot encourage it enough.
- food here is typically eggs and beef bacon with grilled tomato for breakfast. Lunches are packed and you generally get a cold price of meat (chicken leg, tough beef), something brownish (quiche, onion cake), bread and butter, fruit, cookies, juice box. Dinner is usually a soup that could rival Marcel, then meat, mashed potatoes or baked fries, and some vegetables. Nothing you will write home about (except I just did) but decent quality, and too much quantity.
- oh there was actually 1 even more memorable moment. The dirt roads here become mud roads when it rains, and the back roads to the non-permanent camps are essentially then just slip and slides for jeeps. It rained especially hard last night, and we did significant portions of the drive out surfing sideways. Imagine driving through a parking lots of black ice with bald tires. Now imagine the parking lot is full of trees you have to avoid, and the "roads" in between often have just 2 foot wide runners for your tires, with washed out ruts more than a foot deep everywhere else. Factor in that you have to keep your speed up or risk getting stuck, with a good chance no one will drive by for a few days. In the jungle. It made the desert safari seem like go karts. Oh, and seatbelts here are not only optional, but often omitted. Neither Freddy nor I had one. Safety fail. I tried to capture some video of the experience but I'll be honest, I spent most of the time just hanging on. When I get a chance to post pictures from my camera, you will see why.
Spent last night in Karatu now, just outside Ngorongoro park, at an extremely nice hotel (country lodge). Back to Arusha today for some much needed laundry (my white cargo pants are now brown), then off to Egypt Friday. What an amazing trip. Happy face.
PS. Actually wrote this while still in Karatu. Back In Arusha now. Will post later with details of today.
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