EXPOSED LATITUDES

SAFARI

During my 2 1/2 week African experience, I was afforded ample time to explore the treasures of the country.

One of the first big things I was able to do was go on a safari.  There were a bunch of people in my orientation group who were interested in going, so we quickly organized our van for the first full weekend we were all there.  Safari’s usually ran from Friday-Monday and each day was equally beautiful and awe-inspiring.

On the first day of our trek, we stocked up on snacks at the grocery store before heading out into the unknown.  In no time we had left the bustling streets of Arusha behind and headed West to venture deep into Lake Manyara National Park.  If my notes serve me correctly, we were able to spot the following animals:  Elephants, giraffes, a camel, wildebeest, lizards, baboons, zebras, cranes, warthogs, kingfishers, blue monkeys, antelope, water buffalo, hippos and gazelles.

It seemed like every few minutes our driver would stop and point into the lush greenery to identify another beautiful creature we didn’t notice was a few feet from our jeep.  The acute eyesight and senses of these tour operators was nothing short of miraculous.  After a long day of animal searching, we headed to our campsite, which was really cushy (probably to ease us in to the safari routine).  The site had cabins (for anyone willing to pay), a pool and a gift shop.  After our delicious 3-course dinner we got cozy in our tents on that first chilly evening.

The next day we continued West to explore the Serengeti.  As the jeep ambled on and the hours passed, I watched as the lush greenery of the day before gave way to vast expanses of flat, golden earth that stretched for miles in every direction.

We drove for hours squinting against the bright sun in search of wildlife, meanwhile taking pictures of the iconic umbrella trees or large rock formations that would dot the landscape every now and then.  Around mid-day we were rewarded by sightings of lions and leopards, much to the relief of the group.  The cats are hard to find, especially when they are sleeping, so we were lucky.

We drove until we saw a beautiful sunset before heading to our camp for dinner.  This time the site was colder and more rugged where animals could roam around our tented area.  That notion was exciting to me, but not everyone felt at ease about it.

After a few hours of cold sleep we were woken up early and driven back out to the Serengeti plains to see a beautiful sunrise.  The morning fog had not yet lifted as we slowly rolled along looking for life in the ethereal mist.  The sun was barely over the horizon when we could see hot air balloons in the distance.  I remember thinking that those tourists were getting a one-of-a-kind view of the land, but there was no way they could spot the beautiful (and rare) cheetah’s that we just got acquainted with on the ground.

Right after brunch we headed East to the Ngorongoro Crater.  We traveled through the main park entrance and followed the trail that approached the rim.  As we made our descent, the enormity of the crater revealed itself.  The only way to really understand that this area is indeed a crater is from the air (or from a postcard).  The trek down was slow, as the rock wall was pretty steep in places.  Once at the bottom, we drove or a few hours on the trails of this new elevation that seemed to stretch on forever.  When dinner time came we made the climb out of the crater to our campsite on the rim.  We were greeted by a herd of zebra that were wandering around our camp area.  This was by far the most exciting (and frigid) site of them all.  In an attempt to stay healthy and warm, many of the adventurers in multiple jeeps decided to forgo the cold showers for 3 days…myself included.  We piled on every layer we had, drank lots of cups of tea with our dinner and cocooned ourselves in our sleeping bags to make ourselves as comfortable as possible.

The next morning was foggy, cold and rainy, but it began to clear, revealing an awesome view of the lake in the crater below, just before we began the journey back to the city.  On the way out, we were lucky once again by seeing more lions, flamingoes, ostriches, and other birds among other things.  The only animal we did not get to see was a rhinoceros, but considering how lucky we were to have seen all the cats, I really wasn’t upset about missing one of the “big five.”

We headed back to Arusha early in the day so that we could be back at our homestays for dinner.  It was a great journey and experience, but I was glad to sleep in a real bed and take a hot shower again!

ZANZIBAR

My second weekend was spent traveling around the island of Zanzibar.  Luckily I was able to get a Precision Air shuttle to the Kilimanjaro airport, and then it was a direct flight to Stone Town.  Once I exited the airport I noticed the difference in weather immediately.  The amount of sun seemed the same, but the temperature was about 85 degrees and humid.  After being chilly most of the time in Arusha, this tropical feel was a warm welcome, (pun intended).

Getting a taxi took about 30 seconds and the decision was made to immediately travel to Jambiani on the Eastern side of the island to meet up with friends who arrived the day before.  The White Sands bungalows were a slice of heaven in every way possible.  Low tide allowed visitors to approach and inspect the out-rigged canoes that rested in temporary dry dock.

Since we were in a pretty rural area, we figured it would be easier to just go to the adjoining restaurant for dinner.  After we ate and enjoyed a freshly retrieved coconut and watched the sun set, we all walked down the beach to a little hut-type of bar for drinks and conversation with some local maasai tribesmen.  As the night went on, the men were gearing up to make a beach fire and play their drums, but I made my way back to the bungalow, eager to lay in the hammocks that faced the ocean.  For me, that evening was paradise.  The perfect temperature, a warm breeze, feeling weightless rocking in a hammock and being lulled to sleep by the sounds of the Indian Ocean and distant tribal drums, with the aroma of a fresh fire teasing my nostrils underneath the brightest Milky Way I’ve ever seen.  I’m not sure many things could ever top that.

After a great night’s sleep, I departed Jambiani and headed 2 hours North to Nungwi at the tip of the island.  This is a community of Dhow boatbuilders and everything is done by hand right on the beach.  It was great to see the guys at work.

I moved on the Kendwa, the next town over, for lunch before heading down to Stone Town on the South-Western part of the island.  This was an awesome area with great energy and an interesting mix of cultures.  Zanzibar is 99% Muslim, so mosques are everywhere and many restaurants don’t serve alcohol.  Middle Eastern music is played in various spots and the tiny winding streets look very European.  A museum and monument educates visitors on the huge slave trade port that was once in use, and after eating a banana split and watching the sun set at Mercury’s (a restaurant dedicated to Freddy Mercury) you can bargain for cheap, yet elaborate, henna designs, painstakingly applied with a toothpick.

Compared to Arusha, where I was instructed to stay in doors after dark (at 6:30 pm), it was nice to be out for hours, in the company of locals and tourists alike, soaking up everything this exotic place had to offer.

The next day I rose and ate my included breakfast of tea, mango juice, watermelon, toast and an omlet before meeting a guide for my morning excursion.  I scheduled a boat ride to tiny Prison Island.  Once used as a quarantine location, the island is now part resort and part turtle reserve.

After taking about a hundred photos in the hour I was walking around, I headed back to Stone Town and then on to the airport.  I had a stop in Dar es Salaam before ending in Arusha, and then the usual dalla dalla rides to my homestay.  That night I was able to see a few volunteers and my house mama again before departing the next day for my last African adventure.

MOSHI

After eating a French toast breakfast I decided to go back to bed for a few hours.  I had all morning to get myself ready, so there was no rush.  I finally decided to get up around 10:30am and proceeded to take a nice long hot shower.  After double checking my bag, I went into the city and got on a bus bound for Moshi, a town at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  I liked Moshi instantly.  It felt like a mini Arusha, only less congested and many more Muzungu’s.  Most foreigners come to this place to climb Kili, but I came for the coffee.

I walked to the Kilimanjaro Backpackers Hotel, which was more like a Hostel.  It cost $6 a night and included breakfast…not bad!  After checking in I found a cute café a few blocks away.  I ate outside with a pretty nice view of Kili, lucky since the clouds around the peak were just clearing as the pink light of sunset was making the mountain blush.  A great setting for an evening meal, although this café offered American-style food, which always misses the mark.  The food of Tanzania is delicious, but when they try to prepare American food, everything has no flavor, even the chocolate cake.  The coffee, however, was it’s saving grace.  Using locally sourced Kilimanjaro beans to prepare the drinks, I ordered a sweetened iced coffee.  What I received was a treat, a delight, much better than my chocolate cake.  They added some kind of powered creamer (milk isn’t offered anywhere) to the sweetened iced coffee, and must have either shaken it or partially blended it, due to the ice ships and froth on top.  The flavor was amazing, with a medium body and a distinct spicy note which added a little kick.  For someone who really isn’t a coffee drinker, I practically chugged that glass and debated on whether or not to have another before bed.  But I had a big day ahead of me, so I decided to skip the second glass in favor of sleep instead.

The next morning I waited at my hotel’s front door for a man named Beo, who I thought was going to be my tour guide for the day.  Beo came, walked me to the bus station, and put me on a van headed for a coffee plantation part way up Mt. Kilimanjaro.  There I met Mike, who took me around the coffee plants, telling me everything I ever needed or wanted to know about coffee, Kili, and the local way of life.  He had me pick ripe coffee cherries, pulp them, told me about the drying process, and then had me roast some beans and grind them to try as a pour-over brewing method.  I always have to add some sugar, but it was the exact flavor of the night before.  Medium body with that distinct spice…unmistakable and delicious.

Later that night as I was preparing myself for my early morning departure back to the US, I caught a whiff of the roasted coffee still lingering on my sweatshirt and thought how lucky I was to have a personalized coffee tour at the base of Kili, the highest mountain in Africa, a name the locals say with reverence, much like Mt. Fuji in Japan.  Looking back on these two-plus weeks, I couldn’t believe I actually got to see and do everything I’d hoped to accomplish on  this adventure, and what an adventure it was.