Tonight we have a reliable internet service for the first time in several weeks as we are in Mwanza and so this is the perfect opportunity to update our news. Sorry for the long silence. Life continues even if the internet doesn’t. The last few weeks have been busy in the day to day things.
Form four have finished exams and left schol until July next year. Before they completed all their exams, we accompanied them on a trip to a beach on the shore of Lake Victoria one afternoon. It was truly a beautiful spot,along a rather rough road and we had agreat afternoon just relaxing with them. How do you fit half of Form 4 (the remainder had finished exams and gone home)in two dula dulas?
Well you stack and pack. 22 in each slam the door shut and off you go. One was so overloaded that it couldn’t get up one of the hills. Hakuna matata! You just all get out ,walk up the hill and climb back in at the top.
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| How many can you fit in aToyota Mini van? |
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| Relaxing after exams. |
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Even the cows enjoy a day at the beach
There's too much water for me to go fishing in this.
The buildings are really taking shape and with just five weeks to go before we arrive home, there will be much activity in a bid to get them finished. The roof is on each building, windows are being fitted and internal work proceeding well. |
As I mentioned previously we are in Mwanza overnight and fly to Bukoba in the morning. We have been at an Environmental Management Conference for a few days. Kevin has been looking into mud hut construction among the Masai tribes and I have been studying animal behaviour and the impact on the environment. Just kidding. Seriously the building was at a stage where the roof was going on and it was an opportunity for a short break from the pressure so we went on a safari to the Serengeti region. It was an amazing experience to be right there beside the animals in the wild. Of course we were in a vehicle and were only allowed out at designated picnic areas for lunch but all the same to have an elephant or giraffe right beside the car or a pride of lions under a tree right beside the road was a wonderful experience. After one particularly corrugated stretch of road, a bolt was shaken loose under the vehicle and it was with great caution that our driver/ guide go out to investigate. All the while his eyes and ours were cautiously watching the bush near the road. Hakuna matata! Out with the electrical cable(no baling twine here) a few twists and we were on our way again.
We spent the second night in a tented lodge in the Serengeti. It really is an upmarket canvas tent with a roof over it. On arrival we were given a torch and a whistle and a Masai warrior was appointed to be our chaperone. We could not leave the tent without his escort and at night we had to flash the torch and wait for him to come. The whistle? Well that was so that if there was an animal attack ,we were to flash the torch and blow the whistle and the Masai men would come running to our aid. It was a beautiful place and an interesting experience hearing the animal noises particularly the lions and zebras through the night.
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| Look over there. |
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| A Masai herdsman with his donkeys which are used for transport. These people walk up to 15 miles a day to find water for their sheep and goats. |
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| Accommodation for the night |
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| Sunrise in the Serengeti |
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Leaves and thorns for lunch
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| The only Leopard we saw. We nearly got bogged in a murky swamp taking a shortcut to see it. |
These are just a small sample of the many and varied animals and birds we saw. I think we have about five hundred photos.
No need for a massage here. Just drive along the roads for about three or four hours at a time and every bone in your body gets a complete workout. The roads in the National Parks are unbelievably rough but surprisingly we didn’t have any side effects. Maybe it limbered us up a little.
One of our grandchildren has a great interest in cheetahs and I was particularly keen to get a photo of one.
In the Serengeti we saw two at a distance but they were too far away to get a good photo. All the next day we looked for more and I asked God if we could see one under a tree close to the road. We looked and looked and as you can only stay in the park for a certain number of hours, we had to head back to the entrance gate. Guess what happened? The last animal we saw was a cheetah. No not under a tree. One better than that, atop a rock, rather close to the road, out in the open where they don’t normally rest. Who says God doesn’t delight to bless us in surprising ways.
On Monday, our travelling companions, two German girls left and we did a trip to Arusha National Park. It incorporated a game drive and a trek on foot with a park ranger. It was good to just walk and see the surrounding country. The ranger led the way with his gun over his shoulder and we wandered along with him ever watchful for danger. We were unable to see Mt Kilimanjaro because of the heavy cloud cover but as we flew out today the clouds parted enough for us to be able to see the snow on the top. My dream was fulfilled.
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| Flamingoes in Arushua National Park |
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| Ever on the lookout. |
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| The elusive mountain |
Now, early in the morning, we fly back to Bukoba and then go to Katoke. It’s head down and back to work for the next few weeks.
I didn’t get this away before the network crashed so we are safely back in Katoke and am anticipating a busy week ahead.
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