International Coral Reef and Beach Clean-up Day

It had been a long dream of mine to one day dive the clear blue waters and explore the virgin coral reefs off the coast of Zanzibar. It was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit the island. Within my first 24 hours on the island I signed up with the local dive shop, Scuba Do. Although I have been diving for over twelve years I took a quick refresher course that included a brief shore dive. After the shore dive we headed out for coral gardens. The name says it all. It felt great to be back underwater.
Later that week I learned that my friends at Scuba Do were not only participating in the International Coral Reef and Beach Clean-up Day, they were organizing the clean-up committee for Kendwa Beach and the coral reefs off shore. I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer. Beginning at 9am on the day of the event employees from hotels and restaurants, guests and locals all gathered to volunteer their time. Those who were not divers walked along the beach with trash bags and the rest of us head out to the reef to collect whatever didn’t belong… plastic water bottles, beers bottles, cans, old broken fish baskets, clothes from skinny dipping swims gone wrong, shoes… you name it, we found it. All in all we removed 789 kilos. of trash. Thanks Scuba Do for caring about our coral reefs and beaches.

Kendwa Beach

After doing research on the beaches of Zanzibar I decided that Kendwa was the beach for me. You can swim during both low and high tides, the beaches are said to be the best on the island with the best sunsets. This information could not have been more accurate. Maria had only planned to stay four days, a decision she would later regret. I planned to stay about two weeks. I ended up staying for well over a month. If it weren’t for my next volunteer commitment I would still be on my island paradise. My home became Duniani Lodge. My family, the owners Barbara and Rashid who are business partners and former colleagues. They were the lead UN prosecuting attorneys for the Rwandan genocide case. Based in Arusha, Tanzania Barbara would often escape to Zanzibar for R&R from the trial. As the trial was nearing the end both she and Rashid were deciding on “life after the genocide trial.” They decided to go into business together and buy the lodge. The lodge had one big main house for them and eight small bungalows for guests…all situated directly on the most beautiful beach on the island. The lodge also had a large thatched, open air restaurant and bar just steps away from the turquoise ocean. You could sit at the bar, the tables or at one of the living room type sitting areas. I would sometimes lounge on the sofa facing the ocean and read… bliss. Often several of us would gather in the sitting areas with cocktails and play games or just converse about what brought us to Africa and experiences encountered along the way. Because there were only eight bungalows, you had the opportunity to get to know all of the guest. Guests from all over the world with amazing stories to share… a doctor from Australia working in Darfur, UN peace keepers from Belgium and Sweden working in the Congo, a Software developer from Vietnam, a young couple from Seattle who have visited “the roads less traveled” and are now working and living in London, a shipping salesman from Dubai… I could go on and on. In addition to Barbara and Rashid, my Duniani family consisted of the staff who took such good care of me. I enjoy spending time with them every day. Jobe, the bar and restaurant manager basically ran the entire joint. Even though he worked from sun up to sun down seven days a week he always maintained his notorious sense of humor. You would always find Jobe wearing one of his trademark hats… a leopard cowboy hat (my personal fave), an Australian outbacker hat or a small straw one. Some nights he would break out his gourd guitar and play along to the bar music. You couldn’t help but feel happy around Jobe. Although I was unable to update my blog during my stay, I would often receive e-mails from friends and family. First, they would want to make sure I was alright since I hadn’t updated my blog… thank you for your concern; next, they would want to know “what do you all day on Zanzibar?” The answer? I lived life. I didn’t wear shoes for over a month. I watched an amazing sunset every night. I would swim in crystal clear water alongside the most colorful fish in the world. I would have conversations with people who gladly made personal sacrifices to help those in need in Darfur on the Congo. I would dance, sometimes in the middle of the day with locals, I learned to speak Swahili and some Maasai, I went diving with sea turtles and dolphins while listening to the songs of the whales, I ate fresh seafood dinners on the beach under a blanket of stars, I learned of the US economy crumble and thanked God there were no TVs, newspapers or radios on Kendwa Beach. It is what it is, no need to get hit in the face with it over and over and over. So, I continued to live life… Kendwa Beach style.

Zanzibar

As soon as the plane nears the coast of the Indian Ocean you begin to feel the energy of the Island of Zanzibar. When you step off the plane your senses instantly drink in the beauty of the warm sun shine, island breeze, sounds of the palms, and the sights of the passing clouds over the blue sky. From the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel in Stone Town it is easy to understand why it is said that the tales of Aldan unfolded right here in Zanzibar. You feel the mystery behind the history of the unique architecture and old mosques and churches. Although there are quite a few cars on the street we need to share the road with carts being pulled by donkeys. Our hotel is hidden down narrow walk-ways that is not wide enough for any motor vehicle. The taxi must park a few blocks away and we walk with our bags through the winding alleys. Our hotel, The Chavada, gives you the feeling that Sultans have been guests. Thick wooden doors with well polished metal studs, giant brass tea pots, wooden chests, finely crafted carpets, and decorative lanterns. At the top of hotel is a restaurant with a stunning view of Stone Town, the Indian Ocean and surrounding islands. We are thrilled with our accommodation. After exploring the joys of Stone Town Maria and I had an early dinner on the beach at Tempo House where we could watch the dhows sail by, then watched the sunset on the Indian Ocean at the roof top bar of our hotel as we sipped exotic cocktails. What a fabulous introduction to Zanzibar.

Ngorongoro Crater

September 3^rd

I had arranged for Stephen, my safari guide for the Serengeti, to be our safari guide for the Ngorongoro Crater. I had warned him in advance that my good friend and former colleague from The Sacramento Bee would be joining me. We had not seen each other since February so we would probably talk the entire way to the Crater. He just laughed.

But I wasn’t kidding; I don’t think Maria and I stopped talking from the minute she arrived to the Outpost Lodge in Arusha. We were used to seeing each other every day at work. Then, she was out in the bush in Botswana and I was out in the bush in Zimbabwe and in the jungles of Uganda… we had a lot of catching up to do!

Our conversation ended when we entered the Crater. Stephen informs us that the Ngorongoro Crater is called the eighth wonder of the world and stretches across some 8,300 sq km. It boasts a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and acchaeology that is unsurpassed in Africa. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance3 of animals and to the Maasai.

This truly magical place is home to Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain. In a small canyon just north of the crater, the Leakeys and their team of international archaeologists unearthed the ruins of at least three distinct hominoid species, and also came upon a complete series of hominoid footprints estimated to be over 3.7 million years old. Evacuated fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world. They say this is where it all began…. Is that wild or what?!

In addition to herds of zebra and wilder beats, we see amazing birds; such as the pink flamingos and Uganda’s national bird the crested crane. Then Stephen stops the truck and shuts off the engine when we spot a pride of three female lions coming our way. Maria and I have our heads hanging out the roof, cameras snapping away as our cute, furry subjects come closer and closer and closer…. Ummm, and closer. They are now surrounding the truck. One lion looks as if she is contemplating jumping on the front of the truck. Quietly, Stephen says, “do not move.” Maria opts to quickly sit down. My heart was racing anxiously trying to anticipate the lionesses’ next move. It didn’t take long for our guests to become bored with our presences and move on… as did we.

*Insert sexy music of your choice* After volunteering in Zimbabwe at the lion breeding program it was reassuring to stumble along this next pair. A pair of lions happily mating in the wild…. with an audience of six safari trucks packed with tourists and snapping cameras. But did this distract this pair from their mission? No way! When lions mate they do so every 10 – 15 minutes, day and night for several days. By the looks of this pair, they had been going at it for quite a while. Keep at it guys… we need to make sure you don’t get put on the endangered species list.

The first time I saw a Maasai was on my ride from Mushi Town to Arusha. It was a male member of the tribe and he was wearing a red cloth slung around his shoulder and waist, wore sandals, his hair was shorn to the scalp and he was carrying a wooden club. But what really caught my attention were the beads around his ankles and wrists. He was alone and walking along a stretch of dry bush. He was tall, lean and his walk was graceful and hypnotizing. I needed to know more about this tribe.

I shared my fascination and curiosity with my guide Stephen on our way to the Serengeti. Next thing I know he is pulling in to one of the Maasai villages. Stephen asks for permission from the chief to enter the village. After a quick conversation and a donation, the chief rounded up his tribe. Stephen, Joseph and I were greeted with a traditional Maasai tribal welcome dance. It was spectacular. Afterwards, the chief gave me a private tour of the village and explained the traditions of the tribe.

Historically, they were the most powerful and feared tribe in western and central Kenya, as well as in northern Tanzania. Their tight social organization, their offensive warfare and infamous cattle raids, as well as their mobility as cattle-herding nomads, ensured that they could go where they pleased, and could take what they wanted from neighboring people. They were rarely defeated. As a result, their history before the arrival of the British was one of ceaseless expansion at the expense of other people. Their combined Kenyan and Tanzanian territory in the seventeenth century has been estimated at 200,000 square kilometers.

But this is just one side of the story. The other is told by their territory today, which in Kenya covers under 50,000 square kilometers (for pretty much the same population), or less than a quarter of what it was before the British arrived. The Maasai have been progressively confined to smaller and smaller areas of land. The British stole most of it, but even in recent decades land has continued to be expropriated, this time in the form of the wildlife parks of Amboseli and Maasai Mara. The lands stolen under the colonial rule are now mostly commercial cattle or wheat ranches. Story reminds me a bit of our American Indians.

With the exception of a handful of particularly abrasive politicians peddling little more than tribal hate, the Maasai remain marginalized from the Kenyan mainstream, both politically and economically. Yet they have stubbornly refused to abandon their pastoralist way of life, or their traditions, despite repeated attempts by both colonial and post-independence governments to cajole or force them to settle and join the cash economy.

In the minds of the Maasai is an entire people's collective refusal to cede to the social inequality and notion of western superiority imposed by colonial rule, and indeed by the post-independence governments. What I thought was arrogance is in fact both pride, as well as bitterness; but it remains to be seen for how much longer the Maasai can withstand the process of modernization, which has already changed the cultures of their neighbors beyond recognition.

The Serengeti

After learning of the price for a solo “budget” camping safari in the Serengeti I actually considered removing this adventure from my itinerary. After all, I had already been on quite a few amazing safaris. What could the Serengeti offer that the others hadn’t already provided? However, the thought of camping among the wild animals was also very appealing; even though my most resent camping experience in Lake Tahoe would not have earned me a badge from the Girl Scouts of America. My passion for Africa’s natural beauty and wildlife had grown too strong for me to pass up the opportunity to submerge myself into the Serengeti. As it turned out, removing the Serengeti from my itinerary would have been the biggest mistake of my journey.
The Land Rover from Safari Makers rolled up promptly at 7:00am to pick me up and begin our six hour journey from Arusha to the main gate entrance to Serengeti National Heritage Park. Stephan was my guide and Joseph the cook. They both had eagle eyes. Stephan was very informative and knew his wildlife and both were great fun. They took very good care of me. Stephen wanted to know what animal I most wanted to see in the Serengeti. I first explained that I simply wanted to experience the world famous Serengeti. I mentioned that I had already been on Safaris and have seen all of the Big 5 except for the leopard, and I would also like to see a Cheetah. Even my friend Maria who lived in the Okavango Delta for three months hadn’t seen a Cheetah. I quickly added that I know these are two of the hardest animals to spot and I will not be disappointed if we do not see them. He smirks and shakes his head as if he had heard this request a million times.
After two hours of driving, the tarmac disappears and the “road” turns to a path of rock, wholes and flying dust which sticks nicely to your sweaty skin given you the appearance of a tan. All I can think about for the next four hours is once again how I wish I would have packed a good sports bra. Before approaching the entrance gate, we drive through the Ngogora Crater National Park. Driving through the park we pass loads of zebra, giraffe, buffalo, and even a serval cat. When we pass through the gates to the Serengeti World Heritage Site all you see is an endless plain, nothing else as far as the eye can see. “Is this it?” I ask Stephen. “Whah, do you tink all da animals are gonna run to great madam Kelly?” Joseph howls with laughter from the back seat. “We have yust broken da skin. Wait until we reach da heart.” We pull to the side and he removes the roof of our Land Rover and tells me to “off your shoes”. I see nothing but miles and miles of bush. We drive for about thirty minutes before we see our first “island”. It’s a small mountain with rocks and trees. The perfect oasis for big cats. And there he was, the King of Beast. Free and in the wild. We shut the engine off and watched the beauty of his movement. With my shoes “offed” I was free to stand on the seat and hang my head out the roof of the truck. The King made eye contact but we were clearly not what he was looking for. However, he came prowling straight towards the truck, so close that at one point I could not even see him. Very quietly Stephen said, “Keep quiet and do not move… at all.” I remember this from my lion handling 101 training. Within a few seconds the King went on his way searching for whatever it was he was meant to be searching for… his mate? An impala? Either way he was a vision.

Not much further along we spot a whole den of Hyenas. I really liked these guys! It was a pack of about 12 or so that even included a few pups. They young were playing about and the adults were getting ready to hunt. As we head to our site to set-up camp we pass herds and herds of zebra and a sunset that melts behind the umbrella trees. It’s a race to construct three tents before dark once we reach camp. Once I return from the “restroom”, Stephen and Joseph have completed this task with ease. Stephen assures me that I will be safe in my little tent despite the fact that both lions and hyenas are both known to frequent the campsites. Then it hits me. What happens if I need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? I begin to sweat as I envision myself running with my pants around my ankles being chased by a pack of hungry hyenas straight into the mouths of a pride of lions. My loyal guide pauses for only a moment before he makes a plan. He programs his cell number in my phone and instructs me to call him if the situation arises and he will provide me with an escort. Now that’s excellent customer service! The campsite has two buildings. Each building is about 10 feet wide and about 35 feet long. They have a two foot stone base, a tin roof and strong metal screens wrapped around the entire unit. The structures are used for cooking and dinning and are necessary so that you don’t have uninvited guests join you during meal time or come in and try to steal your food at other times. One building is used for the cooks to store their supplies and prepare each of the meals, and the other is where the campers take the meals. The cooks would actually sleep in the building with the food so if any predators would attempt to break-in to the building they would awake and scare them off. Chef Joseph had set up a table with a traditional Massai cloth, lantern, dishes and had tea prepared by the time I arrived to the dinning pavilion. He greeted me with his notorious smile and a “Karibu!” (You are welcome) What I love about Joseph is he is always smiling. I have never seen him without a smile on his face. Once, he fell asleep in the truck. He even had a smile on his face while he was sleeping. After I’m seated, Stephen joins me. This is one of the greatest things about my journey. If I were traveling with a friend or a spouse, we would be spending most of our time conversing together, since I am traveling on my own I have the ability to personally get to know the locals. This is what has made this journey the most rewarding. Joseph tells me about growing up in a large family in his village, why he wanted to become a guide, how he sends money to his family each month, his plan to build his own house and how is now looking for a wife and how he plans to find her. He is very easy to talk to and we share lots of laughs. It’s not long before Joseph returns with a beautifully prepared appetizer…. WHAT? An appetizer? Aren’t we on safari? This is incredible! I’m not talking a can of peanuts. Chef Joseph delivered something that could have graced the cover of Gourmet Cooking. For the first time Stephan and I was quite. While we were eating I could hear Joseph in the kitchen building talking away in Swahili while all of the other cooks were laughing. This went on until he brought out our meal. I wish I could have understood the story he was telling. Whatever it was, the other cooks sure enjoyed it. We ended having a four course meal. After the appetizer, Joseph brought out pumpkin soup, then a beef curry with rice and chapatti (flat bread), followed by bananas with a chocolate sauce. It was hard for me to believe I was on a camping safari. It sure beats hotdogs which is what I’m use to.
Stephan and I had made a plan to leave the camp by 6am. We would go on safari until about 8:30, then return for breakfast, then head back out again. Stephan’s motto is the earlier the better when it comes to viewing game. How right he was. We drive for about fifteen minutes in the dark. As the sun is just starting to rise we pull up to a larger cluster of rocks. There are three vehicles parked on top of each other which are a clear sign that there is something worth seeing. Stephen pulls up behind then and we see them. Two baby leopard cubs! One of the rarest animals in all Africa to see in the wild. Safari trucks start pulling in from everywhere. Then, as if making her red carpet debut, she comes out of her cave. The one and only, mama Leopard. You can hear the cameras from all of the safari trucks, “click, click, click, click, click”, trucks fighting to get the front position. The good thing is there is a very specific path where the trucks are allowed to be. They are not allowed to leave the path and they don’t. So, although they fight for “front row” position, they are still a good distance away from the mother and her cubs. After a brief pose, the leopard decides to climb to the top of the rocks and head to the far right. All the trucks race to follow her and gain the best position. Not Stephen. He explains to me that the cubs did not follow and she will come back for the cubs. He keeps his eye on the cubs and parks the truck between the two rock piles. The mother leopard disappears back into a cave and all of the other trucks leave except for us. It’s at this moment the cubs decide to emerge and run from the right rock pile to the left rock pile. Straight in front of our truck. Within minutes the mother emerges from the cave to check on them. Stephen and I gasp as we realize what is about to happen. She slowly slithers down the rocks right next to where we are parked and strolls in front of the truck. Without looking out me Stephen says, “Whatever you do just keep taking photos!”. I was so excited my hands were shaking. Once the leopard reached the front of the truck she laid down…. in front of our truck! The two cubs came over to join her. They were rubbing up against their mommy and suckling on her. It was the most precious thing I had ever seen…. And it was our own private show! As they say, all good things must come to an end. The mother stood up and gently held one of the cubs in her mouth and carried it off up the rocks while the other one followed. Even that was a beautiful scene. As we drove off I was in complete shock with what we had just seen. Not even ten minutes had past when I spotted something in the far distance and I asked Stephan, “What is that, a lion?” His reply, “cheetah.” With his Swahili accent I thought I may have misunderstood him. “Did you say, ‘cheetah’?” “Yes, cheetah.” “You have got to be kidding me?!” Although this is a slang-phrase often used in America, the Tanzanian’s take it very seriously. “No, I am not kidding. I am very serious. That is a cheetah.” As we drive along the road the cheetah walks closer and closer towards the road. She stops and waits for our arrival. Thank you Serengeti! She walks up onto a termite mound and literally poses for me, at one point looking straight into the camera. She steps down, slowly walking so that I can see every muscle in her body. Then she lies down and gives me a few more poses before she carries on. A leopard and her two cubs and a cheetah… the two animals I told my guide that I had yet to see. We had seen them both before 8am on our first full day of safari. Stephen then takes me to what looks like a garden oasis. It is a small jungle area filled with palms and a watering hole. Elephants are close by taking in the water, hippos pop up to see who is visiting their territory and tropical birds are zipping around. We head back for breakfast and I tell Stephen, “If we see nothing else for the rest of our time in the Serengeti, I will still have been completely satisfied.” Of course that is not to be the case. The Serengeti continues to fill me with her magic including an encore of a double rainbow. My camping safari in the Serengeti made me feel as if I were part of a children’s book, one that I didn’t what to end.

Mt. Kilimanjaro

August 30th

I had two days in Mt. Kilimanjaro before I was to head out on a camping Safari in the great Serengeti. Not enough time to climb the highest mountain on the continent of Africa, but at least time to hike around the forest level. I stayed in Moshi Town, about a 30 minute drive to where I would begin my trek. Even though I wasn’t investing the seven days required to get to the top of the world, I still needed a permit and a guide for my three hour trek to the moorland level. Along the way we spotted loads of Blue and Calobos Monkeys, waterfalls and unique forest birds, including the Curocus. What really put me to shame was that fact that porters were passing me carrying tents and cooking gear on their backs. I was completely amazed by their stamina. When we reached the huts at Mandara we ate our lunch, relaxed, and enjoyed the view before heading back down. After our seven hour trekking mission was complete I saluted the mountaineers that take on Kilimanjaro from bottom to top as I rubbed my aching knees. That night I had Advil for dinner and Motrin for dessert and thought of my friend Fredrik who had just climbed Mt. Rwenzori, Mt. Kenya, AND Mt. Kilimanjaro all within four weeks. Show off.

The Rare Jungle Elephants

*This advendure took place at the end of August*

While staying at the Primate Lodge in Kibale National Forest, the manager, Emmanuel informed me that the lodge owned a tree house about one kilometer in the forest behind the cottages. The tree house offered a great view of an opening from the forest where you could spot primates, birds and “if you were very lucky you may see the rare jungle elephants.” Emmanuel arranged for an employee to take me back to this gem in the jungle. I would jump at any chance for a hike in the forest. As soon as we approached the steps to the tree house the guide instructed me to “hurry and climb to the top… they are here!” On my assent I looked out to the open field to my right and there they were… not one, but five jungle elephants. The guide was very excited, as was I, but his excitement was a bit more concern. Jungle elephants are very different from bush elephants. Physically, they are narrower in size, darker, smaller and have more body hair. They also become very agitated easily as they do their best to avoid the human species. I was instructed to “hurry up and take photos… we need to leave the tree house.” The elephants were beginning to move close to the tree house and the guide was afraid they would block the path and trap us. When we returned to the lodge, Emmanuel was speechless when we told him we encountered the jungle elephants. He actually didn’t believe us at first. He told me that visitors would sleep at the tree house with a guide for nights at a time hoping to catch a glance of these rare giants. Just one more special memory about Uganda and Africa that I will remember forever.

Kibale National Park: Uganda

* This adventure took place the last week in August*
I was so excited to be back in the forest and at Kibale National Park; I decided to stay at the only lodge located right in the park. Primate Eco Lodge was recently purchased and renovated by Great Lakes Safari. Their facility was so new; I was the first person to sleep in their beautiful Banda. I was in heaven! While eating breakfast one morning, I was entertained by the red tailed monkeys. My primary reason for visiting the park was to hopefully secure a permit to join a Chimpanzee trekking expedition in the lush tropical rain forest of Kibale. Similar to the gorilla trekking, the Chimpanzees are equally protected allowing only groups of seven per chimp family. The number of Chimpanzees in Kibale National Forest total over 4,000, so there are at least six groups in just the one area of forest where I was hoping to trek. Well, it was my lucky day. There was a group of five from England and I was able to able to join them. Before we begin we are instructed to tuck our pants in our socks as the jungle ants are nasty bitters. Then we head off on our journey. You’re senses immediately come alive the minute you step inside the welcome mat of the forest. First, you are captivated by the sounds… birds, beautiful pitches and tones that I have never heard before. They are complemented by the background rhythm of numerous frogs and insects. Then to complete the chorus, sudden bursts of dominant calls from primates. The sounds draw your eyes to search for the hidden treasures. It’s hard to zero in on any one object because the overall bright green canvas of the forest is picture in itself I in-hale slowly through my nose and take in the fresh, clean air. As I continue my walk the smells change…. musty, damp, and then even a bitter smell. It’s at this time the guide reminds us of the thousands of plants in the forest that are used for medicines. He said, “Even the one for Viagra in here”. OUCH! Then I felt something. Jungle ants! Our whole group had just walked through a nest. Our guide was right, these suckers are bitters! One had managed to work its way up my pants leg to my thigh. He let me know he was there by latching on. I went to brush him off and he wasn’t going anywhere. Then I grabbed hold of him with my thumb and forefinger to pull him off and he was still holding on. Are you kidding me?! These ants mean war! I finally released his death grip crunching him at the same time. Luckily, I didn’t have too many. The others in my group were not as lucky. One poor lady did not have on longs socks and the beastly ants crawled straight up her pants. Whoever came up with the phrase “ants in your pants” must have experienced jungle ants. The trekking is much easy than with the mountain gorillas, and we even have a path. We venture off path on several occasions to search for the c chimps, but even then the trekking was not too bad. We spot many primates before we spot the first sign of the chimps. First, we see a chimps nest. We are told that chimps make a nest each night to for sleep. Then, we hear a call and a chimp banging on a tree. Our guide had informed us earlier that this is a technique they will use to try to find each other. We head in the direction of the sounds. We spot them high in the trees dining on some leaves. We even spot one settling in for a post meal nap. They were certainly amazing to watch, but a challenge to photograph. They remained high in the trees with the bright skylight behind them. I don’t know what it is, but I really could pull up a lounge chair and sit there all day watching them. The trek back was equally as enjoyable…sights, sounds, smells, and no jungle ants this time.