Tanzania

Dar es Salaam:  June 2013

Beach at the Dar es Salaam Yacht Club

Aidan and Nathan swim in the Indian Ocean.

Nathan happily buried Aidan.

Nathan gets an assist from Joshua, the boy from South Africa.

Aidan befriends a few South African boys.

Aidan and Joshua do “Rock, paper, scissors.”

Nathan and Shellie collect shells.

Beach at Dar es Salaam Yacht Club

Our hosts’ grandchildren: Alessandro and Daniella

Our hosts: Angela, Ermanno, and their daughter, Annalise at the Dar es Salaam Yacht Club.

FASDO Center in Dar es Salaam

Neighborhood around center

Here’s what the boys use as a soccer ball.

Header in action

Boy heads the ball.

Aidan tries to steal the ball.

Aidan dribbles in courtyard.

Boy assigns Aidan to team.

Aidan on offense

Aidan attempts to steal.

Nathan and Aidan playing soccer with boys

Dirt courtyard where boys play

Aidan, Nathan, and younger boys at FASDO

The drums are warmed to give them a better sound.

One of the FASDO teens gives Shellie a lesson.

Center and neighborhood children watch performance.

Male performer shows us his moves.

Male performer plays to the audience.

Teens perform traditional African dances and music for us.

We watched a play. The actors labeled themselves, Nobody and Somebody.

Many of the children don’t have shoes to wear.

This boy befriended Aidan.

Aidan tries to teach “rock, paper, scissors” to his new friend.

Boys before they get their new soccer gear

Shy neighbor girls

This young boy was so happy to receive a ball.

FASDO director with young girl

New friend looking good

Aidan says goodbye to new friend

Some of the boys with their new cleats

Lake Eyasi

Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance

Nathan, Shellie, and Aidan in front of the Land Cruiser

We’ll be spending many, many hours inside here.

“Finally, I picture where I don’t have to smile,” says Aidan.

Tanzanite, rare and expensive

Home sweet home

Three people inside a 2-person tent. Ugh.

Aidan can’t resist a good climbing tree. This one provides the canopy to our campsite.

Scanning for wild animals

Ants on a mission

The makeshift kitchen where Gideon prepares dinner in the dark

Everything is bigger in Africa, including the stick bug at dinner.

Head lamps, definitely need head lamps

On this night, the moon was closest to the Earth here. It was huge and yellow.

Arrowheads used by the Hadzabe: wood, metal, and poisoned metal.

Zebra hide from kill

Aidan admiring the Hadzabe’s latest kill: zebra

Men of the Hadzabe tribe before hunt

The chief serves as a medicine man, as well.

Baboon skulls. If you want to marry in the Hadzabe tribe, the man gives the bride’s father a baboon kill.

These girls have cuts under their eyes. When children are young and cry, the chief cuts their faces. When the tears hit, it hurts. They apparently learn not to cry.

Hadzabe girls share a breakfast broth.

Look closely. I didn’t want to use a flash. This a 14-girl girl who gave birth to the baby next to her… yesterday.

Shooting lesson with the bushmen.

Nathan takes a practice shot.

Aidan gets some instruction.

The Hadzabe bushmen were a little taken back when Shellie picked up a bow.

Shellie can shoot… she’s been to Cub Scout camp!

Aidan practices before the hunt.

This is the fruit from the Baobab tree. If you suck on the seeds, it tastes a bit citrusy.

Aidan watches and learns.

Aidan just took off with the bushman.

Aidan gets a hunting lesson.

Hadzabe bushman showing off his kill, Sandgrouse.

Bushman readies his shot.

Bushman hangs dead birds on his belt.

Bushman takes aim.

Bushman coaches Aidan on stalking prey.

Closer…

Aidan takes a shot at a bird in the tree.

Honeycomb plucked from the tree. The Hadzabe are immune to bee stings.

The honey tastes sweet.

Nathan senses the honeycomb is safe. He eats it.

The bushmen put their fresh kills on the fire. They can make fire in seconds.

Sandgrouse on the barbie

Shellie observes and wishes that she had a meat thermometer!

Shellie on the hunt

Even when the bird is on the ground with broken wings, it’s hard to hit! The bushman eventually put it out of its misery and take it back to the village for lunch.

Hadzabe village in the bush

Huts used by the Hadzabe. The tribe goes where the animals go.

One of the village girls making jewelry

Sandals made from hides

Aidan bought this necklace from the Hadzabe. The antlers are from a Dik-Dik. He’s worn it all around Africa.

Shellie’s bracelet made from elephant grass

Nathan, Shellie, and Aidan with our Datoga hosts

Lots of beading on the Datoga dress

A married Datoga woman has a bronze bracelet plus gold bracelets given to her by her family on her wrist. You can’t believe how much this weighs!

You can tell that this Datoga woman is married because she has an underskirt that she never takes off.

Kid with mother goat

Datoga woman shows us how she makes corn into polenta.

Dark Datoga kitchen

Datoga man stamps metal bracelet.

Datoga men melt metal over fire for bracelets.

Datoga mud homes

Many of the villagers in Lake Eyasi grow red onions.

Tanzanian red onions

Aidan uses field blade to remove onion stalk from bulb. Careful!

We pull some onions.

Monthly market in Lake Eyasi

This market is filled with second-hand clothes, likely donations from the U.S. that never made it to their intended targets.

The reason for us going vegetarian in Africa. Yep, that’s a freshly slaughtered goat.

Traditional tribal coverings; the red ones are Maasi.

Need a dress? It can be sewn for you on the spot.

Serengeti National Park

Ngorongoro Valley on the way to the Serengeti

Maasi village in the Ngorongoro Valley

Zebras and wildbeests outside the Serengeti

Zebras and wildebeests are often found together.

Maasi giraffe outside of the Serengeti

This is a female giraffe. You can tell because her neck hair is long. A male has short neck hair that stands up.

Giraffe snacking

Giraffes have eyelashes. Who knew!

Great pattern on the Maasi giraffe

Entering the Serengeti

Ostriches

Ostriches are bigger than you’d think.

Giant feather duster

Gideon fixes our first flat tire. Fortunately we were at a rest stop.

Aidan, Shellie, and Nathan arrive in the Serengeti.

Red-headed agama

Look at the colors on the Superb Starling!

Grant’s gazelles have a tan stripe on their sides.

Profile of a Grant’s gazelle

Thomson’s gazelles have a black stripe on their sides.

Thomson’s gazelles in the grass.

Check out the eyes on this Thomson’s gazelle.

Our first of many African elephants

The elephants photograph best with their ears out.

African elephants

Zebras

Zebras on the move

Zebras cluster like this when they feel threatened. It’s suppose to confuse the enemy.

Zebras on the savannah

Two warthogs

Warthogs kneel to reach their food. They have very short necks.

Warthog

Elephant at the watering hole

Yes, this baby elephant is taking a leak in the watering hole!

If elephants are so smart, why do they pee where they drink?

Elephant calves

We first met this baboon sitting outside the campground bathrooms. Note: don’t mess with baboons!

This is a small sampling of the 24 baboons that crossed in front of our campsite shortly after we arrived.

African Buffalo

Those are some horns!

Maasia giraffe with Acacia tree

Hippo Hole in the Serengeti

Crocodile in the Hippo Hole, eyeing a bird on the shore

Hippo

Man, these hippos are big.

Sleeping hippo

Baby hippo

Wildebeests

You can balloon over the Serengeti ($500/person/30 minutes), but why would you? You c an see the animals far better on the ground.

Woolly-necked stork admires itself.

Watering hole

Baboon

Look for the tiny baby baboon!

So many baboons in one tree

Lioness guards her fresh kill, zebra – minus the head!

Lioness decides to drag the zebra back to the pride.

One of the cubs comes out to inspect the kill.

“Good job, mom. I was hungry!”

Jackals move in for the scraps.

Now come the hyenas. At one point, there were six hyenas surrounding the pride.

After a warning for the lionesses, the hyenas back off and wait.

An eagle joins the party.

The lions are in no hurry to give up the zebra carcass. It’s their show.

The mother leopard from yesterday… lucky to see her again.

Mother and cub

Second cub trailing behind

This is my best photo of the safari!

Vervet monkey

More vervet monkeys munching on flowers

Lioness with fresh kill

She looks quite proud of herself.

Male lion looking for a shady place to nap

So strong…

Male lion on the savannah

Male lion posing

White-headed Buffalo Weaver

Cheetah lying on rock ledge

Malles and Gideon fix second flat tire outside of the Serengeti.

Aidan keeps himself busy in the hot sun, waiting for the flat tire fix.

Nathan leaves his mark in the Serengeti.

Ngorongoro Crater

Room at Rhino Lodge at Ngorongoro Crater

Last dinner with Carl, Lorna, Malles, and Gideon

Ngorongoro Crater during the wet season

Shellie and Nathan at Ngorongoro Crater

Break in the clouds over Ngorongoro Crater

Flamingos

Wildebeests

Flamingoes

Flamingoes and wildebeests

Spotted hyenas

Gray crowned crane

I love the look of this bird.

WIldebeests

More wildebeests

Two male and two female lions with their latest kill – African Buffalo.

Quick hyena runs off with a leg bone.

Hyenas and jackals wait..

… and wait.

Lioness leaves with full belly.

Lioness enjoying rib meat

The lions take their own sweet time.

After this kill, the lions won’t eat again for 3 to 4 days.

Hyena snatches a piece.

Nathan points to hippo hole at Ngorongoro Crater

Hippos out of the water

Lone elephant

Kori bustard

Road block

Zanzibar

Wow, this is a small plane!

Boys give me a weary look.

Took a glance at the safety card in my seat pocket

Leaving the African coast

Approaching Zanzibar

Stonetown, Zanzibar

Here’s the front of Zenji Hotel. We stayed on the top floor.

Side entrance to Zenji Hotel

Room at Zenji Hotel

Room at Zenji Hotel

Aidan liked his towel swans.

View outside room

Beach at Mbweni Ruins Hotel

Aidan turns a palm frond into a sword.

Beach at Mbweni Ruins Hotel

Nathan, Aidan, and Shellie enjoy the sun and surf

Nathan chilling on the beach

Aidan imitates our dog, Nilla, as he fetches over and over again.

Fishing boat on beach

Adding to my photo shell collection

I had to pay them in ice cream for this photo!

Stonetown harbor

One of many “streets” in Stonetown

Aidan waiting for our snorkeling boat

Nathan on the water

Aidan gleefully at the helm

Dhow

Dhow

Dhow

Aidan preparing to snorkel

Aidan jumps in. Afterwards, Shellie forced him into a life vest.

We have no idea why the farm had this name.

Aidan plays the “guess that spice” game.

Pepper before it’s ripe

Cinnamon comes from the bark of this tree.

The assistant guide wove these grass ties for the boys.

Grass bracelet

Assistant guide shows us the red seeds used in curry powder and lipstick.

Nathan smells the root of a cinnamon tree, used in the making of Vick’s.

Nathan attempts to climb coconut tree. It’s hard!

Aidan admires climbing ability of the coconut man.

Aidan tries to climb coconut tree.

Aidan must have been thirsty! He nearly drank this entire coconut.

Nathan samples coconut water.

Looking good!

Aidan wanted to wear his grass hat to dinner, mostly to embarrass Nathan. It worked.

Nathan is mortified that Aidan is wearing his grass hat in public.

Aidan takes in the sunset

We drank a lot of this ginger ale during our stay in Africa.

Zanzibar pizza… not our favorite. In fact, the food in Zanzibar wasn’t all that great.

Nathan and Aidan eat their Zanzibar pizza.

Forodhani Night Market

Making Zanzibar pizza at night market

Foods at Forodhani Night Market