Tanzania 2010 – Part 1 – Group Safari

 August 30, 2010

Monday morning we meet our 3 drivers – Darimo, Mohamed, and Loukindo (James).  They are driving two 6-man safari jeeps and one 4-man safari jeep.  We load-up and begin our adventure with a drive to Lake Manyara.  The landscape is covered with agriculture, particularly coffee crops shaded by evenly spaced shade trees.  Everywhere, the fertile land is farmed and along the roads are burlap spreads with millet (red porridge seeds) drying on them.  These same seeds are often wet and forced to sprout, and then fermented to provide much of the local region’s alcohol.  We leave Moshi, pass JRO airport and the city of Arusha, and drive to the ~300sqkm Manyara Lake which is surrounded by a game preserve.  Here we see velvet monkeys, baboons, grey hornbill and a family of resting giraffes.  At the hippo pool, pelicans and storks, (Maribou storks, yellow-bellied storks & red-bellied storks), cover every inch of available space.  We spot impala, zebras, water buffalos and mongoose before we take a drive along the former lake’s edge (the water level is now down).  We follow a giraffe who leads us to a family of elephants crossing the road right on top of us, including a youngster who demonstrates annoyance at the difficulty of pulling grass from the packed ground.  When the elephant’s wander past us, we proceed up out of the park stopping to look at the huge, surreal Bilboa trees along the way, and spotting our first sign of a lion – a clear paw print in the mud – a sign of things to come.  We get to the Highlands Hotel at about dark where we are greeted by cool drinks at the end of a dusty day.  That night after dinner, local entertainers put on an impressive show of native music, singing, dancing and gymnastics.  Many of the group join in the festivities and fun is had by all.  However, we talked with two groups of people who had just returned from Kilimanjaro, and we were given ominous news that neither group made it to the top of the mountain!

Water Buffalo & Storks at Lake Manyara

Tuesday we rose, had breakfast and headed to the Serengeti.  Along the way, we crept our jeeps along through the dense fog on the Ngorongoro crater’s rim road until we reached the overlook.  Here, it was cold and very windy without much visability.  We headed down into the beginnings of the Serengeti, and we stopped at a local Masai Village where we were honored by the warriors’ dancing and the women’s singing.  We entered their huts and learned some of their values and customs, bought a few trinkets and continued our journey.  Along the way, we spotted jackals and ostriches, stopping to have lunch at Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. Leeke found hominid footprints and the research into the cradle of human-kind and civilization began.  That afternoon, we learned to identify a Thompson’s gazelle from a Grant ’s gazelle, before we came upon 2 cheetahs classically poised upon a termite mound, surveying the landscape around them.  The afternoon continued to bring surprises as we encountered 2 female lions, hartebeest, hyenas, eagles, water buffaloes and another herd of elephants led by a bull male.  Our first real treat, however, was finding a leopard in a tree near the road, with a recently killed Thompson’s gazelle hanging from a branch nearby.  We spent some time here trying to get the best view, but as dusk closed in, we moved on to our camp for the night.  We pulled into the Serengeti Wild Tented-Camp, had a refreshing drink, took hot showers to wash the dust off and met for dinner at the dining tent.  In addition to the 16 of us, there was a group of Germans in the camp, some of which we befriended.  After dinner, we joined them in the center of camp for a warming campfire and we relaxed, told stories and recounted the day.

Ngorongoro Conservancy

Massai Warriors

On Wednesday, we were to spend the whole day on game drives on the Serengeti.  After breakfast, we left in our three vehicles and soon came upon a pride of lions consisting of 2 mature females with 8 youngsters of only ~1-2 years old.  We observed them for awhile, but then moved to the other side of the creek they were near where we came upon another lioness, but this one with 4 very young cubs, likely only ~1-month old.  They cried like little kittens as their mother moved them along next to our jeep, stopping to mouth/pick one up when it refused to budge any further.  A little ways off, we could see two male lions keeping a wary and protective eye on the pride.  We finally left this heart-tugging scene, traveled back past the leopard in the tree, (yes, he was still there), and to the local airport to renew our park permit.  Along the way, we came across a large number of hippos in a local pond behind a weir, accompanied by a single large crocodile, and then came upon a lone, young male lion laying in a ditch on the side of the road, looking lonely and on his own.  While Dorimo renewed our permits at the airport (a dirt flat spot with 1 small shack) we watched the local weaver birds enter and exit their encapsulated nests in the tree.  We then left and headed back to camp for lunch and a lively card game of “hearts” while we waited for the heat of the day to pass, and for the animals to again become active.  The afternoon started slowly with only the spotting of hyrax sunning themselves on the rocks, a Butler eagle and various vultures, until we came upon a large family of elephants.  We took up a position on the road ahead of them, knowing that they would cross nearby.  One of the large female elephants was obviously “in heat”, and the large bull male was obviously aroused by it.  At the back was a young baby elephant with a birth deformity the made us wonder whether or not it would survive in the wild – its trunk was seriously short – less than half the length it should have been.  It was so short, that the baby would kneel down every time it wanted to eat grass in order to reach it.  It was a sad sight, indeed.  After the elephants passed, we continued our drive and came upon another lioness, but this one was hunting a gazelle.  We watched as she stalked and slinked in the local lows of the terrain, and in the tall grass. But at the end of the day, the gazelles were alerted, and we lost her in the camouflage.   Without a kill to observe, we moved on again and were treated with another leopard in the tress with a gazelle kill, but this one providing a much better view.  After shooting dozens of pictures, we started to head for the camp, but came upon another hippo pool where two hippos appeared to be engaged in a bit of romance!  We reached camp just as elephants and giraffes were wandering by, and then at dinner we surprised Julie (Mike’s wife) with birthday napkins and cards – today she turned 30 years-old!  After dinner, the camp staff also surprised her with a watermelon and pineapple fruit “cake” – truly original, healthy and delicious!  Again, we sat around the campfire and reminisced upon the day before calling it a night.  “Lala Salama” and sleep well – a good night in Swahili.

Lioness & 4 CubsElephants
Leopard Standing in Tree

 

Lion

Thursday morning, we packed our bags as we prepared to leave the Serengeti Wild Tented Camp.  Today, our group would split into two groups – one group (4 people) continuing on the safari, and the other group (12 people) to return to Moshi to prepare to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.  For the group heading out of the park to Moshi, James & Mohamed bring us to one final lion encounter where a male and female pair took up obvious high-ground attracting the attention of all nearby potential prey.  But, while their attention was focused there, a third lion, a female stealthily moved up on the flank, hidden from view by the berm of the road.  We anticipated a potential kill, but the prey was finally rescued by alerting-calls from other herds that could see what was going on.  With places to go, we left the area, but the lioness patiently pursued the next possible target knowing that sooner or later, one would make a fatal mistake.  The drive back to Moshi was long and bumpy, stopping only for a brief overlook or break, or for our box lunch, and arriving back at the Springland’s Hotel in time for showers and dinner.  Before dinner, we had a short briefing and met our Head Guide – Bruce.  Bruce is 29 years-old and has been a guide on the mountain for 10 years.  He is an engineer by training, and is one of the few guides who was actually never a porter himself, but he is very well known by everyone on the mountain, and he tells us that this will be his 258th trip to the summit.  Bruce has a wife who works in the Springlands Office, and a young, beautiful daughter and is beginning to think about hanging up his boots and working closer to the office and his family.  He is personable, well spoken and a strong leader, and we all appreciate him immediately.  I privately broach the subject of staying the last night before we summit at the unapproved Kosovo camp which is another hour up from the final Barafu camp.  Bruce is unsure of getting permission from the Rangers, and is unconvinced that our group will be able to handle the extra altitude, so we defer the final decision on this.  We would be leaving at 8:30am tomorrow morning.  After dinner, everyone was busy packing their items and readying themselves for Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Many of us made final decisions to rent duffel bags or waterproof bags, and everyone was weighing their bags to not exceed 15kg, and their day-packs to be no more than 5-7kg.  Some were surprised by the weight of their snacks, or by the condition of their boots, but in the end, everyone was ready, and anything not going up the mountain with us was put into storage.

Tanzania 2010

Tanzania 2010

 August 28

The moment was finally here!  We had planned this trip for ourselves, family and friends for over a year, and the time had finally arrived.  This was the 2010 Trip to Tanzania, including Safaris on the Serengeti, an ascent to the “Top of Africa” – Mt. Kilimanjaro, and an historic vacation at the “Spice Island” of Zanzibar.

Kilimanjaro Airport

Our trip begins with flights from around the world to JRO Airport in Tanzania, and with assembling our diverse group at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi.  Our group’s earliest arrival is Cliff – a good friend of ours from Houston who works as an independent exploration geologist, and who has traveled extensively.  He arrives 3 days early for a private safari to Ngorongoro Crater, a must for his geologic curiosity and his animal photography hobby.  On Saturday, my wife’s sister – Pam, and her husband – A.J., arrive from Ohio, and spend the day hiking the local water springs around the hotel.  Pam is a civil engineering architect and her husband is a retired aeronautical engineer.  They operate a farm in Ohio and care for their family of Golden Retrievers.  My son – Michael, and his wife – Julie, arrive with us on Sunday, having met up with us in Nairobi airport.  He is an architect in north Virginia, and Julie is a Video Editor.  We are joined by my work peers from Lagos, Nigeria – Sue & Guy and Helena & Laurens.  Sue & Guy are British, and Sue runs the Employees Spousal Group for our company in Lagos, while Guy is an engineer working Logistics.  Helena & Laurens are Dutch and both exploration geologist with significant hiking experience.  Our good friends, Peter & Nikki, arrive on Sunday afternoon from Houston where Peter, who was born in Hungary, is an engineer and Nikki sells insurance, when they’re not raising their teenage girls.  Next Carlos arrives with his 16 year-old son, Gabriel, traveling from South Africa, where Carlos, a geologist in Nigeria has met up with his Brazilian son for this trip.  Finally, at 10:30pm, Michelle arrives, completing our group.  She is an engineer from Louisiana who joins us to make new friends and to share in our adventure.  We are now complete – 16 of us aged 16 to 60 years old – representing 5 nationalities – men, women & children drawn together by the beckon of the unknown and the promise of adventure!  The evening is spent acquainting everyone with each other and celebrating our safe arrivals with beer (Serengeti and Kilimanjaro brands) and wine.

Local Market
Springlands Hotel
The Adventure Begins

Indigo Dye Pits – Abeokuta

Adire cloth drying
Our hostess who taught her daughter and grandaughters the adire indigio dying techniques.
Her daughter who now runs the dye pit.
Dying the cloth...Indigio dye comes from the indigo leaf as well as the chemical powder.
Cloth for sale

The deepness of indigo color depends on how many times the cloth is dipped and dried.

Polishing gourd - used to pound the cloth to give it a polished look.

Olumu Rock – A Yoruba Shrine

Seventy kilometers (2 hours drive) north of Lagos in the state of Ogun is the Olumu rock, the massive granite outcrop that is a Yoruba sacred shrine.  It is located in the town of Abeokuta which means “under the rock”.  Years ago (in the 1830’s)  it was a shrine where animal sacrifices were practiced amung the Yoruba tribe.  Today it is a massive rock that one can climb to the top of to have a spectacular view of the town.  By the time we climbed to the top the rain had stopped, the sun had come out and we saw Abeokuta with a clear view.

Elevator to the Rock
Olumo Rock
Your choice - walk the steps or take the two elevators - we walked the steps!
Abeokuta for the top of the Rock!
A view of Abeokuta and the river
Under the Rock
Walking on top of the Rock!

Two of our Security Officers of the day.

Sacred Heart Hospital – Abeokuta

A group of 13 of us left Ikoyi in a Chevron bus and security chase at about 8.15am. We hit light rain but we made it to the Hospital just after 10am and were greeted by Father Yemi Akinlotan.

Father Yemi

Sacred Heart is the oldest hospital (over 110 years old) in Nigeria located outside the city of Abeokuta in Ogun State in Nigeria.  Abeokuta is the capital of Ogun State.  The hospital was started by French Catholic missionaries as a leper hospital.  Doctors from all over the world have come to Sacred Heart to do research.  While it is no longer needed to treat leprosy the hospital continues to serves the local community treating HIV/Aids and the gynecologic needs of the area. Today it is 400 beds in several one story buildings.

We had a small cheque presentation ceremony in the conference room next to the Matron’s office.. Both Dr Adegbite (the amazing lady doctor) and the Chief Medical Officer were present and both he and Fr Yemi assured us that our donation of N3.7 million (N989,000 (or ~$6,500) from the Small World organization and the balance of  N2.711,000 million (or ~$18,000) from the BWG (British Women’s Group)) would be spent on the tipper/dumpster truck as promised. They hope to take delivery in the next week or so and will send the BWG copies of all the relevant paperwork.  The doctors expressed great pride in that this donation would make the public health of the patients better allowing for a “pristine environment” and “zero infection”.  This is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever been in and is a tribute to the staff caring for the patients.

 The sincerity of the staff and the dedication that seems to come from them was shown further shown when we toured the hospital. The worn- out tanker we were originally trying to raise funds had been replaced by a shiny new one with help from an American HIV/Aids program. The tanker was brought to the car park for us to inspect and take photos. We were very happy to see that the cylinder of the old water tanker was able to be salvaged and it has been refurbished and mounted on concrete blocks as a standing water source. Very useful for the hospital of course as it struggles to receive main water.

We spent about three hours at the Hospital which was trying to cope with extra patients due to a state hospital & docotors strike. And we were told , that administration has a policy of not turning anyone away whether they can pay or not. We had detailed ward tours seeing a female diabetic patient who had treated herself with ‘voodoo’ medicine (that did not work), a young girl with a heart valve problem and a tiny young baby of 6 weeks who was having convulsions.  Dr Adegbite also showed us the ultrasound machines on the obstetrics unit.  She had a queue of patients for the ultrasound.

Patieint Ward

We also saw the store room where donated equipment is kept; there has been a consignment from contacts in Germany & Switzerland including an additional incubator. We also saw the pharmacy which was well stocked and we were told that the Hospital has good contact with reputable drug manufacturers (as opposed to fakes) and most drugs were manufactured in Nigeria.  The hospital is currently employing two pharmacists and a dozen pharmacy technicians. 

 The laboratory was interesting as they now have a digital analyzer along with numerous analog machines.

Father Yemi took us to a site at the back of the Hospital where new ground has been broken and proudly showed us plans for a new trauma centre with a trauma theatre and emergency wing including an Intensive Care Unit. This is his next fund-raising project and he is aiming to raise about N35 million! He is off on a trip to Europe next month to see if he can get some more European donors and Dr Adegbite was telling us that if anyone can do it, he can!

Peds Unit Patients

Sacred Heart also has a nursing school.  The school takes 50 students a year and has quite stringent entry requirments.  There are usually over 500 applicants.  The program is 3 years and the students do most of there clinicals at the Sacred Heart or one of its 4 satelite clinic facilities.

The requirements:

Sacred Heart Hospital partners with “Smile Train”, a USA based organization to provide cleft lip and palate surgery.  Here in Nigeria cleft lip or palate problem babies are hidden away in the families and away from public view. The surgery is free of charge; two surgeries were done in 2009 and one in 2010 so far. In 2009 Sacred Heart cared for over 11,400 inpatients and greater than 63,000 outpatients.

Afterwards we were treated to tea, yogurt, homemade meat pies and donuts. We were thanked for “wanting to serve humanity, touching the lifes of thousands of children and patients”.

Lunch with Ammbassador Sanders

  

I  had a quiet luncheon with friends to say good-bye to the current USA Ambassador to Nigeria.  The Honorable Robin Renee Sanders has been the Ambassador to Nigeria for about 2 ½ years.  Her office and work keep her mainly in the capital, Abuja.  However, she comes to Lagos a few times a month for meetings and various public functions.  As she prepares to depart Nigeria the last week of August she took the opportunity of being in Ikoyi to have lunch with the American Women’s Club.  It was a pleasant luncheon in a local Chinese restaurant “Reed’s” with mimosa’s, assorted appetizers and  entrees.  We finished with a toast and traditional American cake.

Left to Right are: Nancy, Ayoka, Sam, Julie, Mary, Betty, Tami, Ammbassador Sanders, Adeze, Frances, Beth, Christine, & Carolyn.

Ishahayi Beach School

Once or twice a month we travel down Five Mile Creek to a secluded, quiet, beautiful and incredibly poor beach to while away the day in sun and relax at our beach house.  Five years ago the local one room reed and straw school house was rebuilt by the expatriates like us who spend their weekends escaping the noise and crowds of Lagos on the beach.  While now proudly stands a 5 room school house with a metal roof, blackboards, desks and chairs that educates 70 primary students from the surrounding villages.  The school is charming, located under a canopy of palm trees with a football field front and center and a playground off to the side.  Teacher huts are at one end of the area and are occupied Sunday night through Friday afternoon during the school term.  Today there is a Board/Foundation  made up of the director of the school, the village chief and a few expatriates to sort the needs of the students and the school.   Over the last year there is now a computer lab fueled by a generator. Recently the school received a grant to purchase textbooks for each child.  Every little bit helps whether from sales of the book Nigerian Gems, to corporate donations and or private donations.  As the school term starts next week, Rocky and dropped off bags of notebooks and ink pens to get the school year started.  Chief James proudly showed us the school.

Village and homes next to the school.

The school.

The soccer field.

One of the classrooms.

A Very Happy Birthday

August 16, 2010

Yes today is my Birthday…and our plan is for cocktails, homemade pizza, champagne on the balcony and a movie.  Imagine my surprise when I answered an incoming call and was serenaded with

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

 Happy Birthday to Miss Julie

Happy Birthday to you

For she is a jolly good fellow

For she is a jolly good fellow

For she is a jolly good fellow

Hip hip hooray!

By numerous Nigerian Shell staff that were on coffee break from their HSE (Health & Safety Education) class.

It made me feel so special!

Esther Ujie

Our driver’s eldest daughter is enrolled at Cross Rivers State University of Technology in Calabar working toward and accounting/finance degree.  She just completed her first 100 Level semester.   Sunday, her father, is so proud of her and shared these pictures with us!