Visit to a Masai Village

More Masai village

Masai village

Full marks to one of the Masai villages in the Amboseli! Try to "capture" the tourists on game drives and lure them in! It worked! In actual fact we all found the visit fascinating. We were welcomed with a traditional dance and prayer. This was followed by a fire lighting demonstration - much to Ray Mears delight - alias Chris! The houses were almost loaf shaped, all identical and made of wood and cow dung. They all had 2 rooms - just big enough for a cow hide bed in each. One room for children and one for adults. Between the rooms was a tiny space just big enough for a small fire to cook on. With only one hole about 10 cm long for ventilation the whole house was in virtually total darkness.
The village we visited had 152 members of an extended family and was the main village in a group of 42 others in the area. The chief lived in this village.
There was a small primary school for the group of villages and a pre school. The pre school had 65 children and one teacher but there was no sign of any teaching materials at all, even paper or pencils.

I think we are coming to the conclusion that what is needed in the schools is a supply of the basics - exercise books, pencils and chalk.

Amboseli

Hyena Amboseli

After Ruhana and North and South Luangwe Amboseli was small but easy game viewing. Many, many elephants and even saw several hyenas.

At last a sight of Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro by moonlight

Ten at night and camped just outside Ambroseli finally the clouds lift and we see the mountain. Quite spectacular.

Kilamanjaro it is!

Village near Marangu

We finally left Dar es Salaam by mid afternoon on the saturday - land rover steering fixed. Two days of travelling later we made it to Marangu, the Tanzanian town where the treks up the mountain commence. The scenery definitely had the wow factor although we had our first rain since leaving on August 10th which meant Kilamanjaro was in the clouds. The vegetation was so lush and fertile. It reminded us of the road into the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Such a change from heat and dust.
In the hope that the clouds would retreat we decided to follow the road around Kilimanjaro and cross the border to Amboseli in Kenya which we had read had superb views. Time will tell whether we are lucky.

INTO TANZANIA

Reluctantly, despite the flies, we dragged ourselves away from Lake Malawi and headed north into Tanzania. After a couple of overnight stops we made it to Ruhaha, one of Tanzanias southern reserves and then finally to Dar es Salaam on tarred roads! Traffic was as bad coming into the city as we had read but with no camp sites easily available we headed to a hotel. Initially we had planned just a couple of days here but yet again the poor old landy had problems. Driving into the hotel car park the steering box collapsed. Ooops! On a positive note at least it happened in a town and not miles away from anywhere.  As eve,r nothing is simple. The parts needed were initially pronounced unavailable in the country or anywhere else nearby so Chris drew the short straw and plans were made for him to fly into UK and make an immediate return with said part. (Leaving the garage to sort was estimated to be 10 days). However, after 3 days a part was sourced and the vehicle is, as I write, hopefully being repaired. At least the enforced stay has given us an opportunity to get laundry done in bulk ( our usual way is a bucket on the roof as we travel) A regular bath is also a treat. Pete and I have welcomed the rest!.We are due to meet up with our daughter, Emma and family in a weeks time in Nairobi, we now have to make the decision which part to miss - the northern coast of Tanzania or Kilamanjaro. Decision still to be made but departure hopefully tomorrow!

Pictures at last

More Hippos

Campsite visitor

Getting trailer onto pontoon

Landy stuck again

Fly catching near Lake Malawi

Elephants in Ruaha

Fly catcher Lake Malawi

Hippo and friends

Village children

Wooden canoe

Baobab Valley Tanzania

Breakfast in the bush

Buffalo

 

Canoeing in Lake Malawi

Roadside stall

Pictures from various charities

Children at the school in Mpika

Gifts to children at Special Unit in Mpika

Girls Dormitory at Specila Unit Mpika

Classroom Special Unit Mpika

Kitchen at Special Unit Mpika

Chipembele Field Centre

Gifts for Chipembele

Classroom at school in Makuzi

Gifts to Headmaster at school in Makuzi

Classroom for older children Makuzi

108 children in class 1 with one teacher