Africa Experience - Tanzania - Day 9

July 4, 2014 - Happy 4^th of July from Tanzania, Africa! 

We started off the morning as we always do…..we gathered on the single ladies porch for morning devotions.  Each morning, someone from our group led a devotion of their choosing.  We had signed up for a particular day prior to leaving for Africa.  This particular morning, we started with song….God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner.  We continued with devotions.

I miss these mornings....sitting on the
porch, enjoying Africafe!
 

Good morning!





Pastor Jane and Pauline - African favorites, Safari jam and coffee

After breakfast, we divided into two groups.  It was work party day!  One group would clean and repair things around the compound starting with the millions of dead bugs in the light fixtures (Connor included).  The other group would start pickup up garbage around the compound and just outside the entrance gate (Brett, Toni and Kyler included).  A small group (John, Nick, Nathan) would dig a line for the pipe that was part of the renewable resources project.  Those of us picking up garbage collected some interesting things……deteriorating water bottles, caps to water bottles, rotting shoes, plastic liquor bags, candy wrappers, etc.  There were a few kids (the ones that joined us on an earlier hike) and Paulo and Jaqueline that helped us pick up garbage.  We worked until about 11:30 am. 

Kyler took the garbage away...Connor and Emily clean bugs out of
the light fixtures...Toni and her helpers...we had a lot of workers
that came to help...Konyagi (we found a lot of these laying
around....they are liquor packets similar to vodka)

dirty feet, but I was so happy to wear flip-flops

 

We were all gathered together because we had visitors.  The primary school students decided to visit and bring us gifts.  We all gathered in a circle.  We explained to the students that it was a day of independence celebrated in the United States.  We sang for them.  In return, they sang their national song.  Then each group of students presented gifts of vegetables and small trinkets to each of us that had worked with them.  They asked if they could help us with our work around the compound.  Most of the kids joined our group to pull weeds and clear the brush along the fence.  They were extremely hard workers.  We had so much fun with them….laughing and working together.

The students brought gifts which we enjoyed later on.



It's custom to touch the head of a young person as
a thank you....sharing hugs

The students were very hard workers.



These boys found an empty bottle and thought
they were so funny pretending they were drinking.

Playing games with the students



saying goodbye.....

Before they had to leave, we played a few games of soccer and Quack Diddly Oh So.  We game them all some pieces of hard candy and said our goodbyes.  I still miss their smiles and hope they all did well on their final tests. 

Lunch was rice and a sauce with chicken.  The afternoon was ours to enjoy.  I spent some time resting in the sun – it was a beautiful 80 degree day.  Brett, Kyler and Connor went for a hike down the revine Stephen had taken us on earlier in the week, except for they started where we ended and went further the other way.  Shortly into their hike, someone from above yelled at them.  Brett and the boys yelled ‘Jambo’ (hello) back to them, and then got a big surprise…..The person on the hillside above began throwing VERY LARGE rocks!  Fearing for the worst, Brett and the boys took off running back to the compound.  Later, we learned that there was a group of men making bootleg liquor and were worried that Brett and the boys were coming to find them.  All in all, it was a scary situation for the boys but they made it back safely. 

 

 

Before dinner, I enjoyed my FIRST HOT SHOWER since we arrived in Africa!!!  I had been showering in the evening, but it was always cold and not pleasant!  My hot shower was a quick one, but it was soooooo nice! 

 

 



Paolo and Jacqueline came to say Hi



 



Jacqueline, Connor, Paolo



beautiful sunset on our last night in OS

We enjoyed sausage gravy and rice for dinner.  May I remind you that we have eaten rice every day.  Thank goodness I like rice!  We also had beans in a sauce.  Following dinner, we presented Pauline with the gifts we had brought for her.  Over the last 8 day, we had made friends with Pauline, and we were all very sad to say goodbye. 







We presented scarves to the women who cooked for us.



The women gave gifts....Shukas for Pastor Jane, Mama Jean, and Connor
(since he was the youngest)....we gave Pauline gifts for herself and for the
compound.


 

Pauline was so wonderful to us!  She is beautiful inside and out!  We miss her!









 

 

5 can't-miss Tanzania experiences!

Great article and videos about Tanzania from CNN and Anthony Bourdain!  We managed to conquer 4 out of the 5....all but Zanzabar.  We had to leave something to go back to visit!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/travel/bourdain-tanzania-five-things/index.html?hpt=hp_c2



Ngorongoro Crater

Our visit to Ngorongoro Crater on July 8, 2014

 

 

An abundant amount of wildlife roams the crater floor








 

Africa Experience - Tanzania - Day 8

July 3, 2014 - African Food Day

This day was African food day!  The women that cooked for us in OS asked if we could have a day with traditional African food.  Our breakfast was similar to what we had been eating.  Although instead of coffee, we had a chai bora (chai tea).  You could have the chai bora with or without hot milk.  When mixed with hot milk, it had a bit of a smoky taste. I preferred it without milk.  We had bread, peanut butter, honey, jelly, and eggs.  We would spend a large part of our day at the primary school.

 

The Primary School

 

Map work

We were divided into our same groups.  We prepared some map work to share with the students, along with some English flashcards.  Our goal was to help prepare the students for their upcoming test.   When we arrived at the school, many of our students were missing.  It was harvest time, and students stayed home to help their families.  The students were hoping to share some carrots with us the next day, but this would be our last day at the school. 

We taught the kids 'Quack Diddle Oh So" - It was fun to hear them
laugh and giggle!

 

We spent an hour with the students working on English.  Then we spent an hour with them on map work.  Michelle and I combined our students with another group.  We played a game where we had the students stand in different corners of the room.  We would call out a direction like north, west, southeast – and the kids had to throw a ball to the person standing in that corner.  We all had a fun time playing and testing their knowledge.  At the end, we went outside and played with them in the field.  The girls play ‘netball’, a game with a hoop/ball but no actual net.  The boys played soccer.  We gave the kids candy (Smarties) as we left.  They are used to a hard candy, and many of them didn’t like the Smarties.  We told them to bite/chew them, and they were not quite sure about that. 

Playing soccer with the boys.....

 



Playing net ball with the girls.....

 

 

Ugali, beans/gravy,
greens are bitter with
a vinegar dressing

We came back to OS for lunch.  We were served ugali (a Kiswahili word).  Ugali is cornmeal
mixed with water cooked to a porridge or dough like consistency.  The common way to eat ugali is to roll it up in a ball with your right hand and scoop up the sauce or gravy, using it as a spoon, similar to the way we used bread to soak up a sauce or food.  It reminded me of a grainy mash potato.  The ugali was served with a meat gravy.  It was an interesting meal.   After lunch, I snacked on some of the spray cheese and crackers we packed from the states. 

 

VERY dirty socks!

 

Laundry!

 

Relaxing in the African sun!

 

We had the afternoon to relax and do what we wanted.  I had some laundry to do – mostly dirty socks.  They would never be as white as the first day we wore them.  They were clean, just not white.  I also took some time to lay in the sun on the porch.  It was a beautiful afternoon.  The boys wrote in their journals and climbed some of the trees. 

Tree climbing

Journal writing

 

Some people relaxed on the girls porch while Mama Jean
played the guitar, Dawn made a foot soak
with rosemary!

At 4pm, we gathered in the eating area to try uji.  Uji is more of a liquid porridge that we poured into cups and drank.  It had a thicker consistency, but not as thick at ugali.  It is made of fine ground cornmeal, sugar, milk and various spices.  It can be sweet, or have a sweet/sour taste.  I tried it, but it was not my favorite.  Others liked it. 

 

Playing cards

 

 

The kids loved entertaining Paulo and his little
sister Jaqueline

Brett washes his hands before dinner.....

 

 

African Dinner

Dinner that evening was a stew meat and plantains.  The gravy had onions, tomatoes and shredded carrots.  We had a very productive day – chilly in the morning and very warm in the afternoon.  We were not looking forward to our last day in OS……







UGALI ---- ENOY!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Africa Experience - Tanzania - Day 7

July 2, 2014 - Maasai Boma visit (lots of photos)



Ready to go......

After our breakfast, we all made sandwiches for our lunch later on.  Our drivers from Nature’s Gift Safaris arrived at about 9am to pick us up and take us to a Maasai Boma. 

[Just a little bit about the Maasai people and a Boma……There are over 120 tribes in Tanzania.  The Maasai tribe can be found in East Africa (parts of Kenya and Tanzanian plains).  The men are herders and believe that cows are theirs by right. Cows come first, then women and children respectively. More cows equals more wives and implies a status for a man, thus they are polygamous.  A Boma is a group of huts in which a family lives. They are made by women using sticks, cow dung, mud and grass. Each wife has her own hut.  When you enter a Boma, you will be greeted by children who spend their days playing around while their mothers, gather firewood from the fields and fetch water for the family.  The men of the Boma take the cattle out to feed and are usually gone all day, catching shade while the cattle eat and drink.  The women prefer more wives in the tribe, because that means work gets spread out among them.]

Zebra and wildebeest on our drive

 

A bumpy drive

On our drive to the Boma (about a 45 minute drive), we saw a herd of zebra and wildebeest in the distance!  When we arrived, we were greeted by the men of the tribe and then the children.  They were all full of smiles.  We had asked if we could take pictures, and it was allowed.  At first, when we tried to take pictures of the children, they would raise their hands and shutter.  Once we showed them their photos on our camera screens, there were fascinated and wanted their pictures taken.  We had been told it would be dusty/dirty and there would be a lot of flies buzzing around.  We were prepared, and it didn’t seem too bad.



Brett sharing photos....

One of the girls wanted to see a picture of her doll.

We had purchased a goat as a gift for the people in the Boma, and it was a gift from them to prepare the goat for us to eat together.  There was a select group of men and younger men that would have the task of preparing the goat.  We followed them away from the huts to an area that was ready for the important ritual.  They cut the neck of the goat, drained the blood (to use for themselves later – it is mixed with milk and drank), skinned it, cut it in to select pieces and put the meat on skewers.  They built a fire and began roasting the goat for us to enjoy.  Every single part of the goat would be used in one way or another.  The goat meat was very good.  Some of the younger people especially liked to rib meat. 

The Maasai men let us participate in the ritual.

Almost everyone was fascinated with the process.



Every part of the goat is used whether it is eaten, used to
make soup, or clothing.

A young girl with the thorn of a
branch in her ear....that is how they
pierce the ears of boys and girls.
Over time, the earlobes are stretched.



The meal is cooking.....

 

The Maasai people have dogs, but they are not domestic pets.
They have to fend for themselves.  They usually roam
around to ward off animals or alert the people that
danger is nearby.

The men let us try on their shukas and pose with their weapons.

The men heated up water for us to wash
before the meal.

Enjoying a wonderfully prepared meal of goat

The elder men didn't eat with us.
The children did not eat until
everyone else had eaten. 

One of my favorite photos:
walking with Paulina

After the meal, we walked back to the huts.  The grandmother of the Boma (called Kokoo) was anxious to show us the inside of her hut.  She was so proud as she posed inside.  She had a large selection of cookware displayed.  Each women has her own hut, where she sleeps with all her children on one bed.  She also cooks in this same hut.  It’s nearly impossible to paint a picture of the inside. 

Inside the huts, Kokoo was very proud of her kitchen.
She had a lot of dishes and pans.  The huts are small.
The women sleep in the hut with all their children.
They also cook in that same hut, so it is smoky.

Kokoo - notice the cell phone around
her neck!  Technology has
made its way to the Maasai people.
To charge their phone, they may
have a solar panel or they go
to a duka and pay for power.

The Maasai men that cooked for us.

Near the end of our visit, we gathered with the entire family.  They thanked us for coming and told us we were part of their family.  We presented them with gifts of butter, oil, coffee, tea, soap, flour, sugar and salt.  They were very thankful. 






The Maasai people welcomed us like family.

 


 

We drove a short distance from the Boma to a nearby primary school.  We met the director and peaked into the classrooms.  From there, we walked to the church and then the ‘multicultural’ center.  We had been invited to visit the center by the local women.  They had their handicrafts displayed, and they were anxious to sell us their goods.  Many of us bought beaded goods, including necklaces, warrior stick (Connor), ornaments, bracelets, etc. 

It was a wonderful welcome!

A beautiful Maasai woman

a stick bug

 



shopping for treasures.....we bought some jewelry,
ornaments and Connor bought a beaded warrior stick.

 

 

 

 

Enjoying our lunch after the most amazing time!

 

 

Dinner - rice with sausage gravy.

 

 

We stopped under some acacia trees to eat our sandwiches and banana chips before heading back to the compound.  Dinner that evening was rice, gravy and sausages (cut up hot dogs).  It was a very busy day full of new smells, people, tastes, smiling children, animals, and cultural experiences.  It was an amazing day, and we all slept well!