Tanzania - Part Two - Serengeti

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th - SERENGHETI

 

Pick up at 8:00 from the hotel after a buffet breakfast (complete with omelet bar, which is enough to make me happy any day).  We headed towards Ngorogoro Crater, known as Cowbell Mecca because in the Maasai language “Ngorogoro” is the sound that the cowbell makes as the cattle are grazing.  We’re just passing through on our way to the Serengheti and then will descend down into the crater later in the trip.  Ngorongoro Conservation Area (more than just the crater) is roughly 8,500 square kilometers and is home to both wildlife and the nomadic Maasai tribes who migrate twice a year within the area.

 

Our first stop was a scenic overlook at the top of the crater, which was breathtaking - however, as I was jumping down from the jeep, I didn’t realize the ground was sloped downwards and I slid in the dirt and fell HARD - resulting in what I later discovered was a stress fracture to my ulna (forearm). I’m not trying to sound brave AT ALL - but I didn’t mention my suspicions about it being broken because it would have resulted in the end of our safari (or at least a major interruption) and after spending so much money I was fiercely determined to get every incredible moment out of it. 

 

The roads in the conservation area were ROUGH - we passed by zebra, striped horn gazelles, ostrich, giraffe, and warthogs - it’s becoming common now, although the wonder hasn’t left me.  Our next stop was an actual Maasai village - we were met by the chief, Toby, who brought us inside the gated community.  (By gated, it’s surrounded by walls made of sticks designed to protect their cattle and community from wildlife at night when the gates are closed.)

 

We were treated to a welcome song and dance by the tribe, then shown the Maasai “Wife winning competition.”  In the old days, Maasai men would have to prove that they’d killed a lion before being allowed (or deemed “worthy”) to marry - now they have what is basically a jumping competition.  After demonstrating, the men from the various tours were invited to participate and Damian ended up winning three wives!

 

Toby then took us inside a Maasai hut, which is a tiny round hut with an opening to allow smoke from the firepit to exit - it was maybe about six to eight feet across total and included the cooking area/fire pit and beds.  The Maasai are a polygamous tribe, but each wife is entitled to their own house.  Women do not get to choose their own husbands, it is decided by the chieftain, who will marry them off to another tribe.  Also, while the men will gather the materials, it is the Maasai women who are expected to build the houses.

 

Next we toured the one room schoolhouse where the kids were learning - they were ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE and recited the ABCs in English for us before asking for a donation for school supplies.  (This wasn’t unexpected, and we did give a modest one)

 

On our way back to the car - we bought some souvenirs - we didn’t really need anything but Toby was incredibly pushy.  “Don’t think of it as shopping….think of it as supporting the Maasai women.”  “What do you mean you don’t want to buy anything?”  To put it in perspective - the same bracelet I bought yesterday from a Maasai lady at the gas station for 2,000 shillings - Toby wanted 35,000 shillings (roughly $17) a piece - and they probably cost pennies to make.  I did end up buying a mask to hang on the wall, and Damian got a tribal ceremony stick - both of us paying WAY too much for them - but we really did want to be supportive as much as we could.

 

The funny thing is - I think the Maasai share profits from all the tables around the village (we were taken to a specific family table - the one that owned the house we visited), but when Damian agreed to buy the ceremonial stick - Toby and his friend took it directly to the Jeep and asked Amani to “Hide this.  Hide the stick!”  Immediately after, one of the other tribal leaders came over and asked Amani where the stick went and he played dumb.  So there was definitely some shenanigans afoot.

We continued on until we reached the border to the Serengeti National Park – the road went from “bumpy” to “dusty & bumpy” to “dusty, bumpy, and one lane” despite two way traffic. Serengeti actually means “endless flat place” which is accurate and caught me completely off guard.  It was barren flatland for miles and miles.  The park is about 14,700 square kilometers and is called the “Home of the Great Migration.”

After lunch, we headed out on our first Serengeti Game Drive and Amani found us the MOST ADORABLE THING I’VE EVER SEEN – twelve lion cubs under a tree.  He explained that they had three different mothers and they’d been left alone beneath some spiky bushes while the mom(s) were likely nearby hunting for food. They’re so cute it’s easy to forget that they’re wild animals.

Nearby we found a few family groups of lions sleeping on a rocky outcrop and under some trees – Amani told us yesterday that we’d be tired of seeing lions after Serengeti – I don’t think that’s true, but there are definitely A LOT of them.

Next we headed out in a hurry as the guides spotted a cheetah – but about halfway to where we were heading, Amani stopped abruptly and turned around – followed VERY closely by all the other safari jeeps racing quickly away from the Cheetah.  It turns out that the park rangers listen in on the CB radio – the cheetah was in an area of the park that we hadn’t paid to be in (and apparently neither had the other jeeps) and the rangers were out trying to catch the guides to fine them.  (It costs $20 per person per day to be in the park, and double that if you want access to both sides – which we obviously hadn’t paid).  It was quite exciting running from the law!

Less than an hour later, we did find a Cheetah with cubs on the “legal” side of the park – she was surrounded by jeeps and it took awhile before we managed to squeeze in to get a look.  That’s the down side to the radio – everyone gets the information on where animals have been spotted so EVERYONE shows up and scuffles for a good view.  Let’s just say some guides are more considerate than others and more than once we’ve seen Amani (and others) yelling at other drivers.

After several more lions and some adorable lion cubs playing in a mud pit, we drove to the Nyota camp and arrived after 6:00 pm.  Damian and I were both exhausted and my arm/wrist/neck hurt like the dickens from the fall – but there’s no way I’m cutting this safari short for ANYTHING.

Nyota Luxury camp is owned by Lion King Adventures and is absolutely gorgeous – swimming pool / eternity pool, free standing “tents” with king size beds, showers and toilets – it lives up to its name.  Like before, we were told not to leave our tents after dark without an escort and warned against drinking anything but bottled water.  I always think they’re being overly protective, but spotted the elephant poop RIGHT outside our tent and decided following the rules was the wise move.

Damian was hoping to do some star gazing, but the skies were overcast and turned into one of the craziest thunderstorms I’ve ever been in. From afar it was absolutely magical – but once It got closer – around 2 am – the lightning/thunder was so close it shook the entire building and caused all the hairs on my body to stand on end. 

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th

This morning my arm is swollen, my wrist is sore, and my neck is hurting from the brutal roads - but otherwise all good.  Thanks to the rainstorm, the roads are somewhat wet and FAR less dusty today than they were yesterday.

On our morning game drive we spotted a water buck and a lion right outside the camp. From there we saw a herd of TOPI, which is a type of antelope.  There are over 75 different species of antelope in Tanzania and XXXX worldwide.  We also saw some Dik Dik – which are the smallest breed of antelope.  They’re the size of small dogs and absolutely adorable.  Dik Diks are called “True Christians” because they mate for life and if one of a pair dies, they never recouple.

Next we saw a hippo from afar, which I thought was cool until Amani drove us to one of several Hippo Pools where you can literally see hundreds of them. We also saw crocodiles along the banks sunning themselves.  Hippos and crocs live harmoniously in the waters.

Other animals we spotted on our morning drive – fish eagles, elephants, giraffes, monitor lizard, more elephants, and hundreds of hippos.  We also saw “sausage trees” (what’s a sausage tree?)

After driving around for awhile, we came across about a dozen other jeeps and discovered there was a lioness stalking some prey – Amani gave us the choice of staying to watch that, or to head out and see where a leopard has been spotted dragging his kill into a tree.  NO BRAINER – GO FOR THE LEOPARD!  You can tell Amani was excited because he drove like a bat out of hell on those rough roads trying to get there in time. 

The leopard was a distance, but had pulled a small gazelle into the tree and was eating it – it was a magnificent view with the binoculars, and Amani tried to get a photo on my iPhone through the binoculars which was also quite entertaining. We sat and watched for a good while until the leopard jumped down and out of the tree.

As we started to drive away, we quite accidentally came across a very large male lion walking in the road – Amani turned off the jeep and it walked straight towards us, stopping just in front of us to drink from a puddle of water.  For several minutes there were NO other jeeps around – it was just us and this enormous lion about six feet away.  Seriously – it was another surreal moment that just doesn’t seem real but there he is – RIGHT THERE. We stayed there for probably about 20-30 minutes until the lion walked away into the grass. 

At that point, I think we realized that we were running quite late for lunch – it was 1:30 and they only serve lunch until 2:00 – so we raced towards the camp.  I’m not sure if it was the race to see the leopard or the race to get back for lunch, but regardless – we ended up with a flat tire about half way back.  Damian and I stayed in the jeep to watch our surroundings while Amani changed the flat – several other drivers stopped to help (you can tell they look out for each other) but once the tire was fixed we discovered the engine wouldn’t start.  You kind of half to laugh at this point, as we’ve definitely missed the lunch deadline.

After fiddling with the engine, we did finally get the jeep going and made it back for lunch – thankfully, they still agreed to feed us.  We took a two hour break to eat and relax before heading out on our afternoon / evening game drive.

First, we went to the official “Hippo Pool” which is the only time we were invited to actually get out of the car.  The hippos are all in the water and there’s a little overlook to park and watch them – so we did.  Then we headed around the Sabo 6 loop – it was fairly quiet, and I loved the lack of crazy traffic.  We saw families of elephants, a herd of giraffe, lots of dik diks, cape buffalo, and hawks.  We made it back to Nyota just in time to watch the sunset, then grabbed a bite to eat and slept like the dead.

Tanzania - Part One - Tarangire

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th

 

Our flight was scheduled for 3:00 am - they do this intentionally so the incoming international flights which arrive around midnight have time to get transit passengers to their next plane, but it’s absolutely BRUTAL when you’re as old as we are.  Fortunately, we managed to score a business class upgrade at the last minute and sky priority lounge access in Tana and Kenya, which made the journey a little easier.  They weren’t lay-flat seats, unfortunately (that would have been amazing) but it was still comfortable.

 In Kenya, we met a British couple while waiting to board for Kilimanjaro - Sharon and Peter from Leeds - they were celebrating 40 years of marriage by travelling around the world and we talked about our favorite destinations for awhile to pass the time.  Their sage words of wisdom for marital success - “Always be honest.  You can’t build anything on a lie, even if it seems easier.”

 

Mount Meru from our hotel room

When we landed at Kilimanjaro airport, I withdrew some Tanzanian shillings (about $200 worth) and we waited for our driver, who was late.  Airport security used their phone to call the Lion King office, but just as he managed to get through our guide, Simon, appeared and gathered our luggage.  He was extremely personable and very proud of Tanzania.  He calls it “the birthplace of mankind - so when you come here, we say ‘welcome home’ because this is the first home for all mankind.’”

 

The drive to Arusha was extremely bumpy - Simon (a member of the Maasai tribe) calls this the “African massage” and recommended that while we had time before our safari that we try the local food and buy some Tanzanite, a precious gem only found in Tanzania. Simon was a great storyteller, but whenever he’d start telling us facts about Tanzania, he’d turn around and look at us in the back seat - which was a little nerve wracking as he wasn’t watching the road - and the roads are fairly chaotic (though not as bad as India).

 

He also taught us some Swahili:

   "Jambo! Jambo!"  Hello

   "Shee-kah-moo" - greeting of respect to a person older than you

   "Assante" - Thank you

   "Karibu" - Welcome

   "Chokula key tom sanna" - the food was very delicious

   "POH lay POH lay" - no hurry / no worry

   "Hakuna Matata" - no stress / no worry (yes, they really say this)

 

Simon dropped us at the Mount Meru hotel where we were slightly delayed as the hotel had our reservation in for yesterday.  It made me slightly panicked, because our driver had already left and we were without a backup plan.  Eventually they got it sorted and we checked into a very nice room with a beautiful view of Mount Meru.

 

After a shower, we grabbed lunch at the local coffee shop in the lobby and I had the most gorgeous avocado salad - I’ve been craving a salad for several days, but Micah warned me against eating salad in Madagascar because they wash the lettuce in non-potable water.  I thought here at a five star hotel I’d be okay - and it was a lovely treat.

 

From there, we went back to the room and found that what we thought was a blister on Damian’s foot was actually a fairly impressive shard of glass buried deeply.  We were able to dig it out and clean it up - but I was mortified since I’ve been massaging that foot for several days thinking it was a knot when the entire time it was a sharp piece of glass.

 

Damian took a nap and I sat down and applied for jobs, explored around the hotel, read a book, caught up on email and tried to stay awake long enough to get back on a regular schedule.  I shopped for Tanzanite down in the lobby - it’s an absolutely beautiful stone, far prettier than sapphires and more expensive than diamonds because they can’t be manufactured and they are only mined in one place in the world (a mine here in Tanzania).  Soooo tempted - especially the higher grade stones that are tinged purple - but no matter how gorgeous, I wasn’t about to plunk down $10k on jewelry that I’ll never wear.

 

Dinner included in our safari at the buffet so we sat on the terrace outside and enjoyed the beautiful view of the golf course as we ate.  There was some confusion about whether or not dinner was included in our room - so the waiter offered to bring the bill up for a signature after he checked.  I said, “Great!” and we went back upstairs.  A few minutes later he knocked on the door and I answered it expecting to sign - but instead, he said, “Let me help you” and he opened the door and pushed past me making a beeline straight to Damian with the bill.  I was like, “WTF?” Okay, it’s obviously a cultural thing - no need to get offended - but then when he got back downstairs he immediately called up to the room and said, “The gentleman signed his name Hess and the room is under Roberts.”  I said, “I’m Roberts.”  He said, “Is this okay?” I said, “yes, of course.”  In addition to being a very patriarchal society, they are also very curt and direct - it isn’t rude, but it could be perceived as such if you aren’t used to it.  Personally, I appreciate direct - but I admit that after flying all night, when the flight attendants were popping off, “Give me your bag.” “Go over there and wait.” I had to take a minute to remember that my being tired was unfairly affecting my perception of their attitude.

Random facts: The languages in Tanzania are Swahili and English

There are no bus stops - people just stand on the side of the road and the public transport watches for them and picks them up.

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th - TARANGERIE

 

Let the Safari begin!

Our guide was to pick us up at 8:30 but was late, so I was running from jeep to jeep asking, “Are you our driver?” until we finally found him - his name is Amani and he’s a local guide from here in Arusha with 10 years of experience as a driver/guide.  He explained that we’d have good roads today, but they’d be pretty rough in some of the parks - and that while in the national parks we weren’t allowed to drive faster than 50 kph for the safety of the animals.  There are also restrooms/washrooms located throughout the parks - but in case of emergency, one only had to request the option of “Checking the tire” - in other words, if you can’t wait he’d find a safe place for you to squat in nature.

 

Driving to our first National Park - the Tarangire (meaning “river of warthogs”) - I noticed the streets are much cleaner than in Madagascar, although they still have their fair share of rubbish.  Also - drivers are VERY strict about stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks.  Jaywalking is rampant, and they manage to weave in and out of the cars - but there was never a question about stopping for an official crosswalk. Off the main highway on the service roads in each town there were shops with houses behind them - everything from farm fresh fruits and vegetables to electricians and car repairs,  Like Madagascar, the towns are a bustling social center full of life, tuk tuks and motorcycle taxis. Between towns, we’d pass MULTIPLE packs of goats and cattle being herded by children around 7 or 8 - they’d stop and wave whenever they saw a safari jeep.  I thought that was SUPER friendly, but Amani explained they are hoping you’ll stop to take photos and give them money.

 

Amani told us there are over 3,000 tour companies that offer safari tours, although not all are officially licensed - some of them are freelance that work to manage the overflow of licensed companies - but it makes sense from what I was reading during my research.  There was a WIDE array of options and price points to choose from depending on whether you wanted a private tour, a shared tour, five star accommodations or “roughing it.”

 

We stopped for a washroom break - many places have Western style toilets, but the norm are the squatting holes in the floor - and nearly all require you to bring your own tissue.  So I purchased some - which served us well for the remainder of the trip.  I also bought a beaded Maasai bracelet for 2,000 shillings - which is about a dollar. Then I climbed back into the jeep and enjoyed by first Coke Zero in a week and a half (there is no diet soda in Madagascar - but Amani had stocked up on my request.)

Tanagerie National Park is also called “Elephant Paradise” - it consists of 2800 square kilometers and was established in 1970.  It houses the Maasai tribe, which is one of over 120 tribes that live in Tanzania.

 

On our first game drive, we saw striped mongoose (“Timon” from Lion King), Wildebeest, Water buffalo, Giraffes, Water bucks, and Impala.  The interesting thing about the Impala is that they have either a bachelor herd (completely male) or they have a harem herd (one male, many female) - we were fortunate to see both.  And of course, we saw plenty of elephants. The park wants to keep the “natural” beauty of the park so none of the roads are paved - making a VERY bumpy and slow going drive.

We stopped for lunch at the picnic grounds in the park with an absolutely beautiful view.  Amani laid out spaghetti, rice and vegetables and we stopped for a short rest and to take some photos.  Amani asked a random guy (another guide, likely) to take a photo of the three of us.  He took two....

Elephants spend 18 hours a day eating, as they need to eat about 200 kg of grass daily - then they spend the rest of their time sleeping.  The park is large, so the guides use a CB radio to communicate with each other which animals have been spotted where. They spoke in Swahili, so I didn’t understand anything they were saying except for the occasional word like “Simba” which means Lion. 

 

After an incredible day, we made our way to Kitela Lodge where we enjoyed our own private bungalow with an enormous bed covered by mosquito netting.  We arrived just as happy hour was beginning, and we were offered a glass of bao bab juice from the bao bab tree - I didn’t much care for it, but our guide absolutely loved it - I think it’s somewhat of an acquired taste (like beer).  Damian went to the room for a shower while I snacked on some amazing spring rolls and sweet potato crisps until it was time for a magnificent buffet dinner.  We were told after dinner we’d need an escort to our room (as wildlife frequently roam through the grounds), and that we’d need to call the office if we wanted to return to the main building at any time - but honestly, after a wonderful dinner and a glass of wine we were both out cold for the night.

 

Random facts of the day:

The big five of a safari are - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, Water Buck - we saw 3 today (Lion, Elephant, Water Buck)

Tanzania is approximately 49% Christian and 49% Muslim with 2% of the population being atheist or agnostic.  However, everyone gets along. (Having said that, Muslim Amani proceeded to express some VERY misogynistic ideas about how his Christian wife is expected to not work and take care of the children even though she had a career when he met her)

The park rangers do controlled burns throughout the park to ensure no risk of wildfire - it also clears the land before the September/October rains to allow for new growth.

CB talk - “Roja! Roja!” = “Roger! Roger” = okay okay

Madagascar - Part Two - Antananarivo

 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th

 

This is public transportation in Madagascar

On Sunday the Bremners were up early and off to fast Sunday at the local Malagasy ward, which gave us a chance to sleep in.  We awoke to the AMAZING smell of homemade cinnamon rolls - which looked, smelled and tasted like Aunt Marlene used to make when I was a kid - it took me to a very happy place as I enjoyed a war
m bun. 

 

After testimony meeting, the American families in the ward met back at the Bremners for Sunday School.  Damian and I went for a walk up to the gas station about a half mile away to get some snacks and explore.  I enjoyed getting out and experiencing a feel of the lively streets, but it made Damian really uncomfortable - probably because he’s far more perceptive and vigilant than I am.  Apparently I was being followed around the store, but I was completely clueless trying to find biscuits that were suitable for stray dogs.  

When we made our way back to Villa Jonathon the families had left, so we decided to impart on an adventure with Steve and Micah.  They said they’d drive us up to the hills for a beautiful nature walk - but unfortunately they got horribly lost.  

Repeatedly.  

Damian and I couldn’t stop giggling - it was a really fun ride through the back streets of rural Madagascar and a testament to the incompetence of Google Maps.  Eventually we decided to give up and I suggested we go to Croc Farm.  Steve and Micah were amenable so off we went - getting lost yet again (twice) before Steve found the right path.  There was only an hour left before closing, but it was more than enough time to explore this surprisingly wonderful park.  Not only was there a nursery of HUNDREDS of little baby crocs, but they also had some MONSTER crocs as well as chameleons, birds, owls, tiny little frogs and so much more.  Honestly, it was beautifully arranged - but my favorite part was getting to walk right up to the fence of one of the monster croc pens - the beasts were laying in the sun right up against the fence and I put my hand through and pet them.  (Their tails, people, NOWHERE near anyone’s teeth)  I felt incredibly brave since alligators/crocodiles is one of my biggest irrational fears.  

 

When it closed, we headed back towards the Villa - Micah suggested their usual Sunday evening fare of smoothies and popcorn but Damian and I opted for something more substantial and Steve dropped us at a nearby Lebanese restaurant called O’Paillottes where we enjoyed some great food and drinks. The waitress was concerned because she couldn’t provide change for the equivalent of a $5 bill - I told her to keep the change, which made her quite happy. (Unfortunately, Damian and I weren’t thinking about the ice not being filtered water and had quite a scare when we realized our mistake) We offered to grab a taxi, but it was so close that Steve picked us up and then invited us to join the family for game night, homemade chocolate chip cookies and to view the blood moon lunar eclipse.  This time it was me who wasn’t feeling well and I kept to the room while Damian joined them for some night sky magic and we asked for a raincheck on game night and went to bed.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th

 

After Steve & Micah got to work, they sent Tian
(the driver) back to the house to pick us up.  We started a little later than expected due to traffic to/from the embassy - but we were off to Lemur Park.  Today is the first day of school for most of the kids in town, so the traffic was exceedingly bad.  People were standing in the middle of the road sel
ling school supplies - wheelchairs and elderly people were parked in the middle of the lane begging - kids were running along the side of the car yelling, “Madame! Madame!” in the hopes of a handout.  Steve warned us not to give away any money, as they’ll recognize the car moving forward and be mobbed repeatedly.  Honestly, it was all a bit overwhelming - so many people EVERYWHERE.  It took us 45 minutes just to drive through a few blocks because we were dodging people, carts, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.

 

We approached the main highway to turn towards Lemur Park but ended up at a Police Roadblock.  Tian said that the main bridge was closed to one way traffic and that we’d have to wait for them to reverse direction to cross.  Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal - we pulled aside and waited patiently.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Damian and Tian were both asking, “Are you SURE you want to see the Lemurs?” and I kept thinking, “they’ve GOT to reverse direction soon, right?” but it was a full forty five minutes before we were allowed to pass.  As far as taking an alternate route, that’s not an option because there aren’t any other roads to get you where you want to go - a continuing problem throughout the country.

The delay did give us a great opportunity for people watching.  Some things we noted - littering is absolutely the norm.  The streets are filthy, and there is garbage everywhere.  Public transportation vans are literally hop on/ hop off style - you wave at the guy in the van, he pulls over, you jump in and pay the ticket taker.  If the van is full, you just hang off the back like we saw in India (but not as bad, as there aren’t people sitting on the hood or the roof or anything crazy like that).  

 

There were many folks doing their laundry in the river, which looked incredibly muddy.  We found out, it’s that color because of the iron oxide - if you were to take a glass of the river water and let it settle in a glass on the counter, it would very quickly separate and look completely clear.  Once their clothing is washed, most of them laid it out on the grass or in the bushes next to the river to dry.  It makes sense because clean water is uncertain in most of the houses - people can go days and days without any access to water unless they carry it in via pails and buckets. 

Even the water at the Bremners villa is non-potable, but they have a distiller on site and a water tank so they don’t have to worry about shortages.

 The sheer number of people out and about is astounding, but it was surprising to see how many of them are wearing American t-shirts:  Chicago Bulls, Harvard, Alabama, etc. Also, the women really do carry things on their heads - many also have babies in arms as they go.  Men can, but primarily carry things on their shoulders or backs. Also - SO MANY people in bare feet on the streets - surprised me a bit.

 There’s a language of honking - I mentioned this before - different honks for different purposes - and we stayed long enough waiting for traffic to clear to get a better understanding of it.

Finally on the road to Lemur Park, we found ourselves behind another car from the American Embassy - Tian recognized the plates.  It turned out to be Steve’s friend Gerald and his family - we all arrived at the same time so we shared a tour guide as we walked around the park.  There are several different species of lemur - some walk to two legs and some walk on four, but they can’t cross breed.  (Technically two of them can, but doing so makes their offspring infertile…)

 

The park was pretty interesting - so many different types of lemurs and a guide who explained the specifics of each, as well as introducing us to alot of the flora and fauna.  I enjoyed it - it was ALOT of walking but definitely worth it.

 

On the drive back to Tana, we were hit with the same traffic jam as before but managed to get by in less time and drove directly to the embassy to have lunch with Steve and Micah.  Steve gave us a tour and dropped us off at the little commissary to buy some souvenirs (and chocolate) to take home before bringing us back to Tian.

 

Interesting note:  Malagasy are VERY serious about following the rules of the traffic circle (heed to the car already in the circle). There’s only one traffic light in Antananarivo, and it’s never working anyway - and honestly, I haven’t seen a single stop sign either.  

 

Tian drove us back to the villa with a stop at the pharmacy - with Damian not taking the Anti-malarials, it made sense to buy some anti-biotics, which are over the counter here in Madagascar.  Then off to take a nap.

 

When Steve & Micah got home, we had a wonderful dinner that their housekeeper (Olga) made - a traditional Malagasy dish called Ravitoto - which is alot like collard greens.  It was good - not my favorite, but certainly edible - a little bitter, but much better with pineapple & pineapple juice on top of it.  It was lovely to have a taste of the local flavor - and Steve & Micah ensure me that her recipe is the best.

 

After dinner, we played a rousing game of “Loud Librarians” - which Steve & Micah easily won - and then took a nap before it was time to head to the airport for our flight to Tanzania.  Steve woke up to meet the cab at midnight and ensure we got safely on our way to the airport.

Random fact: Zebu is a type of cow - also called the "humpback ox" because it has a hump in its neck where it stores fat.

Madagascar - Part One - Nosy Be

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

 

Arrived after a 25 plus hour journey to Antananarivo, Madagascar - I’m starting to realize my old body can’t handle the red eye nearly as well as it used to - but we got such an incredible deal on the flights I won't complain.

The flights were relatively dull until we reached our final destination about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday when one of our bags failed to arrive on the conveyor belt with the others.  Fortunately, there were about thirty other people awaiting bags as well - turns out it just took an hour for them to make it inside.  This was our first taste of “Malagasy time” - nothing happens quickly - and this will be a recurring theme throughout our trip.

My friend Steve Bremner was there to pick us up and take us back to his house.  Steve and I went to BYU together and performed in “110 in the Shade” my junior year.  GREAT memories.  We met up about a year ago when he was passing through Washington DC between work assignments and he and his wife Micah invited us to visit them in Madagascar - so I kept my eyes on flights and now here we are! 

 

As we drove through the mostly quiet streets, we passed the occasional hand pulled cart with goods and hundreds of stray dogs all along the roadside.  Many of the people we passed were barefoot and those not pulling carts carried their goods balanced expertly on their heads.  Steve had returned from the U.S. only the night before, so he was as jet lagged as we were - and thoughtfully led us straight to the guest room for a glorious night of sleep. But not before sneaking the 48 bags of chocolate chips we brought for our hosts into the kitchen - apparently that’s one of the only things you can’t get via APO mail so we brought a whole suitcase full!

 Although there isn’t a huge risk of malaria in Tana, he suggested we still sleep under the mosquito netting because they tend to buzz around your ear and interrupt your sleep - which is exactly what we did.  He also told us not to drink the water and to brush our teeth with bottled water - advice we also followed.

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

 

After MUCH NEEDED sleep we got our first taste of the city heading back to the airport for our flight to Nosy Be. The streets were absolutely OVERFLOWING with life.  People walking everywhere completely unbothered by traffic - handcarts - tuk tuk taxis - scooters and bicycles - women with enormous parcels on their head and a baby on their hip - feral chickens and dogs - little roadside stands all along the road with people selling their wares (be it food or fruit or car parts….)  Everyone seemed super laid back and unhurried - and I was struck with the fact that I didn’t see a single white face the entire drive from Steve’s villa to the airport. 

 

There is lots of honking, and though the traffic wasn’t quite as chaotic as India, it came close. There seemed to be a language to the honks - a quick honk to let someone know you were passing on their left - a little longer honk to say hello to a fellow traveler you know - a long honk to indicate irritation in someone not following the rules.

 

We passed houses that were framed with sticks rather than lumber, and tons of tin huts along the river - poverty is everywhere, and as a result they do have issues with crime and homelessness - but for the most part, the people are kind and hardworking.  All the hustle and bustle meant that the taxi barely moved and it took eons to get to the National terminal - but it made sense why Steve says nothing happens quickly in Madagascar.

 

After checking in for our flight, we sat down in the terminal to relax until boarding.  Shortly after, the airport power went out and thrust the room into partial darkness.  Nobody gasped.  Nobody even blinked.  It was so bizarre - as if this is something that happens all the time so why worry about it.  Flights continued to board without delay and the power returned about 20 minutes later.

 

When it was our time to board we exited the terminal and I swear to you, we had to walk about a half mile to get to the airplane - it was a beautiful night so it wasn’t a bother.  The flight to Nosy Be took about an hour and forty five minutes but once again my bag was the last one to appear after everyone else had collected theirs and left.  (Starting to get a complex about this…)  We were met at the airport by our pre-booked taxi who took us to our hotel on Ambrondrona Beach.  

 On the drive from the airport Damian got violently sick and we had to pull over - I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that ill, actually.  Fortunately I brought some ginger chews and some dramamine, but he was absolutely miserable.  We believe it was the anti-malarial drugs that simply messed up his stomach combined with the crazy roads and the driver weaving around tuk tuks and scooters - but whatever it was, it was NOT pretty.

 

Our hostess, Angeline, met us and walked us through the apartment and the rules.  She spoke no English - we spoke no French - but thanks to Google translate, we were able to sort it out.  Damian got straight into bed and I went out on the beach in search of some dinner and found a really lovely restaurant  just a few hundred feet from our back porch.  I grabbed a quick bite, went back to the room and fell into a deep sleep.

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th

Friday morning it was obvious that Damian was still far too sick to head out on a dive boat, so I cancelled the reservation with Scuba Nosy Be (conveniently located 50 feet from our back porch) and tried to change our flights back to Antananarivo to Sunday so we’d have another chance on Saturday, but ZERO luck there.  While Damian spent the day recovering in bed, I walked out along the beach, sauntered up to the main road to buy water and biscuits, and spent the day feeding the stray dogs along the beach.  There were ALOT of them and over the next two days they began to follow me around like the pied piper of Hamlin - one in particular “Stumpy” had obviously broken his back leg and it had healed badly, but he was still able to run on three legs. Then there was Mama Red - skin and bones, but with swollen teats.  “Chill” who was content to wait his turn, and “Snappy” who wasn’t.  It was a wonderful way to spend the day, but at the end of the day I was COVERED in what turned out to be sand fly bites - my legs looked like I had smallpox.

 

Sitting on the back porch watching the waves and waiting for Damian to wake up, two women with baskets on their head walked by selling fresh fruit - so I bought a mango just because they were so charming. This caused everyone else within viewing distance trying to sell something to run up to the deck - fruits, fish, trinkets, souvenirs...

 

When Damian finally arose after noon, he wasn’t in the mood to eat so I walked back down to the beach bar for a club sandwich (with seven dogs in tow) then watched Project Runway on the beach.  Knowing we weren’t able to change the flights, we booked a snorkel trip for tomorrow so we’d be able to get in the water, then grabbed an early dinner and went to sleep.

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th

 

Damian was feeling MUCH better on Saturday when our guide Julien picked us up at the hotel.  There was nobody else on the tour, so along with our driver and Julien’s daughter Julienna we headed north about twenty minutes and caught a boat to Sakatia Island.  To say this was a snorkel CRUISE (as outlined in the flyer) is QUITE a stretch - it was a tiny little dinghy with an outbound motor that looked about as old as I am.  Nonetheless, it got us to the island and our first stop where we jumped in the crystal clear water with giant sea turtles.  Honestly, the reefs were beautiful but the turtles were just magnificent.  We spent about half an hour there then got back in the boat and tottled over to another reef where there were tons of little fish and sea life - pretty, but disappointing after the turtles.

 

From there, we took the boat to shore and visited Sakatia village - an obvious tourist trap with little booths set up along the beach selling souvenirs and trinkets.  We weren’t interested in shopping, so Julien took us on a little tour and told us a bit about the island.

 

For a start, there is no electricity on the island whatsoever - 300 people live there full time and a handful of makeshift houses have solar panels to run lights in the evening.  Julien showed us pretty much every plant we walked by and talked about it’s uses - i.e. Jackfruit cures constipation, lemongrass tea puts you to sleep, boiled guava leaves will alleviate a stomach ache, and so on.  It was quite primitive with people washing clothes in the sea and hanging them on thatched roofs - and the oddest looking chickens I’ve seen.

 Julien invited us to relax on the beach while he went out and bought fish from the local fishermen and then we headed back to the mainland and home to Nosy Be.

 

After a shower, Damian decided on a nap (still recovering) and I treated myself to a massage on the beach.  There was literally a woman with a little beach lounge - she said, “take off your pants” (which I did) then “take off your shirt” (which I did) then “take this off” (my bra) and there I am all laid out face down in my underwear on a public beach.  Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m not shy and I don’t give a whit about nudity, but it gave me a good chuckle to think about the people at the beach bar just a few feet away getting an unexpected show.  When it was over, I paid her double her asking price which made her exceptionally happy (before you think I’m being irresponsible, the massage was 30,000 ariary or about $8 USD) and bought some packaged Madagascan vanilla from her to take home.  I wish I’d known she was there earlier cause I’d have gone yesterday for a massage as well.

 

After the massage, I walked back up to the store for more biscuits and a final round of feeding the dogs.  I begged Damian to let me take Stumpy home - even though I know it’s not possible - I just want to rescue every one of them and bring them back to live on a dog ranch for the rest of their days.

 

Out of cash, I then took my first Tuk Tuk up the road to the ATM so I’d have enough money to pay the taxi taking us back to the airport.  I paid Angeline for the room (we reserved three nights so we could stay until evening) and we headed back to the airport for our flight to Tana.

 

Steve was again kind enough to pick us up and we shared the stories of our adventures on the drive back to his villa.

Guess what came to visit us today? (Hint: It's not the fox)

 

Ugh.

I start with “ugh” intentionally, so you’ll understand straight away this isn’t one of those “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” stories. 

Damian tested positive for COVID last night.  He’s been unwell for about a day and a half, but between the massive pollen we’ve had thus far this season (which makes my black Mercedes resemble the color of Donald Trump’s golden toilet) and the crazy weather patterns – it’s unsurprising one of us would end up with a cold/flu.  I just figured it would be me.

Let me just quickly clarify – when I say crazy weather patterns – this is what we’ve been experiencing:

                Winter temperatures (froze the pipes again)

                Mild Winter temps  (“more than a sweater” weather)

                SUMMER

                Winter Round 2

                One day of Spring

                THE BOWELS OF HELL heat

                Winter Round 3

                Thunderstorms

                More Thunderstorms

                THUNDERSTORMS SIGNIFYING  THE GODS ON MT OLYMPUS ARE AT WAR

                Back to Summer

                One day of beautiful spring weather

                TORNADOES BLOWING TREES AND HOUSES DOWN (not kidding – check the news)

Yeah, ridiculously CRAZY weather patterns.  

Damian doesn’t get sick often, so when he does it’s a pretty big deal.  It went from a bit of a scratchy throat to “please not a cold just before the weekend”  (at this point he’s still texting to tease Donna about rescuing her UPS box and giving the neighbors grief about their obsessive-compulsive gardening habits) to “Do you still have your father’s revolver so I can put myself out of my misery” fairly quickly.  Fever.  Coughing.  Congestion.  Body aches. Down for the count.  Done.  Sleeping all day.  Nothing but Vitamin C, electrolytes, hot tea with lemon and honey and some Advil Cold & Flu. 

He doesn’t let me pamper him nearly as much as he takes care of me when I’m out after surgery – it’s not a complaint (he just feels like garbage and wants to hide until he’s human again) - but it’s hard to watch wishing I could do more to take away his pain.

Wasn’t tired at bedtime so I played on my phone for a bit then started feeling gloriously sleepy.  Turned on the white noise (to deafen the dog’s snoring), turned on the fan (to blow the dog’s farts away from my bed), and settled in with my second favorite pillow (the dog pee’d on my favorite one during previously mentioned thunderstorms of doom) and tried to get comfy.

Nope.  Too much pain.  Lots of pain still going on from surgery, all over the place.  Crap.

Took a pain pill, waited 30 minutes for it to work its magic and “Hallelujah! I’m out of pain!” but now I’m also wide awake.  Completely awake.  “Let’s make coffee and mow the lawn!” awake. Tried soothing music, tried guided sleep meditation, tried the mental imagery  techniques my counselor taught me when we were studying sleep hygiene – no help.  It’s as if my brain doesn’t realize I haven’t slept so I’m sitting at my desk at 5:30 am wondering how I’m going to get through the day on zero rest and make sure Damian has everything he needs to get through the worst of this.  (Covid hit him hard last time.)

So far, I feel fine – exhausted, of course - but it’s one more reason I’m grateful that surgery for next week is canceled.  The sun is starting to come up – guess I’ll get started on some homework.

PEOPLE OF WAL-MART

 PEOPLE OF WAL-MART

Today, after yet another visit to the hospital for more post-op blood tests, urine tests, poking, prodding, etc. - I was feeling pretty cranky (hey, they were fasting labs after all) but made a quick dash to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies for the birthday cake I promised my friend Donna.

Although I almost never use it, I have a temporary handicap placard and there were NO parking spots available anywhere close to the doors so I decided being in pain, I was going to take advantage of it.

I hang my placard and gently step out of the car and some redneck guy who had probably been circling the parking lot for an insane amount of time waiting for a good spot took one look at me and said, "You don't look disabled to me." and scowled.

Now, I'm not saying I DID - but I just MAY have turned to face him head on and lifted up my shirt to expose my VERY impressive full body stitches across my entire abdomen and chest as well as my remaining surgical drain and pus covered gauge where the skin isn't healing.

If I HAD actually done this, I could tell you honestly the look on his face was one of the most rewarding things I've ever experienced as I turned and walked towards the entrance.