Dreams Come True - A Safari Christmas

...This post has been too, too long in coming, but...

  Well, it has finally happened. Its been a long road from watching 'Mutual of Omaha's; Wild Kingdom' with Marlin Perkins as a very young boy, to finally realizing my dream of being on a proper African Safari. Add to that going on it with your best friend ever, a dream come true.

  Over Christmas, Gabby and I along with Dena a friend from the other St Jude campus, went on a 5 day tenting safari going first to Lake Manyara, then a couple of nights in the Serengeti, finishing up in the stunningly beautiful Ngorongoro Crater.

Now although we didn't get to witness a hunt by a big cat(s), we did see our share of them. Lions we saw several times with a couple of  'moments of interest' by the felines on a potential meal (warthog, cape buffalo). Upon arrival to the Serengeti on our way through to the middle, we came across a male and female pair of cheetah sitting majestically on some low rocks, giving them a vantage point on some far off wildebeest. So beautiful! Once in the Serengeti, we did four half day game drives and saw three separate, solitary leopards relaxing in their own tree.

Our friend Dena who came with, is a hard core birder. We saw dozens of species that were new even to her eyes and some of them were a treat for us too. Beautiful. The four or five better quality photos you will see below are from Dena. If you too are a birder, here is a link to her site. http://www.dparis.com/

Here are photos from...

Lake Manyara:

The rare African Two-Headed Giraffe...

We could have watched the baby elephants all day.  So cute!

Zebra bums- the beauty of symmetry in nature

The Serengeti:

As we were driving in to the Serengeti, one of the first sets of animals we saw was this pair of cheetah.  They were stunning as they posed on their rock.  Photo credits: Dena

We saw quite a few lions in Serengeti, but unfortunately Brent could not fulfill his dream of seeing a hunt.  Photo credits: Dena

These hyenas were quite eager to check out our safari vehicles.

Two young jackals playfully nudging each other.

Waking up on Christmas morning to a Serengeti sunrise!

Gabby had never heard of a topi before.  What an educational trip.

You might think we were just hanging out with this leopard in the tree.  Now pan out to the 40 safari vehicles all crammed into a small space, trying to get a better view.  Photo credit: Dena

We found these boys by the side of the road... this is the Maasai traditional paint to indicate that a boy has been circumcised.  With no anesthetic, might we add. They are then off to roam the world as a man, fend for themselves and find a wife.

What a treat to catch a glimpse of the great migration.  This pic does not do justice to the "herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains."

Dena is an avid birder, and took many stunning bird photos, such as this lilac-breasted roller.

Baboons are everywhere in Tanz... they're considered a pest, a bit like squirrels in Calgary.  However, I think they're way more interesting to watch than squirrels.

As we were leaving the Serengeti we got a flat tire.  Amazing Richard the guide and the cook had that thing fixed so fast, we almost thought we were in the grand prix.

As we waited for our super-speedy tire change, the Maasai kids in the area started coming over to "talk to us" (translation: ask for money).  They are very friendly and fun, though.

A stunning view as we were driving out of the Serengeti.

The drive from Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater provided us with surreal views of the sun lighting up the valleys.

The Ngorongoro Crater photos seem to not be loading at this moment but we will post them later!

To be continued...

Hiking with Churches

Friday evening we got a text from the Church family, inviting us for a Saturday morning hike.  Davona Church is the director of Cradle of Love where Brent works, mostly teaching her two daughters Mariah and Staci. 

The Churches (Davona, her husband Max, their son Brendan, Mariah and Staci) picked us up in the morning and we began driving towards Arusha National Park.  Just before the park we turned off and continued along a very bumpy road through villages, forests and farms, heading up the slopes of Mount Meru.

They had brought along some extra blankets and cookies that they didn't need, so we started got out at a village rather high up in the hills and passed out our goodies. 

 

We were also passing out cookies to any kids we saw on the side of the road, usually working hard carrying huge piles of wood or buckets of water on top of their heads.  Sadly, the first group of little girls we stopped for, carrying very large buckets of water on their heads, saw us stop the car and their faces reflected sheer terror.  One of them screamed, and they all began running away as fast as they could, dropping their hard-earned water on the ground.  Max told us that in some more remote areas where they rarely see a white person, children are told that the "Mzungus" (white people) will try to eat them.  We felt terrible about this!

Finally we arrived at our destination.  We parked the car in the middle of the forest amidst some very tasty wild raspberry bushes and started hiking up.

Us looking fresh at the beginning of the hike.  We're not actually that tall.  It's some kind of optical illusion.

The walk was beautiful... taking us through vine-covered jungle, misty moss-covered trees that reminded us of coastal BC, and alpine meadows.  After awhile the girls became tired and Davona took them back to the car, leaving me, Brendan, Brent and Max to keep exploring.  We had a lovely time, chatting about our dreams and admiring the plants and scenic views.

Max and Brendan take a well-deserved rest.

Seems like a little fairy should pop out from under here or something...

When we got back to the vehicle, we had a bit of a depressing discovery... the window had been smashed and the contents cleared.  Davona and the girls were mourning the loss of Davona's purse, several more blankets they were going to give out, and the girls' backpacks with books and toys.  Argh!

Despite the damper on the mood, we headed back to their house at the baby home, for a delicious pasta lunch.  We felt blessed with the warmth of good food, good conversation and friendship. 

As we were headed out the door to hug some babies and then head home, we found the girls on the stair landing, giving their Barbies a bath.  It was such a quintessential scene of sister-hood. 

 What a lovely way to spend a Saturday.  We were truly grateful for the invite!

Maji Moto

It was a tranquil, beautiful Sunday for us today... we headed out with some other volunteers to a natural pool fed by an underground aquifer.  It is called "Maji Moto"- Swahili for "warm water", because the water is quite pleasantly lukewarm.  It's a marvel, this place.  We drove, bumping along dusty dirt roads through Maasai territory for an hour and a half.  Around us were cacti, dry fields, mud huts, and not much else.  Then the car arrived and we stepped out with dusty skin and misaligned spines.  There in front of us was an oasis.  Surrounded by trees, this pool of crystal clear blue water sits.  We could see right down to the bottom even though it was about 3 m deep at its deepest points. When we jumped in, it had the refreshing feel of clean, crisp water even though it was not cold at all.  We spent the day there... exploring down little channels, jumping off the rope swing, eating "chipsi mayai" (like a spanish omelet) made my a young fellow on the side of the pool, talking and laughing in the water. There were Tanzanian families picnicking, swimming and enjoying each other's company as well.   I felt grateful to have visited this place today, and to have enjoyed one of nature's little surprises with some friends.  Is there much better in life?

French-fry omelets made over the fire... delicious.

Gabby enjoying the delightful water.

The dry, dusty surroundings.

Brent finally worked up the courage to try the rope swing, and loved it!

Sitting on a log relaxing and chatting.

Brabby's Song:The Rough Cut

We wrote this song- about our home, Usa River- back in October, as we were sleepily lazing around our living room after Swahili classes one evening.  It has taken us months to actually post it, as the internet server at our school... something something something (insert nerd language here).  Okay, so we're not going to be up for a Grammy any time soon... but we had fun. Enjoy!  Lyrics are written below....

We left our homes and our families,
One long year for our God to please,
We came to Usa, Usa River.
We live in a big house with yellow walls.
We sleep till morning when the hornbill calls,
We sleep in Usa, Usa River.

And sometimes we think things ain't as great as they seem,
but it's all okay coz we got our ice cream
here in Usa, Usa River.

Gabby goes off to the school all day,
With the teachers she works, with the kids she plays,
Down in Usa, Usa River.
Brent takes the dalla to Cradle of Love
and those babies they're sent here from heaven above,
they live in Usa, Usa River.

Our Australian friends think we're from "Canader"
and Brent wants to see just one more Puff Adder,
here in Usa, Usa River.

Sometimes we miss you all back home.
Our moms, our dads, our can Phantom.
But when we look around, it's clear...  our home is right here.

So don't you worry, and don't you fret.
Neither of us has malaria yet,
mozzies in Usa, Usa River.
And if you can't wait a full year to see them,
Remember there's daily flights on KLM,
via Arusha, just West of Usa.

And if you don't mind Aussies, some Yanks and some Brits,
and water you drink that might give you the.....

Join us in Usa, Usa River.

Malaika Mbili Corners Marmalade Brittany

It is getting close to Christmas.  As I write this, the chicken and stuffing are in the oven and the potatoes are boiling, ready to be mashed.  We are enjoying a Christmas dinner on the 21st of December with our housemates before we head off tomorrow on a safari.  We will wake up on the Serengeti Christmas morning!

We have been around Usa River for two weeks now and it has been filled with adventures. Camping overnight in the Meserani Snake Park, dinner at Khan's BBQ (an auto parts shop that turns into a BBQ restaurant in the evening- my favourite meal so far in Tanzania!), getting fleas in our bed, getting a brutal sunburn on my lower back from bending over in the garden.... good times.  But by far, our favourite adventure so far has been Malaika Mbili Corners Marmalade Brittany.

A few weeks ago we went to Cradle of Love to visit the girls and share some banana bread with the director, Davona.  While we were chatting, Davona mentioned that they had been having some troubles with rats, and that a worker had brought a "little cat" to kill the rats in the supply pantry.  Of course, this piqued Brent's attention and he asked to see the cat.  Inside this pantry, which was extremely hot, we didn't think anyone was there at first because we couldn't hear anything for the longest time.  But after a few minutes, hidden way in a corner, we heard a tiny mewing sound.  Brent then set to the task of trying to catch the cat, and about 15 minutes later, drenched in sweat, he emerged with a tiny little creature, which fit in the palm of his hand.

She was no more than 6 weeks old, which in North America would mean that she would not yet be separated from her mother.  She was terrified, and once Brent was holding her, she started to nuzzle in his neck.  However, whenever he put her down, she would start mewling non-stop in pained tones.  While we visited more with Davona and the babies, we debated about what to do.  We didn't feel right leaving her in that pantry... the rats were bigger than she was, and Davona was allergic, so couldn't take care of her.  We knew some of our house-mates are not in favour of pets, so we couldn't keep her.  However, we decided to take her home for a few days, in order to try and find her a loving home. Most of our house-mates were gone, so it worked out.


When we got her home, our friend Hana immediately fell in love with her.  We had recently befriended a cat at our local restaurant whom we loved, and had named her "Malaika", which is Swahili for Angel.  We decided to name our new kitten"Malaika Mbili"- "Angel 2".  When we got her to our room and put her down, she immediately ran under the bed.  For the whole day, if we were not cuddling her (which she thoroughly enjoyed) and we put her down, she would dash for the nearest dark corner.  We decided a more appropriate name for her might be "Corners", since she seems to love them so much.

The first night she cried intermittently through the night, giving us a glimpse of what new parenting might be like.  Yikes. But after the first day Malaika Mbili Corners started to become more outgoing... when we came in the room she would be hidden in a corner, but then might eventually come padding out across the floor and seek us out.  She began to play with anything that was shiny or moving... there are not to many things more fun that playing with a brand new kitten and a ribbon.  For two days we remained almost entirely fixated on her.  It was bliss. 

This is Brent, trying to calm her down while I set up a temporary litter box in the bathroom.

Hana with the kitty.

She stayed in Brent's arms for almost 2 days.

She seemed to have developed a curiosity for coffee.  We didn't let her have any, as it would stunt her growth:)

The first day I had put out an email to the St Jude's volunteers who lived off-campus, praying as we sent the email that someone would take her.  If nobody replied, we really didn't know what we would do.  Leave her in the village to eat garbage scraps and become a feral cat?  Plead with all of the local hotels to let a cat live on their grounds?  The ad I put out was answered immediately by Shawn, a volunteer at St Jude who has a family here in Tanzania.  Her daughter had been yearning for a kitten for a long time.  The ad had said that we had an "adorable, marmalade cat" available. Shawn said that she would let her daughter name the cat, but that she liked the name "Marmalade".  We arranged to meet her in Arusha the next day.  It was sad to give her away, but we were also so, so happy that she was going to a loving home.  Shawn's daughter and son were coming back from a vacation the next day so we got Malaika Mbili Corners Marmalade all set up in her new home.

Old owner and new owner.  Brent is obviously having mixed feelings over the whole ordeal.

We got an email the next day from Shawn, saying that both of her kids absolutely loved the kitty.  They were taking turns sleeping with her each night.  Her daughter, being a 7 year old girl, named the cat "Brittany". 

We would have loved to keep this little creature.  She stole our heart and we will never forget her.  But we are so thankful that she has found a loving home for good, and we can always come visit her.   Our dear little Malaika Mbili Corners Marmalade Brittany.