Sunday, March 7, 2010
March 7 Back from Serengeti
There were lions! sooo amazing. When we got back thursday the internet was down and the power has been going in and out since then.
Highlights of Serengeti: Lions! and 5 cubs, and 4 leopards! and Black Rhinos in Ngorongoro Crater!!! They're my absolute favorite. ooo and a ginormus monitor lizard, and hippos fighting, and crocodiles, and jackals and a serval cat! Everything was amaaaazing. I've decided that I need to live here for a sizeable chunk of my life.
Today was our last non-program day in TZ. We went to the Karatu market and I bought way too many things but I was super proud of my bargaining skills, the men treated me like Mbogo (a Tanzanian), and talked to me in Kiswahili cuz I totally know my numbers, and I had no idea what other words they were saying, but Festo told me I was a very good bargainer. So I got more beautiful fabrics cuz they don't have such nice colorful ones in Kenya, I got a sweet machete, like a real tanzanian would use, not a stupid touristy one, and I got a sick barack obama belt.
This week is gonna be really stressful because I have TONS of work to do and finals in less than a week. eghhh
Highlights of Serengeti: Lions! and 5 cubs, and 4 leopards! and Black Rhinos in Ngorongoro Crater!!! They're my absolute favorite. ooo and a ginormus monitor lizard, and hippos fighting, and crocodiles, and jackals and a serval cat! Everything was amaaaazing. I've decided that I need to live here for a sizeable chunk of my life.
Today was our last non-program day in TZ. We went to the Karatu market and I bought way too many things but I was super proud of my bargaining skills, the men treated me like Mbogo (a Tanzanian), and talked to me in Kiswahili cuz I totally know my numbers, and I had no idea what other words they were saying, but Festo told me I was a very good bargainer. So I got more beautiful fabrics cuz they don't have such nice colorful ones in Kenya, I got a sweet machete, like a real tanzanian would use, not a stupid touristy one, and I got a sick barack obama belt.
This week is gonna be really stressful because I have TONS of work to do and finals in less than a week. eghhh
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19
Wednesday we spent the day in Tarangire National Park, about an hour away from camp. We were doing a wildlife count for Wildlife Management class. It was amazing, we saw over 300 elephants! around lunchtime we went to the safari lodge in the park and went swimming in the pool.
We took a game drive out of the park, and looked sooo hard for lions, but didn't see any. Then we stopped at Dr. Kissui's research station, where he does lion research for David Packer's Lion project in Tarangire. It was an amazing day.
African sickness that night and all day yesterday.So, when Sarah got up she gave me some Gatorade and told me I didn't have to go to class, and I just laid in bed all day. Thankfully it was only a 24hr thing, I feel much much better today. I actually asked Allie if I woke her up when I got up to go to the bathroom multiple times that night, and she said she kinda woke up, but she was dreaming about dinosaurs, so every time I got up she thought I was just going to battle evil dinosaurs. Thankfully, last night I didn't battle a single dinosaur.
Today we walked to people's farms interviewing them about human-wildlife conflicts. The last home we went into had an amazing poster on the wall titled OBAMA THE CHAMPION, and had pictures of winning athletes with Obama's head photoshopped onto them. Like, US Olympic runners, body builders, one of him boxing McCain..hilarious and amazing.
Now, I have 2 papers to write for Swahili and Environmental Policy.
Tomorrow we have a Non-scheduled Program day, and we're visiting an orphanage and then going to a lodge to go swimming and eat lunch.
We took a game drive out of the park, and looked sooo hard for lions, but didn't see any. Then we stopped at Dr. Kissui's research station, where he does lion research for David Packer's Lion project in Tarangire. It was an amazing day.
African sickness that night and all day yesterday.So, when Sarah got up she gave me some Gatorade and told me I didn't have to go to class, and I just laid in bed all day. Thankfully it was only a 24hr thing, I feel much much better today. I actually asked Allie if I woke her up when I got up to go to the bathroom multiple times that night, and she said she kinda woke up, but she was dreaming about dinosaurs, so every time I got up she thought I was just going to battle evil dinosaurs. Thankfully, last night I didn't battle a single dinosaur.
Today we walked to people's farms interviewing them about human-wildlife conflicts. The last home we went into had an amazing poster on the wall titled OBAMA THE CHAMPION, and had pictures of winning athletes with Obama's head photoshopped onto them. Like, US Olympic runners, body builders, one of him boxing McCain..hilarious and amazing.
Now, I have 2 papers to write for Swahili and Environmental Policy.
Tomorrow we have a Non-scheduled Program day, and we're visiting an orphanage and then going to a lodge to go swimming and eat lunch.
Monday, February 15, 2010
February 15
I'm doin great! the internet's been shotty the past few days and the powers been goin in and out too. totally Cranberry Lake flashbacks. I've been keepin pretty busy with classes.I just finished revising a paper for Wildlife Ecology and have 2 more due on Saturday for Swahili, about the Maasai Boma visit, and Envir. Policy, about a resource use activity we did where we went around talking to people about resources and issues they face. Wednesday we go to Tarangire National Park!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
February 7
I just had an amazing day! went to a traditional Iragw tribe home and learned their culture, danced, sang with the little kids, and then had an amazing cheeseburger at this awesome restaurant. went to the market which was suuuuper ridiculous! bought some really cool fabrics, went back to the restaurant for drinks and was taught dance moves by Festo... my most favorite tanzanian ever... it was pretty awesome.
The market was kinda overwhelming though, it was just this huge fair almost, where people had all their stuff laid out on tarps on the ground everywhere, everything from used shoes and clothes, fabrics, and hats to produce and livestock. We're totally a huge target here. Everyone just flocks to us and tries to get us to buy things. I had someone following me for at least 5 minutes trying to get me to buy his necklaces and statues. I did get some really sweet fabric though.
They really like Barack Obama like crazy here! and they try to sell us so many things with his face on it. bags, bracelets, tapestries... it's pretty funny.
Dance class from Festo was also pretty awesome. i wish you could meet him, i try to spend as much time as possible around him cuz he has a really dry sense of humor, and he's very subtle so if you actually try and listen to what he's saying it's absolutely hilarious. He told me today he that he has to listen to the news everyday because he has to hear if his president is going to kill him...so it is important to listen to the news EVERYday. haha and I know that sounds awful but he says it with such a straight serious face and then he just smiles and starts laughing, so it's hilarious. Sooo many Festo one liners, and videos of all the things we've been doing.
today was especially fun. I really like hanging out with Sarah and Erika the SAM and intern. we seem to witness the best festo moments. Yuda, my swahili teacher is also REALLY funny. he got down on the dance floor for us today also. he translates for us and laughs at our ridiculousness.
We had pizza tonight. sooooo good! not really like pizza at all, but still really good. for RAP (Reflection, Announcement, Presentation) Betsy(the other Betsy!... but she's really Elizabeth so she's totally a poser) had us split up into groups and write songs to the jingle of an existing well known song, about things we have encountered here in tanzania. liiiike, not having enough forks for our meals, and ppl having to eat spaghetti with spooons, or the acacia thorns that are everywhere and not so nice to run into, or people at the market trying to shove items on us at the last second, or Yuda's laugh and swahili class...stuff like that. It's pretty awesome cuz each day someone new has to lead RAP and we do all these crazy activities like different group games, or dance lessons, which was the other night and was pretty stellar. swing and salsaaaa.
ok time for reading and bed. cultural experience tomorrow with the Maasai! then i have to write a report about it. Good Night...or Good Afternoon.
Love, bets
The market was kinda overwhelming though, it was just this huge fair almost, where people had all their stuff laid out on tarps on the ground everywhere, everything from used shoes and clothes, fabrics, and hats to produce and livestock. We're totally a huge target here. Everyone just flocks to us and tries to get us to buy things. I had someone following me for at least 5 minutes trying to get me to buy his necklaces and statues. I did get some really sweet fabric though.
They really like Barack Obama like crazy here! and they try to sell us so many things with his face on it. bags, bracelets, tapestries... it's pretty funny.
Dance class from Festo was also pretty awesome. i wish you could meet him, i try to spend as much time as possible around him cuz he has a really dry sense of humor, and he's very subtle so if you actually try and listen to what he's saying it's absolutely hilarious. He told me today he that he has to listen to the news everyday because he has to hear if his president is going to kill him...so it is important to listen to the news EVERYday. haha and I know that sounds awful but he says it with such a straight serious face and then he just smiles and starts laughing, so it's hilarious. Sooo many Festo one liners, and videos of all the things we've been doing.
today was especially fun. I really like hanging out with Sarah and Erika the SAM and intern. we seem to witness the best festo moments. Yuda, my swahili teacher is also REALLY funny. he got down on the dance floor for us today also. he translates for us and laughs at our ridiculousness.
We had pizza tonight. sooooo good! not really like pizza at all, but still really good. for RAP (Reflection, Announcement, Presentation) Betsy(the other Betsy!... but she's really Elizabeth so she's totally a poser) had us split up into groups and write songs to the jingle of an existing well known song, about things we have encountered here in tanzania. liiiike, not having enough forks for our meals, and ppl having to eat spaghetti with spooons, or the acacia thorns that are everywhere and not so nice to run into, or people at the market trying to shove items on us at the last second, or Yuda's laugh and swahili class...stuff like that. It's pretty awesome cuz each day someone new has to lead RAP and we do all these crazy activities like different group games, or dance lessons, which was the other night and was pretty stellar. swing and salsaaaa.
ok time for reading and bed. cultural experience tomorrow with the Maasai! then i have to write a report about it. Good Night...or Good Afternoon.
Love, bets
Saturday, February 6, 2010
February 6
I saw lots of elephants today and took tons of pictures and video. It was our last trip to Manyara National Park. It's amazing there. tons of flamingos, giraffes, zebras, impala, buffalo, baboons, horn beaks, vervet monkeys, and hippos! didn't get to see any lions, but we did see a half eatten gazelle hanging out of a tree that was probably a leopard's lunch. It was really awesome. now i have swahili and environment policy class.
Safari etiquette was just the basics. be quiet around animals, if ur driver says to duck down in the truck, duck down...and a special request from the drivers that even though it seems windy up above when you're standing up out the hatch, it's still stuffy inside the truck, and we're all still adjusting to our new diets... so just bare that in mind.
haha today we did get really close to a herd of elephants though, and they were gettin a little annoyed at times. so that's when you just back out of their way... cuz they can actually flip your car...and they will. baboons are dangerous too if they see you have snacks..you're just supposed to give them whatever they want. They're EVERYWHERE.
We're going into Karatu tomorrow to the local monthly market. it should be pretty awesome. everybody's excited to wear there skirts. The clothes i brought are good, gettin a lot of use.
i've been us since a little after 5 tho so i'm super tired and don't really ever get much sleep. It's totally worth it though.
dogs and hyaenas and ppl singing is an amazing thing to fall asleep too, and wake up too! the birds start super early. i wake up to chickens and and cows and all sorts of birds, and the sunrise every morning.
Safari etiquette was just the basics. be quiet around animals, if ur driver says to duck down in the truck, duck down...and a special request from the drivers that even though it seems windy up above when you're standing up out the hatch, it's still stuffy inside the truck, and we're all still adjusting to our new diets... so just bare that in mind.
haha today we did get really close to a herd of elephants though, and they were gettin a little annoyed at times. so that's when you just back out of their way... cuz they can actually flip your car...and they will. baboons are dangerous too if they see you have snacks..you're just supposed to give them whatever they want. They're EVERYWHERE.
We're going into Karatu tomorrow to the local monthly market. it should be pretty awesome. everybody's excited to wear there skirts. The clothes i brought are good, gettin a lot of use.
i've been us since a little after 5 tho so i'm super tired and don't really ever get much sleep. It's totally worth it though.
dogs and hyaenas and ppl singing is an amazing thing to fall asleep too, and wake up too! the birds start super early. i wake up to chickens and and cows and all sorts of birds, and the sunrise every morning.
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