Tribal visit

Visited the Iraqwi tribe today. Actually a small Iraqwi village. The
Iraqwi have lived here for 700 years. Came from Ethiopia. Farming
community. They also own the land and mine the clay to make bricks. The 50
families share the land with the clay, and make the bricks to sustain
themselves and earn money needed to send their children to school.

Our guide at the village was the assistant chief. We went to their home.
We were dressed in local outfits somewhat. And we're served corn and beans
for lunch. Then the assistant chief pulled out his fiddle and we
participated in sing and dance.

After tossing bricks in the backyard, and with it still being so hot, I
don't believe I would make it as an Iraqwi!

Serengeti Sojourn

Four days. No internet. No radio. No tv. No connection to the outside
world. It was grand!!

Elephants, giraffes, lions, impala, cape buffalo, hyena, dik dik, jackal,
fox, gazelle, hippos, cheetahs, wildebeest, leopard and even some wild
dogs so rare the guide saw them 4 years ago.

Endless grassland. Grasses 3 feet tall. Many acacia and many kinds. Also a
tree called the sausage tree. Miles of flat grassland and then the guide
says, lion next to that grassy bump 50 ft from the road. Two. Males. Big
names. Or drive miles and into woodland and guide says leopard on that
tree limb. All the untrained eye could see was a stick hanging down.
Actually that is the leopard tail.

At the hippo pool where there were 100 or lounging on each other you could
hear them breathing, snoozing, wheezing in the water.

Balloon ride at sunrise over the Serengeti. We could hear the herd of 200+
buffalo swishing through the tall grasses as the moved along. Same with
the elephants we saw on the rivers edge eating. They were so close you
could here them swish the grass into there trunks and swish away as they
moved along.

Oh! Wow! The wildebeest migration! We drove to find the action. Thousands
upon thousands of wildebeest moving together. And then thousands still
standing just eating. Many pix no way to upload here.

Tent camping, that will be a story for another day. Includes delicious
cooked meals. And 'navy' showers.


At the

Maasai Village memory bites

Visited a Maasai Village today. Three houses in the boma we visited. The
women paired up with each of us and dressed us in costume. From there
- singing and dancing
- the beaded collar was shimmied what to make it move
- the guys singing and rhythm they jump up and down. The higher the jump
the more eligible the bachelor. Women shoulder bump the guy they like. And
so it goes
- we carried things on our head ha ha. Never make it as a maasai
- we thatched a roof
- and then put the mud and dung on the outside of house wall. Hmmmm. Not
so sure that was a good idea without a nailbrush close by!
- hot hot hot. Sunny. Much too much!
- finally got inside a house for some education on the culture. Plus mint
tea. Very refreshing.

Rest of day drove through beautiful scenery to Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge.
Beautiful setting. Nice breeze here.