The End

I end with my favorite memory of Tanzania -- swimming within 2 feet of a pod of dolphins. I hope you enjoyed my blog. Kwaheri, Good bye.

Remiscing...thoughts, misc stories, good byes

The end of my trip is near.  In the next 18 hours I will be on a flight heading towards Istanbul, Turkey and then home!  It's weird because I not only say Goodbye to Tanzania, but also to my blog.  I shall end with stories that made my trip wonderful...cuz that's how ANY story should end - with stories, memories, and happy endings.

Tanzanians, in general, have taught me many lessons.  For instance, when I came back from my Safari, I had lost my gym shoes.  Thankfully, I'd had the better judgement to bring my backup gym shoes -- the ones that had been through the sewers of Costa Rica.  Unfortunately, however, I did not have the common sense to know not to leave my gym shoes in open view in an unlocked safari car. Of course, I paid the price - they were stolen from me.  I hope that they went to someone that really needed shoes and not a random kleptomaniac.  Anyways, upon returning to Dar, I realized I would have to waltz in to Wards in my open toed shoes and introduce myself as my name is ___ I'm a __ year dental students from __...with sandals! Oh, the mortification.  I then met Dr. S, who immediately brought me to her apt/room and literally gave me her own gym shoes!  How can I forget such kindness and generosity?

Another story...in general, our ''mama two'' in Tanzania, Dr. M would do everything in her possibility to make us happy and comfortable.  For instance, if I said Mama2, I need to find where I can get Internet... she would procure one of her sons..Dr K or Vic to find us the much needed Internet.  From these people, I learned about sharing, giving and hospitality.

My next story is about how we are perceived.  Most people here rarely have exposures to cultures other than their own...not to say that Tanzania is 'mono chromed'...But in general, most people have not stepped outside of Tanzania or its immediate neighboring countries.  So, they would look at us in amazement when they would find out, that J, Nat, and I were from the US...And, their eyes would pop  in amazement when they found we (all 3 are very different in colouring and features) were from the same city/state!

Soo enamored were some of them by the 'america' attached to our backgrounds, that often, it would suffice for them to walk by and feel near to us or say hi or introduce themselves to us.  In fact, I received phone calls from our Bajaaji driver's sister or from the lady down the street who would call, and say hi and ask how I was just to feel near to me.  In that sense, I appreciate the US for the melting pot that it is because with it comes exposure to people of different backgrounds.  You quickly learn that all of the staring and furtive glances, and casual walk bys are nothing but curiosity and an innocent awe of what we are :)

Kariakoo -- any time we would tell people we are living at Kariakoo, their eyes would pop and we'd hear the familiar high-pitched "ahh?!" noise emerge!  ...There are some noises and sounds and expressions very unique to Tanzania... Anyways,  they would then make a comment like, oh, you're really in Africa there!  Are you safe?  And, we would respond that we love Kariakoo.

Kariakoo is considered the ''business'' district of Tanzania.  We spend 20,000 shillings a night or USD $12.50 for a private room with:   a full bed, refrigerator, TV with Aljazeera news channel in English, a private bathroom, fresh linens on the bed, clean bathrooms, Air Conditioning, a ceiling fan, a closet, a desk and Chair, a generator, and honestly.  There has been NO theft what so ever.  I even tested my theory by leaving out a 500TSH note one day.  I hadn't actually done it on purpose, but noted that it remained even when I got back.  Not to say that you are a 100% insulated here...but it's a good option.

In fact, as a warning I'd like to relate a story about that happened to our friend Mur.  Innocent Mur made friends with a 'helpful' Tanzanian named Joneson.  After a full day together, Joneson and Mur were walking back home when they were 'suddenly' apprehended by some ''Tanzanian police officers.'' They were told to enter into a random car.   These men, took mur and his ''friend'' Jonson to an ATM , and demanded Mur withdraw X amount of money for breaking a non existent rule.  Mur quickly caught on these were just common thugs but was forced to maintain the facade for fear of what they MAY do if they knew he knew they were not cops!!...The story ended with them dropping Mur back around Kariakoo and with him having paid them some X amount of shillings.  Lesson learned.  Don't make stupid decisions while in Kariakoo!

Overall, however, the hotel staff are very kind.  They take care of you --- one day they provided me with an escort/security guard to go get some Daafu or coconut on the street at 10pm :)  Moreover, they ask you to keep your valuables with them at the front desk as an added safety measure. And, overall, I only bothered to use one of the locks on my hotel door because that is how safe I felt in my space.  Also, as a general rule, none of us walked alone on the streets after dark or went out much after dark unless in a private taxi with a driver we knew.

Lastly, Tanzanian men, to be exact, are 'touchy'  Being that I'm on the other end of that spectrum (non touchy to the max...I am at least with non family/friends) it took some getting used to.  I don't know if it is because they perceive American women as ''loose'' or if it's because that's how they are with all women... the men here will grab your hand or give you hugs on a whim.  They have no issues draping their arms about your back or shoulders as through you are an old friend.  Often, especially with the street sellers, I would often have to say, don't touch...cuz I"ll be honest, if I don't know you, please don't touch me.  I'm not sure if again this is the American in me not wanting to be touched or if its the Tanzanian in them being more touchy...either ways, it took some getting used to.

My visit to the Balaji Temple here in Tanzania was also pretty amazing.  I got a chance to sit in on a Visu Kannu" or Tamil New Year bhajan (group prayer) event.  I had some pretty amazing traditional Kerala Thaali Food after.

My hosts for my temple visit, Mr. and Mrs. S graciously showed me a little bit about their life here in Tanzania.  At the temple, I got to feel what Hinduism in Tanzania is like.

I got a chance to pray to my family's main god, Balaji, and thank God for everything in my life!.

What else, ...OH Yes we had a day where we went to a English Speaking public School where we handed out stickers, toys, coloring pencils, rings, harmonicas, and toy soldiers/Indians.  We also completed a little survey/questionnaire to asses the health information of children in that particular school.  We interviewed 9-12 years olds on their brushing and dietary habits.  At the end, we used SPSS ( a statistics program) to analyze the data we collected.  We completed a mini report on our findings.

Note pink tooth -- internal resorption because the tooth is near exfoliation. 

Next, a confession.  Despite my regular diet consisting of rice my entire lifetime, I can't lie when I say I enjoyed the bits of American food I would eat now and then in this country.  For those of you nearing the end of your trip seeking that little bit of America -- ask to go to a restaurant called steers -- its near Samora avenue (another option for where to get souvenirs in case you don't want to go all the way to Mwenge each time).  

Next, I also have the happy memory of celebrating Nat's 2_th birthday.  ( A lady never reveals another lady's age, hehe).  We ended up going to this Restaurant called Akeme on the 22nd floor of Jubilee Towers.  Twas an amazing night of poshness and revelry.  Akeme is a revolving restaurant that affords you a panoramic view of Dar.  Here, I had one of the MOST amazing dishes I have ever eaten in my entire life. In the States I've been to Moto, Ing, and a few others amazing 5 star restaurants.  However, my pesto pasta I had here can definitely hold a candle to the dishes I've tried at other restaurants in the world.  The pasta had nuts, tomatoes, eggplant, vegetables, and so many flavors that all coalesced together creating spurts of flavors, textures and feelings.  The number of ingredients the pasta boasts is unbelievable and to not have any one completely take over the dish...yum.  

Finally, an ode to Pillie -- our travel companion.  Pillie is a chipmunk that traveled with us on our Safari together.  Him and my fan helped me survive this country.  Both were also very popular with the natives.  A number of them asked if they could keep either Pillie or my fan.  My answer to both queries was no.  

Lastly, I shall miss my mamas in this country.  I shall miss our friends, and the leisurely lifestyle of hakuna matata.  I shall miss Swahili, the simplicity of life, and I shall miss the life lessons.  

I hope my blog helps you my loyal readers when you choose to take on your own Safari to Tanzania :

~ M

Bogomayo Island

This island is a tiny island just off the coast of Dar Es Salaam.  The 3 of us set off one weekend to it.  The ferry to the island is situated in Oyster Bay, a relatively posh area of Dar.  Here tourist shops are abundant as are functional ATMs.  Restaurants serve pasta, pizza, Chinese food, and more westernized food.  Yes for those of you reading my blog 2 weeks into meals containing rice, Oyster Bay shall truly sound like heaven.

Anyways, we then approached the ticket counter, shelled out 30,000TSH (Muzungo/foreigner price) and climbed onto a leaky fishing boat.  Our boat man had the motor in one hand and a pail in the other to throw out the incoming water.  One of these leaky boats in total costs 4 million shillings (approx 2500USD).  This usually means that the boatman probably does not own his boat.  Rather, a wealthy owner leases out the boat in exchange for a cut of the profits from fishing. 

As our boat mates (the ones that can't swim) began to panic, we were told we were switching boats mid ocean to a medium sized ferry boat.  The rest of the journey was uneventful, minus another mid ocean switch to a little fishing boat.  We finally made it to land. 

Heheh.

Just a pretty picture. This boat probably costs 1 million TSH...on way to ferry ticket counter (visible at far end of picture)

I found some babies on the beach that were excited to be in a picture with me

The skies unfortunately got overcast midway through our trip

I love this picture



 

As noted above, we got some play time in the water and were Enjoying the day with some kids we found on the beach, when suddenly, it got overcast and we were trapped in a rainstorm on the island.  Thankfully, the island had a bunch of Tiki Huts  We got under and got ourselves some Zege, or Chipsi Mayai Or Chips and Eggs and enjoyed the rest of our trip watching the rainstorm pass by. 

 

Our return from the island was an adventure in itself!  The rain storm finally subsided Thankfully, during this time Nat had spent some time becoming friends with the man coordinating the boats for pickup.  We were told that if we missed the final ferry, we'd be stuck on the island over night.  I'm not sure if there are people that live on the isand, but for sure there are people that bring tents and camp over night at the island.  But, back to the point. Thankfully, Nat had friendsted the boat coordinator guy.  He KNEW that we muzungos would step back,and wait and get stranded on the island, so he comandeered the final boat that came to pick us up to stop right at our feet.  Trust me, we needed this!  For every 1 muzungo that got on from the left side of the boat 20 natives shuffle their way on from the right!  We were being hoarded onto the boat, and told to jumpi quiki because the boat would get full.  Thankfully, all three of us and 3 other Muzungos on the island made it on on time.  I think the scarcity of resources has infused the natives to really internalize that phrase ''the early bird gets the worm''..but anyways, the point is we were safe and on the boat!

 

Once we jumped aboard the final ferry, we realized we'd SOME HOW climbed aboard a boat filled with Witnesses! Yes you read it correctly -- Jehovah's Witnesses.  So we spent the rest of the trip taking photos with the witnesses, and made it back.

 

We ended the night having pasta, pina coladas and coca colas on a restaurant ON the indian ocean with the sunset lighting up the scene all around us.  We also found a pet kitten to feed our bony leftovers to.  What an exciting trip it was. 

 



Zanzibar Part III - Prison Island,

The next day, we had signed up for a tour of prison island. Cost: $20USD.  As usual, I woke up, wore my pink striped bikini with a flower on it, my sun block, my kanga, and a cotton shirt and took off to the ferry dock.  As I got on the boat, I popped in my chewable orange Dramamine pill and set off toward Prison island.  As it turns out, prison island is a 1-1.5 hr boat ride from Stone Town.  During the ride I found out from my boatman (who was also a full time fisherman) that HIS cut of the 20USDx3 (60USD) amounted to 4,000TSH.  In case you wondered that’s a whopping 2$.  Makes me think we would have been better off approaching a random fisherman on the street so he gets more of a cut.  Since we had been lazy tourists and just booked through the hotel, we paid a higher price.

Prison island is a private island that was initially built to host rebellious slaves.  Later, a prison was built to be used to quarantine infectious people.  Fortunately, it was neither used as a prison or a hospital. 

Today, they are busy giving it a paint job to re-open it as an exclusive private resort for rich tourists that visit. 

Our arrival had us dropped off at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever laid eyes on.  The sand is white;  the water is an unimaginable shade of blue with the tiniest of waves lapping at our feet.  Although not huge, it was medium in size and provided for pictures that you find in those articles about ‘’TOP 10 beaches it he world.’’  As beautiful as it is by day, by evening, the sand bank is eaten up by the encroaching water and what remains is a tiny strip of sand reminding us there WAS a beach we’d spent the entire day playing on.  Prison Island is also special because it hosts a program to re-populate this Giant tortoise population that had been driven to near extinction by theifs and bad people in the past.  I can’t lie…I chose this tour for two reasons.  1.  Because you can pet the tortoises (unlike the Galapagos) and 2. because I had hoped to enjoy snorkeling around the island.

As you enter the island you’re led to a sanctuary for these tortoises.  With our luck, we happened upon one extremely horsey tortoise that kept chasing all the females and mating with them.  Tortoise mating involves some thrusting and awkward moaning noises that would make anyone blush to be a part of their private moment.  Of course, I was a terrible tourist and videotaped this phenomenon, hehe. 

Besides this, we also learned that the tortoises LO VE to be petted.  When you first arrive the tortoises would cower within their shells.  But, if you pet their arms and legs, they’ll soon pop out and stand for you to show u their long, graceful necks, so you can pet them.   After getting my full share of petting and posing, I left to visit the nursery with the 3-7 year old tortoises. 

Now, I’m not sure if God overheard my jealousy from the day before or not, but my little baby tortoise decided, as I was carrying it taking a photo, to squiggle its legs, make an awkward farting noise, and let out a stream of urine.  Thankfully, the urine did not hit me and I quickly handed him back to our tour guide mid-pee.  Now that I’ve seen them in the Galapagos and Zanzibar, I think I’ve officially had my fill of Giant Turtles/Tortoises. 

Yes, we managed to catch the sucker, mid stream.

As I was saying my second reason for going to Prison Island was for the snorkeling that was promised.  I can’t lie when I saw I was slightly disappointed with the reefs.  I think I will forever compare every reef to the one I saw in Key West Florida, and nothing will ever compare. 

Over all, prison island’s breathtaking beauty and artificial Tortoise Nursery made it worth my time to visit it.

Zanzibar Part II - Jozani Forest.

After Dolphins, we were led to this forest that was once said to cover all of Zanzibar.  It is the home to the rare, RED colobus monkey which is found nowhere else in the world.  To be honest, I’m a little bored of Monkeys.  I’ve watched them here and there SO many times --- indian temples, Lincolnpark Zoo, Costa Rica, Ecuador, etc. that I’m tired of them.  So, I suffice it to say yup, they’re there in the Jhozani forest, clearing out entire trees in the forest with their voracious appetites.  As we walked through I joked about how I didn’t want one of them to shit on me… J joked ‘’M, you’re a nut…”.  5 minutes later, as predicted, Nat and J almost got pissed on from 30 feet up by a Red Colobus Monkey.  I can’t lie, when I say I was slightly jealous it happened to them instead of me…what a story it would make to tell someone you were pissed on by a Rare, Red Colobus Monkey!  But now I’ve spent too much time talking about creatures that no longer pique my interest, so I shall move on.

 

 

Zanzibar - Part I - Intro, Dolphins

Zanzibar –Part I

Upon doing some quick math, I concluded that taking a RT flight was 10 USD more than taking a 2-3 hour RT ferry, and therefore TOTALLY worth flying into Zanzibar. The flight makes Zanzibar feel like it’s a hop, skip, and a jump away. Within 15 minutes of being in air, we landed at the Zanzibar airport.  Our airport taxi into Stone Town cost us $10USD.  Here we picked up a Ryan Gosling look alike from Texas named __. 

Turned out our stranger was actually visiting from Sudan where he was working closely with Drs. w/o borders.  He worked as some structural engineer, and claimed his biggest threats included possibly dying from being shot (gun violence) or being burned while in the health center there.  Both pretty scary possibilities to face.  Moreover, he apparently lived in a hut, much like the one described earlier when discussing the Maasai.  Overall, he  felt the risks were worth it.  Kudos to him. He turned out to be an entertaining companion for our car ride.

Upon arrival, our hotel, 1001 Nights, turned out to be a multicolored 2 bedroom apt with a private bathroom and dramatic mosquito netting around the beds.  We quickly arranged for a $35pp Dolphin tour.  This turned out to be the MOST amazing part of the trip for me.  (PS… we over paid for that trip by a lot…another couple we went w paid only $29…but that’s what comes of planning things last minute). 

The next morning, 2 dramamines later, I found myself face to face with a pod of 5 wild bottlenose dolphins, all doing a mating dance within 2 feet of me! One playfully bit the other, while I spastically fumbled for my camera hoping to capture the moment.  Turns out, im not very coordinated with flippers, a camera, snorkeling goggles that don’t fit and can’t be tightened!  Sadly, I have nothing but a video of the event. But, I KNOW in my heart that I will never forget the beautiful sight of a dolphin looking me in the eye as it brushes past, playfully tugging at another nearby dolphin. This memory I shall take with me to sleep every night of this trip.  Sigh.

We also got a chance to snorkel and see a part of the reef by Kimikazi.

Major Theater

I should give Dr. S a huge thank you – I got an opportunity to start an iv line because of her and draw blood.  Next timeI shall learn how to place a catheter prior to surgery…but I’m again jumping ahead in my story.

Major Theater occurs Monday – Thursday and includes all varieties of surgeries including: excisions, enucleations, open and closed reductions, etc.  Surgeries often run anywhere from 1-4 hours and are nothing short of eye opening.  Of course, this requires you (the student) to be very comfortable around all sorts of bodily excrements.  Upon entering the building you are expected to sign in, change into ‘’sterile scrubs’’ that are provided, and change into the operatory shoes provided to you.  Once in, you scrub in, and assist during surgery by using the suction or gauze. 

Instead of describing the surgery, I would like to discuss some of the similarities and differences between here and home.  Here, most dentistry/surgeries are 80% covered by the government.  However, certain materials such as plates and screws are bought BY the patient.  While titanium plates may cost no more than $1600, patients here cannot afford such ‘frivolities,’ so surgeons make do with just wires. 

For instance, a 25 year old female patient came in with Ameloblastoma requiring resection from angle to angle of the mandible.  Ideally, this lady should have had complete mandibular resection, and restoration with plates. However, plates are not a luxury she can afford.  To me, this was one of the saddest truths about Tanzania I learned.  I hope for next year, we can do a fund raiser prior to entering the country –so even if only one patient gains functionality from the contribution, it’s worth it. 

Wards

Wards in Tanzania is something that can not be described.  People keep asking me…’so what exacty are you doing dentistry wise in Tanzania?’ simply replying ‘wards and rounds’ doesn’t capture the essence of the experience.

Day one of Tanzania started with the 3 of us getting dropped off at Dr.Mug.’s office.  She introduced herself, us, Dr. K, and told us our first day would include a tour of the university.  We were taken around to see minor theater on the first floor, pediatrics and restorative on the second floor, and, the dental lab on the third floor.  We were also escorted to the student finances building to receive a ‘bill’ for our tuition fees and then to a bank to make the actual payment and collect proof of payment, to then return to the office of financial affairs once again to make us ‘official students.’  We were also escorted to the id-building where we paid to get our cool laminated ids stating we are official students at our University.  …but I digress.

The part I really want to discuss is first ‘’rounds’’ and second ‘’minor/major theater.”

Rounds:  Rounds happens at the wards.  During this the three of us and all the Oral Surgery residents and other interns on their oral surgery rotation would gather from patient to patient to discuss each case. This is a grueling session with doctors asking questions, generating discussion and expecting application of knowledge such as ‘what kind of epithelium covers the respiratory tract’’ (psuedostratified epithelium)… However that is just a factual description of rounds.

My first day of rounds, I knew I was in a hospital because the nauseating smell of urine hits you as you enter the building.  It seemed that prior patients and visitors had used the elevator as their own private urinal.  You also notice that women are housed in a different wing than the men.  The women in the wards usually have some anomaly that deems them acceptable to wards – be it fractures due to motor vehicle accidents, or adenomas, carcinomas, lymphomas, fibromas, etc. The women’s side often smells of sweat.  Funnily, the one place you can ‘’smell’’ Tanzania is its currency.  If you stick a Tanzanian shilling up to your nose you’d say to yourself, ‘’yup, im in Tz”  The odor is a concoction of sweat, lemon, the oil of crayons/wax, and BO.  It is powerful and especially prevalent in the womens section of the wards. 

Each ward is a large room with approximately 30 beds.   Most of them filled with either women or children.  Each bed comes with a little potty bowl, a small shelf and a mosquito net.  There are no TVs, air conditioners, or private bathrooms.  – This was so eye-awakening—I would always threaten/ scare Nat and J when they wanted to try fresh juices or dairy that they would end up in the wards!  Often patients would sit on their beds withering away, just waiting to be taken to be biopsied, or waiting on results of biopsies or waiting for surgery.  The wards are just that – a waiting game and space for transition till they figure out what to do with you. 

Now the men’s ward is a whole other story.  For the first day, I found myself retching multiple times, trying to keep my breakfast down.   The area smells foul. The closest smell I could find was that of the meat shop down the street from our hotel.  To be exact, the men’s ward smelled of rotting flesh, sweat, urine, and body odor.  Moreover , both wards are plagued with flies that swarm around patients, so much so that at some point, they stop swatting at them. 

Walking around the wards makes for a Gruelling Tuesday morning – by the end we are More than ready to go home. 

NEXT POST: MAJOR THEATER!

Friendly Advice for Future Visitors to Tanzania.

- Knowing the ‘Queen’s English’ as Nat elegantly puts it, helps!  For instance, it’s dustbin or rubbish, not trash or garbage…It’s lorry, not truck

- When buying internet, don’t buy the unlimited…we found out from another traveler that buying the unlimited leads to initially fast, highspeed internet, which then slows and then stops working. Tricky. Buy the 5 GB and add more if needed in the future.  We have our modems with us that we can pass on or sell to you!

- Baajaj’s shou would cost you 3000 shillings to school and no more than 5-8,000 any where in the city. 

- Don’t forget to turn on the heater for 10 minutes before you shower.

- You get better exchange rates with 20/100 USD at bureau exchanges over USD 1$. 

-Bring with you a mini calculator in your purse to understand exchange rates.

- You want to find a NBC bank--- these are the ONLY banks that will accept your american Visa credit card and there is one in the University and at the Airport.  Changeing money as soon as you land, at the airport is helpful.

- Learn to use an eastern potty…it’s actually a lot more sanitary than the western potty when u really think about it.

- Bring ALL supplies. == your own gloves, so they can be in your size. Your own disclosing agent, if you want it. GOGGLES! They don’t have them here.  PPE…but it’s probably too hot for PPE, 90% of the time.  I had blood splatter directly into my eye on day one of surgery … I spent the rest of the day chasing down the pt’s chart to confirm she was  sero negative for Hep C and HIV neg.  … our school forgot to inform me that PPE goggles would NOT be provided.

- Laundry detergent if you plan on doing your own laundry – save you a few $s.

- Everyone is out to make a $ off of you…so bargain everything, and ask prices even if it seems outrageous.

- The school’s student canteen is the cheapest option for food on campus.

- Learning a little bit of Swahili goes a looong way.

- Arusha>Mwenge market, dar> Zanzibar --- Order of prices of things.  Arusha prices however can’t be done at touristy shops; rather shop at gas stations and vendors that come up to your car. 

- Make friends-- people here are always very willing to help

- Beware of Africafe...we're not sure yet if it's the culprit causing all of our minor stomach problems....more investigation is needed on this bullet point. 

- Lastly, remember the phrase, Hakuna Matata and TIA ...things just happen pole pole or slowly around here. 

Bars In Dar Es Salaam

Bars here are almost no different than the United States.  Women are dressed up to the nines and my grunge look made me stick out like a sore thumb more than I do on my own in this country. 

The first bar we went to, a Muzingo bar, or white person bar, had a live band with a famous Tanzanian Artist.  We danced the night away to classics like circle of life, Shakira Waka waka, and DJ music like Oliver Twist = d’banj.  Bars here tend to rotate btw house music, Africa music, Congolese style, zanzibari style music, R&B, contemporary American club music, and many others.  Cover was 5000 shilling and we showed up around 10, 1030 pm.  I tried the Serengeti Lager for the first time…and it was surprisingly good! 

Another unique feature to Tanzanian bars is prostitutes.  Yes, you read it right.  You know the prostitutes because they have on clothes that just seem overly showy.  Since I am not a man I don’t know if it’s normal to be approached by them on the regular or how much they charge!  I ended up mostly sticking to our group of 7 folks. 

My last observation was that there are 2 groups at the bars:  the decent group and the indecent group – as aptly named by Dr. S.  The indecent group includes the tourists groping prostitutes inappropriately.  I sometimes wonder who raised the men that feel it’s okay to publicly touch ANY woman in that manner.  Then there is the decent group, which includes MOST of the people at the bar.  Gender roles are less specified here. So, men dance with men, with women, and women with men or with each other.  But the main difference is that there is virtually NO grinding.  While you may dance closely with the other person, it’s rare to actually see bodily contact. 

The second bar we went to included a band of almost 10-15 singers/dancers.  And, I saw a row of men with hips that carried their own rhythms.  I have NEVER seen dancing that was so beautifully choreographed.  Granted, some of the moves made me blush…but I’m glad for the experience. 

P.S. I managed to pull off being the ONLY muzingo at the bar wearing a kitenga.  How exciting.

me in a kitenga (the skirt) at Mbogayo beach

intermission

Hi,

People keep asking my for photos of what Dentistry I'm doing here. I have a million pictures but feel almost unethical putting up pictures of patients. SO. When I get back, feel free to ask me for my declassified Photos of what I"m doing. Some of it includes: sarcomas, b lymphomas, adenomas ...etc. In fact, today I helped excise a 5x6in rhabdomyosarcoma! So, friends, get excited for our presentation on May 6th at LHS or N. :) 

Pole Sana, Obedi (Poor Obedi)

Pole Sana, Obedi (poor obedi)

This time, as we exited the Serengeti, I took my time stopping the car and capturing the most amazing photos I can imagine of the Great Migration!  Billions of Wildebeest roamed the pre-serengeti trail.  In fact, at one point, we could see a line of Wildebeest stretching for miles upon miles, waiting to get to the Kenyan Border and the Maasai Mara.  Once we got to Ngorongoro, we borrowed a  cook, and we set up tents on our own!  Turned out that J, Nat, and I make one mean camping machine!  Within 30 minutes we had set up 2 tents --- yes, you non-believers, girls camp too! Hehe.

In the meanwhile, our guide Joneson, drove off with Obedi to the Hospital.  That evening after enjoying a night with friendly tourists, a dead mouse under our dining table, bugs, and a borrowed cook, I set off with Joneson to check up on Obedi -- you see, Obedi had requested we bring him tea to the  hospital. 

As I didn’t want to be ‘that’ tourist I did NOT take photos of the hospital.  Therefore, I’ll attempt my best at describing the scene.  The parking lot to the hospital had 3-5 wild buffalo just hanging around, grazing by our safari truck like it ‘aint a thang’.  We entered a short 1 story building that was fairly large in size and then continued through the second wooden door we saw on the right.  Within, was a room with 4 twin beds on each of the 4 corners of the room.  On the back right, lay our Obedi, all snugged up under a deep green blanket.  Turned out they had diagnosed him with pneumonia and had started him on medications.  Also, turns out a grown man with an American woman fawning over him makes for a very good, happy patient.  When asked if he felt better his response was always ‘betta betta’ plus a ridiculously large, pathetic puppy dog smile that had Joneson and me fawning over him even more!  Obedi had demanded some tea from the hospital which was our reason for the late night trip.  Driving to the hospital that night taught me that the Serengeti has strict laws on how late a car can be on the street.  After 10 pm, no cars are allowed out unless it was a true emergency.  Moreover, we were only allowed to leave at 8 30 pm that night with the permission of our park ranger. 

I end this blog with a list of things lost on our safari:

-          3 broken safari fold away chairs – we’d brought along the cheapest chairs possible

-          My gym shoes – they were stolen from ther safari truck

-          A cook. *he’s alive, just at the hospital*

-          Some tent pegs..they were later found

-          And a squito repellent bottle.

Then, we were off to Ngorongoro Crater!

Serengeti

The night before the Serengeti, we stayed at heaven’s nature campsite.  We arrived well after dark and finally found a use for our flashlights.  When in Tanzania, there are a few items you should always have on hand.  These items include: flashlight, tampon/pads, antibacterial liquid &wipes, a hat, sunglasses and a neck/potty pillow…but I digress. 

My " dolphin potty pillow" and pillie, our friend on the trip

 

Upon arrival, we were greeted with the usual jambos, after which we were led to our tent(s).  We were told, 2 will stay in this one and that one over there shall host one.  Ofcourse J, nat and I looked at each other wondering who would draw the short straw.  It was going to be a long night for whom ever would be alone.  So we did the only logical thing to do.  We agreed to all snuggle our way into one tent.  Thankfully, the camp assistants came to our aid and moved a mattress from one tent to the next.   That night, my imagination went into high gear as I imagined all the amazing animals I would see at the Serengeti. 

At dawn, 5am, we woke up only to discover that the ‘other tent’ the one that was described as that tent there over there was really one 10 feet away.  The distance just seemed ominous at night. OOPS.  We had our first jungle showers in warm water baths, and took off!

 

The route to the Serengeti was unbelievable.  I imagine if God sneezed, and every single bacterium sprouted into an animal, that is how the path would look. The land was littered with wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, Ostriches, and warthogs, or Pumbas!  I convinced the driver to stop every2 feel which meant that we BARELY made the deadline for getting to the entrance and paying our park fees.  (3-330pm is the final check in time.)  Depressed I had missed ‘so many’ photo opportunities, I looked forward to our journey.  That day we headed straight to the camp and set up home.  Here we built our FIRST tent.  Infact, we built ours, our guide’s and our cook’s tent at the Tumbili campsite.  We had our dinners under the dull glow of a fluorescent lamp and made our bathroom visits, and went to sleep. 

 

I was awoken in the middle of the night.  “you guys, I”ve to pee.”  You would THINK I would be annoyed at having been woken up in the middle of the niht, but quite the contrary, I was thankful because I awoke to a cacophony of hyena calls within meters of our tent, a grunting wild buffalo, and an occasional lion yawn.  Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken by another voice.  Our guide, whom we had forced to position his tent within 1 foot of ours’ asked,  “are you okay?” Of course J responded, “I’ve to pee”… “don’t it’s not safe”… "ok, ok, I’ll try to sleep through it”…

Some 10-15 minutes must have passed as I dozed to the sounds of the Serengeti when suddenly I heard, “you guys it’s only 130am! I’ve to pee”  Finally we opened our tents and peered cautiously out to see if we could sight these hyenas that seemed not too far away.  The stars twinkled, our LED flashlight jetted from left to right to ensure no animals lurked around looking for the next easy meal.  When we deemed the coast clear J skittered to the back  of the tent, relieved herself, and the rest of the night passed uneventfully. 

I awoke at 5, caught the Serengeti sunrise, packed tents, ate the food prepared by our chef, Obedi, and set up into the rising sun, jetting into the Serengeti, or Endless Plains. 

The Serengeti turned out to be less exciting than anticipated.  Animals were  sparse and sightings were rare.  Although we added a whole new set of previously unseen animals (2 baby leopards on a tree, a Goma (a really large deer), a Dik dik (a lil bambi like deer) and a Jackal, a pride of lions, an amazing hippopotamous pond, and a clan of babboons )this was nothing like the area just prior to entering the Serengeti.  Our guide told us that since the migration process was just starting, all the animals were JUST outside of the park rather than within the park.  TO me the Serengeti reminded me of an abandoned home, waiting to replenish itself and await the return of the animals in the fall. 

Baby Leopards playing on a tree while mama was away on a hunt

Baboons.

That evening upon our return, we found our cook to be in immense pain!  “obedi, whats wrong?” …wince, stagger, sit, and point to chest… We had a language barrier, we couldn’t understand what the matter was with obedi.  All we knew was Obedi, our proud maasai warrior and cook, was in such intense pain he couldn’t stand!

Was this Angina pectoris? Was this a muscle spasm?  We waited as our tour guide translated it to us.  Obedi is in pain, explained Joneson.  He says it hurts to swallow and that the pain is on the inside.  I took a quick medical hx which showed no significant findings, I checked his pulse which was a steady rhythmic 62bpm, and I asked his when he attempted to lift a heavy box through his pain if the process of lifting his arms above his shoulders exacerbated his pain.  Once satisfied that he seemed stable, we gave him 800mg Ibuprofen, put him to rest on a chair outside in the shade, gave him a blanket and told him to not move.  Suddenly, we found ourselves one hand short.  But, Hakuna Matata we said, and set on to break down the tent, back up the kitchenware, and set off to Ngorongoro Crater.

Maasai Mara

I have a lot to say about the maasai -- so much so that I don't know where to start.

 We left Tarangire park and found ourselves winding and zipping through the hilly region that is a part of Ngorongoro crater.  (It is said Go RON GO Ro -- the N is silent).

 As our car bumped along the stoney/gravelly/clay path, we started to notice the Maasai.  All of them wear the maasai colors which are red or blue or some variation that incudes both together.  We would find them walking along the streets usually herding goats, cattle, or camel since that is how they eke out a living.  Below is a picture of some cattle herding maasai.  However their main mode of transport is the donkey (so cute). 

Within the community, Maasai are divided into groups. Women are responsible for building the home, cooking the food, and raising children.  Older children and men are responsible for raising the livestock and being warriors.  As warriors they are expected to protect that village against threats such as lions, wild buffalo, and cheetahs.  Despite the warriors training in killing wild animals, their diet consists of milk, meat (cow, camel, etc), and blood.  The last group, the elders of the community, sit on council and advice the Boma, or village, when controversies arise.  Below is a typical boma.

As for marriage, the community believes in polygamy for men.  Hence below is a picture of me with al the chief’s children with different women: ).

 

  When a young male warrior comes of age and he feels he is ready to marry 25+ he can approach the council of elders and inform them of his intention. Then, he waits. He waits until the elders find a girl 16 years of age or greater of their choosing  from another Boma and then a marriage takes place. 

Religion within the Maasai is a very dynamic, evolving concept.  Most Maasai are Christian.  However, there was a time when they had their own religion that some still practice today.  I met a famous Maasai artist yesterday (3/28) who told me the word for ‘god’ in maasai is Nagaii.  It seemed their religion is neither mono or polytheist.  Instead, they simply believe in Nagaii, and religion is incorporated into their way of life.  For instance, when a baby is born, they shave both the mother and child’s head completely.  After this, they raise the child to the sun and declare its name to the world (a la simba in lion king).  I found this interesting because in my culture too, we shave ONLY the child’s head, and write its name in rice instead of giving it to the sun god).  Despite the Christianity, they still continue their rituals  because they don’t recognize it as an act that contradicts Christianity. 

Lastly, Education. The maasai state the money they make (17-20,000TSH) from inviting tourists into their homes is directed towards educating the future.  Here are a few pictures of the school.  I would upload a video but the internet here is ‘acceptable’.

My experience visiting a Boma was nothing short of beautiful.  However, I can’t help but have a gnawing sense of guilt that I have contributed indirectly to their loss of culture.  With the growing dependence on tourist money, I feel Maasai are moving away from their lifestyle of herding and the bartering system. 

Point and case: these days, the Maasai do not like their  pictures taken because many see income potential (1000 tsh) with every picture taken.  This change in attitude is sad to me because both Maasai and Tanzanians in this country have shown me how, open, kind, and giving they are as a people.  We, the tourists, are corrupting their way of life to a degree that they now resort to begging, selling beaded and carved jewelry, and demanding compensation for pictures taken. 

 In order to further educate myself on the issue I started to interview 1. Our maasai cook - Obedi 2. Joneson- our tour guide, and 3. A Famous Maasai artist, Merinyo who carves art, makes batiks, owns clothing stores, and comments on socio-politico-economic aspects of both the Maasai and Africa as a part of his profession.

Obedi is a unique case.  He was a maasai from what I could see not living the ‘maasai lifestyle.’   He had left his boma 5 years ago and started to live in a house in Arusha.  He has one wife and 5 children with her.  When asked why, he responded he left due to his desire to see his children educated.  All indications of a culture lost, no?   However, Joneson reminded me that Obedi may see money, modern culture, etc. but ALL Maasai are expected to go back to the village and continue to live the  Maasai way of life. (This way of life includes living in a hut made of cowdung and straw, surrounded by flies, heat, no airconditioning, above mentioned food, and wearing maasai clothing, etc.  Obedi apparently ensures he AND his family visit and stay overnight at the boma, living the maasai lifestyle.  “The maasai are very proud of who they are…they won’t ever lose their culture,” Joneson promised me. 

My last interview with Mr.  Merinyo showed me a new perspective.  Mr. Merinyo felt culture was lost everyday.  However, his goal with his speeches was to empower Maasai to recognize the wealth and ‘capital’ they each possess within themselves.  For instance if a person is skilled at carving, then the ‘capital’ is not the physical money they  posess.   Rather he promotes viewing that skill itself as the capital.  Therefore, despite the tourism, and the Maasai being exposed to money and the ‘west’ instead of viewing themselves as relatively poor, they should view themselves for the ‘richness’ they possess within themselves to make the ‘capital’ they desire. A complicated response to a complicated question, I know.  But, it made more sense coming out of the horse’s mouth.

At the end of all of my interviewing I’m still left with one question: How much did my visit to the maasai impact their way of life?

 

TARANGIRE

TARANGIRE National park is one of many parks in Tanzania.  It is known for its herds of Elephants, and giraffes.  Our trip to Tarangire was nothing short of amazing.

I M HERE!!!

As soon as we entered the first sighting we had was of an elephant -- or Tembaa! :) 

Yes, they walked within a few feet of our car :) 

It turned out to be a day of good luck and sunshine.  Every time I asked for an animal I received it within 5 minute of my request.  I then asked for a giraffe!!

Next on my request plate was a ostrich....PUN NOTE INTENDED> PLEEASE DO NOT EAT AN OSTRICH

Lastly, I requested that a giraffe walk across our street. Since I was pushing our luck, I tried for a simpler request of a gazelle!

This little guy below decided to join us for lunch :) 

And, the highlight of it all occurred when we were heading back and dusk set in.  We were late due to my constantly asking our guide to stop the car. oops.   As we headed back at 50-60 miles per hour, i feel my body being thrust forward.  I was awoken with a jolt to realize were were fast careening into a girraffe that had decided to take a stroll across the street.  Thankfully, we missed the giraffe by mere inches, and were in turn blessed with our best sighting of the day...

All my wishes had come true... I could not have asked for a better experience at Tarangire National Park :)