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TANZANIA - FIELD UPDATES
After a week in Arusha, having acclimatized, completed Maasai lessons, and got fully acquainted with konyagi we set off for camp in Esilelai.
Our first week on camp, as you may expect, was full of many new experiences. There were lectures into species differentiation of birds and mammals. A couple of practice transects and a trip for our first look in and around Manyara ranch.
First weekend on camp was sidai pi!! Early start on Saturday to climb ‘moon hill’. Spectacular views of the rift valley from the top. The afternoon was spent waiting for the goat ceremony. At dusk two of the askari brought over our goat jimbob. We then witnessed first hand the killing, skinning, gutting and cooking of the goat. It was surprisingly tasty. Sunday being our day off, was taken up mainly by sleeping and relaxing. In the afternoon we went to the monthly Maasai market. Having stocked up on maasai blankets and beads, Jinks took us for chai and chapatti in one of the small ‘coffee shops’ - everyone watched eagerly at the mzungus drinking chai! We then headed back to camp for good night's rest before the weekly adventures.
In our third week in Tanzania we experienced our first sat camp. With our tents set up we left for a McKinnon’s bird transect before staying up around the camp fire and hearing lions roar at 2am. The highlight of the week was the mammal transect the following morning. Having seen herds of zebra, Gazelle and wildebeest and families of giraffe, we were heading back to camp when we came across a spotted hyena and black backed jackal feeding on a wildebeest carcass. It was more exciting seeing these compared to when you see them in the national parks, as they really appeared to be wild. The aim of the transect was to see and count mammals but walking back and stumbling across something like that really proves just how wild Greenforce take you!
When we got back to camp we found a very excited Ed and Chris who had just rescued a herd of elephants from a group of poachers. They had been doing a river bed watch, had heard elephants and then saw a group of men acting sus. Staff rang the AWF but the men had scarpered. About half and hour later a group of 7 elephants passes directly past the campsite! We packed up camp, and stopped for chipsimyai (chip ommlettes) and soda in a lodge on the way to base camp, to celebrate a successful sat camp.
The rest of the week we spent visiting Esilalai primary school, teaching the askari English and doing construction around camp. We wrote our own song to the tune of ‘we all live in a yellow submarine’ called ‘we all live in a boma in the bush’ to introduce ourselves to the kids at school. At the weekend we spent a day in Mto wa mbu (the local town) having showers! and visiting the market. On the Sunday we said goodbye to Andy and Patricia, then we prepared for mid-phase break.
On the following Tuesday, we left for mid-phase break. We spent Tuesday in Arusha, and then left for Ngorongoro crater on Wednesday. On Thursday we drove to Lake Eyasi and stayed a campsite with velvet monkeys! Friday morning we went hunting with the Hadzabe bush men. We (or rather they) caught a guinea fowl which we cooked and ate. Afterwards we had a long and dusty drive to waterfall camp where we swam under the waterfall. On Saturday morning we climbed up the side of the rift valley wall before another swim in the waterfall and our drive back to Arusha. We had an awesome night out in colobus on Saturday night and said our farewells to Luke and Laura. On arrival back at camp we discovered an influx of mice which will eat anything – including soap and toothbrushes!
