We had our first experience in a tent camp. It was fancier than many a hotel room in the states. The amazing part was this was located in the middle of nowhere and had better, water, electricity and Internet than the city did. We had paid a package price and couldn't figure out how they could pencil out the expense of these accommodations. The people who worked at the lodges were from the local tribes. They worked three months around the clock and then had a month off. We never had anything stolen and were always greeted with a cheerful "Jambo!" The service there was beyond exceptional, it was to the point of suffocating. The ratio of staff to tourist was approximately 4:1. We were constantly under surveillance, to the level that, if perchance a crumb should fall from our fork on the way to our mouth, a waiter would catch it before it hit the table. If we were in our room and sneezed a hand armed with a hankie would materialize through the wall and wipe our nose.
Our driver in Tanzania was named Sebastian, but everyone knew him as Seba. He thought this was funny because it was close to a word in Swahili for "Old Guy"...rough translation. He had a great laugh and employed it often. Another thing he was known for was giving people food. He stopped and bought bananas from street vendors along the way and would pass them out to other drivers and game wardens he saw. We learned a lot about the "Safari Culture" as well as local lore from him. He was a great story teller.
John and I were overwhelmed with the wildlife we saw. Over and over we exclaimed, "Wow!" Seba was chuckling and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. When questioned he admitted that Americans sound like little lion cubs calling for their mama's "wow, wow, wow." He was quick to say that others also made a certain sound such as the French, Russians, Germans and so on. We inquired as to what the Swahili word was, he said, "Whachabana!"
In a deep pool where two rivers merged, dozens of hippos grunted, splashed and roared! We watched safely from a cliff above along with many other tourists. We overheard a couple of teenage British girls one remarked, "I should like to be a hippo!" another said, "Surely you wouldn't because you'd be swimming in poop!" to which she replied, "I wouldn't care because everyone would be, and I would get to swim and eat all day." "You are right! I should like to be a hippo too! Daddy! Won't you please buy me a hippo?"
The parks were all spectacular and we experienced more than we could have imagined. Hopefully the pictures that we took will turn out, and when I have the time and a good connection will post them.
We spent Christmas in Tanzania and I must say that Jingle Bells in a safari lodge really doesn't work. We were staying at a Sopa Lodge on the rim of the Ngoragora Crater. A huge lightning and thunderstorm lit up the skies. They served free wine and other beverages of your choice and "bitings". The Maasai Warriors performed a war dance with shrill battle cries and blasts on a horn. It was really quite scary even in civilized surroundings!
We said our goodbyes and flew to Zanzibar where we would spend New Years........
Currency: Tanzania Shilling (TZS) $1 USD = $1,479 TZS
Our driver in Tanzania was named Sebastian, but everyone knew him as Seba. He thought this was funny because it was close to a word in Swahili for "Old Guy"...rough translation. He had a great laugh and employed it often. Another thing he was known for was giving people food. He stopped and bought bananas from street vendors along the way and would pass them out to other drivers and game wardens he saw. We learned a lot about the "Safari Culture" as well as local lore from him. He was a great story teller.
John and I were overwhelmed with the wildlife we saw. Over and over we exclaimed, "Wow!" Seba was chuckling and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. When questioned he admitted that Americans sound like little lion cubs calling for their mama's "wow, wow, wow." He was quick to say that others also made a certain sound such as the French, Russians, Germans and so on. We inquired as to what the Swahili word was, he said, "Whachabana!"
In a deep pool where two rivers merged, dozens of hippos grunted, splashed and roared! We watched safely from a cliff above along with many other tourists. We overheard a couple of teenage British girls one remarked, "I should like to be a hippo!" another said, "Surely you wouldn't because you'd be swimming in poop!" to which she replied, "I wouldn't care because everyone would be, and I would get to swim and eat all day." "You are right! I should like to be a hippo too! Daddy! Won't you please buy me a hippo?"
The parks were all spectacular and we experienced more than we could have imagined. Hopefully the pictures that we took will turn out, and when I have the time and a good connection will post them.
We spent Christmas in Tanzania and I must say that Jingle Bells in a safari lodge really doesn't work. We were staying at a Sopa Lodge on the rim of the Ngoragora Crater. A huge lightning and thunderstorm lit up the skies. They served free wine and other beverages of your choice and "bitings". The Maasai Warriors performed a war dance with shrill battle cries and blasts on a horn. It was really quite scary even in civilized surroundings!
We said our goodbyes and flew to Zanzibar where we would spend New Years........
Currency: Tanzania Shilling (TZS) $1 USD = $1,479 TZS
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