Best Kenya & Tanzania Day 10

Day 10 - Thursday, September 24, 2009 - Tarangire/Overland to Ngorongoro Foothills via Mto Wa Mbu/Village Visit

The sunrise was a beautiful shade of pink this morning when we woke up and heard the birds chirping. We were all happy to have another beautiful day!

We were both up and ready when the porter came for our wake up greeting. Our bags were packed so the men took them right away to the trucks.

We had breakfast and then left the lodge right on time at 8:00. Today was a Learning and Discovery Day – no game drives today, although we did stop at a giant termite mound for photos!

Our first L & D was a watering hole where we watched the Maasai families bringing their cattle to drink. Leonard explained that cattle usually need to be watered twice a day. However, in this drought, the Maasai know there would not be enough water for all so they are rationing water until the rainy season.

We had a fantastic visit at a native market in Mto Wa Mbu where we were actually able to walk around to talk with the people. Gennie talked to a woman who was selling the huge kernels of white corn.

Leonard and I were talking with a family with an adorable little girl named Elizabeth. Her mother was happy to have me take her photo, but Elizabeth was not sure.

Finally she let me after watching Leonard have his picture taken. Then everyone who was watching us wanted to see their picture – we were very happy to have this opportunity to get close to the people of this village.

The market is divided into the produce, the animal auctions, the house wares, the beverages, and the BBQ sections. When we went to the BBQ area, Barikiel bought us all some very freshly grilled goat meat.

After an hour at the market we went on a walking tour of the city of Mto Wa Mbu. Our guides were Flora and Hawa. They explained about the village of 27,000 people. We tried three different kinds of bananas; they grow 30 different varieties in this area.

Our next stop was a carving workshop right in the middle of a banana plantation. There was a family of carvers there who showed us how they carved rosewood, ebony, and mahogany.

From the carver’s hut we walked to a home in the plantation for our lunch. This was a buffet of many of the typical dishes of the Tanzanian people.

Many of the pots contained rice and or beans as a base with a tiny bit of beef. There were also sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cabbage, and pumpkin. Lots of carbohydrates!

We met the lady who had cooked all of the meal – she said she watched me and I had not eaten enough. We had a great time talking and laughing with these genuinely hospitable people!

At 2:00 we thanked our hosts and then began the long climb up the western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. I checked the altitude at the top and it was 5330 feet.

The views were spectacular. This valley is much more fertile than we have seen as everything is green even in the dry season. Their irrigation system is really making a positive affect on the progress of the communities.

Down below us was Lake Manyara and the National Park in the distance. We stopped at a t-shirt shop, the best in Tanzania along the roadside and I bought a Maasai shirt; my first purchase on the trip.

Our last stop of the day was at an Wairaqw tribal village, which is Barikiel’s tribe. The leader of the group, Martin told us how they were trying to protect and preserve the old ways of their people so the young people whole know their family heritage.

The women showed us how the “Mamas” make pottery, grind corn, and make baskets. Several of our Mamas tried these tasks. Then several of us were dressed up in the traditional wedding costumes.

After going into the underground home for more of an explanation of the culture of this tribe, we said good-bye to Martin and drove the short distance to the Ngorongoro Farm House, a large coffee plantation where we will stay for two nights. 

We arrived at the lodge with time to use the internet before dinner. The connection was not good, but at least we were able to connect with our son. Gennie was able to finally get into her classes without being times out because of slow connections.

Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House - - - Meal: B, L, D

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I will give you 50 goats and 25 cows for the Iraqy woman in picture 5.

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