The Mountain is Calling

I apologize again for taking so long to update this blog. The last 2 months have flown bye in a blur. When I last left off I was headed off on a safari with my Peace Corps friends. Needless to say the safari was a total success. We started off with a day visit to Lake Manyara, which I had already been too, but it was still unique. Our lunch was interrupted by a marauding baboon that figured out it could jump up on the lunch table and scare away all the white people, while at the same time getting a free meal before the guards came to chase it away. They really are pretty intelligent animals. The second day we headed into the Serengeti for a 2 day trip. This was where the fun really began. About 100 meters into the park we saw a cheetah who was beginning to stalk his prey, of course the more enjoyable part of this was watching the 30 safari cars and millions of dollars in expensive camera equipment charging around to get the best viewing area (this is what happens when animals are right next to the main gate. Our next animal to be seen was a large male lion in the brush with a pride of females sunning themselves on a rock near by. A little on from this we ran into a leopard in a tree. At that point it was a check on all the major carnivores. But the next morning we got to see a cheetah with 3 cubs playing for an hour in the brush. We were the only ones there so we were even able to drive off the road a little to get a better view. It was amazing to see the way the games all involved the act of stalking. Following the cheetahs, we then ran into three lions lounging on rocks playing games. Following the Serengeti, we then headed to the Ngorongoro Crater. It was incredible dropping over the edge of a giant crater with mist pouring over the sides at 6 in the morning. While there we were even rewarded with a mama and baby rhino pair in front of our car, and another rhino running across the road in front of us (both, very rare).

I followed my safari with a trip down south to visit my good friend Claire. By down south I mean 14 km from the boarder to Mozambique. The trip down was horrible (two days straight on a bus is just terrible in this country). But once I got there life really picked up. I got to visit one of my best friends here, and managed to get some of that sleep and relaxation I desperately needed from too much teaching. We finished off my visit with a 2 day visit to the beach in Mtwara, where we rented out a local fishing sail boat and cruised around for the afternoon, the water was perfect.

After my stellar vacation I then returned home to my village where the fun really started. While I was gone about half my village moved out because they can't make any money from the fish anymore. This meant that the water truck was no longer coming to my area. My only source of water now became a boy riding his bicycle 28 km each way to bring me water. This idea didn't sit well with me, or Peace Corps, considering the fact that drinking water is a pretty important thing in life and the quality of the lake water that the villagers drink is really not that high. So I have spent my last few weeks at another volunteers site teaching computers and fixing there computers. But all of that is going to change TOMORROW. I am headed to a new home then. My new village is on the north side of Kilimanjaro. I will be teaching advanced level math and physics there and hopefully fixing all the computers in order to start having computer class.

From what I hear and have seen the weather is going to be much different there. Instead of 75 degree nights and 90 degree days now in the cold season, I'm gonna have 45 degree nights and 75 degree days. Needless to say I am going to have buy some blankets to take with me. Along with the change in weather, there will also be a big change in diet. Kilimanjaro is known for its fresh fruits and vegetables, along with coffee. I think life in Africa is making a jump.