Selous - Day 1

I'm taking advantage of fast internet speeds to upload the rest of the photos from my Selous safari.

We woke up early on Thanksgiving, had a very quick breakfast, and then met our driver for the ride to the airport.  We arrived much earlier than anticipated and had to wait a while to check in.  We amused ourselves by watching several families of tiny birds as they nested in the ductwork of the airport.  There was lots of feeding of baby birds and a few territorial fights.  Fascinating stuff.

Our plane was a thirteen seat Cessna, and the fifteen minute flight to Dar was blissfully uneventful.  We deplaned there so they could refuel and met up with our friend T who was going to Selous with us.  Finally we reboarded the same plane for the 45 minute flight to Selous.  There was a tiny rainstorm that we passed through, but the plane did great (or, rather, the pilot did).  As we descended into Selous we saw pods of hippos lazing in the waters of the Rufiji River - so cool!

We were met at the airstrip by a contingent from our lodge - Mivumo River Lodge, a Serena property.  This was the start of four days of ensuring our every whim was catered to.  We loaded into a beautiful open safari vehicle - with only four seats! - and started off for the lodge, about 30 minutes away.  We didn't see a lot of game on the drive, just a few elephants from a distance and a mongoose or two.  The terrain was hilly and densely forested, thanks to the arrival of the short rains just a few weeks before.

Arriving at Mivumo was lovely - they had a staircase to help us down from the vehicle - something I've never seen in all my years of safari but oh so practical!  We had cool towels and fresh orange juice before being escorted to our cabins.  The arrival area at the lodge is about 70 wooden platforms up from the level of the dining room and cabins.  Access to all the buildings was along this lovely boardwalk - up and down and up and down and up and down.  It made for great exercise just walking to and from meals and the vehicles! 

Each cabin is extremely spacious with a comfy king bed, a lounge area with a comfy chair and chaise longue, a writing area, several wardrobes, and a large bathroom.  The bathroom has a toilet, claw foot tub, and double sink.  The private terrace outside was home to a plunge pool, an outdoor shower, and a table and chairs.  Not only did the rooms have A/C and a fan, but there was a fridge with all drinks included.  Such a luxury!

After a little while to settle in we headed up to lunch, which was typical Serena three+ course excellency.  The dining tables overlooked hippo pools, and we spotted (and heard) several pods.

After lunch we walked down to the living room area and relaxed in comfy couches while watching the river.  We spotted a lump on the beach and, with the help of binoculars confirmed it was a crocodile.  As we watched we started noticing more and more lumps.  Before long we realized there were upwards of a dozen visible crocs on that one stretch of beach.  Crikey!

At four pm we headed down to said beach to board our boat for an afternoon river safari.  We saw tons (literally - they were huge!) of crocs and hippos, a fair amount of birds, and quite a few dassies (rock hyrax) along the banks.  The crocs were pretty skittish - as soon as we would get close they'd slide down the banks of sand or clamber down rocks back into the water.  Quite a sight to see these giant reptiles running from a tiny boat. 

The weather was perfect, the boat was a great design for this purpose, and we had a lovely time on the river.  We wound through Stiegler's Gorge and encountered a few very tiny rapids before turning around.  Some of the crocs that had fled from us as we came through the first time had returned to their perches, only to flee again when we went by a second time.  Seeing a giant crocodile slide down a sand bank is truly a phenomenal sight.  We couldn't stop laughing!

We did go past our cabins from the river side and realized that the afternoon boat ride time is not an ideal time to take an outdoor shower.  Noted. 

We returned to the lodge about 6:30 pm and hung out on the couches until dinnertime, sated by unending supplies of drinks, warm cashews, and samosas.  Dinner was lovely, and we were exhausted by the time it was over.  

I took a blissful outdoor shower before bed, accompanied by the grunts of hippos and the shrieks of the dassies.  The bed was comfortable, the A/C divine.  My only complaint was the lack of mosquito netting, which meant more than a few beetles and flies divebombed me as I tried to read.  As soon as the light went out they were gone, though, and I slept wonderfully.

Leaving Zanzibar

Such gorgeous water! And so much seaweed!  It's an industry on the island...

Our trusty plane

First croc sightings - there are four in this photo

The dining area, lounge, pool, and patio.

Count the (more than 12) crocs!

Hippos!

So many hippos!

Gorgeous scenery, and we never saw another boat or vehicle.

This sandbank was home to a number of particularly large crocs, with hippos in the background.

Fleeing.

The lodge's main building, from the water.

Our cabins; mine is on the right.

The cabins were very spread out - lots of privacy.

Baobabs! I was in heaven.

Stiegler's Gorge

I loved the yellow mouths

Must flee

African fish eagles

Mama croc protecting her egg

Dassies!  They were always busy and in motion so difficult to photograph.

Home for the Holidays

Last week was not a good week.  Not only was I suffering from something flu-like and virulent, but work was chaos.  And not in any semblance of a good way.  I went into work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with the intention of leaving as soon as I could get a few things done.  I did manage to leave at 4:25 on Tuesday.  This is not a work blog, but if you are at all worldly you probably have a few guesses why things were so darn chaotic.  Take the last full week of work before a major holiday consular mode and add in a little regional instability. 

Anyway, I am actually lucky I was able to leave when I did and thank my amazing boss and colleagues for picking up the slack (we have a small office, so one person's absence is really felt) for being able to fly on time.  Granted I spent the hours before my flight at the airport working, but still.

The flights were not too bad.  I used miles to upgrade to business on the way to Amsterdam and had economy comfort on the way to Boston, but when you're not feeling well nothing makes a 34 hour journey feel much better.  I lie a little - business class really does take some of the sting out of it. 

I opted for a pricey chair massage in Amsterdam at 7 in the morning, which was totally worth it.  I managed to keep my coughing a bit in check and therefore not entirely terrify my fellow passengers.  I felt bad about being that passenger, but there wasn't much I could do about it aside from continue to pop cold pills. 

By the time I landed in Boston on Saturday afternoon I was about at the end of my rope.  I didn't want to travel anymore.  I just wanted to sleep.  Horizontally.  My bus was, of course, full so I couldn't stretch out.  I think I slept/dozed for about 3-4 hours on each flight, but I was still pretty exhausted. 

It was a lovely reunion at the bus stop with Mom and Grandma, even if they didn't see me for the first few minutes and I finally had to wave my arms and shout to get their attention.  It had been almost fourteen months, in their defense.

I made it through almost two full hours at home before finally collapsing into the blissful sleep that inevitably follows a long journey.  Thirteen hours later I woke up, snacked on Christmas cookies, and headed into town.  I was able to readjust to driving both a standard and on the wrong (right) side of the road with a minimum of issues (I mean, really, why aren't turn signals and windshield wiper controls on the same side all the time) and caught up with a few friends as I browsed a few stores.

Did you know that tape now comes in dozens of colors and patterns?  I did not.  And I spent about 20 minutes staring at this display in Staples just marveling.  Wow.  I was both horrified and exceedingly excited.  I only bought a couple options but may go back for more.  I never knew I was missing this...

We put up the tree and filled its skirt to the brim with presents and listened to Christmas music.  I love these traditions.  Mom, Grandma, and I went out to see all the local light displays last night, a fun tradition that never gets old, even though the nieces/nephews couldn't make it.  I stayed up till nine pm and then promptly fell asleep for another 12 hours.  And woke up sicker than ever.

I don't have the same body aches and sore throat that accompanied the first week or so of this illness, but my symptoms are now hovering between pertussis and pneumonia but not falling solidly into either camp.  It's not bad enough to go to the doctor on Christmas Eve Eve, but I'm definitely moving slowly today.

In the meantime I'm watching lots of Netflix on my iPad (amazing what fast internet can do!!), eating bratwurst, and enjoying unlimited carbonation in my new SodaStream for home.  Tomorrow the family celebrations will start in earnest, and I can't wait.  I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday so far, wherever in the world you might be.

The End and Beginning of an Era

For the last thirteen months I've proudly told friends, family, and visitors that Uganda doesn't have any U.S brands.  Unlike KSA, where every other restaurant was a TGIF or Fuddrucker's or McDonald's, here is different.  There are a few South African and Kenyan brands, but even the Nando's is fake.

I've thought this kind of cool - definitely the first place I've ever lived where this is the case.  So when we heard that a KFC was opening up in the new mall near me, it was a mixed reaction.  Sad that I can't say there are no U.S. brands here anymore while exhilarated at the thought of being able to sate any fast food cravings easily (despite the fact that I cannot even remember the last time I had KFC).

So the restaurant opened this past Monday.  Yesterday a few friends and I ventured there to get take out for dinner.  We were impressed.  While it was crowded, the staff were smiling and attentive, repeating back the order and moving efficiently through the queue.  We waited a while for our orders, but everyone there was in a jovial mood, so we had a good time talking with our new friends about Kampala's newest restaurant.

We finally received our orders (all correct on the first try) and headed home to feast while we watched British holiday classics.  The chicken was familiar and fresh, the coleslaw reminiscent of little styrofoam cups from U.S. KFCs, and the mashed potatoes and gravy just as we remembered.

I probably won't frequent KFC here, but it's nice to know I can.  Welcome, U.S. brands, to your newest market.

Zanzibar - Days 4-5

We had lofty plans for our two full days at the beach resort - diving, snorkeling with dolphins, walking out to the reef, etc.  In reality, we spent two days doing what is a luxurious thing to do at the beach - nothing.  The diving was super expensive, the dolphin trip left too early in the morning, we made it halfway out to the reef before the sun was too intense, excuses, excuses.

But, really, it was lovely.  Leisurely breakfast, quick dip in the pool, read for a while, spend high tide in the ocean, read, lunch brought right to the loungers, wading in the ocean, dip in the pool, reading, nap, massage, sunset on the terrace, then a lovely dinner.  Rinse, repeat. 

The ocean was the perfect temperature during high tide - not bath water, but not cold - and a bit too hot at low tide.  High tide meant the water would come to your waist; low tide was ankles to knees.  Both, for almost as far as you could walk.

The weather was hot and humid but the resort truly lived up to its name - Breezes - and we enjoyed cool ocean breezes almost everywhere, making it tolerable to sit outside. 

In true relaxation fashion I didn't take any photos until the last morning when it was hazy and overcast and my camera fogged up from the humidity and didn't ever recover in time.  So here are a few photos, but the outside ones don't do justice to the beauty of the setting.

My room

The French doors have a beautiful view out to the ocean

Spice table - cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom

Hazy view from my terrace

Zanzibar - Day 3

Day three in Zanzibar started out early - a super quick breakfast and then checking out/meeting our guide.  We had both a guide and a driver and a private car with A/C - what more could we want?

David, our guide, gave us some additional historical and cultural tidbits as we drove out of town, pointing out the house where Freddie Mercury may have been born and the house where Stanley Livingstone lived for a while.  We marveled at the great condition of the roads (after living in Uganda you learn to appreciate these things!) and the colorful scenes.  There was a slight drizzle as we left town, but it finished by the time we reached our destination.

The community spice farm we visited was situated adjacent to an old hammam built by the Sultan.  We ventured inside to see the beautiful detail of the stonework, though the floor tiles were sadly gone.  Then we ventured on a meander through the spice farm.  Worked on by several different families, these farms average 5 hectares in size and grow a large variety of spices all together.  The government farms, by contrast, are 25+ hectares and have big plots of one single spice.  I preferred this smaller one where we could play guessing games with the various plants and see how things complement each other.

David was our main guide, but he enlisted the help of a young man who worked on the farm to climb trees and get things down for us as well as to make us palm-leaf crowns and baskets.  While he spoke very little English, he was great fun to have on our tour.

We saw and learned about lemongrass, cassave, pineapple, clove (the island's main export), cinnamon, vanilla, ylang ylang, allspice, pepper, jackfruit, coconuts, and so much more.  I was pretty good at guessing the spices by their smells, and it was fun to see how things actually grow!  I'd done a similar tour in Sri Lanka, but I think I retained more from this one.

Once we'd toured the plants we sat down for a tasting of fruits - bananas, jackfruit, coconut water, young coconut, grapefruit, and mandarin oranges.  Our young man had just climbed the tree to get down our coconut and carved it as we watched.  Such fun!

As we were preparing to leave, our guide said as an afterthought, "have you ever seen marijuana?"  We looked at him questioningly, and he went on. "Well, there's lots of it down there," gesturing down a steep hill.  We declined to venture down and just laughed, wondering how many people take him up on the offer. 

We drove down the road, stopping at a house for a traditional Zanzibari lunch.  We feasted on rice pilau and a variety of veggie and fruit dishes.  Absolutely lovely.

Before heading to our final destination our guide drove us through a government farm to take a look at nutmeg trees and to buy some cloves and nutmeg. 

We then got back in the car and drove about an hour south to Jozani Forest, home of the rare red colobus monkey.  Since it was midday we had low expectations for spotting any but figured it was worth a shot.  We stopped at the ranger station to pay the entry fees and then headed onto a well marked trail for what I thought would be a 20-25 minute walk.  Instead, after walking less than 5 minutes we emerged at the road from where we'd just come.  We crossed the road and not more than a few meters into the forest we saw leaves rustling.

At first we couldn't see any monkeys, but all of a sudden they were everywhere.  One, two, three, then four and five young red colobus monkeys swinging through the trees and branches.  Their mother was chomping away in a nearby tree, getting her fill of young leaves, their primary diet. 

These young monkeys were a hoot!  They played and swung and wrestled and just had a grand old time, right at our feet.  We kept our distance, but they didn't seem to care, swinging even closer on their next pass.  One ran over my foot at one time; another barely missed hitting me while swinging on a branch.  They were fast, active, and absolutely adorable.  It was hard getting photos of them standing still!

We watched them for about 30 minutes.  They were not at all nervous - a great sign that conservation efforts are working and poaching isn't a problem.  They didn't approach us for food - another great sign.  They were just completely content to play in our presence; mama monkey didn't care at all.

After getting our fill of monkey antics we got back into the car for the last 20 miles to our beach resort.  The forested interior gave way to sandy, beachy terrain as we approached.  We pulled into Breezes Beach Resort and were immediately greeted by several very friendly staff who got us settled on a daybed where we checked in, drank fresh passion fruit juice, and learned about the resort. 

Finally they led us to our rooms - we had two of the best rooms in the place.  Ground floor, closest to the beach, unimpeded ocean views from the terraces, etc.  The rooms were large and lovely with giant beds. 

I went to check out the spa, where I immediately booked a package of three massages over three days, and then wandered around.  D changed into beachwear and read on the terrace.  The first massage that afternoon was possibly the best I'd ever had - the spa was impeccable, the staff very well-trained, and the ambience perfect. 

I dipped my feet into the extremely warm ocean before we settled on the adjoining terrance and watched the sun set over the Indian Ocean.

Dinner was a festive spice-themed buffet with a Taarab band playing nearby.  I had a little miscommunication over my drink order, but once that was settled the waiter and I laughed about it, and we enjoyed dinner immensely. 

With no television or internet in the rooms, it was nice to unwind and just relax.  I fell asleep quickly and slept well all night.

Lemongrass

Cassava

Pineapple

Pepper

Clove tree

Cinnamon - the carved patches are where people cut samples

Delicious jackfruit

Vanilla

Getting ylang ylang samples

Our coconuts are up at the tippy top

Yep, all's well on this 100 ft high tree I'm climbing!

coconut carving

Forest trail

Black and white colobus (or something similar)

The tiniest baby red colobus - probably a couple months old

Gorgeous coloring!

Chewing on a branch

Attack!

Most of my photos are blurs of motion like this

Climbing, swinging

Chilling

So close!

Peeking for his playmates

Such adorableness!