Paradigm Life

Peru - Inkaterra and Titilaka

2011-05-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

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Peru is a diverse country offering world class mountaineering in the Andes, ancient historical Inca sites, wildlife experiences in the Amazon, small colonial town culture, and surfing.

Inkaterra: http://www.inkaterra.com/ offers a variety of experiences in Peru with its ecological lodge in the Amazon, a beautiful retreat at the footsteps of Machu Picchu, and its luxurious Relais & Chateaux colonial retreat in Cusco.

Reserva Amazonica satisfies the call of your inner explorer. Discovering the magic of this beautiful amazon rainforest lodge with brilliant bouquets of butterflies and a treetop canopy bridge. At Inkaterra´s private Amazon Basin reserve, elegant accommodations blend seamlessly with nature; expert guides lead incomparably memorable adventures.

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Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is a Royal Inca retreat — an Andean Garden of Eden where waterfalls and streams gently cascade through acres of orchids. Hummingbirds frolic in a private cloud forest paradise, while you experience authentic barefoot luxury hotel at the foot of Machu Picchu, within an idyllic enclave of whitewashed casitas.

La Casona Cusco Hotel, an elegant fusion of colonial and Inca culture. A striking 16th century manor house, has been meticulously restored as an 11-suite luxury Cusco hotel, celebrating Cusco’s hybrid history and tradition. Inca legacies and colonial furnishings blend with contemporary comforts and impeccable services.

Titilaka: http://www.titilaka.com/, in the splendor and spirit of the lake at Titilaka. Surrounded by stunning scenery and astounding Andean geography, Titilaka’s contemporary design integrates with the natural environment, paying homage to the ancient Titicaca, origin of the great Inca culture. Eighteen fully serviced lake-view suites feature heated floors and spa bathrooms, with large oversized tubs and massage showers, plus an array of amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. Here you will find a haven for re-energizing after a day of excursion by boat, mountain bike, hiking or car — the choice is yours. Explore the Andean communities on the islands of Taquile or Uros; visit the archeological sites of Chullpas de Sillustani and the splendid colonial churches in the towns of Juli, Pomata andLampa; or simply absorb the spirit of the region.

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Dunia & Sayari Camp

2011-04-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

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Asilia Lodges & Camps offers a variety of experiences in the Serengeti, from a semi-permanent tented camp near the Moru Kopjes in Central Serengeti to a luxurious permanent tented camp near the Mara River in Northern Serengeti. Both camps offer excellent game viewing in a rather intimate setting.

Dunia Camp is tucked between the prime wildlife areas of central and southern Serengeti, Dunia Camp combines elements of style and luxury with an incredible wildlife experience. The Great Migration passes through this area that is especially known for its abundance of lion, leopard and cheetah and the rare chance it offers to see the illustrious black rhino. The secluded setting in the Moru Kopjes is a retreat of tranquillity in the most scenic part of the Serengeti. Each of the 7 spacious tents features an en- suite bathroom and private veranda overlooking the kopjes.

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Sayari Camp is located in the remote and exclusive northern Serengeti, stunning Sayari Camp is perfectly positioned to witness what may be the greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet: the Great Migration crossing the Mara River.

The camp overlooks vast Serengeti plains, home to staggering wildlife, great numbers of big cats, giraffe, elephant and buck and an increasing population of rhino. During the Migration season, millions of zebra and wildebeest arrive to share the fertile land with the permanent inhabitants. The combination of a superb location, luxurious facilities and an incredible wildlife experience ensures that Sayari Camp will etch itself into your memory as the standard against which you will forever judge any other safari camp. The 15 luxury guest tents blend perfectly into the majestic Serengeti landscape. Both wings have a separate mess and dining area to ensure intimacy and personal service. Each tent has a king size bed (twins also available) and a large, private veranda overlooking the Serengeti. The en-suite bathrooms have flush toilets, a double sink, shower and beautiful bath with a view. After game drives, guests can enjoy the infinity pool or choose the privacy of their veranda, the warmth of the fire place, or the comfort of the library, bar or lounge to relax.

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Tarangire - Oliver's Camp

2010-12-25T00:58:00.000-08:00

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We enjoyed a fabulous stay at Oliver's Camp: http://www.asiliaafrica.com/Olivers/

Oliver's Camp is located in the remote south of Tarangire National Park, guests in Oliver’s Camp enjoy a privacy and exclusivity rarely found anywhere inside a national park. Tarangire boasts large herds of elephants and buffalo roaming around mystic baobab trees, plus a large concentration of big cats and arguably the best bird diversity in East Africa.

Ideal for those who really want to experience nature in its purest form, Oliver’s Camp offers undisturbed open vehicle game drives, adventurous private fly camping and walking safaris that allow for a rare chance to stalk elephant on foot.

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When Paul Oliver first came to Tarangire in 1985, he found what he had been looking for in his years of travelling through Africa: a wild and unspoilt national park. Paul guided and travelled for 7 more years and in 1992 he started a small camp in Tarangire, aimed at offering his guests an authentic African experience.

Having started just outside the national park, Oliver's Camp moved into the Tarangire National Park in 2001. Although walking safaris were previously not allowed, the national park authorities have since allowed camp guests to walk inside the park. In 2004, Paul handed over the camp to Asilia Lodges & Camps. The atmosphere of intimacy and a true bush experience prevail in this wonderful small camp in the wilderness of Tarangire.

Located in the middle of the Tarangire wilderness, Oliver’s Camp has one of the most wonderful settings one could imagine and offers an unparalleled bush experience. From the camp, a much wider eco-system can be overlooked: the Ngorongoro highlands, the Great Rift Valley, the Lame Manyara region and of course Tarangire National Park itself.

Walking safaris are the specialty of the camp, and the depth of knowledge and experience of the camp naturalist guides makes the experience one to never forget.

The camp features 8 beautifully furnished guest tents. Every evening, guests relax or read in the lounge and library tent, or drink sundowners at the fireplace.

You can read more about Asilia's philosophy on sustainable tourism here: http://www.asiliaafrica.com/Olivers/Our-Philosophy.aspx

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Mt Shasta

2010-12-24T17:29:00.000-08:00

You can view original post with complete slideshow here: http://www.frankparadigm.blogspot.com/

Mt Shasta is a special mountain and has been since our college years. Mt first attempt at this mountain was unsuccessful and so for more than 5 years I have been determined to conquer this peak!

Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the cascades in Siskiyou, California and at 14,179 feet is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the 5th highest in California.

Shasta is a stratovolcano made up of deep glacial erosion. The biggest glacial valley is Avalanche Gulch where the main climbing path rests. The last cone to be formed from flowing lava was Misery Hill just below the summit.

During the last 10,000 years Shasta has erupted an average of every 800 years but in the past 4,500 years the volcano has erupted an average of every 600 years. The last significant eruption on Shasta may have occurred 200 years ago.

Beginning in the 1820s, Mount Shasta was a prominent landmark along what became known as the Siskiyou Trail, which runs at Mount Shasta's base. The Siskiyou Trail was located on the track of an ancient trade and travel route of Native American footpaths between California's Central Valley and the Pacific Northwest.

By the 1860s and 1870s, Shasta was the subject of scientific and literary interest. In 1877, Muir wrote a dramatic popular article about an experience in which he survived an overnight blizzard on Shasta by lying in the hot sulfur springs found near the summit.

The lore of some of the Native Americans in the area held that Shasta is inhabited by the spirit of a chief who descended from heaven to the mountain's summit. Many other faiths have been attracted to Shasta over the years more than any other Cascade volcano, including a Buddhist monastery founded in 1971. Some people believe that races of sentient or spiritual beings generally considered to be Lemurians, superior to humans, live in or on Shasta, or visit the mountain. Mount Shasta is known as one of a small number of global "power centers". It remains a focus of 'New Age' attention.

Personally it was the first mountain where I was able to discover complete silence, no wind, no sound, just pure still silence - definitely a powerful moment of Zen, of just being, nothing else matters but this moment in nature...

Phinda

2010-12-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

From Durban it took us 3 hours to get to Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Set within easy reach of the Indian Ocean coastline and the famous iSimangaliso / Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in northern Kwa Zulu Natal, Phinda Private Game Reserve is known for its abundant wildlife, diversity of habitats and wide range of activities. Thanks to its coastal rainfall pattern, Phinda enjoys a lush green environment that contains seven distinct ecosystems - a magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, rivercourses, marshes and pans.

This fascinating variety of landscape and vegetation shelters an abundance of wildlife, including not only the Big Five but many rarer and less easily spotted species, such as the elusive cheetah or the scarce black rhino. With only a handful of lodges sharing an area of 23 000 hectares (56 800 acres) and careful trained rangers and trackers in search of prime wildlife sightings, guests are assured an exclusive game viewing experience.

Our first accommodation was Vlei Lodge: http://www.andbeyondafrica.com/luxury_safari/south_africa/phinda_private_game_reserve/and_beyond_phinda_private_game_reserve/accommodation/and_beyond_phinda_vlei_lodge

Set on the edge of the forest and overlooking an open meadow (or vlei), complete with watering hole, this wildlife playground brings your game encounters up close and personal. Each morning and early evening the animals appear, dotting the sweeping vlei in a never-ending wildlife parade.

Elegant and serene, the gracious spaces of Phinda Vlei Lodge are designed for quiet contemplation of the African wilderness. With each suite’s deck opening up onto a dazzling view of the clearing beyond, combine your game viewing with a refreshing dip in your private plunge pool, but be prepared to share it with a thirsty elephant or impala!

Each suite boasts not only a private sitting area and ensuite bathroom, but also a dressing room and game viewing deck, so you may not ever want to leave, even for meals. Not that you will have to - private dining in your suite can be arranged, as can more social meals on the dining deck or even on the edge of the vlei. On clear, cold winter nights keep the chill at bay relaxing in front of a roaring fire in the sitting room before retiring to the comfort of a warm bed.

After a couple nights the group moved over to Forest Lodge: http://www.andbeyondafrica.com/luxury_safari/south_africa/phinda_private_game_reserve/and_beyond_phinda_private_game_reserve/accommodation/and_beyond_phinda_forest_lodge

Set in rare sand forest, the glass walls of Phinda Forest Lodge offer a sweeping view of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. The dainty forms of dwarf forest antelope dart among and below the suites, raised on stilts to float between the sandy forest floor and the leafy canopy above. Waking up to rustling forest sounds and bird song, surrounded by delicate leaf-filtered light, a pervading sense of peace and calm will set the tone for your entire day.

Invite the tranquility of the forest inside with you and take a soak in your oversized bathtub with huge glass windows offering yet another perspective on the play of leaves and light outside.

Phinda also has a variety of other accommodations including Mountain Lodge, Rock Lodge, and Zuka Lodge - all very well appointed.

Phinda and the andBeyond experience is a truly first class safari experience in South Africa.

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Botswana - Kwando Camps

2010-12-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Botswana is a quick flight up from South Africa. For many years we have wanted to expand into this area, but have been so East Africa focused for so long. Botswana has been appealing in that it offers the massive endless landscapes - where plains surround your 360 degree view, making you feel timeless and at nature. Finally we have decided to offer Botswana and our first reconnaissance trip involved the Kwando circuit.

Kwando offers an amazing game experience! Vintage African Safaris : Intimate Camps With Personalized Service.

What makes Kwando Safaris unique?

100% citizen owned
97% of all Kwando staff are Botswana citizens
We pride ourselves on the personal attention from committed staff and in providing our guests an all encompassing safari experience. An African safari is not just about the wildlife and décor in your camp, but equally about our people and culture
Kwando Safaris offers a true Botswana safari!

The Kwando wildlife experience

The essence of Kwando guiding is to provide the ultimate game viewing experience and holistic understanding of Botswana’s wildlife and habitats
Exclusive concession areas offering some of the most consistent high quality game viewing in the country
Each of our spectacular camps are set in unique and diverse wildlife destinations
Kwando Safaris was voted runners up for ‘The Good Safari Guide’s’ ‘Best Guiding Team in Africa’ in 2008
In private concession areas (four of our camps) guides can move off road and drive at night
A unique guide and tracker system – a Kwando Safaris’ forte, providing guests the benefit of two sets of searching eyes that miss nothing as you traverse the wilderness of northern Botswana! The guide is also able to concentrate on imparting to you interesting information and bush folklore while the skilled tracker guides you through the undergrowth and across the open plains
Game drive times are entirely flexible – also a well known characteristic of Kwando Safaris. Guests have come to Botswana to explore our wilderness areas and not to sit in camp! We believe that game activities and sightings should dictate the times of meals and not the other way round! Should you wish to spend more time at a beautiful spot or awesome sighting, then meals will be kept hot or even brought to you, to ensure that your time is best spent - out having an adventure of a lifetime!
Environmental best practices throughout all areas of operation – Kwando Safaris is pioneering the use of renewable energy within the Botswana safari industry and expanding wholesale use of renewable energy generation and sewerage treatment in all of our camps. Due to this investment in our wildlife areas, our guests know that they are leaving only their footprints in the dust.

Our first stop was Kwara Camp: http://www.kwando.co.za/kwara.html This well known camp is set overlooking a secluded lagoon in the northern Okavango Delta. This region offers a contrasting experience, as its location allows access to the permanent waterways of the Delta as well as expansive dry land areas, admired for their quality game viewing. We enjoyed makoro rides in the waterways and game drives on the savannahs. Inclusive, was a great boat cruise exploring the Okavango Delta and Moremi Reserve. This area is a must for first time travelers to the Okavango Delta.

From here we went up to Lagoon Camp: http://www.kwando.co.za/lagoon.html Lagoon is perched on the banks of the wild Kwando River, overlooking the Mudumu National Park in the Namibian Caprivi Strip. The camp is nestled beneath towering ebony and marula trees.

Lagoon has a well-earned reputation for big game and large herds of elephant and buffalo, especially in the winter months, when herds of up to a thousand are not uncommon. This vast concentration of game attracts the attention of large predators. The Lagoon wild dog pack regularly den close to the camp and the excellent viewing opportunities have led to Lagoon's reputation as the place to see wild dogs in Botswana.

We had one of the more memorable and special game drives from Lagoon. In the evening we stumbled upon a pack of wild dogs sleeping and being lazy. A couple of them began to get restless and initiated a 'greeting ceremony'. Wild dogs are the most social of all canines and the bonds between pack members are reinforced by these 'greeting ceremonies'. Before a hunt, wild dogs will greet each other with leaps, grunts, squeals, and tail wagging in the morning and afternoon. Most guides know that a pack of wild dogs will begin to hunt after they see this behavior. For us we saw two of these greetings and then as predicted, they were off in single file line and then spreading up almost like a military unit - on the hunt! First they went after an impala and missed the opportunity and then a baby elephant, but were scared off by two big female mothers protecting their young. Finally, they surrounded a warthog den and caught the one that ran away - they killed a warthog. From this point the friendly frenzy began to devour the warthog. Nearly 80% of wild dog hunts end in a kill - they are very successful and ferocious killers, known to disembowel their prey. This is a rapid way of killing and known to be quite brutal, but this is their style. Hunting behavior is passed on from generation to generation. As soon as the pack was getting close to the end of their meal, we heard an insane noise coming from animals, squeals, barking like we have never heard before - hyenas were coming to steal their food; 2 hyenas against 12 screaming wild dogs!! This was chaos, dirt flying everywhere and finally the wild dogs actually left, as they saw no reason to fight over the small quantity left - this was absolutely the most amazing wild life experience we have ever had!! Dinner this night was chat about what had happened on the game drive...

Our next stop was Lebala Camp: http://www.kwando.co.za/lebala.html Lebala is situated in the south of the Kwando concession, adjacent to the head waters of the Linyanti marshes that form the boundary between Botswana and Namibia. The southerly flowing Kwando river disappears into the vast marshland before emerging as the Linyanti river. The triangle formed by this vast wetland is home to the Mamili National Park in Namibia. The guest tents are spacious layouts and one of the more romantic settings of the circuit - we really did enjoy this camp the most.

We did not cover Nxai Pan and Tau Pan, but definitely have more to see from the Kwando circuit. We highly recommend these camps for their service, guiding, and excellent game viewing experiences - let us know if you want to book a Botswana safari!

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Singita Sabi Sand

2010-11-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

After the INDABA trade fair and a quick trip into Ponta de Ouro, Mozambique; we made our way to Cape Town and then the renowned Singita Sabi Sand.

Singita Sabi Sand offers rare solitude and the ultimate in safari luxury on prime game viewing land recognized globally for its diversity and formidable concentration of big game and frequent leopard sightings. You can choose between three unfenced lodges, infused with the glamor and elegance of Singita. The Directors were nice enough to let us stay at Boulders Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-south-africa/singita-boulders-lodge/ Boulders Lodge has a contemporary air of tranquility that honors Africa in an authentic way. You can enjoy wrap-around views from most parts of the natural stone lodge, and the lookout deck offers the perfect spot from which to observe wildlife drawn to the Sand River.

Our game drives involved sightings of leopard, wild dogs, lions, rhino, elephant, and more. Our sun downers were incredible, with one evening involving appetizers of sushi. The Singita style is quite amazing. Boulders Lodge offers a great wine cellar where you are able to do wine tastings with the local sommelier, who then comes to pour wine according to the evening's menu, which often contains various game meats. A truly beautiful safari experience in South Africa!

Here is an overview of Boulders Lodge:

12 luxurious suites (24 beds). Two of the suites are double family suites.
Luxury air-conditioned suites consist of sumptuous bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, an expansive living area with double-sided fireplace, mini-bar and fridge, private wooden leisure decks with a private heated plunge pool. All the suites have direct dial telephones, and the library has two computers and direct internet links.
The main lodge has lounge and timber deck dining areas overlooking the Sand River, a bar area and traditional open boma, gymnasium, health spa, library and wine cellar.

If Boulders is not for you, then Singita Sabi Sand also offers Ebony Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-south-africa/singita-ebony-lodge/. Ebony Lodge has a commanding presence and an essence that evokes an intense feeling of familiarity - as if visiting a congenial family home. The secluded thatched suites are the epitome of elegant comfort, with rooms styled with an eclectic mix of colours, fabrics and textures. A colonial feel with Egyptian linen, African throws, antiques and modern luxuries combine to create a homely, lived-in feel.

Here is an overview of Ebony Lodge:

12 luxurious suites (24 beds). Two of the suites are double family suites.
Each luxury air-conditioned suite consists of sumptuous bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, and an expansive living area with double-sided fireplace, mini bar and fridge and private wooden leisure decks with a heated private plunge pool. All the suites have direct dial telephones, and the library has two computers and direct internet links.
The main lodge has lounge and timber deck dining areas overlooking the Sand River, a bar area and traditional open boma, gymnasium, health spa, library and wine cellar.

Further afield, Singita also offers Lebombo and Sweni Lodges in Kruger National Park. No property is the same and the accommodations vary in design and decor. However, all with the same attention to detail, delicious food, and excellent game viewing that makes Singita such a wonderful luxury safari experience.

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Adventure International

2009-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

We recently launched our new US based adventure specialist company that procures trips around the world:

Adventure International is your DIRECT LINK to the most exhilarating adventures around the world. We create comfortable, full service trips to remote beautiful destinations. Over a decade of combined industry experience provides you with highly trained and professional guides, scheduled and custom-built programs, and life-changing adventures. Our authenticity and expertise comes from our background as guides, trip leaders, and managers. We are committed to being one of the most ethical and socially responsible adventure travel companies, through meaningful relationships and partnerships in the areas that our guest visit.
From visiting a pride of lion on safari in Africa to reaching the summit of the tallest peaks in the world.

Make an investment into experience with the leader in adventure travel... Welcome to your journey... 'Adventures for a Lifetime'

We run professional, ethical, safe, and socially responsible adventure trips into remote wilderness areas and the world’s highest peaks. Our guides are extremely knowledgeable in acute mountain sickness health monitoring and even our Kilimanjaro porters and crew know basic first aid. We never jeopardize our guests safety and always include supplemental oxygen and safety devices on all high altitude treks. Our company prides itself on paying some of the highest wages on the mountains of East Africa and we strongly believe in local career progression. We adhere to strict ‘trash in trash out’ policies and recently became one of the first tour operators offering carbon neutral trips in East Africa. We run pioneering adventure mountain biking safaris and walking safaris: all designed to give our guests something different than a typical trip into the bush. Our strategic partnerships with lodges and luxury mobile tented camps offer unique game viewing experiences in places to see for instance, the Great Migration or chances to encounter gorillas on misty slopes. Our beach programmes on the Swahili Coast offer diving opportunities and for surfing connoisseurs, the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Mozambique coastlines have world class waves. Our summit repertiore includes the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, the tallest mountain outside of Asia, and the highest peak in the contiguous U.S. Other trips’ details are not completely showcased online in order to give our guests private and exclusive access to our routes.
Featured trips: Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya, Mt Meru, mountain biking safaris, gorilla tracking in Rwanda, walking and driving safaris in Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa, surfing in Mozambique, Aconcagua, Chile Patagonia, Mt Whitney, Grand Canyoneering, and more...

For information on detailed itineraries, pricing, set departures, please visit:
www.adventure-international.com

Also, check out our new promo reel below or here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b9gq4Aqzos

Nicaragua and Guatemala

2009-08-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

A group of about nineteen of us went down to Nicaragua. There are no direct flights, so we all had to stop over in San Salvador and continue to Managua. The airport was nice and air-conditioned and a little shop offered some very nice coffee, as the region is known to have delicious coffee. Our transfer vans were making their way to pick us up and they would have to strap tons of board bags to the roof. A couple of groups also rented trucks and put most of their board bags in the back tailgate. Stepping outside of the doors was a nice breath of humidity. Nicaragua is known to be one of the hottest Central American countries.
We all hopped into our respective vehicles and were off for 3 hours towards the Pacific coast to the region of Rivas, which is next to the Northern border of Costa Rica. En route we bought some food, beers, and Flor de Cana, one of the world's most awarded rums - it is ridiculously good. The route would take us into rural countrysides, passing small villages and getting some looks at volcanoes in the distance. Lake Nicaragua is the biggest body of water in the country and has a volcanic chain that passes right through it. Hence, the dramatic beautiful peaks of Maderas and Concepcion seen in the distance to passersby driving on the highway.
A couple of signs are seen for canopy tours and coffee tours, we did neither. Our goal was to get to our rental houses, set in a big development of land, with various owners who own and rent out houses to groups such as ourselves for any given amount of time. The development is a gated community called Hacienda Iguana that is in a great location for surfers who can walk to unbelievable surf breaks. The famous Colorado beachbreak holds swell of up to 10ft+ with peaky barrels for unreal tube riding. Down the stretch of beach is Panga drops, a wave that holds even bigger swell and a bit more forgiving on the take-off. However, once in position after the take-off, the face opens up into a massive wave capable of turns and getting speed down the line like a point break - great lefts and rights.
In the last decade, Nicaragua has been getting notoriety for its waves. The offshore winds that howl almost 90% of the time make the waves good all day long. With more houses and more people finding out, the crowds get bigger, but not nearly as busy as Costa Rica or other popular surf spots. With nineteen guys, we were instantly a crowd anyway. A good resource for surf & snow vacation rentals is Solikai: http://www.solikai.com/dir/index.php You can find rental properties worldwide for your next adventure or if you are an owner, then you can list the property at a very reasonable price.
The groups were split up into 2 houses and each had its own attentive house girl to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With surf sessions in the morning, day and dusk - the crews were busy eating hearty meals. Some of the houses even had wi-fi for those that needed to run their remote office. The water was warm, the waves were pumping, weather was hot, and life was good. When the waves were a bit smaller, a small group of us went and played nine holes on the golf course. Not a bad bachelor party for our friend Brett getting married in the Fall. For all of us, a wonderful excuse to visit Nicaragua for a week.

On the last day, most folks were heading back to Los Angeles and a few would continue onwards to other adventures. A couple of people went onto Costa Rica and then a couple of us went North to Guatemala. After we all landed in San Salvador, I quickly ran to catch my connection to Guatemala City. Upon arrival, my family picked me up and we headed to their house in San Cristobal, a neighborhood just outside the city center. The next day we would gather amenities such as food, drinks, and cooking supplies for our adventure to the beach. A friend arrived the following day at 530am and after we picked him up at the airport, we were off for 3 hours to the Pacific Coast.
Following the signs to Escuintla you start to feel the heat as the day grows. The road ends at Puerto San Jose and you begin to drive south towards the small beach town of Itztapa. Going further south you head towards the tourism epicenter of Monterrico. A small town visited for its beaches, restaurants, and hotels. If you continue going even further south, you begin to enter the area of Monterrico-Hawaii. For years, the only way to get to Hawaii was by crossing the mangroves in a boat. Recently, a ferry was built where cars could cross the canal and drive to the beachfront properties. Nowadays, they built a bridge and are even in the middle of finishing a tarmac road.
The area known as Hawaii is minimal, a very small beach town of mostly local families and properties owned by either Guatemalan city dwellers or foreigners. A piece of land on the beach has been owned by my family since before I was born. The protected biotope area encompasses the mangrove swamps and beaches. This stretch of beach is prime nesting grounds for sea turtles. Between June and December, peaking in August and September, you might encounter sea turtles coming to lay their eggs or baby sea turtles making their first voyage to sea. Large Leatherback or smaller Olive Ridley's come ashore here to lay eggs.
Locals are on the lookout to snatch up eggs and sell them. However, an agreement has been made between CECON (San Carlos University Center for Conservation Studies) and ARCAS (Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association) with locals, whereby they must donate part of their findings for conservation efforts. If locals try and sell eggs without proof of donation, they are considered black market and people are hesitant to buy them. Volunteers from the local turtle sanctuary patrol the beaches at night making sure that eggs are being donated and collected. In fact, sometimes the sanctuary buys eggs from the locals. The eggs are then taken to the sanctuary where they are buried underground until they hatch.
Upon hatching, the baby sea turtles are released at sunrise or sunset, protected from the elements and predators. Volunteers in the early mornings take GPS trackings of turtles and release around 5,000 sea turtles a year. You can read more about the non-profit conservation efforts of ARCAS and Hawaii here: http://www.arcasguatemala.com/en/hawaii.htm#protected For us, it was great insight into what was happening on our beach area and we applauded the conservation efforts. Every night I laid in a hammock, seeing the flashlights up and down the beach, everyone in search of the turtles. I would fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean and the next morning for 2 nights in a row the little kids would come up and ask me if I saw the turtle that came right next to the property? Unfortunately, I never did see a turtle and all the more reason to go back again and again.
The waves were good, 6ft to 8ft beachbreak having to find some rideable corners. The mornings were always the best with better tides and cleaner conditions. We took a mangrove trip by boat to see the swamps where local fishermen were trying to catch fish, shrimp, and crabs. We decided to surf the rivermouth where the mangrove empties into the ocean - luckily no sharks around but always curious about crocodiles that inhabit the swamps? In the next couple of months we are seeking to build an eco-resort on the property with facilities for yoga. Stay tuned for more info, you can watch a little promo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VTofV7DDps

After a few days on the coast, we decided to head inland to the highlands. We got on an afternoon camioneta (chicken bus) for 3 hours and arrived in Panajachel before dusk. Panajachel is a town located on the shore of Lake Atitlan. It serves as a major inlet for visitors and residents to take boats around the lake to other smaller villages, hotels, restaurants, textile shops, and artisan centres. Panajachel has a lot of inexpensive boutique hotels and hostels. The main stretch is home to shops with fabrics, Guatemalan arts and crafts, and nomadic jewelers. On the lake shore are great restaurants for sundowners and sunsets with fantastic views of the lake. Panajachel attracted many hippies in the 60's and many foreigners still live in the area. Taking a boat ride of the lake, you see beautiful homes on the lake shore with private boat docks. Lake Atitlan is said to be one of the few vortex energy fields, thus, the area attracts many healers, therapists, and masseurs. We decided the next day to visit Las Piramides: http://www.laspiramidesdelka.com/ spiritual centre to get some work done by a healer and masseur. The tranquil location in San Marcos alotted us great views of the volcanoes and had a serene feel. The restaurant at the Hotel Posada Schumann was a perfect place to relax and get energizing smoothies and juices.
We hired a private shared minibus and headed to Antigua. After 3 hours on the road, we arrived into the famous colonial town with cobblestone streets. Antigua is a declared UNESCO World Heritage site, maintaining its Spanish influence of Baroque architecture and colonial church ruins. The town has grown into a lively place with quaint hotels, cafes, restaurants, and bars. This epicenter for tourism and Spanish schools draws a foreigner crowd. The Central Park is a popular gathering spot and the most notable architecture landmark is the Arco de Santa Catalina or Arch. La Merced church is beautiful and the San Hermano Pedro church looks great at night. We had sundowners at Cafe Sky with nice vistas of the city. Three volcanoes dominate the horizon when walking around Antigua, the most commanding is Volcan de Agua - Volcano of Water (12,356ft). The volcano serves as a backdrop of almost every picture taken in the town, often times clouded over by the mist. The other volcanoes are Acatenango (13,045ft) and Volcan de Fuego - Volcano of Fire (12,346ft). We decided the next day to climb Volcan de Fuego starting at 2pm to summit when it was getting dark and see the lava at night.
Everyday we had lunch at Cuevita de las Urquizas, a tipico restaurant that served Guatemalan cuisine. The presentation was elaborate with meats kept warm on earthenware pots and a spread of desirable side dishes. Every meal comes with nicely fresh made tortillas brought cloth-covered in a basket. This place is highly recommended to go eat for lunch, as it closes early. One afternoon we were walking by a courtyard and heard the sounds of wonderful Cuban latin-jazz. Our curiosity took us into the courtyard to see who was playing. An older black man sat in the front with three conga drums and was doing a bit of a sound check. We decided to take a seat at one of the front tables and order some drinks. When the band was comfortable with the sound, they went into a nice rhythmic latin Cuban sound, reminiscent of the old days in Havana. It dawned on me that this was the sound of the Buena Vista Social Club. The 64 year old Cubano was Ignacio Perez Borrell, one of the drummers from the Club. This band was called Buena Vista de Corazon. Turns out Ignacio toured with Buena Vista to 28 countries and on the last tour, the Cuban police rescinded his permit. On another tour he defected and now lives in Guatemala and plays with his conjunto, touring occasionally to music festivals. (youtube video soon to come of a couple of his tracks)
Another great trip to Gautemala and another great week in Central America...

... 6 Months later in Los Angeles...

2009-07-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Summits Africa opens in Venice...

Summits Africa is now open in the USA – Los Angeles, California. This sunny backdrop by the ocean is where we can be reached pacific standard time, on the phone, or in person.

Frank Castro, who recently moved from Tanzania, heads up US Operations and Sales. For enquieries, info, availability on set departures or planning a custom tailor-made itinerary, please email: frank @ summits-africa . com

This is another great step for the company, as this satellite office becomes the third destination, following Nairobi, Kenya. The Summits Africa team now has Managers on either side of the globe and has an affiliate partner – Adventure International. Adventure trips can still be booked through various travel agents and tour operators worldwide, and we have great partnerships in places such as the UK and Australia.

Our offices are virtually paperless, using servers to keep all Management informed across the globe. We use ‘efax’ to eliminate the waste of paper. We do not print brochures -

our website serves as a template for info on the company, trips, itineraries, set departures and pricing: http://www.summits-africa.com/
we use an online booking form to collect client information: http://www.summits-africa.com/book/book-summits-africa.htm
we have a great Frequently Asked Questions page: http://www.summits-africa.com/kilimanjaro/kilimanjaro-faq.htm

We hope to be able to plan your next dream adventure holiday…

Summits Africa becomes Carbon Neutral 2009... Carbon Tanzania: http://www.carbontanzania.com/

Summits - Carbon Neutral

Summits Africa striving to be the #1 East African outfitter, what makes us different than other companies:

What sets us apart?

6 of our guides are first aid instructors and help teach the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project first aid programs.
Our prices are lower than most luxury trekking operations
We include more gear as part of the price of our luxury specification, such as thick 3 inch foam mattresses for superior comfort as sleeping can be tough at altitude and we make it as comfortable as possible. -30 degree sleeping bags are included so people don't have to spend $300 - $500 on a sleeping bag they most likely will use once.
We are Tanzanian based and the owners are East African, thus supporting local economy
We provide unbranded services, gladly accept tour leaders and guides, have set departures to sell into and FIT programs
We run other pioneering adventure mountain biking safaris and walking safaris: all designed to maximize our guests first hand experience in the bush

3 Major points:

1. Safety: all of our climb preparation, briefings, trip management and emergency procedures are all based around safety. We have written safety plans, we have emergency evacuation plans and protocols and more than that we systematically monitor and assess guests using our 'constant monitoring system'. There's no company offering a more in depth methodology to keep their clients safe. Moreover we've been doing this for over a decade. Emergency oxygen, stretchers, pulse oximeters, every single one of our 197 crew and porters trained up in basic first aid - we are a tried and tested machine with an impeccable record.

2. Value for money: we are not the cheapest but also far from the most expensive. Our aim is to offer excellent value for money for what is among the highest level of safety and service. We do also offer more options. For those feeling the pinch, the Lightweight specification is amazing value and still offers much more than any 'budget' operator. We have one of the most comfortable budget climbs around. We are proud to offer consistency again and again.

3. Environmental credentials and social responsibility: first carbon neutral company in East Africa ‘turning CO2 emissions into natural forest’, strict ‘leave no trace’ policies, low impact high experience adventure trips.

Mt Kenya

2009-01-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

I headed up to Nairobi to meet our new guides and crew. Summits Africa opened satellite operations in Nairobi to facilitate Mt Kenya climbs and safaris. The first couple of days were going over systems and detail-oriented administrative procedures. Also, we talked about menus and the logistics of shopping, getting fixed rates from suppliers. Having a consistent product on all the peaks is important for the company and our standards. One of our Tanzanian head guides would be on board for the climb to ensure that our Kenyan guides were up to par on acute mountain sickness scorecard health monitoring all the way to the summit. Using pulse oximeters and bringing supplemental oxygen are standard on all high altitude climbs. The Kenyan crews are extremely knowledgeable and their hospitality true to the East African spirit...
The morning of the climb, we picked up some of our clients and headed out of Nairobi around 8am. The drive towards the Sirimon gate is a couple of hours and a landscape full of various farms, ranging from citrus to flowers. The small town of Nare Moru is where most of our crew lives and an old mountain base town from the early explorer days. It is from this junction that we first caught a glimpse of Mt Kenya of what is known as the dry side. From this vantage point there is no snow, except on the top of the peaks, however, the peaks were covered by clouds. Eventually we hit the turnoff for Mt Kenya National Park and headed up towards Sirimon gate.
Mt Kenya National Park is a World UNESCO Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, containing a global atmosphere monitoring station. The national park was created to help local communities with tourism, preserve the biosphere, and protect the water catchment in the surrounding area. The area combined with volcanic soil and abundant water make it favorable for agriculture. Wild animals still inhabit the area such as monkeys, buffalo, gazelle, and elephants. In fact, once we got to the gate and finished formalities, we saw an elephant on the trail. We ate some lunch in the meantime and let the elephant pass. Our hike started in the afternoon and we walked through an afromontane forest. As we ascended, the sides would drop off into gorges and the trees would contain the familiar Spanish Moss seen on Meru and Kilimanjaro. Soon the fauna changed and we would reach the heath zone with more rolling hills and short grasses. From this vantage point, we could see the towns below. The afternoon was fairly easy and we made it to Old Moses camp (3300m) within 3 hours. We set up a private camp in the bush and the evening revealed the first sightings of Nelion and Batian peaks, as the clouds parted. We decided to walk up a hill and catch a better angle and then drop back into camp for dinner. As the sun went down, the temperature in the air began to drop and we had some hot drinks. Dinner was butternut squash soup, chicken stew with rice and side dish of zucchini and peas. We went to bed early as standard.
I awoke early to see the sunrise and the sky was clear, again revealing the peaks in the distance. The evening was quite cold, the camp is exposed to wind passing, thus creating a chill factor. The crew had made a french press with Dorman's, a Kenyan coffee. While I had cut out caffeine two weeks prior to climbing, now on the mountain it was nice for its diuretic effect, to get the heart rate up and inhale higher levels of oxygen, and sometimes help cure high-altitude headaches - overall a helpful stimulant to help in the acclimatization process. Breakfast was porridge and cereal, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and toast. Enough to get a good start and burn calories hiking. The sun was out and the rays were felt warmly, the weather was nice. We began our day, going pole pole - slowly slowly, drinking lots of water from the camelpak (I really advocate these for climbing). We continued in the heath and hagenia zones and traversed a valley with endemic fauna. Lobelias began to be seen, a common equatorial mountain plant. Mt Kenya has giant senecio or groundsel that only bloom every 99 years. These plants are beautiful and get water from the precipitation clouds that come in during the day and layer the mountain. On our valley traverse, these clouds came in and made the temperature drop a bit while hiking.
We reached the top of a hill and found ourselves starring down into Likki Valley. Lobelias and groundsels covering the hillside. From here, we could see Nelion and Batian and the valley's simple beauty was stunning. Below we could see Likki North camp (3950m) and there was no one else around. Most people skip this camp and go straight to Shiptons, however, we believe that this break in the route and overnight is key to acclimatization. While we only ascended 650m, the pace was great and we avoided the 1000m ascent and long day that the other traditional route follows. This place is a definite worthwhile stopover. As we descended into the valley, streams were running on our path and the ground in some places was soft and moss-like. We came into camp and had some pepper steak sandwiches. We took some short naps and had dinner, mushroom soup and spaghetti bolognese. There were more stars in the sky this night and Venus was making a bright presence in the sky.
I awoke early as standard, and the night had been really cold, impressive chill factor. For some reason this camp has a reputation of being cold. I hiked back out the way we came in so that I could get some nicely lit shots of the valley with the exposed peaks. The morning tends to have really nice lighting and this valley was worth the extra work. Again, all the breakfast amenities and we began another day climbing a ridge pole pole. Eventually we would get to the top of the hill and descend into Mackinders valley. We could see the other route below our traversed route that other hikers take when walking from Old Moses to Shiptons camp near the Nanyuki river. This was our first sighting of other people on the mountain. The hillside was covered with lobelias and groundsels and the views of Nelion and Batian were even more impressive, they were getting closer. Mackinders valley has spectacular views, much bigger than Likki valley.
The valley was a nice walk and we would traverse the valley most of the day, other peaks revealing themselves to us on the left. The day would bring us to rest by a big river crossing, big enough for a bridge to be built. Mt Kenya has the unique feature of a lot of moving water, often with nice sounds. We went up our last hill and then saw Shiptons camp in the distance. It was here that we got a wonderful view of Thomson, Nelion, and Batian peaks covered in snow overshadowing the sunny valley. The photo opportunities were amazing and I took advantage of the clear weather, clouds were coming in, the natural afternoon phenomenon of precipitation.
We ascended 250m this day and got into Shiptons camp (4200m) where the peaks were literally over our heads. It was this afternoon that the first signs of headaches occurred. We were at 13,800 ft, so altitude gain had happened and now we would rest to acclimatize. Lunch was chicken and chips and then a siesta to get adjusted to altitude - we took a bit of ibuprofen (headache medicine) which did the trick and relieved some pressure. The late afternoon we could hear the sounds of rock hyrax and there was a bit of mist on the peaks. Dinner was beef stroganoff with macaroni. The night sky reflected bright behind the dark shadows of Batian.
The next day we awoke early and caught the first rays of light starting to shine on Batian. After breakfast, the light was shining on all the peaks and we began our steepest ascent. Our first rest stop was a nice tarn in a small valley. The guides told a story that when the first hikers came up to this spot, they saw lions and were in shock that they would come so high up on the mountain. As we reached a bit further on the hill, we saw Point Lenana the third tallest peak on Mt Kenya and the non-technical summit. At the top of the hill, we now would see our descent route Chogoria. The Gorges valley has picturesque escarpments and deep valleys with many tarns on the way. Unlike other mountains, Mt Kenya has many tarns that are made from the water runoff of the snow and ice on the peaks. The tarns and running water makes Mt Kenya truly beautiful.
After a couple more hills, we began to traverse towards Austrian Hut camp. We were walking below Pt Lenana and traversing below rocky formations. We would ascend 500m and arrive at Austrian Hut (4790m) for lunch. Austrian Hut is quiet and most climbers doing the technical ascents use it as a base camp. Coming to Austrian allowed extra acclimatization and a chance to stay at a beautiful place. The grandeur of Nelion is overwhelming, from here you can see the long vertical face. In between Pt Lenana and Nelion is Lewis Glacier, the largest glacier on Mt Kenya shining bright and feeding two rivers below it. Scientists believe with the rate of erosion that in the next 30 years there will be no more ice on Mt Kenya, a sad thought. The routes used to need crampons more often because of ice, but now they are needed less and less.
From Austrian Hut Pt Lenana is an hour away - we could see the summit. We had some meatballs with roast potatoes and vegetables discussing the idea of going up to the summit and doing a day time ascent. We decided to take a quick 30 minute nap and then regroup. When we awoke, the quick power nap gave us enough energy to go for the summit. We looked up at the weather and the clouds did not seem too dense. As a group we decided that if the weather was bad, then we would make a safe decision to turn back and then go for it in the morning again. We put on small summit packs with water and an energy bar. We started going up pole pole at 330pm. The afternoon clouds began to part and daytime views were great, I took pictures that perhaps most don't get to see of Nelion and Lewis Glacier.
At 420pm we summited Pt Lenana (4985m) 16,355 ft and the weather was clear and the temperature comfortable, in fact no wind. We were delighted to be at the top and the 360 degree views were fantastic - picture perfect. After some time we would descend back into camp in time for afternoon tea and then have dinner. At 4am we awoke and had some tea and bisquits. We organized our water and gear and headed out at 430am with our headlamps walking pole pole. The early morning was cold, the wind had picked up during the night and its chill made your body fight for warmth. Half way up the Pt Lenana summit trail, the first light was on the horizon, deep reds, yellows, orange, and blues. The group once again made it to the top and watched the sunrise. This time of day on the top of the mountain is known as God's hour. The body feels the warmth of the sun's rays shining and the world is waking up - simple moments of life. The early light on Nelion created a deep red on the peak and the reflections on the sky purples. The sky was clear enough to see Mt Kilimanjaro and Mawenzi peak in the far distance. The wind continued and the summit was cold, complete opposite of the day prior. Everyone got some photos and footage and then we began our descent using a different trail.
We were going down the Chogoria route down to Mintos camp to have some breakfast. We devoured food after hiking and waking up early. Today was a long day, however, mostly descending down rolling hills, the Gorges valley, and to the forest. At one point, unique to the Chogoria route, is an incredible view of Vivian falls and the peaks above - a shot so immense that photos cannot capture it. We would continue our descent and have lunch at Roadhead, the beginning of a road leading to Meru Mt Kenya Lodge. After another three hours we made it to Meru Mt Kenya Lodge, cabins in the forest with showers and fire places - a real luxury after camping for a couple of days. Buffalo and elephant frequent the lodge and the hot showers we had were amazing. Dinner was leek soup and chicken, cheeese, and cauliflower cannelonis topped with marinara sauce. We would cheers and sleep in comfortable cots.
The next day after breakfast we would take a 4x4 vehicle down the bamboo forest to Chogoria town and connect with our transfer vehicle taking us to Sosian Ranch in Laikipia: http://www.offbeatsafaris.com/sosian.html
Coming from Chogoria, we would circumvent the mountain passing where we initially started at Sirimon gate. Our route would give us great circumnavigation of the peaks and the mountain - extremely picturesque. We would pass Nare Moru and get into Nanyuki town. From Nanayuki about an hour away is Sosian, located on the Laikipia plateau. Laikipia is divided into an enormous patch of ranches. With the help of the owners, these farms became game reserves and contain some of the most exclusive lodges in the remotest parts of Kenya. Laikipia Wildlife Forum was born and is a stronghold that believes in the preservation of this special area containing some of the most endangered species in East Africa. The area is scenic with wooded gorges and riverine thickets, a place seldom visited by normal tourists because accommodation is on private land.
We spent the next consecutive days at Sosian including Christmas Eve. Sosian offers game drives, bush walks, camel rides, and horseback riding. After hiking for almost a week, I gladly participated in game drives running into cheetah, elephant, grevy's zebra, hartebeest and nocturnal animals during our night game drives. Christmas Eve we had a beautiful bush dinner and a nice champagne toast. On Christmas Day, I left and headed to Ol Pejeta Conservancy to visit Kicheche Laikipia Camp: http://www.kicheche.com/camps-laikipia.shtm Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000 acre uncrowded wilderness area and is the largest Black Rhino sanctuary in East Africa. Just 30 minutes from Nanyuki is a beautiful luxury tented camp that offers day and night game drives able to see the Big Five and plentiful plains game. I had a nice lunch al fresco and made my way back to Nairobi. All in all a nice Christmas vacation..

For more info on Mt Kenya departures, itineraries, and pricing:
http://www.summits-africa.com/kenya/Mt%20Kenya/Mt-Kenya-6-days-Sirimon-Chogoria-luxury.htm

You can watch our Mt Kenya climb on Youtube at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_qAsg7OO9I

Grumeti and the Serengeti

2008-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

We got into the Summits Africa truck and headed off for a long weekend. We had been invited to go stay at Singita Grumeti, known as some of the most luxurious accommodations on the Northern Circuit. Our first stop was Kirurumu Tented Lodge, a beautiful lodge with canvas covered rooms with an unforgettable view over the Great Rift Valley. Our plan was to go mountain biking into the Ngorongoro Highlands from the lodge. Our trip would take us up a couple of steep hills, but into a vastness of rolling hills and the cliff edges of the Rift Valley. This afternoon was a bit surreal, as earlier on the road in a very unsuspecting area, a herd of six elephant bulls passed us in formation. The bulls were quite large and moving from the Highlands into Manyara ranch. We had been extremely surprised to this sight and it was a great sign for our safari to come.
Sundowners at Kirurumu were festive as we had run into the owners and friends. As usual the food was excellent and bedtime was sooner rather than later.
The next morning we were up at 530am taking showers and grabbing some coffee and some breakfast boxes. Our drive was going to be long, as most people get a charter flight into the area we were going to. We soon arrived at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate and did our necessary formalities to drove through. After the gates, the bush is fair game and immediately we saw families of baboons grooming each other.
Driving through the Mbulu highlands is always impressive, especially when you round the corner where the Ngorongoro Crater appears. The 600m deep caldera is enormous and today there were no clouds and the view was pristine. The local Massai and their cattle herds went about their normal day of grazing amongst the green hills and acacias. Soon we came upon the official sign that denotes the separation of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti. Its always exciting to cross into the Serengeti, when you live in Arusha, the local game parks are frequently visited, but the Serengeti is special - one of the biggest game parks in the world - the place where the land runs on forever...
Serengeti National Park is most famous for its annual migration of over one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras. The migration has seasonal patterns, but these vary depending on the rains and sometimes the herds will come into different areas earlier or later. The pattern essentially begins with the herds traveling south from the northern hills to the southern plains during the short rains in October and November; then heading west and north after the long rains in April, May, and June. The Serengeti is Tanzania's oldest park and is the flagship of tourism for the country. The park is famous for its grassland plains and savannas, however, it also has riverine forests and woodlands. The Serengeti's northern border is continuous with Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve. Here, at the Mara River is where remarkable scenes of wildebeest river crossings happen and crocodiles jump out of the water to feed on the crossing game.
The north east border is Loliondo Game Controlled Area and the western border are the Grumeti Game Reserves (our final destination). The Serengeti holds healthy populations of all kinds of African animals, especially the Big Five termed for the most prized hunting trophies: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Once prominent with thousands of rhinos within the Ngorongoro and Serengeti ecosystems, poaching dramatically reduced the numbers to almost extinction. Huge efforts were made in conservation and the numbers increased. However, black rhinos in the area are closely monitored and given huge protection. Grumeti Game Reserves has flown in a male and female, which mated, and they plan to introduce thirty over the next couple of years into the area. The introduction of new bloodlines will help reduce inbreeding between existing rhino populations.
The plains contain plenty of cheetah, giraffe, and gazelles. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest known, in fact early man fossils were found at Olduvai Gorge.
Our crossing meant it was breakfast time and we stopped to enjoy our boxes. Eventually we drove by the plains of the Seronera and the official gate. Seronera is the main area with an airstrip, research headquarters, lodges, and park official accommodations. It is here that I saw a public bus with an elephant and a picture of US President-Elect Barack Obama doing a thumbs up.
Our drive took us passed Seronera and off to the west. This area is quiet, not too many vehicles traveling along this side. We passed the Musabu plains and began to see some herds of buffalo and giraffe. We drove to the Grumeti airstrip and noticed we had gone too far and made a turn back down a game driving road. In the distance we approached a slight downhill onto the plains again and right under a shaded acacia were two lioness and two cubs. The sight was picture perfect, a true African scene of predators and plains game. This was a nice opportunity to take some great photos and footage of the playful lion family. We felt blessed to have such a quiet and natural moment with the lions with no one else in sight for miles.
We kept driving a bit further and crossed into the Grumeti Game Reserves and reached Sabora Tented Camp: http://www.singita.com/index.php/
game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-sabora-tented-camp/. Sabora is made up of six luxury air-conditioned ensuite tents with a common reading area between tents, outdoor showers, umbrella covered lounge chairs, a pool, spa and a common bar and sitting area. The view is a panoramic picture of the Sabora plains with a waterhole in front. The clay tennis court was voted second in the world for most unique. We enjoyed an incredible fresh Prawn Salad from the chef poolside and watched as the rainclouds began to make their presence over the horizon. We finished up and were off to Faru Faru Lodge, our accommodation for the evening.Faru Faru Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-faru-faru-lodge/. On the way we encountered two very lazy lions sleeping and a pack of jackals near their den. Unlike Sabora, which has visible tents, Faru Faru is tucked into the side of a hill like a ruin with naturally built roofs. Faru Faru is set on the Grumeti River and built in a rustic style with canvas and pure luxury. The rooms have a panoramic window which automatically opens and closes over private waterholes, air-conditioning, and outdoor rock showers. The intimate main area has an infinity pool and places to sit around a camp fire. We were totally breath-taken by this place. After a quick shower and some beers around the camp fire, we sat down and enjoyed a nice bottle of Chardonnay and Seared Tuna. Another early night and a long day of driving met the comfortable bed easily.
We awoke at 530am the following morning and took some hot outdoor showers and drank some coffee. We were off on a morning game drive and heading towards Sasakwa Lodge, the third Singita Grumeti property. Since the area is a private game reserve, the only people driving around are guests staying at the lodges, which are not many. It was the Northern Circuit without the crowds. As we drove along the Grumeti River, we saw Colobus Monkeys. Mostly these animals are only seen in Arusha National Park near Mt Meru. This species was different, a relative that comes from Western Africa with a different tail. The Game Reserve used to be a hunting concession and now Singita buys all the trophy licenses every year. Game has once again settled in the area and new unseen species are emerging including different insects and birds. We approached a big herd of elephants crossing and amongst the pack was the smallest elephant I have ever seen, not more than a month old still hairy. We could hear the sound of a lion in the distance calling out. As soon as the herd passed, we drove to see where the lion was calling from. We saw two male lions in a strike position and thought that they were going to hunt. Soon we saw a female lioness sitting below them and no game in sight. The camera began rolling and we were a bit confused if they were going to attack her or not? We kept steady and soon the two male lions went after the female and growled and chased her off for about one kilometer. We drove and followed them a bit, losing the female somewhere as she had run off.
The two males began to scent and urinate on the plants. The males were marking their territory all the way to the spot where they had attacked the female by leaving scent deposits. These were two male lions coming into a new territory and showing dominance. The lions new that the female was not in estrus, thus, chased her away. Lions have an olfactory organ on the roof of their mouths called the Jacobson's organ. The grimacing gesture called flehmen, opens the cats lips allowing air to pass over the Jacobson's organ. By smelling the lioness' urine they can tell if she is in estrus or not, extremely developed sense of smell. We were lucky to witness such animal behavior intimately and record it. We continued to game drive towards Sasakwa Lodge for breakfast, which we could see perched on Sasakwa hill.
Sasakwa Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/
game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-sasakwa-lodge/. Immediately the views from Sasakwa were amazing. The property is a luxurious manor with individual villas, each with an infinity pool with stunning views of the Serengeti plains. There are tennis courts, air-conditioned rooms, fireplaces, bar area with pool table, a gym, spa, and an Equestrian centre that houses sixteen horses. Our breakfast was excellent and the views were relaxing. We met with the horses and walked the grounds for a bit. It was then another game drive towards Faru Faru Lodge and then lunch. Our lunch was absolutely lovely, a chilled Cream of Zucchini soup, and an assortment of skewers and tapas.
It was finally time to leave Grumeti and venture back into Seronera to meet our associate and his Japanese Film crew. As we got closer to Seronera, the sun was going down and trees were flooded with Marabou Storks, the black outline and pink backdrop was nice. On the road we saw a Bateleur Eagle eating a freshly killed Hare. All of a sudden we saw two hippo run out of the river and go on dry ground. They are surprisingly fast runners and one began to graze. We parked and watched the hippo for a while, as it is rare to see them outside of their safe water zone since usually hippos graze at night. We eventually landed at Wildlife Lodge and stayed there the night.
The next day we were up at 530am and went off with picnic boxes. The morning was quiet, not many cars around and we began to traverse the riverine forests. We saw a pride of lion in the distance and some birds circling a bit further. As we stopped and looked, we saw seven hyenas scavenging over a dead zebra that most likely had been eaten by the pride of lion we had just seen. Vultures joined the hyenas in scavenging the kill. In the distance we saw more birds flying and hovering, again we saw the very last remnants of a kill. We decided to go look on some rock kopjes and from the corner of our eyes was a leopard lying in a tree. As soon as we stopped, the leopard jumped off of the tree and hid. Leopards are extremely shy and seeing them perched in a tree is rare. I have yet to get photographic opportunities like this...
Eventually it was time to start making our way out. We passed the Seronera gate and came across the wildebeest migration. Game appeared on the plains as far as the eye could see. The migration was a bit early in the south as the rains had come early this year. To our right in the distance we could see something bright on a mound. It was a cheetah sunbathing pretty close to the road. We pulled up and took the time to take some great photos. Soon another cheetah came from a bush and joined the other cheetah on the mound. This must have been two male brothers. All of a sudden they stood up quickly and we looked to our left and saw a Steenbok. Before we knew it, the cheetahs crossed the road and did another check. I felt the adrenaline of some hunting taking place. I got out of the car and stood on the hood (you shouldn't do this) and began to film. Quicker than you can imagine a chase ensued and through the lens I tried to keep up with the running animals. Nature took its course and a short hunting chase occurred. The Steenbok went down and we were confused if the cheetahs had got it. They began to surround their prey and rustling began in a bush and soon they went in and we heard the antelope yelps of its last breath. Then the white legs came up and we knew, the Steenbok was dead. I had finally seen a kill in the bush! And got it on film! We were so happy and as usual with the bush, it all happened so quick. We decided to drive a bit closer and down a bit. Here, we had a much better view of the cheetahs with their kill. I began rolling again and proceeded to record the cheetahs eating the Steenbok with bloody faces, occasionally having the cheetahs lifting the body. We were lucky to see this happen, a real blessing. Our trip was certainly complete and we proceeded towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. On the way we saw another cheetah walking along the plains. We thought it might hunt and said to ourselves - really? However, after watching it for a while, the cheetah sat down and we knew it would not move for a while. Of course all of this action left us wanting more and that is exactly what should occur. Our last stop was a site inspection at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge: http://ngorongorocrater.com/. This lodge sits on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and has luxurious accommodation. This place is considered a top honeymoon spot with stunning views from the bed and bath. The lodge is architecturally inspired from the Masaai mud-and-stick homesteads or bomas, all of them with a fire place and chimney. We found some zebra grazing calmly on the grounds out in front of the restaurant. Finally, we were off and out of the NCA and on to Arusha. Not a bad couple of days in the bush....

A short video of the cheetahs making a kill can be seen at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmH-dFuIPfo

or here:

Tarangire

2008-11-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

Another day in Tarangire, only an hour and a half away from Arusha. Its a perfect one day trip and you feel as though you were gone for days. Some friends were in town and their luck was incredible. Lions are seen in Tarangire, but often times the predators are hard to spot. Our one day trip saw three big prides of lion from about 15-23 lions deep. This group had virgin safari luck and it was a great beginning to their journey into the bush. This trip we saw a big elephant carcass, must have been a couple of weeks old with the skin still on the bones and skull. Scavengers had already eaten whatever flesh remained, and it had a powerful odor.
Not sure if the elephant had been killed or died a natural death? Other elephants continued to roam and eat with the usual Tarangire backdrop of palm trees. Most lions this day were lazy and some young cubs were active, but extremely secretive and well protected by their mother. The amount of game in the park was noticeably huge. A lot of the herds were still in the park and the grassland plains were thriving with grazing animals. This time of year, November is great to see game. Another great day in Tarangire National Park...

West Kili - Hemingway's Camp

2008-11-04T02:50:00.000-08:00

We departed Arusha and headed towards Moshi. On the way, a turn off for Sanya Ju appears, which leads in the direction of Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. The tarmac road ends and then a series of interconnected dirt roads lead out towards the Western side of Kilimanjaro. This area, seldom visited is termed West Kili. We continued on these dirt roads, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Eventually at a very discreet turn off, we made a left at Olmolok village. These smaller roads winded down towards some plains. In the distance we could see Amboseli Park on the Tanzania / Kenya border. Off to our rights were views of Mt Kilimanjaro.
As it became dusk, the clouds parted and revealed the snow-capped top of Kilimanjaro. At sunset, the colors were a vibrant magenta, the whole landscape becoming rich in texture. We drove up a big hill for sundowners and watched the sunset over this marvelous landscape. Just before it became dark we headed to our luxury tented camp - Hemingway's http://www.hemingways-camp.com/ This exclusive luxury camp is set under shady acacias on the plains of West Kili. The nearby hills have 360 degree views towards Amboseli and Kilimanjaro. The remoteness of the camp gives the place a pioneer bush experience.
This area is contiguous with Kenya's Amboseli Park and thus, the elephants that roam around are docile and approachable. The herds are large and often times come into camp. The area has lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Bat eared Fox, and Striped Hyaena - heard in the mornings. Game such as Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Impala, and Bushbuck are common. Predators such as Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah also live in the area, however, much harder to see. The area is ideal for bush walks, game drives, and bush lunches. The camp is set in a local Masaai area, and bed night fees are given to the local community, as well as employment opportunities at the camp. This area is a wildlife management area, where local villages run and protect the environment. Local Masaai graze their cattle with animals living alongside.
We took a long bush walk our second day and met up with the crew for a nice bush lunch. In the afternoon, we took a siesta and then went up the hill to catch sunset shots of Kilimanjaro. We bought a goat from a local herdsman and had a proper Masaai meal. First, they suffacated the goat, so as not to lose any blood, and then they skinned and gutted the goat. We ordered some beers around the camp fire and watched the fresh goat meat cook near the fire. Eating goat like this - could be one of the best bush meals around. Goat meat is delicious, including the intestines!
Masaai drink the blood from the goat and eat the kidneys raw. While my Western mentally did not allow for my taste of true bushmanship, I did enjoy cooked liver, stomach, and linings. The cooks are great in the kitchen and made nice medium rare steak pieces of fresh goat. At the time we were the only guests, so if we didn't finish the goat, plenty of folks from the camp would. This place is a real treat, very special...

Hemingway's camp in West Kili is the start of Summits Africa 'Plains to Peak' trip, which begins with a couple of nights of bush and then trekking up the Lemosho route for 9 days. The 'Plains to Peak' trek is the Ultimate Kilimanjaro Expedition.

You can view a detailed itinerary, set departures, and pricing here:
http://www.summits-africa.com/kilimanjaro/kilimanjaro-the-Lemosho-route-plains-to-peak.htm

Pangani

2008-10-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Well, this fine 2008 year was my 29th birthday, not quite 30 yet. Interesting year with the US election and the world in change - sorry to reflect for a moment, but all in all life is good. I needed a bit of ocean comfort and a group of us headed towards Pangani on the Tanzanian coast. Pangani is described as the Zanzibar of the mainland and is about 5 hours from Arusha near Tanga, only 40km down a dirt road. Pangani is an unspoiled area of beach that mostly ex-pats visit and run. This place has been described as the world's best kept secret beaches, un-hit by mass tourism. The town is small and the Pangani river nearby is an old Arab trading port for slaves and ivory. The seafood is fresh and the beaches have waves that break off of reefs, something that Zanzibar does not have - surf...
Just off shore are pristine waters and Maziwe Marine Reserve. Maziwe is a sand island surrounded by beautiful and colorful reefs. Over 200 species of tropical fish inhabit these waters and animals like sea turtles and dolphins are regularly seen. The island is about 7 miles off shore and easy to get to - perfect for a day of picnics and sunbathing, with a bit of snorkeling or scuba diving. I was quite impressed with this area, it seemed desolate, a peaceful place of relaxation.
We had some nice dinners at the Tinga Tinga Lodge, very small and quaint place in the middle of new renovations and ownership. The paths that lead down to the beach are in a great location to paddle out by the reefs and relax on the beach. The beaches and properties on the other side of the river are whiter and flatter. Plenty of palm trees and coconuts to drink around the area. We enjoyed beers, fish, lobster, and prawns. Living inland, sometimes fresh seafood is missed and this was a treat. Pangani is a quieter and inexpensive alternative to Zanzibar with pristine beaches and decently priced accommodations. Most people are often persuaded or want to visit Zanzibar, thus these paradise spots are often overlooked.
The journey is not easy and charter flights are now available and perhaps this difficulty is good for the area to remain quiet. A place to find true serenity in a hide away beach paradise.

The beach, nature's simple pleasure..

Summits Africa

2008-10-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

www.summits-africa.com

Currently, I work with Summits Africa as Regional Sales Manager of East Africa. Summits Africa is a Tanzanian based specialist adventure outfitter, providing a range of easy to book departures and professional outfitting services for adventure trips in East Africa. We pride ourselves on being ethical, safe, and supporting sustainable ecotourism:

we have some of the highest paid crews and guides in the business
we conduct bi-annual advanced first aid training with our guides
we maintain strict acute mountain sickness monitoring systems for all clients
Oxygen and pulse oximeters are included in the price on all high altitude climbs
we are becoming Carbon neutral in 2009 by donating funds to a tree-planting project and off-setting carbon emissions by our guests
we have a strict ‘trash in trash out’ policy
we use the most eco-friendly companies and partners for services and accommodation
we support community development through employment, career progression, organizing fund raising event challenges, and donating/lending equipment and gear

While the majority of the industry climbs mountains with us, we also specialize in safaris, mountain biking, gorilla trekking, and beach holidays. All trips can be customized into private itineraries and can cater to your preferred specifications.

You can access our Newsletter here:
http://www.summits-africa.com/summits-africa-newsletter-ON-TOP.htm

Below is our photo gallery and reel, which can also be accessed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgRrg57KreA

Safe travels!

Ruaha

2008-08-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

In my first couple of weeks back in Arusha, I was invited on a special safari down to Southern Tanzania. Our destination was driving to Ruaha National Park. For connoissuers, this park is one of the best in the world. Ruaha is the second largest conservation area in Tanzania and areas are still being discovered. This lack of game driving and supervision has led to an increase in poaching. Issues that the local park authorities and lodge owners are working out. Ruaha is in the south-west region of the country and sprawled along the Great Rift Valley, where the southern and eastern fauna meet. The scenery changes dramatically. Most of the wildlife drinks from the Great Ruaha River, which during the rains sends plenty of water throughout the park. As the season gets drier, watering holes with pools are scattered throughout the park, where game surrounds to drink and the river bed is dried up.
Ruaha contains some of the largest pride of lion, numbering in 20 plus each. In addition, there are packs of African wild dogs, which often times are extremely rare to spot, but nonetheless they survive in Ruaha- perhaps one of the only places to see them in Tanzania besides the Selous Game Reserve. You can find the Big Five in Ruaha and there is limited amounts of vehicles in the park. It is quite a long journey to get to the gates of Ruaha, so most guests fly in. The Southern circuit is often times a charter flight, park to park experience.

We headed off at 6am for Dar es Salaam from Arusha. Most of the drive was smooth sailing, one Landcruiser following one Landrover, each matching in army green - a true safari caravan. In Chalinze, about an hour away from Dar es Salaam, the Landrover broke down. The radiator hose and cylinder gasket had burst. We bought a tow-pole and the Landcruiser pulled the Landrover into peak time traffic in Dar es Salaam. After a quick inspection, the fundis decided we were going to have to leave the car in Dar. We went to the Kempinski Hotel to meet Kyle's father and proceeded to get some sushi and white wine.
An early wake up call and we were off out of Dar, the fundis would take care of the car for a couple of days. We drove out in peak morning traffic and eventually made our way out of town, into Mikumi National Park. The main road goes through the game park that borders the Selous Game Reserve. We did not see any game and continued to make our long journey, through Morogoro and finally 6 hours later, Iringa. It was now that we began to see turn signs for Ruaha National Park. From these signs we still had another 2.5 hours to the park gate. We traveled along the never ending road as it is called and forged ahead until we made it to the gate.
Our first evening game drive we followed the roads along the Great Ruaha River, the river circuits. Often times you may find herds of game drinking by the river. However, as the day approaches dusk, many herds scatter as they know that many predators come to the river to find food. Even large mammals cannot fend off the huge 20 plus prides of lion. We would stay at Mwagusi Safari Camp in luxury tented ensuite accommodations. The owner Chris Fox was a friend of the group and is a great host. Mwagusi Safari Camp is an extremely intimate camp along a dried up riverbed. All the rooms are equipped with ensuite shower and toilets and are surrounded by canvas. The outside verandas are sand pits with comfortable couches. During the morning or afternoon hours game can be seen coming into the riverbed.
Mornings, are tea or coffee by the fire as the staff prepares breakfast. Everyone eats together, family style, a great way to get to interact with other guests. After a leisurely breakfast, open Landcruisers are waiting for you, ready for the morning game drive. The guides are great and amazingly friendly. Our first day we encountered a couple of prides of lion laying lazily along the riverbed. We had passed a giraffe carcass and assumed that they had had a meal during the night. These lions would be moving anytime soon.

The landscape of Ruaha is breathtaking, rolling hills, the Great river, mini forests, dry savannahs, acacias and baobab trees. Most driving circuits are quite intimate, rummaging through plants and tight corners. After a couple of hours driving, we would return back to Mwagusi for lunch. We were greeted with juice and then served an exquisite assortment of food buffet style. After lunch its hard to not take a siesta, read a book for a while, and then wake up for tea time. At around 4pm, tea or coffee is served with a bit of something sweet and then another game drive is arranged. In the evening, we encountered a leopard cub, shy and quick, as it jumped up onto a rock. We would drive off track to follow it for a while, however, they are extremely clever and made its way into thick bush. Nonetheless, a lucky sighting for us. In the evening the sunsets are gorgeous, deep tones of bright colors behind the outlines of dark limbs of baobabs.
Dinner, we walk down to the dried up river bed beside a camp fire. We are asked if we want any drinks and then sit in a semi-circle asking other guests how their day was. The group eats in the bush on a long table together. We are served soup first with rolls. An assortment of food is spread nicely on some rocks and taken buffet style. Laterns dimly lit on cliffs and rocks adds a nice intimate touch. Most people have a couple of drinks, but the nights end early, as the next day is another early wake up call and more game driving. There is no internet and only stars in the sky and sounds from the bush. An ultimate sanctity away from any hussle and bussle of the city.
Our days would mesh into a week of tea, coffee, eating, game driving, siestas, and more eating and more game driving- leisure...
We encountered elephants, massive herds of buffalo, impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, hippos, and a variety of birds. I finally got a great shot of a giraffe drinking water. They do a fascinating 'spreading the legs' maneuver to get close enough to drink water. In the afternoon, we encountered two juvenile cheetahs. They looked hungry, but they were not hunting, they would walk some distance and then lie in the shade together.
Animals feel comfortable to come into the camp. So comfortable that often times elephants are found behind a bush near the main dining area. Staff escorts everybody, just in case such an encounter occurs. Elephants do not mean harm, however, they hate to be startled especially if they are with their young. We spent our days in the midst of Ruaha, relaxed. We needed to get our car back, so we got a lift to Iringa and then took a bus to Dar es Salaam. In Dar we found our fundis and the fixed car. After another night in Dar, we were off for Arusha once again, the journey back.
Ruaha is a wonderful place, full of mystery, familiar faces of Tanzanian history, and timeless. I am ever more curious now about the Selous Game Reserve, the Southern circuit differing from the Northern circuit. Hopefully, more trips to come, always new places to discover.
What seems like an endless Tanzania and East Africa...

Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater

2008-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Seth and Carmen came into town and we all decided to go on safari. If I were to pick a quick 2-day northern circuit safari, my choice would be Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. If you have more time, then definitely get into the Serengeti. This trip was extremely photographic and exciting because we got to see a pride of tree-climbing lions.
The previous day we had given our driver 'Stavros' some money to fill the TANAPA card with park fees. In case you have no idea what that is: TANAPA is the Tanzania National Parks. Every park has an office where guests check in and pay fees. Fees include residents or foreigners, cars, drivers, staff, and/or campsite. In effect, tourism helps fund conserving the parks, however, tourism can also have a lot of impact. Hence, the goal of ecotourism in making minimal impact to the environment.
We ran around town to get supplies for picnic lunches in both Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. A local wholesaler provided chocolate, bread, cheese, packets of cold meat, and peanuts. The local market had plenty of produce, tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, bananas, and oranges. And then our last stop was getting beers for our cooler.... The essential survival necessities for bush picnics on a budget.

We set out in the morning for Lake Manyara, with chocolate croissants from the Patisserie and capuccinos from the Msumbe coffee shop in the Arusha Hotel in hand. After about an hour and a half we got to the gates of Lake Manyara. This was Seth and Carmen's first time in Tanzania, and we only had time to do 2 days before their hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro. The weather cleared and the lighting was great. The forest at the beginning of the park is always spectacular with underground springs and tons of hornbills and baboons. The baboons were in heat, the females having over-sized bottoms, bright red and purple... real sexy! The baboons gathered by the river shorelines, picking off lice from each other and being communal.
Soon we were coming out of the canopies of the forest into more open areas. Around some corners we saw giraffe walking with their unique stride and the lake in the back ground. At this time of the day, the light and the reflection of the water looked surreal. The mountains in the distance added to the tranquility of the scene. This was a moment where I remembered why I loved this park so much. The lake also had plenty of flamingoes, which created a nice contrasting pink tone. We moved on to the hippo pools where we found two males marking territory and opening their mouths towards each other to show dominance. In the foreground were some elephants bathing in the mud. It is at these pools that one gets a magnificent view of the cliffs that mark the meeting of the Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara.
As we progressed into the park, the lake continued to hold a glassy look, a film of reflection. The scene was out of a movie with rock formations and colorful flamingoes about, alongside buffalo and zebra. We couldn't stop taking pictures, even if there were no animals, the park itself is beautiful. I often times find myself just taking endless photos of the landscape. After a bit more driving we headed to the picnic site near the lake. Our amenities came in handy at this point. Sandwiches and beers near the shore with some good friends.
After lunch we continued deeper into the park heading to the hot springs. It was during this stretch that we saw a pride of lions in a tree. The tree was full of rough foliage and looked nothing like what one would imagine a family of lions climbing in? Nonetheless, there they were, the tree-climbing Manyara lions. One cub stood extremely close to the edge of a tree and pondered the thought of jumping. I had my camera ready to get him in mid air, but he never went. Soon he became docile and sat idle looking out into the distance while his family struggled behind him to get out of the tree that was full of thorns. It was quite a sight to see these lions in the tree.
Soon we headed for the end of the park to the hot springs. At the end of the park are some sulfur hot springs that let out into the lake. As the hot water seeps into the lake, the path is etched with marvelous colors and heat. We stuck our hands in the springs and it was definitely hot. As the daylight was coming to an end, we drove out of the park. Making a left outside of the gate we drove up a hill and stopped at a wonderful view that presented the lake and the Great Rift Valley hills. The panoramic vista is special and cannot be missed.
Our overnight was at Kirurumu Tented Lodge, on the way to the Crater. Making a right off the road the path was deep clay red. Going back towards an escarpment we eventually got to the entrance. Kirurumu is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley with splendid panoramic views of Lake Manyara. From the bar, sundowners were amazing. The accommodations are tented rooms equipped with full ensuite bathroom and shower. We had some friends staying overnight as well and decided to have a nice big dinner.
After a good nights sleep and breakfast, we were off to Ngorongoro Crater..
After about 20 minutes, we got to the gates of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is the beginning of the protected Ngorongoro highlands where Maasai live alongside wildlife. Wild animals are protected and Maasai graze their cattle freely. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage site; a program that conserves sites of outstanding cultural and natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. The area is part of the Serengeti ecosystem which includes Serengeti National Park. The main highlight and considered to be the "8th wonder of the world" is Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken and unflooded volcanic caldera. There are about 25,000 species of animals inside the crater. The crater was formed by what was believed to be an 15-19,000 ft volcano which exploded and collapsed on itslef. The Crater is 2,000 ft deep and contains most species of animal found in East Africa except impala, topis, oribis, giraffe and crocodiles. Huge populations of wildebeest and zebra congregate, however, leave during the rainy season. Most animals are residents in this huge enclosure and do not leave. Thus, some lion populations are inbred and pass on genetic problems generation to generation because there are no new bloodlines of male lions. The crater contains the 'big five', lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino. The black rhinos seen in the crater are endangered and hard to see.
As soon as we drove down into the crater we saw two cheetah in the sun. They looked hungry but made no attempt to hunt. This was my first time seeing cheetah in the crater. The sight was a contrast from the plains, as the the great walls of the crater were in the distance. We continued on and found some lioness' in stalking position next to a large group of wildebeest. We were under the impression that they were hunting, waiting for the wind to be in their favor. So, we waited and decided to picnic on our car, in case there was going to be some action. After a good hour the lions kept getting closer and closer, and then one of the lions decided to start playing and the chase was off. Sometimes you just have to wait and see what happens.
As we made some more loops, we encountered some pools with large numbers of hippos. They would occasionally do some flips and stretch their legs into the air. Again, a great sight with the pools and the walls of the crater in the distance. We ventured closer to the lake inside the crater and saw a hyena walking towards the lake. At the lake shoreline was a brilliant scene of zebra and plenty of flamingoes flying and splashing about. Soon, we would have to start ascending the crater. My favorite area of the crater is the only wooded area of the crater floor, the Lerai Forest. This is where I feel like I will see a leopard, but I still haven't. On route we saw elephant eating from the trees. Their dark bodies only becoming the foreground for the dramatic crater walls.
There is only one road to descend the crater and one road to ascend the crater. So naturally, everyone leaves through the forest. The views backwards are breathtaking and on the way out we saw waterfalls along the walls of a dense forest patch on the steep exit. A couple last photos are taken and then its a good haul back to Arusha to get into town at dusk or a bit thereafter...

Mt. Meru

2008-07-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

From every direction we look we are overshadowed by Mt. Meru in Arusha. At all angles, the majestic grandeur of this mountain encompasses our vision. It seemed about time to venture up into the hills and hike this overwhelming presence. We planned to take three days to summit the 14,980 ft. peak.
Mt. Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania. It can be seen from Mt. Kilimanjaro, whose views can be equally stunning at the right time of the year. Mt. Meru is the focal point of Arusha National Park. The slopes of Meru rise from the savanna and host almost 400 species of birds, monkeys, and leopard. Meru is a volcano with smaller cones and craters that lie inside, which can only be seen from the summit.
Climbers are required to hire an armed park ranger. The hike starts in the lower savanna where herds of buffalo graze and other game maybe seen. During the early morning hours, the herds of buffalo graze high on the mountain. Thus, climbers have a leisurely morning breakfast and then begin the day's ascent in order to avoid contact. Inclusive, climbers and rangers have encountered leopard.
We began our first day walking by streams and giraffe. To our left we saw herds of buffalo and zebra in the distance. Slowly we began to hike into the lush rain forest. The fauna became denser, full of fig trees and Spanish moss trees. The climb up Meru is a straight ascent with lots of steep hills. We occasionally would glance backwards to catch stunning views of the Momella Lakes and gain altitude. On the way we saw inlets of water running down from the melting snow and ice on top. Hardened lava formations formed pools with mini-waterfalls. The landscape varied in such a small amount of time, lush dense forests and then streams with palms and bits of rays of sunlight shining through. We reached 8,248 ft and got into Mariakamba hut. From here, the views of Mt. Kilimanjaro at sunset were breath-taking. Since it was the tail end of rainy season, the summit of Kilimanjaro was packed with snow. The accommodations on Mt. Meru are buildings with rooms, each containing bunk-beds. The rain collection systems are extremely reliable for fresh water at each camp. We brought up a cook and had a nice hot meal, including a soup starter.
The next day we were up at about 7am and had a leisurely breakfast. In order to avoid the buffalo grazing up on the mountain in the early hours, most climbers start the trail after breakfast and not at dawn. In fact, most climbing itineraries pace people to start after breakfast, so that one can fill up with calories for the day's hike. In addition, the second day on Meru is not too long. We continued our ascent through the forest, continuing to get glimpses of Kilimanjaro in the distance. The colors of the fire cracker plants were vibrant reds, orange, and yellows amongst the green fauna and bright green moss. Slowly we were ascending, taking it easy and stopping for a snack across from the ash cone crater. A smaller crater formation due to the last eruption. Now we could see large escarpments and a valley below. We broke through the clouds and we came into Saddle Hut at 11,712 ft for a hot lunch. Some people nap a bit because on this day you get into camp quite early. However, we decided to play 50 games of 'UNO' in a row until dinner. After another nice meal, we got to bed early.
At 11pm we awoke to some tea and coffee, bisquits, and toast. It was raining a bit, so we all took umbrellas. Starting to hike at night is a mental state in its own right- dark on all sides, one track mind to the summit, and the lowest temperatures on the mountain. So, we were on our way to the top one step at a time. As it got lighter and lighter, our walkway was becoming more apparent. Steep sheer cliffs drop down and narrow walkways along the rim of the crater lead up to big rock formations. A break in the clouds revealed the sunrise. Immediately our bodies could feel the warmth of the day. Looking down could be a bit overwhelming if you are scared of heights. Just a bit further was Socialist Peak - 14,980 ft. At the top we had some tea and could feel the mist, the wind blowing pretty hard as well.
A lot of people underestimate Meru and it is often overlooked for Kilimanjaro. However, Meru has splendid fauna, stunning views of Kilimanjaro, and great enjoyable acclimatization.
Meru fits in perfectly for a warm up climb before Kilimanjaro, a shorter Tanzanian itinerary, or for travelers more on a budget...

For more info on mountain treks, visit:
www.summits-africa.com

Also, please check out:
www.3peaks3weeks.org

These women are climbing 3 peaks in 3 weeks in Tanzania to help support some great causes...

Maji Moto

2008-06-21T23:19:00.001-07:00

I feel like not giving this secret place away, however, truth be told: if you ask your way around, you can find these hot springs. Setting out on a Sunday morning, we went towards Moshi going passed Kilimanjaro International Airport. A while down the road is a 'Mr. Price' shop. Its time to make a right into the village and just go for a while. The scenery is dry and from the likes of it, there is no way one would think that beautiful hot springs exist. It gets confusing, and I suggest asking several times about 'maji moto'. People are friendly and they will direct you. Many mzungus from Arusha go to the hot springs often, so the locals direct folks to the area. There is no other reason why a car full of people would be in this area, unless they lived in a home-stay or they were volunteering. And at that point, you would know where you were going.
After a while following directions and going down dirt roads in the middle of no where, a magical place appears. A man watches over the pools and will charge a fee for spending time at the hot springs. This money goes to the village that surrounds these waters. The water is crystal clear and a current comes from under the earth. There are stories about a couple coming to the hot springs several years ago. The rains had come in heavy and the hot springs were deep. Unannounced, a crocodile appeared and took one of them down. Everyone will always say to look out for crocodiles.
Nowadays, there are no crocodiles at the hot springs. The caretaker says that they don't come around anymore. However, if the rains come and the water is deep, its not a bad idea to keep your eyes peeled. We saw no crocodiles and had a great time. This place is out of nowhere, such a surprise. Enjoy a picnic and some swimming. Definitely worth the mission that it takes to get there. Please keep it to yourself, but show your friends. Truth is, you'll probably only end up there with locals anyway. Another day in paradise...

Mbuzi-Goat

2008-06-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Support for International Change had a big testing day at the Kisongo Masai Market on a Wednesday. They must have tested over 200 people, there was a line all day. On Wednesdays, Masai women come to sell their fabrics and the men come to sell their goats. Certified butchers come to check the goats for diseases and make sure they are ok for consumption. A couple of us decided to go get some fresh goat meat. This place was known to have the best goat meat around. In a small corridor, guys were slaughtering goats and hanging them to drain their blood. Then the goats would get skinned for their hides and gutted slowly. The intestines are cleaned of excrement and everything is sold for consumption. We proceeded to order a couple racks of ribs and side portion of intestines. Using only sea salt and grilling, the cooks made a hearty meal of straight meat. In Tanzanian culture, men get together and share plates of meat...This was a good day to try goat...

www.youtube.com/frankparadigm

Mt. Hanang

2008-05-11T02:40:00.000-07:00

We set out one Saturday morning out towards Babati. Leaving Arusha towards Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks. Just passing the turn for Tarangire we continued for about another 2 hours on a bumpy road. Pretty soon it looked like we were on a game drive, the landscape was desolate and beautiful, the dirt turning clay red contrasting with lush greens. Soon we were in Babati town after passing Magugu. We turned right at the Support for International Change sign and again left near the White Rose Hotel, curving up a hill where we encountered the SIC gate. Erica had spent the last several months setting up the SIC office. This was the focal point of what hoped to be many volunteer programs for the years to come.
It wasn't long before we set out for Katesh, the small town about another hour away, whch is where we would start our ascent for Mt. Hanang. After an evening of 'nyama choma' we went back to our small hotel and got some rest before our 5am wake up call. During those hours of rest, the rain came down like I've never heard it before, thinking that the roof was going to possibly cave in. Were we going to be able to climb in the morning? Only the morning would tell. As the light barely creeped into the room, the beginning signs of life came about; the early blueness of day and birds chirping- we got up. The rain had stopped and we quickly started putting food and water into our packs for the day.
We soon were met by our local guide and started walking in the village towards a trail, leading to a view of just one of the false peaks of Mt. Hanang. The proposed itinerary was to summit, eat lunch at the top and then hike down, hopefully before dark....
Mt. Hanang is the fourth highest mountain in Tanzania, standing 11,200 ft. Hanang is an extinct volcano amidst the Rift Valley, 200m from Oldonyo Lengai. It has its own soda lake, from which you get breath-taking views of at the top, Lake Balangida. There are very few people who come to take the time to hike Mt. Hanang.
Quickly the terrain gets steep, walking uphill in forests, this day being extremely muddy. The mud made it very difficult to keep balance and gain upward mobility, due to loss of traction. Soon, we could look back at vistas of the lake, making a little dent into ascension. The grassy hills with small trails were slippery, but the sun was coming out slowly, drying the path. Big dung droppings indicated that some large mammals had been grazing up in the mountain. Soon the group would take rests and catch their breaths. The mountain is steep, really no joke for an average climber. At the top of every hill, we thought that the summit was near towards the top of the mountain. To the groups surprise, the peaks were false. Where was the summit?
After a multitude of false peaks, we finally found the summit. To our left we could see views of the soda lakes and Rift Valley. It truly was spectacular to see such rare vistas. We encountered no one on our hike and our local guide explained that not many people come out to hike Mt. Hanang. On average he gets 40 people a year, compared to the hundreds of visitors who seek to climb Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. We should feel privileged to of hiked such an unscathed mountain. Our day ascent was tough, but nonetheless extremely beautiful. I can see how future populations extending outside of Arusha and heading into the Manayara Region will force tourism to develop more in this region. In a couple of years, Mt. Hanang could possibly be a famous local attraction for visitors. Already many conservationists and NGO's alike are choosing to seek future endeavors in this region.

Arusha National Park

2008-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Every day I work about 30 minutes from Arusha National Park. In the mornings a couple of times a week, I run out of the gates of Rivertrees Country Inn and up towards Momela Road. As I cross the street, a big sign is above me that reads Arusha National Park. The road up towards the park has beautiful views of Mt. Meru, coffee fields, and flower farms. I run up past Usa Academy school and near the gates of Ngorodutu Lodge. After a little stretch, I start to run back. Arusha National Park is an easy visit for guests that want to do a day trip and look at game. While it does not contain a plethora of cats. The park contains bird species, monkeys, giraffe, buffalo, elephants, ungolates, and zebra. Arusha National Park is often overseen by safari-goers, but it truly is a unique jem and offers splendid views of Mt. Meru.
Arusha National Park is the closest park to Arusha town. The park has a diversity of climates within a close distance. The forests contain rivers that feed Arusha, and filled with Blue monkeys and Colobus monkeys. The crater has steep ridges and its marshy floor, often is home to herds of buffalo and wart hog. In the northern part of the park are the Momela lakes. This lake circuit offers views of many waterfowl. We had the privilege of seeing a hawk on its nest. Waterbuck graze on the edges of the lakes. Sometimes the lakes are covered with flamingoes. Dik Dik are seen running around, as well as Klipspringer. Elephants are rare to see, however, early morning or late at dusk, Leopards and Hyena may be spotted. The shallow area of the lakes give of an irredescence of beautiful blues and greens from the algae.
It is the views in the distance of Mt. Meru that dominate this park. Mt. Meru is protected by Arusha National Park and offers its own unique hiking experience. It is the fifth largest mountain in Africa and stands 14,990 feet. Residents of Arusha and its surrounding communities see it everyday. On a lucky day, views of Mt. Kilimanjaro may be seen from the park aswell. It stands in the distance over the Momela lakes. The forest, the lakes, and the Ngorodutu crater may all be visited within a half-day outting. After driving around, I really wanted to go hiking with a ranger in the park. Something to do on a Sunday and go for a picnic...

Lake Manyara

2008-03-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

We had some friends come into town during the holidays. Christmas was spent at Rivertrees with twenty good friends, food, drinks, presents, and lots of laughter. The lodge was busy, but we all managed to have a good time, and it was nice to have another African Christmas and New Year. We were in Cape Town, overlooking the ocean, eating ostrich fillets and drinking good South African wine in 2007. And now, we were feasting on stuffed Turkey and Honey Ham, toasting with champagne in Arusha, to welcome in 2008.
Our friends of course wanted to go on safari somewhere. The options are endless around here, but some game parks are easier to get to than others. When time is an issue, the two closest National Parks are Tarangire and Lake Manyara. I had never been to Lake Manyara before, so I was keen to check it out. Each park is of equal distance, however, the road leading to Lake Manyara was financed by the Japanese government, so in turn, it could possibly be the nicest road in all of Tanzania. The road was built in 2003 and has created a fast and easy way for tourists to get to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater from Arusha. Hence, taking a day trip to the game park becomes quite easy. We usually use one of Erica's Landrovers and head out to the bush, fully equipped with amenities to make a picnic lunch, and a cooler of beers if desired.
Entering the gates of Lake Manyara is impressive. The tall forest trees engulf one's vision, and large hornbills sit non-chalantly on tree branches. We drove through dense lush jungle forests, that contained small streams of ground water. Looking out, we saw bushbuck and waterbuck graising in the tall grasses, sometimes barely visible because of the dense trees. Soon we came upon river inlets that winded into beautiful prairie's. Here, the baboons and impala roamed free and alongside each other. Baboons, Blue Monkeys, and Colobus Monkeys congregate in large packs, usually completely unthreatened by driving vehicles. When we pulled up to several areas, we saw as many as forty monkeys taking over an area. While an unsuspecting tourist might marvel the idea that the monkeys are so close and timid, the reality is that one must always be a bit on guard to roll up a window, just in case a monkey decides they want to come into the vehicle. These monkeys were by no means threatening.
Looking out past the wooded forest lies the escarpment that denotes the edge of the Rift Valley. Views are impressive and are grounded by the alkaline lake, known as Lake Manyara. This time of the year the flamingoes were in migration elsewhere. However, the lake was filled with other seabirds. In the distance and eventually close up were flocks of hundreds of pelicans, cormorants, and storks. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in Lake Manyara. Along our drive, I got a nice shot of a fish eagle, known to sometimes take prey as big as a dik dik. Elephants joined the bird flocks, and splashed with eachother. The scene was a perfect moment of life on the lake, we remained there idle for quite sometime, thinking what a good idea it had been to do a game drive on this Sunday.
The lakes and the cliffs truly make Lake Manyara's views spectacular. I was very impressed by this park. Remaining idle allowed us to see a herd of elephants come close and graze on the fuana by the vehicle, even in the dense forests, we had seen elephants extremely close up. They all seemed perfectly tame and went about their business. This day I was enthralled by an old peaceful looking elephant and his/her facial patterns and lines. The sepia photo is attached. Elephants playing in the water and the blue volcanic massai steppes in the background are breathtaking. The plains were filled with herds of buffalo, zebra, giraffes, and wildebeest.
We eventually climbed an acacia woodland to an area that overlooked the lake. This was our lunch spot for the day. Get out of the car, stretch the legs, enjoy a chicken salad sandwich, a hard boiled egg, brownies, some fruit, juice, and a cold beer. I was hoping we might catch a glimpse of a tree climbing lion, but it was to no avail. My bush eyes were always looking up into the trees with the hopes of maybe seeing a lion nestled up in the canopy of the forest. Perhaps next time we would have better luck with lions.
Nonetheless, the drive back out was still equally amazing. The dense forests and waterfalls made me think that this park would be incredible to hike around in. Lake Manyara is one of my favorite game parks in Tanzania. Safi Kabisa!

Rivertrees Country Inn

2008-03-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

It has been about five months since I first landed in Arusha, Tanzania. Where the time goes, nobody ever knows, until one day, they reflect on past events. I have been managing a safari lodge in Usa River, a town just outside of Arusha. I wake up about 7am, do the necessary duties to get the day started and start my 1979 orange Mercedes. Say goodbye to our dogs and head out of our village neighborhood, Kijenge. I make a left towards the Impala Hotel round about, passing dukas, Mwanama village, Kijenge Ju, Stiggy's Restaurant, and Dragon Pearl- the local Chinese Restaurant. When I pass the Impala Hotel, I make a right heading towards Phillips, the intersection that leads to the Moshi-Nairobi road. The drive to work is peaceful, once out of town. The only music I have in my car are old reggae tapes, such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse, and Burning Spear. Driving to the tunes, looking out at banana trees in the fields, views of Mt. Meru, mamas carrying water buckets, fruits, or vegetables on their heads, and if we're lucky a nice view of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Things feel like home, the drive begins the day, and often times I wonder what a blessed life this is to be in such beauty.
After about twenty five minutes, I see a sign on my right for Usa River, immediately a bridge appears. At the end of the bridge on my left is Mt. Meru Game Lodge and to my right is Rivertrees Country Inn. The little road is flat and this time of the year, the trees have colors of deep orange and vibrant yellows. About one minute later are the entry gates. Rivertrees Country Inn has ten standard rooms, all varying in shape and size. Most rooms are modifications from a farm house and its buildings of an old coffee farm, dating back to the 1950's. The first inhabitants were German families, which dedicated themselves to hunting. The land has been passed down generations and now Martina Gehrken-Trappe is the proud owner of her family's legacy. She has developed a majestic country inn little by little throughout the years. The beds and couches are of natural wood design. The rooms are spacious, have decadant colors, always contain fresh flowers, and some have baths. A couple of rooms are connected to the Main House, where guests may use facilities for Internet or sit in the couches to read. The Main House veranda has an amazing view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. A nice place to take tea or coffee. Sometimes, conferences are hosted in the house, and taking a break to sip some coffee and look at the gardens, is a great way to wind down a bit. Crossing a bridge and walking towards the restaurant are lush green lawns, delicately manicured and cut. The pool is a nice way to cool down from the sun, and the water, always makes gorgeous reflections of blues and greens in the foliage above. The first pathway to your left leads one to the River Deck, that overlooks the Usa River. The river flows along side the property and extends down by the River House. The sound of the river creates perfect harmony with the tall trees and lush green plants. To the right side of the River Deck are two River Cottages. Each privately surrounded by plants and along the river. The river cottages have fire places, en suite bathrooms with shower and bath, outdoor rock showers, and decks with couches to sit and read on. The River Cottages are upgraded accommodations and perfect for honeymooners. Honeymooners are welcomed with fresh flower blossoms spread on the bed, fresh juice, and a nice fruit basket.
When one turns around, the structure in front is open with high ceilings and makuti roof. The Main restaurant comfortably sits sixty people with wood tables and chairs. A fire place adorns the center of the restaurant and two lounge areas are set up to relax. The bar directly adjacent to the restaurant has a unique shape and contains curves stretching toward the end. The kitchen directly adjacent is open with adorning terra cota dishes, hanging pans, and a long counter with fresh spices from the garden. The kitchen staff has been trained to cook whatever they see in a picture. In turn, when a chef looks into a new recipe in a book or a magazine, that evening guests might enjoy that new recipe, taken into a new context and their own style. Ultimately, guests enjoy home country cooking. The desserts are some of the best in Arusha, including the famous Chocolate Cake. Nonetheless, locals come for lunch or come dine, and are certain to receive a nice home cooked meal, with a touch of class and excellent presentation.
The last accommodation is the private and exclusive River House. This house is along the river and decadently furnished, providing a luxurious experience for special guests. Each room has rock showers and the veranda is an exquisite place to read or have coffee or tea. The River House remains one of the best accommodations with full satellite cable TV and in house Internet, and a real treat for upscale clients.
Rivertrees Country Inn is a vibrant micro ecosystem with 146 species of birds and different types of monkeys, which frequently make visits. Once in a while monitor lizards appear, and at night people may hear the sound of crying bush babies. The setting is perfect for winding down after a mountain trek, or great inspiration for the beginning of a mountain trek. Respectively, a wonderful place to begin or end a safari excursion. Inclusive, Rivertrees is a great destination to land from a late flight that comes into Kilimanjaro Internatinal Airport. Waking up to this peaceful nature, I find is more desirable than waking up in Arusha. For outside guests or locals, Rivertrees has splendid accommodations, excellent food, beautiful gardens, and friendly staff. I feel humbled by my experience as a manager in such beautiful surroundings. The business management knowledge has been tremendous and I would love for anyone I know to visit this special place. Kindly check out (www.rivertrees.com) if you have a chance, and email Martina or myself for the time being for any bookings or enquiries. I urge any tour operator to place your wageni at Rivertrees for the begining or end of their clients' adventure packages. Rivertrees Country Inn, Karibu Sana!

Expansion

2007-10-27T01:30:00.001-07:00

This past week I decided to accompany Erica on an expansion trip into the Kilimanjaro region. After five years of serving the Arumeru district in the Arusha region, Support for International Change (SIC), has decided to look for other districts as prospective areas to offer their services. SIC has been providing HIV education campaigns, mobile voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), peer education programs and community health workers in rural villages surrounding Arusha. Field Officers continue to follow up on different communities, in order to manage sustainable on-going HIV education, patient support, and testing. In these next few months, SIC plans on finding on a new district, in which to expand and develop their programs. Through the volunteer program, SIC is able to continually train and provide schools with HIV education. Volunteers live with their respective communities' homestay families and do a six week awareness campaigns with local Tanzanian teaching partners. The volunteers become involved in their communities and organize big testing days. Just recently SIC broke their own record and tested 200 people at the Ngorobob Market in Mateves. With such programs on-going year round in different communities, Field Officers and staff counselors are able to continually provide services, when the volunteer programs are over. I hope that when most of these volunteers go back to their homes, albeit the United Kingdom or the U.S., they know that they made a real and sustainable difference in their communities. One more person listening to teachings or getting tested, is one more person educated about HIV and their status.

The expansion project involves going to new areas and meeting with government officials about their service needs and gaps. Erica last week had gone to Babati, and gathered that the district's existing HIV services, appeared to be far from complete. The government officials welcomed SIC and their programs with open arms.

Erica and I set out to Moshi to meet with relevant government officials, including the TACAIDS Kilimanjaro Regional Facilitating Agency (RFA) and the District Medical Officer (DMO). On our drive towards Moshi we saw a piece of the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking through the clouds. Moshi is about 1.5 hours away and has an amazing view of Kilimanjaro. In addition, Moshi has good coffee shops and I enjoyed a delicious crepe for the first time in a while. I would like to mention that 'Indotaliano Restaurant' is exceptionally good in Indian and Italian cuisine. Our meetings unraveled that Moshi Rural has many services, and the DMO confirmed that there were a number of organizations attempting to link HIV services to the rural community. Nonetheless, the trip proved to be extremely informative. Many areas besides government facilities are also shadowed by private religious hospitals offering similar health services.

Early the next morning we were off towards the Rombo district. Our drive would lead us towards the Kenyan border and present us with a view of Kilimanjaro without cloud coverage. As we drove, an amazing panoramic vista of the summit of Kilimanjaro and Mt. Mwenzi appeared. We cherished this view that seldom gets seen, unless you happen to be driving to the border or to Rombo. After missing a turn and actually hitting a customs check, we redirected ourselves towards the mountain. Rombo lies at the base of the north-eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro. Our Land Rover took a beating, but the area was lush with exotic fauna, colorful red dirt, and Chagga people. We had seen only a handful of Maasai people. We eventually made it to the District Hospital and spoke with the DMO. He explained that the region was being serviced by a Belgian NGO and Mildmay International (an International Healthcare NGO). Both organizations seemed to be building a plan to cover the area and according to the DMO, he was hoping there would be no service gaps. For a variety of reasons, including ease of working conditions and existing infrastructure, this region seems to attract a lot of international attention. Hence, SIC's presence was much less needed around these parts than what had been experienced in Babati. After a long day, we dropped back down several degrees into Moshi. Moshi tends to be five degrees hotter than Arusha, and I could tell. Even though SIC most likely would not be coming to Moshi Rural or Rombo, it is reassuring to know that people seem to have the opportunities to get the services they need. The clouds would stay heavy over Kilimanjaro, and we would enjoy some excellent coffee...

Ol Tukai and Tarangire

2007-10-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

This year I turned "ishirini na nane" 28 years old on October fourth. We had a blast at Stiggy's Restaurant, where our roommates played some good music. It was an evening of good food, good friends, and my performance debut of the Swanglish smash hit- "Samaki in the Bahari". As a memorizing mechanism towards learning Swahili, I have begun to write Swanglish educational songs. These songs incorporate the best of what someone would need to know to walk around town and communicate. Nonetheless, it was nice to have a wonderful birthday out in Africa. After a long week, Erica and I decided to head out to the bush and camp. Our first night brought us out to our friend Corbett's conservancy area in Ol Tukai. The Ol Tukai Conservancy is a small, focused, and effective conservation organization designed to protect and conserve a vital wildlife corridor in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem of Northern Tanzania, while simultaneously benefitting, empowering and educating the people of the Ol Tukai community.
The area is amazing and full of palm trees, hence the Masai word for palm tree- 'Ol Tukai'. We called our guide Balozi to take us into the conservation area. The drive passed Masai bomas, some schools, a dam, and eventually out to edge of Lake Mayara. When we landed, I felt as if I was on the beach somewhere. It was such a breath of fresh air to be by a body of water. We parked our Land Rover next to two towering palm trees, as this was going to be our designated camp site. It was truly gorgeous, no one around and the cool breeze blowing into our hair. In the distance were pelicans sunbathing, as their comrade flamingoes were away. This year the lake had come up too high, so flamingoes had flocked elsewhere for this part of the year. Normally, game travels through the area, however, the area was a bit dry. All regions have their dry and wet seasons, and we happen to be at Ol Tukai during the dry season. Nonetheless, we set up camp and built an outdoor grill for our dinner. Balozi continued to tell us about the area, explaining how the conservancy had helped fund and build some schools in the area, and bought a vehicle to help against local poaching. Soon the sun was beginning to go down and we watched a beautiful sunset and pelicans float by with the current. It had been a while since I had seen the sun go down over water, perhaps the last time was Venice Beach, California.
We made a tomato, artichoke heart, and avocado salad medley with balsamic vinagrette. Our grill worked out perfect for our apricot-marinated rib-eye steaks. The Chilean bottle of wine some friends gave me complemented fabulously. We ate and laid down and starred at the stars for hours beside a nice camp fire. When we awoke in the morning and I pulled back our tent door, I could have sworn we were on the beach. I thought we were beach camping, and the breeze blew nice during the dawn hours. We got up and packed up our camp site. Balozi had come back to take us to his family's boma in the village. After a short drive, we arrived at his place. We were greeted with traditional Masai jewelry and met his family and children. It really had been a pleasure to meet him and Israel, our other guide. Unfortunately, on our way back to the main road, we got a small tire puncture. Some of the Masai women we were giving a ride to showed us the way to a place that fixed tire punctures. The main road was a place that many safari vehicles travel, thus, this was the perfect place to find a tire fundi. The next couple of hours we spent waiting for our tire to get fixed.
Luckily we were only 7 km from the gate of Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is home to the largest concentration of elephants than anywhere else in the world. Inclusive, the swamps are green year round and are the focus of 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. The strong sun sucks the moisture from the earth and turns the ground a dusty red. No matter what time of year it is, wet or dry, there is always water in Tarangire. Thus, thirsty predators and migratory wild life know to come. Tarangire also has some rare antelope such as the oryx and gerenuk. We drove all day, as it was my first time in the park and Erica hadn't been inside the park in three years. We encountered a lot of elephants, but unfortuantely, did not see any predators. We took a nice break at Sopa Lodge, which has a swimming pool and a nice deck to grab a drink from the bar. After seeing an alpha male baboon attack a tourist to get his food at a picnic site, we decided to make some ham and cheese sandwiches in the car. Rule number one, if there are monkeys around, close the windows if you're not in the car, because they will come in at will to find food, especially if you have bananas.
The view from the picnic site was really spectacular. The panarama of the river presented us with a view of drinking elephants. We could hear some folks telling the baboons to get away. Honestly, baboons are no joke and they can be aggressive, do not take their presence for granted. We ultimately, did have a wonderful day inside of Tarangire. It's nice to know that it is only 75 miles from Arusha, not far at all. Not bad for 'jumapili'- Sunday.. We drove towards Arusha before it got dark and encountered vistas of Mt. Meru behind coffee fields and blossoming purple jacaranda trees. What a pretty place..
I encourage any and all of you to check out Ol Tukai Conservancy (www.oltukai.org), educate yourself or perhaps donate to the cause. If you plan on being in the area, we can help facilitate a trip there and experience a special place. If you would like to go on a luxury safari, I mean the real deal, mobile tented camps getting set up in the middle of no where and private chefs, please visit (www.cbsafaris.com). I'm sure Corbett can accomodate your customized safari or Kilimanjaro climb.

'Tuko Pamoja'- We are together... 'Usiogope Ufahamu'- Knowledge is power...

Two Years Prior

2007-09-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Two years prior, I had flown up to Kenya from Durban, South Africa. During my stay in Durban, traveling around the coast and Mozambique had inspired me to explore more of Africa. I had been lucky enough to see game in the local parks, but I wanted more. The pictures of Masai men in their traditional bright red attire and knives intrigued me. Where was this land? I learned that most Masai men and women lived in East Africa. The area where Masai's and animals co-habitated was the Masai Mara in Kenya, as well as the Serengeti.
After some deliberation, Seth and I decided to take a trip up to Kenya on safari. Since time was of the essence, we thought it would be best if we flew in. It would in turn give us an extra day of game viewing. We flew into Nairobi and then caught a charter flight into the bush. These planes are fun, but if you have flying anxiety, then they are nerve-racking. On our way out, I remember the pilot pulled back full throttle right as we were about to land, only to say he apologized, 'there were elephants on the runway that had just come out from behind some trees.' Our tented camp was incredible, two beds, a bathroom, and a shower. Game drives every morning at dawn and dusk, feeding times. Our mess hall tent served us five-course meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Our drives were plentiful, cheetahs roaming on the plains, herds of elephants, and prides of lions. Up to this point, lions were a rare sight. Here, the lions were seen every game drive. Our bush experience had reached a whole new level, something people who live in these areas, take for granted. One morning we pulled up to two male lions sleeping next to a huge buffalo. We had missed the take-down by half an hour. Their breaths were deep and they were wiped out from taking down the huge animal. They would lie there all day, and only move if another predator threatened to take their meal away. When we returned later that afternoon, one of the males was eating the buffalo. The other lion had been eating already and laid to the side, full and tired. The sight during the dusk hours was spectacular. A lone male lion next to a watering hole, eating a buffalo. I was thrilled and flabbergasted. For me in that moment, this was life at its most simplest form. That afternoon was powerful and the sound was enormous coming from that lion and his kill. For some people this is disgusting, to me, the bush reveals life.
A week seemed like months in the bush. Every game drive had different pleasures and ultimately, I did not want to leave. Seth had to get back to South Africa to attend to his restaurant, "Taco Zulu". Later that day, we caught a flight out of the Mara and back into Nairobi. Seth would head down south and I would continue on to Tanzania. I spent the night at the Impala Hotel in Nairobi. Under normal circumstances, I was planning on hydrating and eating, because I was going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in a couple of days. My body had other plans.
That night in Nairobi, I got awfully ill and began uncontrollable and freguent trips to the toilet. I began to worry when blood appeared in my stool and I was throwing up. Every ounce of my body was exploding. Lying on the bathroom floor was exhausting and seemed like an eternity. I never even made it out of my room until the next morning. I had already booked a shuttle into Moshi that day. My concern was making it out of the hotel and into the shuttle without a trace of total embarrassment. I quickly devised a plan from the bathroom towel- 'a diaper'. My solution was a make-shift diaper in order to protect myself from releasing onto myself. I luckily made it to a pharmacy/clinic that happened to be in front of the shuttle. The clinician said I must of gotten some bad food poisoning and blood just meant the lining in my stomach was tearing. He handed me five days worth of medicine and told me to take some right then and there. The pills would kill whatever bacteria was living in my body.
The shuttle ride was long, but I made it to my hotel. The following day I was supposed to start climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. I was able to put down some soup. After some needed rest, I met my guide who already knew I had been feeling a bit ill. He asked me if I wanted to go through with the climb, and I responded that I definitely did. Even if I had to stop every five minutes. So, we set off on our journey up the tallest free- standing mountain in the world.
The first day was a bit rough, moving the body was new and required a lot of energy. The first day was hiking through the rain forests up to Machame Camp at 9,000 ft. That day's lunch was the first bit of solid food a had eaten in two days. My porters stopped and ate with me, asking if I was doing alright. My spirits were up and I tried to teach them some English for some Swahili. My guide would repeat, 'Pole, Pole'- slowly, slowly. I knew that as long as I put one foot in front of the other, I would eventually make it to the top. My dinner that night was a thick beef stew with vegetables, I needed the energy. I went to sleep early for the next day.
Day two, I awoke a new man. Solid stool, no body aches, and a new vigor for life. Perhaps, the mountain air or my food was spiked, but I felt better. Hiking that day was fun, and my attitude about the mountain changed. We would ascent to Shira Camp at 13,700 ft. The morning brought us to the heath region and out of the mist and fog that clings to the rain forest below. We kept walking up and out to my left side was Mt. Meru above the clouds. I could feel we were gaining altitude, not really in my body, but in the landscapes and vistas. I remember seeing the last bright colored plant. I starred at it for a moment and took a picture, and continued on. This day we got to camp faster and we actually hung out a bit longer. I met some counter parts who were doing lone ascents as well. At Shira Camp, we saw a magnificent sunset. At that altitude, the colors were deeper and the shadows from Mt. Meru juxtaposed the sky's canvas. That evening was Zen, starring out into the distance, the air getting cooler, I thought of nothing but those peaceful moments. As soon as the sun dropped, I got into my tent, only to come out for dinner and then to sleep.

Day three, we would hike to Boronco Camp at 12,800 ft. Yes, we would descend almost a thousand feet. This was our acclimatizing day. We would make progress in length, but not in altitude. Our day was spent crossing the moorland region, volcanic rocks and senecios over our heads. These plants looked like palm trees, but are only native to this region on earth. In the distance were waterfalls that came out of holes in volcanic walls. The landscape was desolate, but unique nonetheless. A counter part began to feel the altitude and was getting headaches. I chose to take altitude sickness pills and made sure I kept hydrated. Another amazing sunset and as soon as the sun dropped, it was a bit chillier than previously, and I went into my tent promptly.
Day four, we would continue on to the Boronco wall and do switchbacks. This lead us through the alpine desert and to Barufu Camp at 15,000 ft. The desert was dry and during the day, the temperature was hot. I remember getting a bloody nose this day towards the end of the day. My nose had become runny and dry, eventually just wanting to bleed. Nothing serious and we continued on. This was the last camp before the summit, and we would wake up at 11:30pm to begin our final ascent. After a couple of hours rest, I awoke to drink some tea and eat some bisquits. I grabbed some power bars and water. The air was cold and I layered myself accordingly as the day's temperatures would change as soon as the sun came up. I wore gloves around my hands for the first time. My headlamp would guide me in the dark and I could hear the voices of my fellow counter parts up ahead. Their lamps cast beams on the dark face above. Through the night we trecked, one foot in front of the other, 'pole, pole'. Occassional stops for a power bar and water. The sky was getting lighter, a faint blue. We finally reached what appeared to be a summit, but it was only Gilman's Peak. However, this meant the summit was near. As I came over Gilman's, the sun was beginning to come up and the dawn was yellow. On my left I could see the enormous glaciers of Kilimanjaro. The sun felt so strong and penetrated the unprotected glaciers, its ice just evaporating into the air. I saw the sign, the highest point on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Even still I told myself, one foot in front of the other and you will get there, its too close now. I gave a high-five to a counter part and cheered for myself. This was an accomplishment that has no words, just joy of reaching the goal- Uhuru Peak at 19,340 ft. I took off my gloves and filmed a 360 degree of the summit and took some pictures at the sign. Something changed, my journey had taken my thoughts into so many levels of inspiration. The feeling only hiking can do, thoughts, a goal, survival, and natural beauty. I would be humbled forever on the roof of Africa...

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Africa Update

2007-09-16T03:45:00.001-07:00

The first week in Africa has been interesting to say the least. I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya and a driver awaited my arrival with a sign leading me to the Heron Hotel. Unfortunately, my bags that I had checked in did not arrive. Not receiving your bags in Africa is never a pleasant feeling, especially when they contain your life. I knew that we would be returning to the airport a couple of hours later to fetch Erica's father from a later flight. When I spoke to the lady at the customer service desk, she infromed me that the bags would be coming in at 9pm. I would organize later. Getting off the plane from just about two days of traveling is like coming down off drugs, delirious and a bit out of reality. My first glimpses of safari vehicles and heavy diesel exhaust coming off of trucks were staple sights of Africa. I had been to Nairobi before, however, very briefly as a one day stop twice two years prior. I had flown into the Masia Mara with Seth and later would go on to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro across the border.
It was a lovely sight to see Erica in the lobby of The Heron. It had been at least five months since we had last seen each other. She showed me our Land Rover she had rented, so that we could drive ourselves on safari. We ran errands in preparation for our camping adventure. After a much needed nap, we went back to the airport to meet Erica's father and his girlfriend, we would all be going on safari together. I ran into the customer service desk and convinced a gentlemen to deliver my bags to The Heron. I would get them later that night at 2am and we were leaving for our trip at 7am. The timing was just perfect, but stressful. Our evening consisted of dinner at the Carnivore restaurant. This restaurant is unique to anything else, except for its sister restaurant in Johannesberg, South Africa, because of its menu. Guests sit down and receive an assortment of game meat until you say stop. Meats include pork, chicken, turkey, ostrich, crocodile, goat, and venessen. I felt the variety was better in "Joberg", but it was a fabulous dinner nonetheless.
The next morning we were off to the Masai Mara . The Masai Mara is an area of rolling hills, woodland areas, and plains with acacia trees that is the natural habitat of all of Africa's animals. The area is surrounded by the Mara and Talek Rivers, famous for the famous Wildebeest migration river crossings. The area to the far south extends into Tanzania's Serengeti. Fortunately, the migration was occurring in the Mara this time of year, which meant that the game would be plentiful. I was hoping to see a predator hunt and kill. The road leading out to the Mara would take us six hours, full of potholes and traffic diversions. When we got into the park, we set off to find our campsite and get our bearings. The drive to the campsite greeted us with Elephants and plenty of Ungulates (hooved creatures; Impala, Spring Buck, Gazelles, Zebra, Giraffes). As the sun was going down and a small herd of Elephant went by in the distance, I could only capture the moment by saying to myself that this was Africa. The feeling of the bush and animals all around you, it is absolutely breathtaking.
Our camp was cozy and everyone there was extremely friendly, including the other visitors. After preparing a meal and having some drinks, we could hear lions roaring in the backround to eachother, they were on the hunt. We decided we would have a local Masai, Edward join us the next day to guide us around the park. He had lived in the Mara for thirty years and spoke to other drivers who in turn would let you know about the days events, such as kills or leopard sightings. Our drives proved to be amazing. We were blessed to see plenty of lions, one pride finishing their meal, lioness' eating intestinal sacks. The migration would lead us to see the biggest herds of wildebeest I had ever seen, hills that stretched forever covered in black. We had pulled up to a river enbankment, and hundreds of wildebeest were on the brink of crossing, but they never went after waiting for hours. We had picnics along the river full of hippos basking in the water protecting their skin from the sun. Our highlight was spotting a cheetah with her two cubs on the hunt. They sat on a rock and were eyeing spring buck in the distance. We made sure to give them their space. After some time we had heard of a lion pride sighting and went to see them quickly. When we returned not too long after, the cheetah and her cubs had just took down a spring buck and were eating. Vultures circled in the air and others awaited in the wings. The mother and her cubs eat quickly, devouring their meal. I have included some of those shots, my favorite, the little cub with its bloody mouth. The footage I got was spectacular. We were lucky to see such a sight. On our last day we dcided to stay at a lodge called the Fig Tree. It was stunning, tented rooms with tiled showers along a river where animals came to graze. Five course meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would drive us back from the Mara to Nairobi, I quickly assimilated myself to left-handed stick shift driving. We eventually made it back into Nairobi before dark, after making a couple of stops for Erica to throwup. Her stomach had become a bit upset, and she started developing a slight fever. The first thing we thought was hopefully it wasn't malaria since she isn't taking prophylactics. More than four months of taking anti-malarial drugs is hard on the liver. She had mentioned that mosquitoes had bit her a bunch in a village recently where they were doing HIV testing. I thought lets get her to bed, and hopefully the body is going into a fever to kill the bacteria and perhaps just food poisoning. Food poisoning is extremely common, just because one doesn't always know if things are coming from a clean water source, similar to Mexico.
The next day we were off to Tanzania on a shuttle. After a border crossing and four hours of travel, we got into Arusha that afternoon. Arusha's climate is pleasant, not too hot. The house where we stay is in Kijenge with a view of Mt. Meru in the yard. It takes about twenty minutes to walk into the main part of town, a hill near the house reminds me of the stairs in Santa Monica as a workout, and a duka (store) down the way sells organic eggs. I would love to have a chicken that laid eggs, but Eduardo "Eddie", our cute mutt puppy would unfortunately terrorize the chicken so that it wouldn't lay. There is a plethora of animals, "Burrito" the original cat that looks like a Lynx, "Rocky" the other overly affectionate cat, and "Keelie" Eddie's mom, our amazing guard dog. We have fresh basil, corn, and chillies. I often times go buy fresh produce at Soku Ku, the main market in town to cook fiestas. I have befriended a produce stand and the local boys who harbor deals to get me everything that I want at a decent price. These guys watch my back and call me Franky when I enter their area- "simba's office". Aside from plenty of cooking, we also frequent the local Chinese restaurant "Dragon Pearl", "Big Bite" for Indian cuisine, "Nick's" a dive of charbroiled chicken and amazing garlic-broiled talapia, and "Stiggy's" a local Australian chef's speacialties. I often times drink Tusker, a Kenyan beer, which is actually really good. We still do Brian Kest's Power Yoga DVD.
I have been shadowing Erica and the work that SIC (Support for International Change/ www.sichange.org) does around here. A volunteer program was just ending so I had the opportunity to go to a couple of community days. These days are promoted for weeks and encourage people from the surrounding community to go and get free testing. Councilors are around so that people with questions may get information. Volunteers team up with teaching partners, so most of the students from the local schools come out. I befriended the DJ they hire and was able to play some Bongo Flavor, the local music of choice. All the kids go crazy and dance. We played a futbol (soccer) game last week and won. The next day my whole body was hurting, not as young as I used to be to play a full four-hour futbol match. Nonetheless, great time with the staff and the local high school kids. Everyday I push to learn more Swahili. My favorite thus far is "Tuko Pamoja"- We are together and "Parachichi"- avocado. The most recent community day was quite an experience aside from the HIV activities. A couple teaching partners took me to an area at the Matevas Masai market where they butcher goats. These guys kill the goats, skin them, cut them open and butcher them, and then another guy cooks the meat. I ordered two racks of ribs and ate some of the tastiest meat I had eaten. I did a short film called "Umbuzi" (Goat), the skinning, butchering, and eating of a goat. I hope to put this up soon.
In a series of meetings, I have slowly begun to develop ideas for a documentary on micro-financing. I have begun to conduct research on local people's business ideas and finding out about local institutions that foster these sorts of small business loans. One of SIC's staff councilors would like to open up a juice shop, which I have expressed much interest in. With some of the proceeds, HIV patients could be provided with juice and young coconuts. All in an effort to promote health. I have also spoken with the Kilimanjaro Film Institute, which provides training for local Tanzanians to become film makers, about helping produce some of these ideas. Moving forward, much love...

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