Safari Part III

On the final day of our safari, Arun and I commented that although we've saved the best for last- we weren't sure if the Serengeti would offer anything new. Afterall, we'd seen EVERY animal imaginable!

And of course, how wrong we were!

Every year, the wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya. And although we had seen wildebeest and zebra a-plenty, there are no words to describe the feeling of watching thousands upon thousands of these animals traversing through the Serengeti together. We learned that the zebra and the wildebeest make a great team. Apparently, the zebra's senses are very strong and with their binocular vision and excellent sense of smell; they can flee from predators readily. Wildebeest are rather dumb creatures and tend to panic easily- so they depend on the zebra for their quick senses. However, the wildebeest are good navigators and are able to lead zebras through their long journey together. They are not competitors for food because the zebra graze on rather poor-quality grass, while the wildebeest feast on longer plains' grasses.

At one point, we watched the wildebeest jumping over a stream and it was the most amazing sight!

Our most interesting story occurred when we happened upon a stalled jeep. Turns out the jeep was trying to make a u-turn and the wheel got stuck in a rut. Our driver, Samson, got out to help them and Arun joked, "Don't get eaten by any lions or anything!"

Well- would you believe it- all of a sudden the lady in the other jeep said, "Oh my gosh- there IS a lion over there!"

So there are our drivers, trying to lift the 4X4 out of the rut, and the lady starts video-taping the lion who clearly hoping that his lunch-dreams would come through! Luckily- they worked quickly and everyone came back safe and sound.... and their jeep was on their way!

Now, one of the things we clearly learned was that a safari experience truly depends on the skill of your driver/guide. They have to know the patterns and habits of the animals to know when and where they tend to 'hang out.' Samson was absolutely amazing at knowing what watering-hole and which acacia grove was frequented by animals... and he was also great at forecasting and predicting how the animals would move. That's why we were able to get such AMAZING close-up shots of the animals- because he was always one-step-ahead of other drivers and we would always be the ones that the elephants or lions would pass in front of! YAY us! But one of the things he wasn't exceptional at- was finding tree-leopards.

So wouldn't you know it- one good turn deserves another- because as we were driving along- the driver we had JUST helped waves us down. Turns out- he had found a tree-leopard! And they are VERY difficult to find. So we were really quite lucky to catch a glimpse of these rather un-social cats that hang about in trees.

After that sighting- we headed to a famed hippo- pool. They are not the most pleasant creatures- the water is pretty disgusting and they just roll and loll around in their own filth. They like being submerged most of the time, so it took a bit of patience to capture them coming out of the water-but I was able to capture a couple of lovely shots- so it was all well-worth it!

I should definitely talk about some of the absolutely amazing hotels we stayed in. We decided on the Serena Lodges. And let me tell you- WOW! Infinity pools that lead out into views of Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara... hotel rooms that look like traditional Masai huts... dinner buffets and evening dance shows... they just had it ALL! We definitely enjoyed the resort! And they choses such amazing locations that we always awoke and went to sleep to amazing sunrises and sunsets- a photographers dream!

With that- I'll end this entry on the shot I described earlier- Wildebeest and Zebra leaping over a stream in the Serengeti!

Safari Part II

Our third day of safari was at the famous Ngoronogoro Crater. [Ngoronogoro is a Masai word that emulates the sound of the cowbell.]

It is a sight to behold! The site is the world's largest unflooded volcanic caldera and forms a natural enclosure for the wildlife spanning 100 sq. miles. We were able to see some amazing sunrises and sunsets (as you can see above)!

Some of our most memorable safari moments are at this site- certainly the most action-packed events!

As we drove in that morning, we immediately chanced upon a lioness preying upon a wildebeest. Within minutes, she was dragging the carcass to the shade of the trees to enjoy with her cubs. Nature is definitely NOT PG-13!

We then viewed a pride of lions relaxing by a stream. And I was able to capture some of my favorite shots from our trip.

Arun and I definitely got into the spirit of the safari- he with his binoculars, and me with my camera :) Here's Arun watching two cheetahs -who in turn were watching a gazelle that they hoped to have for lunch. Let's just say that the cheetah's are more patient animals then we were because after watching and waiting for an hour as they tracked their gazelle- we decided WE were hungry and we decided to stop for lunch ourselves!

We were lucky to catch a glimpse of the famous black rhinos- although, these were the only animals that we were not able to see up close.

I'll end our Ngoronogoro adventure on the shot of the cheetah siblings and one of my favorite zebra shots :)

Safari Part I

Elephants and Zebras and Giraffes.... Oh My!

So of course many of you (like us) are excited to hear tales of all the animals we saw. And wow, did we see some amazing animals- up close- sometimes brushing up against our vehicle!

One of the things I didn't anticipate, is how much we would learn about animal behavior.

Our guide/driver Samson has a degree in Natural Sciences and went to the Tanzanian' Wildlife Research Institute, and was simply a wealth of knowledge about animals and vegetation. We learned SO much!


Towards the end- Arun and I were able to spout out different trivia-

• Oh- that's the female reticulated giraffe... notice the tufts of hair on her horn..... she can't be alone- there must be more giraffes nearby.


• There's the Alpha-male Baboon- he's scouting the environment...


• Those male impalas must have recently been driven out- they're practice-fighting to take over a herd


• Based on those stripes... that must be a Plains Zebra... not a Grevy's...

We were able to see animals in three different settings. Lake Manyara was the first- then the famous Ngorongoro Crater- and finally the Serengeti.

Each environment had such uniqueness- for example the Velvet Monkeys could only be found in an environment like Lake Manyara. There are no Giraffes in Ngorongoro because of the lack of Acacia trees. And The Great Migration at this time of year can only be found in the Serengeti. It was fascinating to see the changes in the vegetation and climate as we traversed the different locations.

Also- it NEVER got old- seeing these animals spring by! We would be driving past a stream and all of a sudden see two baboons fighting for superiority! Or we would drive by a Zebra harem and notice a calf and mother.... or watch two male zebra's kicking up their back legs in a fight. We once stopped for a half hour and watched two giraffes fighting with their long necks.

It was fascinating!

But of course we didn't limit our interactions with the animals. While we were driving to Ngorongoro, I asked Samson if we could stop by a local Masai Tribe's village. So we headed to a nearby village and had the most amazing time! Arun jumped in their traditional dance while I joined the women in their circle dance. We then sat with one of the Masai men in his mother's hut as he discussed the Masai lifestyle.

• They are pasturalists. Their cows and goats provide all their sustenance. Their cattle is wealth. And in fact, their wealth determines how many women they can marry. If they have many cattle- they can support more wives!


• They wear blankets, or shukas, that they purchase from large cities like Arusha. They also stretch their earlobes and often carry a stick (for ease of herding!).


• They are semi-nomadic, but they do erect enkaji houses made of sticks, dung and grass.


• There are many traditions- circumcision ceremonies, Shamanistic healing, and sacrifices to calm nearby volcanos etc.

However, the penultimate moment occured as we were just about to leave. Arun had been joking that he would love to play soccer with the Masai. Well- as we were about to get into our vehicle, the Masai asked him if he wanted to play football! I couldn't believe it. "Well, now you HAVE to play!" I said. "You've been talking about it all this time!" And so yeah- here he is- Arun with his new Masai soccer team.... and then playing! Quite the experience!!

When else would you ever get the opportunity to play soccer with the Masai???!

Arusha

One of the things Arun and I enjoy in our travels is visiting a small town... something a bit more off-the-beaten-path. So for our Safari-trip, we chose Arusha. It's often used as a 'base camp' for climbing Kilimanjaro or Mount Meru; it's also a launching spot for a lot of safaris... but it's often overlooked as a town to visit. We decided to spend two days here.

Well... it wound up being a recovery spot for both Arun and myself. And I'm glad that it was such a serene, quiet, comfortable lodge- because we both needed it!

Lesson #1- Don't order vegetarian food at a restaurant called "Carnivore."

I got a cocunut curried vegetable dish- and I REALLY paid for it. My first day in Arusha was rather painful.

Lesson #2- Arun needs to stop being tempted by road-side restaurants. Arun saw an Indian restaurant and just HAD to stop and eat lunch there. Well, he paid for that mutton curry DEARLY and spent our second day in Arusha going through what I had JUST gone through. Not good. (See picture of infamous restaurant)

The bouts of food poisoning didn't keep us down though.

We visited a Snake Park that featured all of Tanzania's famous reptiles.

The deadliest- the fastest- the most elusive snakes in the world are apparently from this region. There are over 144 types! (Arun's not holding one of the deadly ones! ;) Don't wory!)

We also took in some local culture. Here's Arun and I drumming and dancing away!

We also discovered that Tanzania has a significant Muslim population. We saw plenty of mosques and were woken by sounds of the ajjan calling people to prayer. One of the more interesting moments occured when we stopped by a local pharmacy and the shopkeepers kept asking us why we weren't speaking in Swahili. You see, there is an enormous Indian population in East Africa- mostly Gujrati. So a lot of people thought we were locals! It was pretty funny when the shopkeeper said "Kem Cho!" to us! Who would have thought we would be hearing Gujrati in Tanzania?? The Indians in East Africa are primarily business-people. It was an interesting aspect to learn!

We enjoyed interacting with locals and hanging about town. It's so easy, on these safari trips, to retreat into the amazing resorts and not get out and about... but I think we made an effort to enjoy a bit of both.

We rounded out our stay in Arusha by visiting a coffee plantation. But mostly- we enjoyed the amazingly serene Karama Lodge and the local environs.

Fully recovered- we were now ready to head out for our safari! Here we come!! (Oh, and we DID get our luggage in the nick of time before leaving Kenya, btw!)

London and Nairobi

Arun and I got into London at around 8pm. Of course our baggage didn't make the two connections to get there. They were stuck somewhere in Budapest... and we were leaving for Nairobi the next day. However, even though I generally NEVER check in- I did this time, but kept about 4 outfits with me in my handcarry. So I was fine. Arun was not. So we made a claim with British Airways, hoped for the best, and went on to dinner!


Our first surprise came at the Dollar Rental Car counter.


"What car are we getting," I asked as we were wrapping up the paperwork.


"It's a nice one.... you'll see," the clerk said... somewhat surreptitiously. "I upgraded you."


"Oh really? Thanks! So... what's the make?"


"You'll see... it's right outside."

When we got outside- I realized why he was being so furtive.

It was a JAG!

Arun had the time of his life driving around London! So then we drove to Southall so Arun could get his fill of Indian food that he so sorely misses in Odessa. We chose a place called Madhu's and they were nearly done seating people when we walked in. Luckily, they seated us anyway (I was ready to plead our case if they hadn't! We had flown in JUST for this!!) And the food was GOOD!

So all went well that night!


The next morning was a different story. After getting lost getting to the airport, waiting, what felt like, a zillion minutes at the rental car desk- we FINALLY got to Heathrow. Let me tell you- that airport is a zoo. Especially on a Friday. Long story short- we wound up having to get two Virgin Atlantic tickets (BA- no more business with YOU!) to get down to Nairobi (and still no luggage in hand.)

And let me tell you- our trip was AMAZING!

We landed in Nairobi and immediately shed all our excess layers! Ah! Beautiful weather, at last!

We found our driver, who drove us to the Hilton, and he was such a good guide along the way, we wound up hiring him for the day. Maxwell was AWESOME! So hospitable, so informative, and genuinely looked to make sure we enjoyed ourselves in Kenya.

First up- The Elephant Orphanage.

They take in injured or orphaned elephants (mostly babies) and rehabilitate them until they are ready to go back into the wild.

Next- we went to the Karen Blixen Museum. For any of you who has seen the movie Out of Africa (or read the book!) it would strike a chord. It was definitely pretty neat to learn about the old Colonial history of the country. Most people may not realize the Germans pre-dated the British in this country! And of course, the large population of Dutch settlers who participated in the agrarian sector (coffee plantations and such!)

Anyway- quite an enjoyable visit-the guide there was hilarious!
And we enjoyed watching the wedding that was occuring on the property as much as we enjoyed the museum itself.

The next stop was our FAVORITE of Nairobi. The Giraffe Center. Mainly because you can get so up-close and personal with these gentle and graceful animals. We learned about all the different types of giraffes. These are the Rothschild Giraffes. The highlight? Kissing them! Of course, Arun chickened-out at the last minute so I had to be up first! But then Arun *had* to do it too! He didn't have the grimace I had!!

Up next- a cultural dance performance. It was absolutely beautiful. Such great beats! I wanted to jump up on stage with them!
Then we headed to check out the local Masai Market where we sharpened our haggling skills!

We rushed over to the crocodile farm and ran through the Nairobi National Museum just before it closed. The museum was a great reminder that Kenya is just so-much-more than animals. We saw some amazing anthropology exhibits that discussed the history of some of the oldest human fossils and footprints that were found in the region.

The end of the night was the part Arun had been looking forward to (he kept saying- after this, my trip to Africa is done! Although he took back those words as the trip progressed and he got increasingly wow'd at every stop!) Anyway- it was our stop at Carnivore Restaurant! All-you-can-eat-till-you-drop meat! Including some rare items like crocodile and ostrich meat. At the end of the night- you're supposed to drop your white flag of surrender- THAT he DID!

For Ankur

Last Saturday, my childhood friend/brother, Avishek Dube (we called him Ankur) passed away in a car accident. I've finally been able to gather my thoughts to write about him- these past few days have been filled with anguish.

His Facebook page is simply mid-stream.... this happened so suddenly. He is wishing his friend happy birthday, making plans for dinner, joking with his sister Sampurna... and then there's a void. My eyes fill with tears when I see his facebook quote: "Life passes most people by while they're busy making grand plans for it." I feel as though he was robbed- he was just completing his Phd... just starting his life. Still, his short time here has created so many memories, and I would like to share him with all of you.

I can not picture Ankur without seeing him smiling and laughing. You can see, in the picture- he's in the blue-and-white striped shirt. He was always such an incredibly positive person. Our Bengali community revolved around the Dube family. Thus, he was the spirit that pulled us all together. I can not even imagine an event without his presence. He spoke with everyone- laughed with everyone- befriended everyone.

Ankur was inseparable from his sister. I remember being at their house when Ankur was, perhaps, 9 years old and Sampurna was 3 years old. Ankur simply LOVED music and was teaching all kinds of important lessons to Sampurna- that Metallica was untouchable and all the qualities of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. He then taught her how to headbang. It was hysterical! I have rarely seen so close a relationship between siblings as the one between Ankur and Sampurna. So it breaks my heart to see Sampurna write, "My brother taught me everything, except how to live without him."

Ankur was someone without the usual 'hang-ups' of many Indian-Americans. He was so comfortable in his own skin. So comfortable being both Bengali and American- he had no pretensions. While many kids knew to speak Bengali- he knew to read and write the language. He loved his Bengali heritage- eating Bengali food and being a part of the community. I remember performing a very popular children's play with him at our Durga Puja. I was the older queen... and I asked my king for just one thing- a monkey son. Well- that was Ankur! My monkey-son. I will never forget the memories from that play.

Ankur was also someone who could stand up for his convictions. During Saraswati Puja, one year, he asked the organizers why there was such a focus on meat and fish during the religious event. Why couldn't we have vegetarian food for that special event, and then after the puja have the non-veg items? The elders were stunned. Someone from the younger generation was standing up for traditional values! And the following year- it was so. That was Ankur. Able to create change quietly and simply. He, and his family, are very religious. And during this time, I hope their faith will keep them strong.

The last time I saw him was in October. After Doshomi (the final day of Durga Puja) young folks ask the blessings of the older members of the community. Though Ankur was just 3 years younger than me, he would always come to me. This time, I joked with him and wished him a 'good wife'- and a 'good marriage' something 'aunties' always do. This is my last memory of him. And now, knowing that he will not grow old with us- that he will always remain 25, I can only say that we will always remember him- and carry him forward with us in our hearts.

Life did not pass you by, Ankur, you touched many people along the way.

We miss you Ankur.

Vacation Time !!

So.... we're off!

Ladies and Gents- you'll have to excuse the absence of blog entries for a couple of weeks while Arun and I head off to Kenya and Tanzania for a safari!

In honor of this event, I bought a new camera ... and a ginormous new telephoto lens.

Weeks of internet research and in-store agonizing led me to the decision to purchase the Canon EOS 40D. We got a great price at the local camera store- Paparazzi! The guys there were incredibly knowledgable, and while they were die-hard Nikonites, I feel very good about my decision. Ultimately it's the bokeh and the warmer color balance that won me over!

So yes- I'm going to be one of those people!

We'll be stopping off in London so Arun can satiate his craving for Indian food. And then onwards to Nairobi! A couple of days in Kenya and then the bulk of our time in Tanzania- visiting the Kilimanjaro area, Lake Manyara district, Ngoronogoro Crater and the Serengeti for the Great Migration.

Pictures and many blog entries when we return!

Adieu!

or I should say- Das Vidanya!

[And for those of you wondering- Yes, funny one-eyed expressions are directly correlated with the quality of pictures!]