Our first game viewing day on this trip was in Arusha National Park. It’s the smallest National Park in Tanzania but also has the distinction of being the only one where the animals are sufficiently accustomed to humans that tourists can go for a guided hike with a ranger. Tanzanian citizens don’t need the ranger (and often walk the main road just to get to the town on the other side).

I don’t know if I fell in love with Arusha N.P. because it was our first day of animal viewing, because of the hike, because of the guides (including our ranger, Bennett), because we saw so much wildlife, or because of the actual animals we saw. The setting – both physical and emotional – really made the animals stand out in exciting ways.

That first day, we saw: zebra, water buffalo, giraffe, sacred ibis, dik dik, baboons, black and white Colobus monkeys, flamingos, Egyptian duck, egret, golden-billed stork, waterbok, evidence (semi-digested and spit-up grass) of hippos traveling the night before, warthog, and many other birds whose names I don’t recall. It was a bright day, but not too hot, and the scenery was like tropical rainforest … lush, green trees and bright grass. It wasn’t the savannah I’d imagined we’d see for the entirety of the safari, but the animals seemed right at home. It was like they were coming out to play for us.

Also, this was the day where we learned the most Swahili. “Affia,” which means “bless you, or more specifically, “health.” And “Kua koma mgombo wandeezi,” which apparently means “Grow fast like a banana tree.” Since you’re supposed to say the second phrase after the first, we think growing like a banana tree must be evidence of being healthy. There’s also another part that goes on the end of that … something about coconut trees always being late … but I had trouble remembering that one.

Since being on safari in Tanzania, I’ve learned that the wildebeest migration technically occurs all year round. It’s just where you are and where the animals are that determine if you get to experience it. Thankfully, we were in the same place as the wildebeest during this trip.

I think this is what it must have been like when the American buffalo “roamed the plains” before their numbers were decimated. While you are driving through one of the numerous migration herds, there are wildebeest (and the zebra and Thompson gazelle that travel with them) as far as the eye can see. Everywhere you look, there are wildebeest – grunting (somewhere between a hollow cow sound, a frog, and serious flatulence), playing, eating, sleeping, and battling it out over who gets the most females.

As with many experiences on this part of the trip, I had no concept of what this would be like before I saw it. It’s really powerful. And at the same time, it’s very peaceful. And the crazy noises these animals make cause me to laugh out loud.

There’s only one downside … so many wildebeest and zebra make it hard to find lions.

• We met a Kenyan man on a rest stop during our bus ride from Nairobi to Arusha (where the safari started). He told us about how he knew the man who was the “Terminator” from the movies was now governor in California. He had read in the newspaper that this man was up for re-election, but it was unsure if he would win. His opinion? “I would vote for him – he is obviously a great warrior.”
• Elephants sleep standing up … it’s too far to the ground to lay down and besides their “hip” joints bend the wrong way.
• The blisteringly hot weather you expect in Africa, especially near the equator just isn’t here. The only time you really feel the heat in the sun is from 11 AM to just before 2 PM, and then only in the sun. When you’re in the shade, it can be downright chilly. According to our guide, this is pretty normal weather … if it gets more than about 5 degrees Celsius warmer, people talk about how unusual the weather is.
• So many songbirds!!! I imagined Tanzania and safari with lots of big game, but never thought about the fact that I would be awakened by songbirds.
• African elephants are huge! They aren’t as playful as the Asian ones, either. In fact, we had two big bull elephants test charge our Land Rover. Our driver/guide, Ben, has a technique to make the elephants think we’re a big enough animal to cut off its trunk (which would be the end of the elephant since it wouldn’t be able to eat) – rev the engine. Phew! It worked both times!
• Palm trees.
• A Maasai man, who while showing you the inside of his home, asks to change his Tanzanian shillings to United States dollars.
• Baboons are so like humans – and so playful!!! We spent a couple of hours over the course of two afternoons watching three baboon families. I wish it had been longer. Now that it’s later in the trip, I find myself wishing we could stop our hunt for big game long enough to watch the baboons play and groom each other.
• Zebra are shaped like donkeys, striped like race cars, and make a noise like a sick puppy barking/being stepped on.
• The hotel reception clerk whose first question to me when he got me alone was, “so when are you going to buy me an airplane ticket to America?” “I want to come stay with you and your husband and your parents.” When I pressed him for what he would do there, the answer was “maybe study” though later (really from the beginning, given then forthrightness of his question) it became obvious he wanted to get out of Tanzania so he can make some money. I told him I wouldn’t be buying him the ticket. He was disappointed. “All these American women are just not willing to cheat on their husbands! They are so in love they won’t buy me an airplane ticket.”
• Lions can sleep in trees.
• Almost no Tanzanian food at the lodge/hotels and a guide who can’t take you to a restaurant where you can get some.
• Mobile phones that work where there are no paved roads and the generator power (at luxury lodges) goes out at 11PM.
• Free internet in the middle of the Serengetti.

So I know we came to Tanzania to go on safari. I know, too, that “safari” is practically synonymous with animals and pictures of animals. But I really thought that we would still get to interact with Tanzanian culture at some level. And we haven’t.

We arrived at our first lodge, Arusha Mountain Village Lodge (http://www.serenahotels.com/tanzania/mountainvillage/home.asp) and the first thought that went through my head as we walked in the door was “How fabulous! This looks like the lodges of the 1920s and 1930s, where you might see Somerset Maughan or Mark Twain or some dashing British officer coming around the corner at any minute. I’m so excited to be part of adventure travel like that!” And it has continued that way. Think of dashing gentlemen in safari outfits, swanky lodges in the middle of nowhere, and all the British colonial travel extravagance you can think of … minus the lavish dances at night and the long duration of travel on ships but plus modern conveniences like showers… and that’s what life has been like. We even had free internet at one lodge in the middle of the Serengetti (it was $1 for 2 minutes in most of the other lodges).

It has been a beautiful, luxurious, exciting, and simple way to travel. And we’ve had almost none of the culture shock we expected. But we also haven’t gotten really any sense of what Tanzanian culture is like, apart from interactions with travel guides and hotel staff. In some ways, it feels like we’re being deliberately separated from learning about day-to-day Tanzanian life.

Andrew pointed out that you really don’t get a sense of what American day-to-day life is when you visit National Parks in the United States, either. So maybe that is part of what I’m experiencing.

Still, almost all the guests at the lodges are European, Asian, or American – and normally white. Tanzanians – probably most Africans – normally can’t afford even the money to pay for transportation to their own National Parks, much less the entrance fee (for them, the equivalent of about US $1.50, higher for tourists – about US $50), or the time off to go on a holiday. When you talk with the lodge staff, most of them are at the lodges for 2 to 3 months at a time, then have a week off to go visit their family – if they can’t find other work for that week. I’m really unsure when these people have a chance to see their families – it sounds like they’re never home, let alone at the same time as their spouses and children.

I had an interesting conversation with an American woman who has been in Dar-es-Salaam for a year while her husband taught on Fulbright Scholarship. She indicated the vestiges of the old colonial lifestyles are still very strong, as are the class and race distinctions that would have gone along with them. According to her report, many black Tanzanians will give you the answer you want to hear to your questions about lifestyle, money, and even animals, rather than the answer than what may be the true answer. And they still address white people as “madam,” “sir,” and “papa” (for older men), even when there’s not any reason for that kind of salutation.

There’s nothing like spending 10 days in some the most famous National Parks in Africa to make one realize just how little one knows about animals – especially what they really look like.

I’ve been to zoos – I promise! So at least in theory I know what a lion looks like. Also a giraffe, an elephant, and a zebra. But I can’t tell you how many times in the past week I’ve mistaken sticks and rocks for these animals. Some of the animals are even VERY big. You’d think: 1 – you’d be able to see the animal was there, and 2 – the difference between an elephant and a rock would be obvious. Or the difference between a cracked branch and a lion. Apparently not.

I suppose there is one other reasonable explanation for my complete lack of animal-spotting talent: I want to see the animals. I imagine they’re everywhere.

There are lots of animals, don’t get me wrong. I have seen more animals in a more concentrated area than ever before in my life. Seeing baboons, giraffe, elephants, gazelle, hippos, crocodiles, kori bustards, etc in their home environment has been incredible. No wonder the ones in the zoos at home look so sad. Compared to here, there is really so little space for them to roam around in zoos … and so little company for them. Even at Woodland Park Zoo or the Wild Animal Park in San Diego.

But the Serengetti (especially, of all the Parks we’ve been in) is a big place. There are huge concentrations of animals and huge expanses of grass and trees. And when you’re searching for lions, leopards, and cheetah in grass as tall as any of those cats …. Well, let’s say with a little imagination a stick can appear to be just about anythinhg.

I debated calling this post “The International Language of Shopping,” since shopping is what most people come to Singapore to do … and since the person who greeted us at our hotel asked that we return our key to reception while we are “out shopping.” But then I decided that was far too cynical … and we’ve had lots of fun during our 2 1/2 days in Singapore to be that cynical.

Most of what I’ve like about this country/city is how it manages to be a melting pot of so many cultures without diluting any of them too much. When you first get the tourist information they say, “if you want to impress the locals, here are a couple phrases to use” (how are you and thank you) … and there are the same two phrases in 3 languages, plus they say English is the “lingua franca.” I thought, “my gosh! how am I ever going to figure out which one to use?” It turned out, even though there are significant Chinese (76%), Malay (15%), and Arab (don’t remember) populations, the British colonial heritage is still strong. They see you have a white face and everyone addresses you in English. It makes traveling easier, at least. 😉 But there are still stong Asian and Indian influences. The British colonial thing is kind of funny … it’s like the country is really proud of having been a colony. I’m pretty sure that’s what put it on the map and why it’s shipping traffic is so developed so it makes sense. But when you hear stories about how some English solider was brought in to shoot a tiger that was hiding out under the billiards room at a swanky hotel, it makes your head spin a little bit.

The most fun part to me has been the public art and the food. You can see photos of some of the sculptures on Andrew’s photo page. The food … it’s from all over, is cheap, and you eat it, in large part in “food courts” kind of like at our malls, only the food is better and they’re less air conditioned.

We’re off to Africa tonight (2:30AM flight from Chiangi International Airport – hoping we can sleep). If there’s nothing new for a while, it’s because wifi isn’t so frequent on safari… 😉

When you read the guide books about Thai food, the one thing they consistently tell you is to be careful about hot food. Thais like their food spicy, and apparently we Westerners have wimpy tongues and should watch out lest we burn them off on the first bite.

I do pretty well with spicy food from a typical Seattle point of view. On a scale of 1 – 5, I’m a low 4 when it comes to ordering. So I figured I had some good kicky food to look forward to as well as some that would be building my tolerance for hot food.

The hot food warning was repeated by Karis, our new friend in Chiang Mai. Among the phrases she taught us for getting by in Thailand (along with “hello,” and “thank you,”) was the phrase for “not spicy.” It sounds like “MY pet.” I thought that was a good phrase to know and tucked it away in my memory bank for future use.

Unfortunately, I think that future use will be back in Seattle.

I am sorry to report that most of the food we ate in Thailand was bland enough for Swedish palates. Granted, we ate primarily in restaurants. I’m not sure the average Thai person could afford to eat in these places, even though the prices felt very reasonable to us, so the cooks probably cater to what they think western palates will be. Unfortunately, they’ve been very well informed that their customers are wimps. But there are almost always chilies in sauce on the table, so bumping the zing factor up a tiny bit hasn’t been too hard.

I guess next time we’ll have to find more places where Thai people actually eat. The lady who taught our cooking class confirmed that real Thai cooks would put 10-15 chilies in a green papaya salad I put 2 ½ in during our class (and found that the right amount of heat). Then “MY pet” will be useful and I can stop wishing Karis had taught us the phrase for “more spicy” instead.

There is a distinct likelihood that by the time a traveler finishes their visit to Thailand, they will be convinced that their name is, in fact, “massage.” Every day, as you walk down the street, past the many vendors, restaurants, tailors, and massage parlors, they almost all call out to you. “Where you from?” “You want suit?” “Hello, massage!”

Since there are more massage parlors than anything else .. the danger of thinking “massage” is your name.

We’ve had 3 massages apiece since being in the country. Two oil massages and one foot massage each. Neither of us was quite willing to be cracked the way they do in Thai massages. I’m mostly afraid that they’ll adjust my back into the wrong place and that just sounds like a bad thing. Also something my chiropractor would be on my case about when I get home. (Hopefully, he won’t read this and then chastise me the other direction. .) For the most part, they’ve been wonderful experiences, complete with foot washes before and green/Thai herb tea afterwards. Thai masseuses don’t use as much pressure as American ones, but they make up for it in coverage. I’m not sure I’ve ever had my belly massaged before, for example. Or so much concentration on my chest. They’re also very thorough on the legs, and not so much when it comes to the back. Go figure. I’ve also never had the masseuse actually climb up on top of the table and straddle me before. But it has happened twice here and I don’t think we went to skanky massage parlors.

It turns out we have come to Thailand at a very “auspicious” time. “Auspicious” being a very frequently used world to describe the excitement the Thais seem to feel about the 60th anniversary of the crowning of their king, which happened two nights ago.

It’s a great time to be here – there is so much celebrating going on, and it appears that it will last much of the tree weeks Andrew, Amy, and I are in Thailand. Everyone is wearing yellow (royal-colored) shirts. The people seem to love the royal family very much. It’s really beautiful to see them rushing to honor this leader of their country. The photos from primary ceremony from a couple nights ago are on Andrew’s website – please check them out. It’s just beautiful. The fireworks at the end were a little frightening … definitely not far enough away for US safety standards … but no one got hurt.

It appears that the king is more of an inspirational and moral character leader for the Thais than he is a political one. There is a prime minister to deal with those matters. It is quite amazing to me to see the success the king has had at motivating the Thai people to live well, to treat each other with respect, and to work for the betterment of their country. I wish there were an equivalent in the US … someone we could all respect, regardless of our walk in life, who could motivate us to love the people around us and to work for the world to be a better place. I know it sounds corny … but it’s a very beautiful thing to see.

A couple days ago, we took a Thai cooking class. Somehow, I thought this would be a very fun but somewhat impersonal, extremely touristy experience.

It was a very touristy thing to do, but definitely not impersonal. Andrew, Amy and I were the only people in the class (it’s low season … I love travelling in low season, even if the weather is less perfect) … and it was held at the teacher’s home! Her whole family helps out with her business … helping with prep work, cleaning dishes, making brochures, helping with internet advertising. And they make space in their lives to welcom foreigners into their house and their thai-style (of course, since it’s their home) outdoor kitchen to learn to make the dishes they eat (but in a way that is toned-down for western wimpy palates). I felt so privileged to be able to be there and learn.

We got a tour of the food market first. It puts French food markets (the only other outdoor food markets I’ve been to) to shame. You really need to check out Andrew’s photo pages to see what it looks like. The sensations and smells are amazing! Plus, our teacher’s descriptions of how it works (along with some help we’d gotten from Karis) make it much easier to figure out and order meals in Thailand … which doesn’t sound that hard with all the Thai restaurants in Seattle but is really intimidating here!

The cooking part was a lot simpler than I’d imagined. Mostly stir-frying with different ingredients, or famililar ingredients that I wouldn’t have thought to use that way. Even the curry was mostly a stir-fry. I’m excited to hunt down new spices and cook Thai for people when I get back to Seattle.