Hello world, it's me, Megan. I'm back from Tanzania, alive and safe! This past week seemed to have been a great time to temporarily leave the country, as Al-Shaabab set off three bombs throughout the city (no worries though, I'm taking every precaution to keep safe) Kenya recently declared war against the Al-Shabaab terrorist militant group that they believed were responsible for the recent kidnappings of westerners along the coast, as well as other acts of violence over the past few years. In retaliation for entering Somalia, Al-Shabaab has threatened to bomb Nairobi, and wreak havoc throughout the city.
On a lighter note, I'm not living in city center, where the threats seem to be focused and I will be avoiding bars, clubs and busy areas as a safety precaution...but enough about that scary stuff..
Tanzania was an AMAZING week filled with adventure. I decided to go day by day just to let y'all know what all I had the opportunity to experience :)
Day 1- Sunday, October 23rd
We all met early Sunday morning, packed into a small van and headed for the border. 6 hours later we finally reached our destination, Arusha. We stated at this place called the UAACC (United African Alliance Community Center) which is a compound run by Pete and Charlotte O'Neal. Both were members of the Black Panther Party during the civil rights movement when Pete was charged with helping transport a gun across state lines. Wanted by the police, Pete (31 at the time) and Charlotte (only 19!) fled the country. They lived in Algeria for two years and then moved to Tanzania where they have been living ever since then. After dinner we watched a documentary about Pete (which was really interesting) and then sat around with him and Charlotte and asked them questions about their lives in exile. Pete, who was once an outspoken, feisty youth, now runs this vibrant community center which provides vocational classes, clean water and a children's home for the community. This now 70 some year old panther has definitely changed over the years.
Day 2- Monday, October 24th
After breakfast we headed out to Maasai land, which was about 3 hours away from the UAACC. We arrived at the Maasai village, Engkarat, around noon where we were greeted by a host of about 20 village women singing for us. That afternoon we walked around the village and met our Maasai host for the next few days, Ngong Goy. He told us all about their culture, language and practices.
greeting the mamas
Later in the afternoon we visited different "bomas" (basically little neighborhoods of huts) and also collected firewood for the fire after dinner. Elders of the village came to the fire and sat around with us answering any questions we had about their lives. The most interesting, and also disturbing, thing I learned is that many women in the village still participate in female genital mutilation.
Day 3- Tuesday, October 25th
The day of the goat sacrifice.
Oh boy, I don't really even know how to describe this, but I will try. We all gathered different items around the community (firewood, medicine, goat poo) for the sacrifice and then met under this huge tree in the middle of the village. Tied to the tree was this adorable goat, who didn't have a care in the world...and certainly didn't realize his life was about to end.
The Maasai men asked for 3 volunteers and then held down the goat and suffocated it (this is actually a humane way of killing the animal..I don't even want to think about the inhumane ways used back home) Now, I'm not a vegetarian, but it was difficult to watch this animal die before my eyes. After they killed the goat, the men began to skin it (also difficult to watch) and took its organs out to boil and cook them over the fire (sorry for the details)
Elders, warriors and boys receive different parts of the goat to eat. The elders receive the best parts and it would be unacceptable for anyone but an elder to eat these parts. After dividing up the parts, the elders placed some of the goat's blood in a rib cage and invited us to drink it.
At this point, I was trying to keep my breakfast down, but a few brave souls went for it.
After the blood drinking (ugh) and the cooking of all the parts we had lunch (luckily not the goat) and then headed out to meet with the village mamas for some beading lessons. They told us about the meaning of each colored bead and then we all made bracelets and necklaces together. My mama was so sweet-- I thought that she was making jewelry for herself, but she ended up giving me all of her work in the end.
Day 4- Wednesday, October 26th
We woke up early (per usual) and headed out to this remote village about 5 hours away from the Maasai village (quite the trek along unpaved roads). We split up into smaller groups and traveled by safari SUVs which was really fun. My car was me and 5 of my closest friends here so we had a blast traveling along this unpaved road to the village. We were told that we would be visiting one of the last hunter-gatherer societies in East Africa, but after arriving there, we all came to the conclusion that we were just a part of a big tourist scheme. It seemed like this was some sort of fake village set up to make money. We never got a clear answer, but it was still fun walking through the bush and seeing their "life." At the end of the visit the men taught us how to shoot arrows. I actually hit the target on my second try....I see a future in archery for me if all else fails after college.
our awesome safari car
That night we camped at a site a few hours away from Arusha. For the first time in 4 days were were able to shower which was SO nice. My legs were caked with dirt and dark brown dust from the week of traveling through the bush.
Day 5- Thursday October 27th
SUCH a good day! We woke up early..duh...and headed to Ngorongoro Crater where we went on safari for the day. Even though I've been on safari before in Nakuru, this trip was completely different. The safari was actually in this crater. After paying the park fees, we descended 4,000 feet to start our safari. The morning was filled with your typical animals that are in abundance in the parks--zebras, gazelle, birds, buffalo--but after lunch I was SO excited as we were able to stop our car RIGHT next to a sleeping lion. At first I thought she was dead...I mean she was laying with her four paws up in the air. She looked like my dog, Tessa, who sleeps like this on the reg. But after a minute, the lion rolled over and I quickly realized that she was no where close to dead...she was very much alive. We were so close that I actually was concerned for our safety..but decided to ignore that concern and take in this once in a lifetime opportunity. She didn't seem phased by us and went about her business, stalking the zebra in the distance.
The office is closing up soon, so I'm rushing ahead to finish this post! Friday we spent the day in Arusha where we visited the Tribunal for the Genocide in Rwanda and a mental health facility that is the first of its kind in northern Tanzania. Both visits were interesting, but no where near as exciting as Saturday, where we spent the day hiking up part of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I know, kind of lame that we were there and didn't climb the whole thing...but it was still SO amazing. It was absolutely beautiful, it seemed like we were hiking through a jungle. We ate lunch near a crater in the mountain and then headed back down to the base of the mountain. The whole climb took us about 6 hours and was very difficult but so rewarding. Driving home was such a blessing to, as we came across the most breathtaking view of Mt. Kili as the sun was setting.
Sunday morning we woke up and headed back to Nairobi, where I am staying until December 3rd. Tanzania was beautiful and I loved being able to see another country in East Africa. It was also a much needed break from the hustle of Nairobi.
Tomorrow morning I move into an (AWESOME) apartment with five best friends. We will be living there for the month as we each work on our own research projects. I'm SO excited to have my own space and to be living with these girls. I'm also am pumped about starting my research. I'm sure that I'll have lots of fun stories to share throughout the next month. Here's a little preview of what my apartment will be like... ridiculousness.
Sorry to rush the entry..I just wanted to make sure I posted this before I turn off my computer for the evening. I miss everyone back home a ton! It's hard to believe that in a little over a month I will be headed back to the states. This semester has flown by.
More updates to come soon!
Until next time--
Megan
