More Moments from Tanzania

Rosie wanted to get her head shaved by a Maasai on her 21st birthday, so Daniel has switched his profession from Swahili teacher to barber.  Can you think of a cooler thing to do on your 21st in Africa on a dry campus?  Me neither.

Now on to Tanzania, since Kenya was sooooooo yesterday.  This is the lookout point on the escarpment out over Lake Manyara, the National Park, and Mto wa Mbu.  Not a bad view to look out on every day we came off the hill.

Karatu was a fun bustling town up the escarpment past Rhotia. 

Michele did a great job capturing a few of its details frequently

 taken for granted...

The best bananas in the world.  Trust me.  I'm a banana specialist and those from Mto wa Mbu are, in fact, the best bananas in the world

Nicole's father works in the coffee industry for a living.  That's probably why I like this picture of her so much (left).  Kyra, Emily, myself, and Kalyn (from left to rigt) were frequently told we looked alike, so we took an evolution photo.  Looking at us now, I guess people were pretty accurate.  

Nicole also loves her lizards.  This rock monitor (top) and igama (bottom) are thanks to her.

Me reeping the benefits of her highly tuned lizard radar.

We went to an agroforestry school and planted trees with the students there that will hopefully be harvested in the future to benefit the community.

 I took this picture during our DR animal counts in the Game Reserve.  I love this picture because it shows the compatibility between Maasai livestock grazing and wildebeest.

There were many spectacular rainbows in Tanzania.  Maybe it's the worlds way of telling me that that's where I will find my treasure.

Spotting tortoises from the land cruisers while counting other animals was very serendipitous but did happen more than once.

I tried very hard to get a good picture of a kingfisher and never nabbed one.  I'm glad other people were able to get good shots of them.

For one of our free days we were given the option to hike through a forest to caves carved by hundreds of years of elephant activities.  Why wouldn't you go?

Connor and Kalyn after sliding down from the elephant caves.  They look so good that they may start a new trend...

This is the elephant statue at the Kudu Lodge in Karatu where we swam on Thanksgiving.  He shoots water out of his trunk into the pool too.  Maybe this picture is trying to tell us that all talented elephants should be straddled? 

During DR we came across a random zebra leg.  Anybody hungry?

The original DR crew.  

I loved looking out across Lake Manyara at the hills on the opposite side.  Like this, they look like islands. 

The escarpment from below. 

During DR we came across this mother and her brand new baby sheep.  You can just make out the placenta still hanging from her rear end.

Kioko and I during our first true bonding session on our first traveling lecture in Tanzania.  Observers were nice enough to capture such a touching and wonderful moment... 

As was I to capture the hysterical moment of Emily sinking up to her hips in mud on the same day.  Notice I wasn't the only one that thought it was funny.  Neal is doubled over and the rest of the class stood behind me bellowing out a chorus of laughter.  Thank God it was Emily though because she is wonderful and handled it better than anyone else would have. 

 Nate brought his tight rope which was an entertaining and sometimes dangerous past time.

 

Julia and I on our last night together.  We drank quite a bit and will probably reunite in Colorado under similar circumstances.  Above is another of my favorite people Maria.  I love this picture because it's hysterical.  Maria is kind of a, not awkward, but unique person, just like slug sex.  

Everyone loves puppies.  Dogs are very common in Tanzania and as much as you want to pick them up, coddle them, or scratch the adults behind the ears, you run the risk of getting fleas or parasites yourself.  Just like back in the States, some also may bite you.  It's better just to keep your hands to yourself, as hard as that can be.  

Kyra's laugh is something I will never forget.  I love this picture taken by Katie Liz and how well it captures how such a small girl could make such a loud noise.

And I love her.  

This is a pretty cool picture Nate pulled off.  I tried similar ones myself but wasn't satisfied with any of them.  I think his facial hair and dreadlocks help add to the whole situation.  Pretty cool picture.

Nate also snapped this picture of me staring up at the clouds above Ngorongoro Crater on our way back from the Serengeti.

The picture I tried so hard to get but couldn't.  Thank you Annie!!!

Marta is a wonderful landscape photographer.  These photos she took in the Serengeti take my breath away.

And this is me in the Serengeti.  Don't I take your breath away?  The poles for our tent were either too long or too short and so...

Sapaya had to pull out his saw and cut us a new one in the middle of nowhere?  Of course!  That's the first thing I would have thought of too!

Katie Liz captured this beautiful sunset.  Outside the gate of campus on Moyo Hill was a grave.  I love how unique and memory evoking this picture is.

I guess this sunset's okay too.