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You would think that in Africa you would have very hot and humid weather. On the contrary, the weather here was perfect, cool, sunny, and for the most part dry. The time of year I was there, the top of the mountain is usually covered with clouds, making it almost impossible to see. I got lucky one afternoon to catch a nice photo of this majestic, snow-covered peak.
My work had based me in the foothills of the tallest mountain in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro, where I was to spend several weeks exploring this fertile land. The black volcanic soil is great for most crops but outstanding for coffee. Some of the best coffee I have ever tasted came from farms located along the base of the great mountain. Try Tanzanian Peaberry, shade-grown on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Although I am not a big coffee drinker, I still can remember the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee emanating from most of the small huts surrounding mine.
Arusha National Park near Kilimanjaro was my first experience with a safari. The park is relatively small compared to the massive parks in the nearby Serengeti and Maasai Mara, but it is varied with spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas.
In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater in the southeast is grassland. It is a very different park than the Maasai Mara or the Serengeti, which are savannas with vast open areas. This park tends to be lusher with trees, plenty of hilly lands, and some grasslands. Despite the size of the park. Many species of wildlife are present.
What I saw amazed me! As we drove through the forest, we saw monkeys, cape buffalo, baboons, birds, herds of zebra, giraffes, and many warthogs.
One of my best memories is of the wild herds of giraffes that seem to be everywhere. Being in the wild, they explored their world with few worries. Seeing them grazing on the hills and loping down a dirt road as free as can be made me think about how cruel it is to keep them in captivity.
This is one of my favorite photos. I call it the Baboon Parade.
As we turned the corner and drove into open spaces I saw dozens of Maasai giraffes waltzing on the plains as well as grazing on the small hills. It was a bit surreal, it reminded me of a scene from Jurassic Park, standing there, and in front of me, herds of giraffes just wandering in their home.
This one seemed to be the most curious. As our vehicle approached, it just raised its head and watched us as we watched it. This photo was so easy that I thought I could not get any luckier, but I did and spent the rest of my time in the Arusha National Park wishing that I could spend more time.
The Maasai giraffe is known for the leaf-like patterns of its spots.
I guess National Geographic liked it too.
These Cape buffalo are the largest ones on the continent and are found in Southern and East Africa. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head referred to as a "boss".
They are known as one of the most dangerous animals on the planet. As one of the Big Five game animals, the Cape buffalo is a sought-after trophy in hunting.
Warthogs are identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The lower pair, which is far shorter than the upper pair, becomes razor-sharp by rubbing against the upper pair every time the mouth is opened and closed.
I was fortunate to have a great guide for this safari. He was of the Maasai tribe and seemed to know just where every animal may be. When it seemed that there were no animals in sight he would point to a spot in the trees or field and show me another animal in the wild.
On one occasion he pointed into a thick group of trees and spotted the rare and beautiful Colobus monkey. The beautiful and rare black and white-furred monkey is known for its ability to jump long distances. I attempted to snap a photo of the monkey and got several, but the Colobus was pretty much hidden in the shade or the high tree.
My guide had an instinct or sixth sense that allowed him to connect with the animals in the wild, and I was fortunate to have been with him on this trip.
Although it looks like I may have the knack for this, it was not to be. After just a few strokes of the mallet, I realized I would probably ruin this work and gave it back to him. He was very patient with me and would have probably, very graciously, allowed me to ruin his work.
One afternoon I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the many woodcarvers that make their living in Arusha. This is truly an art form. They can take a piece of wood and within a few minutes create a beautiful piece of art.
Arusha is known for its woodcarvers. I was fortunate to find and visit the old woodcarver market (Arusha Maasai Market) when I was there. It was a crazy mess of almost 200 stalls that sold all sorts of curios from paintings, to Maasai beadwork, to wood carvings. Unfortunately, the market burned down in 2014.
A Cultural Center located in a beautiful new and modern building has now replaced it. I preferred the old one, it just had a great "feel" to it.
The old woodcarver's market, Arusha Maasai Market burned down in 2014
I did purchase a beautiful, polished piece made of ebony from the artist/woodcarver and I proudly display it in my home.
The same artist that Clinton admired carved and signed the piece that I purchased above.
President Clinton was impressed with this artist, too, and purchased a piece from him during his visit.
What great expressions on this mother and child! I was in a small village called Kumashuku, near Moshi in the northern part of Tanzania.
I had been in the village all day and noticed this mother with her baby participating in a meeting that I was facilitating. After the meeting, I asked her if she would pose with the child in front of this building with a painted blue wall. She was most gracious and simply turned to me. The baby smiled without any prompting from me, and the result is this wonderful photo of a beautiful Tanzanian mother and baby.
As they began walking past me, a bit disappointed that I hadn't taken their photo, I looked back and quickly snapped this shot of the girls prancing back to their homes after school. Of course, they saw me and ran back to see the photo in the viewfinder... Happy, they continued their walk back home along this road.
As I began to leave the village I was walking along a long stretch of dirt road toward the main road into town. These young schoolgirls approached me and began to pose. They were backlit and out of position for a good photo so I chose not to take one.
Visiting a village is always an honor. You can't walk into one without being invited and "vetted". The elders and usually a chief will ask you this question, " What is your purpose in our village?" Once you respond, the chief will turn to the villagers and share your response. If the villagers touch their chests several times, you're invited!
Most times, I was treated to great village food, and often the foods in the hotels I stayed in had much of the same local fare.
Two school girls remove their shoes before entering their classroom.
As with children all over the world, soccer is their favorite sport and pastime.
As I was walking through one village during the school recess, I noticed these boys playing barefoot and using a "ball" made from plastic bags and tape. It didn't seem to stop them from enjoying their game and their dreams of being a star.
From that day, whenever I visit Africa as well as many other places I always packed deflated balls or would stop at a local store and purchase several new ones. As I visited villages I would give the village elders a soccer ball for the children of their village.
I would have never believed that such a small gift would be so appreciated. Within minutes of giving the ball to the village, and as I met with the elders, I would often see in a distant field the excitement of the children of the village playing with their new ball.
A short slideshow of my travels through Tanzania and the Kilimanjaro region.
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