Our trip to the Arab world of Jordan starts on October 30th, Saturday, with a connection at the Dubai Airport. Dubai Airport is new, beautiful, large and spacious. The Air Emirates lounge has plenty of seating with a full breakfast available. I eat here as I plan to sleep on the plane again. Sadly our seats on the plane do not provide the view of the gorgeous new buildings of the city as we take off. I sleep again while Gordon has a nice breakfast. It is a three hour flight to Amman. Our smooth flight arrives 30 minutes late and where is no greeting party? We do not fill out the usual customs form for entry, just walk up to the officials at their desks for a few questions. All the waving signs have other names but not ours! We have a SNAFU. We call A&K from the information desk and they quickly show up with an apology sending us to the Four Seasons Amman hotel by taxi.
We arrive at the Four Seasons Hotel late after our fiasco at the airport. You can tell that the hotel entry has been changed to provide increased security. They have a security check for vehicles away from the hotel on the entrance road and another complete scan of us as we enter the hotel. All of this major security makes us realize the huge risk we have taken to visit Jordan, a peaceful country with good relations to the United States. Jordan is more modern than many Arab countries with religious tolerance for all. Yet, Al Qaeda and the border issues with Israel remain close at hand.
Add to this, it is raining at the WRONG time of year. We check in and Gordon heads for the bed. I have delayed my excursion of Amman to 11:00 AM from the ten o’clock schedule. Marwan picks me up. I have my raincoat ready—this is my only day to see Amman…. at least there can be nice reflections in the rain!
The land that became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan forms part of the richly historical Fertile Crescent region. Its history began around 2000 BC, when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Nabataeans, Arab Muslims, Seljuks, Christian Crusaders, Eyyubids, Mongols, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, Circassians, and, finally, the British. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan encompasses boundaries defined by the Allied victors of World War I and the League of Nations. Emir Abdullah, son of Sherif Hussein of Mecca, whose ancestry can be traced to the Prophet Muhammad was the leader of the revolt. He was awarded Trans-Jordan, the former Ottoman territories east of the Jordan River, in gratitude for Arab support during the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1916. The real heros of the Arab revolt of the Ottomans were the Bedouins, not Master Lawrence of Arabia. Under British supervision, the Emirate of Trans-Jordan moved toward independence in 1946. With independence, Emir Abdullah became King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan, a constitutional monarchy, and named Amman as his capital city. In 1949, with the annexation of the West Bank, the name of the country was changed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Palestine.
In 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated in front of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by forces that felt the king was working for reconciliation with the new State of Israel. Abdullah’s 14-year-old grandson, the future King Hussein, was at his side when he was struck down. Now King Hussein, he ruled from 1953 until his death in 1999, bringing his country through more than 4 decades of wars and crises, walking a delicate tightrope between the larger powers in the Middle East. King Hussein had 4 wives. His first marriage to Princess Dina ended in divorce. Princess Muna had several children but they divorced as well. Queen Alia died in a helicopter crash. His last wife, Dowager Queen Noor is Syrian, British and Swedish by birth. She renounced her American citizenship from birth when she married King Hussein.
In the last years of his life, King Hussein made the search for peace in the Middle East into a personal crusade. Hussein’s son, the Western-educated, innovative King Abdullah, has vowed to continue his father’s work for peace. He is popular with his people. One never speaks ill of the king! Now the Kingdom of Jordan is ruled by King Hussein’s son his Majesty King Abdullah II.
Jordan has absorbed and given citizenship to more than a million refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars, as well as to more than 300,000 Palestinians expelled from Kuwait and other Gulf states in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. 45% of Jordanians came from Palestine after World War II in 1948 and 1967. Many Sunnis immigrated to Jordan after the Iraq conflict. So their total population of 6 million people is very mixed. And now more than a million Iraqis have immigrated legally or illegally making them a small minority of 18 to 36%.
In a land devoid of oil and with few natural resources, Jordan has created one of the most progressive and energetic societies in the Middle East, but the burden of absorbing so many refugees, has taken its toll on the nation’s economy. The opportunities afforded by peace may turn this trend around. If it does, tourism will be an important element in Jordan’s economic revival.
Water is crucial to Jordan. The countryside is flat, brown and rocky! We see a few industrial mining operations extracting potash. There are no trees or shrubs. Water is pumped up from the South by the government through a massive pipeline to the small towns along the road. Homes must each have their individual cisterns to hold the water that is pumped as it is only pumped two times a week. Wealthy homeowners that choose to use water to irrigate a garden pay a premium for the water. The government subsidizes water usage for most people.
We are scheduled to see the Mosque but traffic and noon prayers will make that impossible so we reverse plans.
Amman has such history. As the capital of Jordan, Amman is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley. The sprawling capital of Jordan meanders over seven hills “jebels”, and is home to more than a million and a half people, making it the largest city in Jordan. There is an older “downtown” area around the ancient, beautifully restored Roman Amphitheater. Offices and hotels are scattered randomly across the entire sprawl. Amman is the modern, as well as the ancient capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
In biblical times, Amman was called Rabbath-Ammon, the capital of the Ammonite people; in the Hellenistic/Roman period, this was the formidable city of Philadelphia, a member of the Roman league of cities known as the Decapolis (an alliance of ten free city-states with overall allegiance to Rome): It was here that King David of Israel killed Uriah the Hittite. During the Byzantine period, when Christianity became the official religion of the Eastern Roman Empire, the city was the seat of a Christian Bishop. (Some of the world’s earliest known churches have been recently discovered in Jordan. The remains of a mud brick building in Aqaba may be the world’s oldest known purpose-built church.) During the Crusades and under the Mamelukes of Egypt, Amman’s importance was overtaken by the rise of Karak in the south. Under the Ottoman Empire, Amman remained a small backwater with the town of As Salt being the main town of the area. Impressive ruins from those times still blend into the structure of modern Amman.
By 1806 the city was reported to be uninhabited except for the Bedouins. It was the construction of the Hejaz Railway by the Ottomans which brought the city back to life. Linking Damascus with Medina, the railway passed through Amman in 1902 strengthening Ottoman control over the far flung provinces of their empire. The main line linked Damascus to Medina for pilgrims, where Mecca is located. Towering above Amman, the site of the earliest fortifications of Rabbath- Ammon is now subject to numerous excavations which have revealed remains from the Neolithic period as well as from the Hellenistic and late Roman to Arab Islamic Ages. The site which is known as the Citadel includes many structures such as the Temple of Hercules, the Omayyad Palace and the Byzantine Church.
Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war swelled the city’s population; now, like the rest of the country, more than half the inhabitants of Jordan are of Palestinian origin.
The old Roman Theater is in the direction to Citadel Hill so we stop here first. The Roman Theater is the most obvious and impressive relic of ancient Philadelphia. The theater, built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161 CE), is cut bowl shape into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis. It is very similar in design to the amphitheater at Jerash that accommodates 6000 spectators. The theater has been restored very successfully. The sun is coming out as I take pictures. Young children are playing as gladiators probably hoping for some tourist monies. Next to the theater is a bird shop selling pigeons. Wouldn’t Central Park love to get rid of a few! Pigeons are very tasty—many people raise them for food.
Upward we drive to Citadel Hill. The ancient Citadel towers above the city from atop Jabal al-Qala’a hill. The Citadel is the site of the ancient city- Rabbath-Ammon. Excavations here have revealed numerous Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic remains. The Umayyad Palace is the most impressive building of the Citadel, known simply as al-Qasr (the Palace.) It dates back to the Islamic Umayyad period about 720 AD with an extensive complex of royal and residential buildings destroyed by earthquake in Ad 749. It includes a monumental gateway, an audience hall and four vaulted chambers. A colonnaded street also runs through the complex. Colorful lizards are the only life wiggling thru the fallen masonry of antiquity. The sun is peaking out more and more.
I take pictures while wandering around the citadel overlooking the other hills of Amman. The vistas are special as most buildings are constructed of white limestone. It gives a special uniform appearance to the city with small mosque towers everywhere. The sun dances in and out of the heavy cloud cover. Close to al-Qasr lie the beautiful remains of a small Byzantine basilica. The Byzantine basilica was constructed in the 5th-6th centuries AD. Corinthian columns mark the site of the church. About 100 yards south of the church stand the remaining columns from the temple of Hercules, today also known as the Great Temple of Amman. Currently under restoration, the temple was built in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE). Originally larger than any temple in Rome itself, the massive structure faces east. The temple portico is framed by six remaining 33-foot tall columns. The absence of columns and ruins on the rest of the structure supports the theory that the temple was never finished.

Next is the Jordan Archaeological Museum, built in 1951 on Citadel Hill, to house artifacts from all the archaeological sites in Jordan. It has a remarkable collection of antiquities ranging from prehistoric times to the 15th century. Included is an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a copy of the Mesha Stele (discovered in 1868, it provides historical details of the battle between the Moabites and the kings of Israel and is the earliest example of Hebrew script unearthed) and three of the worlds earliest sculptures – the Ain Ghazal statues dating back to the Neolithic age of 6500 BC. Guess I am not in the history mood as the poor black copy of the Mesha Stele unclear. However, some of the beautiful Roman statues and the Dead Sea scrolls are amazing!
There is so much truly ancient history in this region that I could spend all day in this tiny museum. It is sorted chronological by archaeological periods:
1. The Paleolithic (100,000 – 10,000 years ago).
2. The Pre-pottery Neolithic (8300-5500 BC).
3. The Pottery Neolithic (5500-4300 BC).
4. The Chalcolithic (4300-3300 BC).
5. The Early Bronze Age (3300-1900 BC).
6. The Middle Bronze Age (1900-1550 BC).
7. The Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 BC).
8. The Iron Age (1200-550 BC).
9. The Persian Period/Iron III (550-350 BC).
10. The Hellenistic Period (332-63 BC).
11. The Nabataean Period (312 BC-AD 106).
12. The Roman Period (63 BC – AD 324).
13. The Byzantine Period (AD 324 – 636).
14. The Islamic Era (AD 636 – the present).
a- The Umayyad Period (AD 661 – 750).
b- The Abbasid Period (AD 661 –750).
c- The Ayyubid/Mamluk Period (AD 1173 –1516).
Ain Ghazal is a Neolithic site located in North-Western Jordan, on the outskirts of Amman. It dates as far back as 7250 BC, and was inhabited until 5000 BC. At 15 hectares (37 ac), ‘Ain Ghazal ranks as one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East. Human doll lijke statues have been found here and are on display at the museum. They are half-size human figures modeled in white plaster around a core of bundled twigs. Excavations started at Ain Ghazal in NW Jordan in 1982. The figures have painted clothes, hair, and in some cases, ornamental tattoos or body paint. The eyes were created using cowrie shells with bitumen pupils.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 documents (there are only a few on view), including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1946 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank. The texts are of great religious and historical significance, as they include the oldest known surviving copies of Biblical and extra-biblical documents and preserve evidence of great diversity in late Second Temple Judaism. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, usually on parchment. These manuscripts generally date between 150 BC and 70 AD.
The beautiful King Abdullah mosque is open for one more hour for women and tourist to visit. Many mosques are not open to foreigners. I take some pictures of the blue dome and exterior before entering. Though I am totally covered with head scarf, raincoat, and long pants, all women must put on a long polyester black shroud with an attached hood. I take off my shoes, cover in black and enter the mosque. It is a cavernous space inside with a few Muslims huddled talking near the podium.
Islam – is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam- Muhammad’s teachings. Islam literally means “submission to God”.
The majority of Muslims belong to one of two denominations, the Sunni and the Shi’a. Jordan is mainly Sunni. About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, 25% in South Asia, 20% in the Middle East, 2% in Central Asia, 4% in the remaining South East Asian countries and 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Caribbean. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With about 1.57 billion Muslims comprising about 23% of the world’s population, Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and arguably the fastest-growing.
Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of life is to worship God. They believe in predestination. They believe that there will be a “Day of Judgment” preordained by God but unknown to man. The sins of disbelief and dishonesty can send a person to hell. Angels are important messengers of God that take a person’s soul at death and record our actions. They regard their religion as the completed and universal version of a primordial, monotheistic faith revealed at many times and places before, including the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islamic tradition holds that previous messages and revelations have been changed and distorted over time. The Qur’an holds the most holy records which most Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets: with the Qur’an as the last and only book. Muslims believe that parts of the other previously revealed scriptures, the Hebrew Torah and the Gospels from the Christian Bible, have become distorted. To them the Qur’an is the literal Word of God.
We see many mosques everywhere and at night there is an eerie green neon light around their domes. Green is the color of Islam and the color of creation so mosques use green light.
Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five obligatory acts of worship. Islamic law touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from banking and warfare to welfare and the environment.
1. The shahadah, which is the basic creed of Islam, must be recited under oath with the specific statement: “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer.
2. Salah, ritual prayer, must be performed five times a day. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah is compulsory but has some flexibility depending on circumstances. The prayers are recited in the Arabic consisting of verses from the Qur’an.
3. Sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins. And no sex! The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy.
4. Zakat, which is giving a fixed portion of accumulated wealth by those who can afford it to help the poor or needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. It is a religious obligation, not charity. It is what the rich owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a “trust from God’s bounty.
5. The Hajj- a pilgrimage during the set month by the lunar calendar to the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.

There is so much to see in this area but time is short so I leave for the Dead Sea. I am interested in seeing the other end of the rift valley. Without doubt, the Jordan Rift Valley (so aptly named with Israel on one side and Jordan on the other) is a dramatic, beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 1,312 ft. below sea level. It is not actually a sea but a lake filled with incoming water and no outlet. The lowest point of land on the face of the earth, this vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go, so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products. Bitumen was found here until the mid-1900.
The Dead Sea is flanked by mountains to the east, Jerico, and the rolling hills of Jerusalem to the west, giving it an almost other-worldly beauty. Although sparsely populated and quiet for the moment, the area is believed to have been home to five Biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar. (Two sites found covered in ash are believed to be the actual ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah.) In the Book of Genesis, God refers to the Jordan River Valley around the Dead Sea, as the “Garden of the Lord,” so this could be the probable location of the Garden of Eden. The sea is shrinking as waters that use to flow into the sea from the River Jordan are being diverted by Israel to water cropland nearby. Though it is 3 million years old, it is receding about one and one-half feet per year.
We drive down to a public beach to get a firsthand look and to actually put my hand in the water. Young men offer horse and camel rides to the sea but it is not a long walk. It is so salty that I can’t even wipe it off with moist travel wipes. After a quick bite of late lunch, we drive up through Wadi As Sir to As Salt. Climbing up through the mountains, half way up is a sign “Sea Level”.
Daylight savings changed the sun time yesterday so it is getting dark early. By the time we reach As Salt, it is dark though only 5:00 PM. The mosque broadcasts the call to prayer followed by church bells from the Greek Orthodox Church. The market town is built up the hillside. People are busy buying fresh produce from the small shops along the road for dinner. I head back to the Four Seasons to meet our friends Heidi and Ginny! Early dinner and bed soon! We have a beautiful bath tub, the first I have seen since Arusha about two weeks ago. All of the bath products in our hotels include Dead Sea Salt.
The group meets for an eight o’clock departure. It will be a long day of sightseeing and travel. We first drive down to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, opened in 2000 for tourists. It is located half an hour by car from Amman down the Kings Highway. This area of John the Baptist’s settlement at Bethany beyond the Jordan (where Jesus was baptized) is documented from the Bible (John 1:28 and 10:40) and from Byzantine medieval texts. The exact site of the baptisms has now been identified on the east bank of the Jordan River. Excavations have uncovered a settlement from 1st Century AD with plastered pools and marble steps leading down as described in the bible. Remains of several small churches are currently being exacted on site. There are now paths through the brush leading to the baptismal pool that opened in 2000 for tourists.
We continue on the winding path through the low brush to the Jordan River. As you stand by the almost stagnant Jordan River at this point, Israel and the Palestinian Territories are almost within arms’ reach. The aura and significance are lost as we watch the Jewish and Muslim armed guards intent on making sure you don’t cross the border. We watch several people change into white gowns to submerse themselves in the Jordon River. The Jordan River at its widest is only 10 feet. Agriculture and various water usages have turned it into a stagnant narrow stream.
Next our bus climbs from about 1200 feet below sea level up the hills to nearby Mount Nebo which is 2,625 ft. above sea level. Military check points are all along the road with machine guns mounted on jeeps constantly alert with their crew for any trouble. This is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan for all Abrahamic religions. Supposedly Moses was buried here by God himself. (Islamic belief holds that Musa (Moses) was buried not on the mountain but a few kilometers to the west, somewhere beyond the River Jordan.) According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the Promised Land that God was giving to the Hebrews. “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho.” (Deuteronomy 34:1).Standing on top of this mountain, we can see, as Moses did the promised land– a vast panorama that encompasses the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, and Jericho. It is too hazy to see Jerusalem. A small Byzantine church was built here by early Christians, now being expanded into a vast complex and tourist center. The Serpentine Cross, which stands just outside the sanctuary, is symbolic of the brass serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. According to legend, this hilltop is also the place where Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant. A small church protects excavated remains. Six tombs, from different periods, have been found hollowed out of the rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church.
During his visit to Jordan in 2001, the Late Pope John Paul II planted an olive tree and held a sermon here that was attended by some 20,000 faithful. The simple quiet message of the place is lost by construction, beautification with olive trees, and gobs of tourists. In a small museum nearby, we check out the remnants of some ancient mosaics. The main one dates to 521AM with over 2,000,000 pieces……many pieces are lost sadly.

Pilgrims from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all come to this hilltop connected by religious belief. Abrahamic religions refer to the three sister monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that claim the prophet Abraham as their common forefather. These religions account for more than half of the world’s total population today.
The Prophet Abraham is claimed by Jews as the ancestor of the Israelites, while his son Ishmael is seen in Muslim tradition as the ancestor of the Arabs. In Christian tradition, Abraham is described as a “father in faith” (Romans 4), which may suggest that all three religions come from one source. In the Qur’an, Abraham is declared to have been a Muslim, ‘not a Jew nor a Christian’. This latter assertion is made on the basis that Prophet Muhammad’s divine revelation is considered to be a continuation of the previous Prophets’ revelations from God; hence they are all believed to be Muslims. However, the expression ‘Abrahamic religion’ is generally used to imply that all of the three faiths share a common heritage.
According to the Bible, the patriarch Abraham had eight sons by three wives: one, Ishmael, by his wife’s servant Hagar, one, Isaac, by his wife Sarah, and six by another wife Keturah. Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and other prominent figures are all claimed to be descendants of Abraham through one of these sons.
Jews see Abraham as the progenitor of the people of Israel, through his descendants Isaac and Jacob. For Jews, Abraham is primarily a revered ancestor or Patriarch (referred to as “Our Father Abraham”) to whom God made several promises: that he would have numberless descendants, and that they would receive the land of Canaan (the “Promised Land”). Abraham is also known as the first post-flood person to reject idolatry through rational analysis. (Shem and Eber carried on the Tradition from Noah), hence he symbolically appears as a fundamental figure for monotheistic religion.
Christians view Abraham as an important exemplar of faith, and a spiritual, as well as a physical, ancestor of Jesus. For Christians, Abraham is a spiritual forebear rather than a direct ancestor. For example, Christian iconography depicts him as an early witness to the Trinity in the form of three “angels” who visited him “the Hospitality of Abraham”. In Christian belief, Abraham is a model of faith, and his intention to obey God by offering up Isaac is seen as a foreshadowing of God’s offering of his son, Jesus. A longstanding tendency of Christian commentators is to interpret God’s promises to Abraham, as applying to Christianity (the “True Israel”) rather than Judaism (whose representatives rejected Christ).
Muslims see Abraham (Ibraham) as one of the most important of the many prophets sent by God. In Islam, Ibrahim is considered part of a line of prophets beginning with Adam as well as the “first Muslim”. Islam holds that it was Ishmael rather than Isaac whom Ibrahim was instructed to sacrifice.
Thus, Abraham represents for some, a point of commonality that they seek to emphasize by means of this terminology. In modern times, leaders from all three Abrahamic faiths have begun to interact and engage in constructive Inter-religious Dialogue. They have begun to acknowledge their shared spiritual riches to help overcome the pains and prejudices of past eras and move forward to building a world of religious co-operation.
We take a rest stop at a mosaic factory and handmade craft store. They are tourist traps but the bathrooms are clean and some trinkets are nice. Mosaics are being made on site from the local rocks with varying mineral content. These mosaics are pale in color using the natural rock colors instead of bright glass. Truly there are many nice souvenirs here from handmade decorated pottery, cosmetic and therapeutic Dead Sea salt products, Oriental rugs to maybe antiques. Anything you like has to be haggled for with lots of price wars.
Most of the mosaics of Transjordan date from between the 1st century and the eighth century AD. Mosaics were used in many buildings to decorate walls, floors or ceilings, employing motifs mostly from everyday life: harvesting, hunting, fishing or just pastoral or mythological themes. Church mosaics often depicted stories from the Bible. Sadly, with the decree of the Emperor Leo in AD726, forbidding the use of people and animals in “images” (“God is the only creator”) most of these mosaics were badly defaced. Those which survive today more or less intact are almost always the mosaics which had been hidden by a later mosaic built above them.
After a huge lunch of Mediterranean foods in Madaba including tabulah, humus, yogurt, several vegetable salads and meats, we visit the famous mosaic map in the church of Madaba. Best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, Madaba is home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land inside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains of a much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. During construction, the map was excavated. The mosaic panel enclosing the Map was originally around 15.6 X 6 meters or 94 square meters, only about a quarter of which is preserved. With two million pieces of softly colored local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta. The mosaic contains the earliest exact representation of Byzantine Jerusalem, labeled the “Holy City.” It provides important details as to its 6th century landmarks, with the central colonnaded street and the Holy Sepulcher clearly visible. This map is one key in developing scholarly knowledge about the physical layout of Jerusalem after its destruction and rebuilding in 70 AD.

Other mosaic masterpieces found in the church of the Virgin and the Apostles and in the Archaeological Museum, depict a rampant profusion of flowers and plants, birds and fish, animals and exotic beasts, as well as scenes from mythology and the everyday pursuits of hunting, fishing and farming. Literally, hundreds of other mosaics from the 5th through the 7th centuries are scattered throughout other churches and homes in this town.

Using careful methods of conserving dew and rainwater, and developing amazingly efficient methods of irrigation that are being studied by modern agronomists, the Nabataeans made the desert bloom and managed to sustain a population in the Negev and south Jordan far larger than the population of that region today.

Nabataean neutrality and aloofness was legendary. In 40 B.C., the young Herod, who had recently been made governor of the Galilee and Judea by the Romans, was overthrown by Jewish insurgents. Desperate and pursued, Herod made his way with a small entourage across the desert to Petra to beg for sanctuary and reinforcements. Despite the fact that Herod’s mother had been a Nabataean princess, the ever-cautious rulers of Petra denied him permission to enter the Siq and the confines of the city (the indefatigable Herod eventually made his way to Rome, obtained reinforcements, put down the rebellion, and ruled as Rome’s “King of the Jews” until his death in 4 BC.)

Petra flourished for centuries until it was occupied by the Romans in 106 AD. In the early 4th century, Christianity became the dominant religion of the Nabataeans. Important churches were built in every Nabataean community; the bishops of Petra participated in ecumenical councils that helped shape the development of the early church. As the Roman Empire collapsed, and the amount of trade moving on the exotic desert routes through Petra shrank and the city’s economy faltered. What trade there was tended to be shipped up the Red Sea to Egypt, bypassing the overland route through Nabataean territory. Then there were earthquakes in late Byzantine times. Armies of the newly formed Muslim religion conquered Petra in 633 A.D. Then it was briefly occupied and fortified by the Crusaders; later it was surrendered to Saladin in 1189. When shipping routes replaced camel routes and Petra fell into decline and then abandoned. It was only in 1812 that the city got some attention again, when it was “rediscovered” by Swiss adventurer, John Burckhardt.
We are amazed at the rock formations and the narrow corridor through the rock into the city. One of the great wonders of the world, how could it have been forgotten for almost a thousand years? The highlight of our tour in Jordan, this 2,000-year-old Nabataean city, carved from the walls of a hidden sandstone canyon, is incredible. The entire Petra experience, including the trek into the canyon, has a Hollywood air of adventure and mystery played up in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a world-renowned amazing monument, it reminds me how insignificantly tiny we are in the big picture.
We are taking a round trip horse drawn carriage into the canyon. Would that we could walk the two miles into the treasury! The carriage ride is bumpy and quick but it gets us to the treasury where we would not have been able to walk. It is fantastic, exciting, and unbelievable! We enter Petra through a narrow passageway called the Siq, a prologue to a mysterious adventure. The hallucinatory sculptural twisting of this crevice canyon winds its way for almost a mile protecting Petra from the outside real world. Niches along the way once held statues of gods and spirits to intimidate foreign visitors as they entered the city. Then suddenly, the crevice opens and we see the famous massive ruins of the Al-Khazneh (The Treasury). The treasury’s stone façade, actually a royal tomb, changes color during the day: In the morning it’s often a soft yellow-rose peach hue; by late afternoon it becomes a pure, sometimes jewel-like rose; at sunset, it turns an amazing intense red before slipping into the dusty twilight. We are ahead of the tourist and get wonderful pictures without the masses. Two camels sit in front of the treasury where you can have your picture taken
Petra is a vast expanse of ruins. We drive by the Roman Theater originally built by the Nabataeans, enlarged by the Romans and recently restored by the Jordanians. Next we see the Royal Tombs with various elaborate facades carefully sculpted in different styles though not necessarily royal tombs. The Nymphaeum, a two-story fountain, dedicated to the water nymphs. Hot dusty weary travelers must have found this lavish structure amazing with flowing water, piped in from Ain Musa. (Many cities had a fountain such as this in Roman times.)

Qasr al Bint Temple (Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter) is a massive structure built of stone, rather than carved from rock. It faces north, toward the Sharra Mountains and may have been a sanctuary for the Dushara cult. It was built around the time of Jesus, and seems to have been destroyed late in the 3rd century. Leading to the top of the hill, a path twists and turns for 800 steps through a narrow gorge (a donkey ride will do it). And here we see Ad-Heir, the Monastery, second most famous building in Petra. A short walk takes us across to the edge of the plateau and a view over Wadi Araba. Further up the hill is the High Place of Sacrifice where the Nabataeans practiced according to some books human sacrifice. (Found in inscriptions at Hegra)

Everywhere we see Bedouins. So what is a Bedouin? A Bedouin is one who was born and raised in the desert or mountain wilderness and lives alongside nature in black tents or in caves. He raises goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and camels, and knows how to milk and shepherd the goats. He knows how to use all kinds of herbs as food, drink and medicine plus navigate and live with ease in the desert. His life is simple—but his famed hospitality and generosity is no myth. A Bedouin sees bounty where we perceive barrenness and finds poetry in everything. It is more than a name; it is a way of life. The Bedouins have camped in Petra for centuries, have an intuitive feel for the place and pass on verbally their many stories.

The carriage drops us at the bottom of the canyon where I contract with Sal for a donkey ride up to the Monastery. It is 900 steps but probably another two miles, mostly up! It is not an easy ride. Michael Jackson, my donkey, does a great job. He walks up slick rock faces and narrow paths with long vistas straight down- an amazing sure footed beast of burden. The vistas are beautiful with great morning light. Vendors selling trinkets are stationed along the hillside. The Monastery is beautiful but not as exciting as the entrance way to the Treasury. Sal, my donkey escort, acts as my cane the last 100 steps where the donkey can’t traverse. His sister, Rosa, has one of the small trinket places where Sal has left his donkey. I buy some necklaces from Rosa as a courtesy to Sal. He has been such a help and I could not have made even the last 100 steps without him. Returning by donkey is a death defying experience. We are going straight down, way down, and perpendicular to the hillside. I think I will just close my eyes but not looking may be more dangerous as I need to shift weight and balance on the donkey. Sal holds my arm to also keep the balances. Gordon meets me at the bottom with maybe relief that I am back and made it; we visit the small museum then greet the rest of the group coming down the hill from their 2 ½ hour guide tour of Petra in the hot sun. We have a huge Mediterranean buffet lunch with barbeque chicken. Sufyan calls by cell phone to the Bedouin carriage driver; he picks us up on his next tour into the Treasury for our return to the Main gate.
According to a local Bedouin legend, Petra’s water source, Ain Musa (“the Spring of Moses”), was created when Moses, leading the Israelites through the desert after the exodus from Egypt, struck a rock with his staff in despair as his people came close to death from thirst. The rocks burst forth with cool water. (Petra’s Ain Musa is one of many springs in this part of the world that claims to be the site of this miracle.)

Tonight we leave again at 4:00 PM by taxi for the Ammarin Bedouin Camp. We opted for this experience rather than chop veggies for a late dinner at the new restaurant, Petra Kitchen, where the group is eating. The Bedouins will serve us dinner in their tents in the desert. The light is beautiful on the huge round eroded rocks of Wadi Musa. We are greeted by a Bedouin wearing traditional dress but not speaking much English. He offers us sweet tea from a pot heating at the campfire where we sit watching the softly fading light over the rocks. It is beautiful and serene. Next we visit their little museum. Our Bedouin host explains the age of ancestral family members whose photographs are on the wall. He plays a square one string instrument with a bow making beautiful eerie sounds. We go inside the incredibly rugged goat hair tent for dinner. The weave is so thick that it keeps out the wind and some cold. Cushions are on the floor with a low table about 8 inches off the ground. They have a generator somewhere so we have some light. Dinner is served. We have hummus, tabouli, yogurt, a pile of rice covered with chicken and lamb, a spicy tomato dish over sliced potatoes, and a few cookies. Our host calls our taxi with his cell phone after dinner. It is a simple, quiet evening with lots of starry skies. The dramatically lighted rocks are lovely in the black evening. We are back at the hotel by 7:00 PM in time for some Arabian music and a bar drink. Gordon and I walk up to Petra Kitchen where the group is chopping veggies making their dinner. They seem to be enjoying fixing their salads but I am glad to retire to bed.

We stop for our customary rest stop with clean toilets adding a few special trinkets. Our guide, Sufyan, enjoys sharing his world of Jordan with us. He is exuberant and so proud of the Kingdom. During our bus rides he shares life as he knows it and personal experiences. His English skills and his knowledge are perfect.

He explains law in Jordan. There is civil, criminal and tribal. Tribal law, the official law of Jordan is extremely important in this country and controls many of the elections. There are 148 tribes in Jordan. The ruling tribe, the royal family, Hashemites are in the minority. If someone in a tribe is killed, it falls on the other members of that tribe to avenge the death. Terrorist, rapist, and drug dealers are declared outside of the tribe and can be enforced by civil or criminal laws.

Arab dress for men ranges from the traditional flowing robes to blue jeans, T-shirts and western business suits. The white cotton robe, a Thawb, or tunic allow for maximum circulation of air around the body to help keep it cool, and the head dress provides protection from the sun. The length if long denotes royality. To many, the long white robes represent the body of a Falcon, a bird of strength. There are three Arab headdresses. Red and white checkered headdress is generally of Jordanian origin. The wearer has made Hajj and comes from a country with a Monarch. The black and white checkered headdress is the pattern worn by people of Palestinian origin. Black and grey represent Presidential rule and completion of the Hajj. The Shi’as wear black turbans. The average income is $10,000.00 a year but in Amman, people can make as much as $25,000.00 a year.

We tour Jerash before lunch making for a late meal! It is magnificent, larger by far than the Roman Forum. There is no coliseum but gorgeous columned causeways everywhere with several triumphal arches.

Northern Jordan is the biblical land of Gilead, a mountainous region drained by tributaries of the Jordan River. Dotted by olive groves and pine forests, these hills of Gilead have known civilization since antiquity. The ancient city of Jerash (often referred to as the Pompeii of Asia) boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule during which time it was known as Gerasa and was one of the ten great Roman cities, the Decapolis League. It was not until the days of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC that Jerash truly began to develop into a sizeable town.
But it was during the period of Roman rule that Jerash enjoyed its golden age especially after Emperor Constantine announced that Christianity would be the new religion of the Roman Empire’s eastern half. A spate of building ensued, some temples were transformed into churches and many new churches were erected with mosaic floors similar to Madaba. Jerash was home to 25,000 people enjoying this golden age of society enjoying their theaters. The site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates. Columns are everywhere.
Beneath its external Greco- Roman veneer, Jerash also preserves a subtle blend of east and west. Its architecture, religion and languages reflect a process by which two powerful cultures meshed and coexisted, The Greco – Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the traditions of the Arab Orient with colonnaded streets adding drama to the day!
The city received a boost in stature with the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 129 AD. To honor his visit, the citizens raised a monumental Triumphal Arch at the south of the city. By the middle of the 5th century, Christianity had become the major religion of the region and numerous churches were constructed in Jerash. Many churches were constructed of stones taken from pagan temples – and the remains of several can still be seen today.

A powerful earthquake in 749AD seriously damaged the city and hastened its decline. The Crusaders described Jerash as uninhabited and it remained abandoned until its rediscovery in 1806, when a German traveler came across a small part of the ruins. The ancient city was buried in sand which accounts for the remarkable preservation. It has been gradually revealed through a series of excavations which commenced in 1925 and are still ongoing.
The modern city of Jerash lies east of the ruins. While the old and new share a city wall, careful preservation and planning has seen the city itself develop well away from the ruins so there is no encroachment on the historic ruins. The contrasts between old and new make interesting photographs. They are still excavating!
The hippodrome is so vast that I can’t figure how to take a good picture of it. It has ten starting gates as opposed to the usual twelve, which have now been re-assembled from the rubble with other missing stones quarried and rebuilt. The seating area “cavea” is over 12 feet deep with sixteen rows of seats. The seats accommodated 15,000 spectators who, it is said, were Greek-speaking even during Roman times. Heidi, Ginny and I get so lost in our photography that our guide, Sufyan comes looking for us. The ancient city is huge; our tour of 1 ½ hours is enough only for a starter. It is quite hot in the noon day sun-everywhere there is a gorgeous picture!
We have the typical Mediterranean lunch again at a local restaurant that resembles an oasis with tinkling fountains, waterfalls and nice green potted plants. Their shish kabobs are quite tasty. We can now identify the dishes. The local cat at our table is feasting as Ginny provides him lunch as well.
Sufyan says we have some time left for a little tour of the city but instead of a tour he takes us to another hotel where he and his sister own an antique shop. Of course, he personally escorts Gordon to discover some expensive treasures. We are surprised that Abercrombie and Kent will allow this. Our Tauck guides were strictly forbidden to do this. Of course Gordon buys a special antique or two. We know nothing about antiques but of course, we get a certificate of authenticity—for whatever that is worth???
We eat dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant called Romero’s that was recommended by the guide. With all the very tight security, we are not sure how a taxi can get to us or return but all is well. Our table seemed to have an oasis of green bananas and other exotic plants outside the corner windows. Nice to see some green is this brown country. We try some Jordanian wines and find they are quite good!

Africa was termed “The Dark Continent” (most likely from US journalist and explorer Henry Stanley (“Dr. Livingstone I presume?)” in his book “Through the Dark Continent” due to the fact that it remained a mystery to Europeans for so long. While most of the world had been under European control for quite some time Africa held out until the final decades of the 19th century, when it was carved up and parceled out to the main European powers in the Berlin Conference.

Consider this! Africa is the world’s second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. It covers 6% of the Earth’s total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.  With over a billion people, it accounts for about 14.72% of the world’s human population.  So how are we going to keep these people from starving when they see available food resources and land to cultivate? Hopefully education and the national parks systems will protect the animals that are left though census numbers dwindle with each survey.

The fact that Africa was last to be colonized also meant that it was the last to gain independence as European powers wanted to hang on to their African colonies long enough to get a return on the investments they had put into their various economic ventures. Most of the countries in Africa have undergone decolonization in the latter half of the 20th century. This clarifies in part why there are so many conflicts going on in Africa today.  Forget the universal struggle for oil and mineral wealth.

The continent of Africa is so big that the United States, Alaska, Europe, and China could all fit inside its vast lands.  The African Savannah is a relative new comer to our planet, the latest ecosystem to emerge from the constantly evolving geological and climatic changes.  It is home to the highest concentration of large mammals on any continent, and the area of the savannah is so vast that it can easily be seen from outer space. 

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Islam is the largest religion in Africa, followed by Christianity: 45% of the population is Muslim, 40% is Christian and less than 15% continues to follow traditional African religions.  (Most traditional African religions have, for most of their existence, been orally/spiritually transmitted or practiced.)

We have heard the term “Great Rift Valley” but now need to understand it better for our trip. Great Rift Valley is a term used for the geological fault system of SW Asia and E Africa. It actually extends 3,000 miles from N Syria to central Mozambique. The northernmost extension runs South through Syria and Lebanon, the Jordan valley, the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba. It continues into the trough of the Red Sea. The main section of the valley in Africa continues from the Red Sea across Ethiopia and south across Kenya, Tanzania, where we are traveling. The rift in this area is a narrow zone in which the African Plate is in the process of splitting into two new tectonic plates called the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate, which are sub plates.

About 25 million years ago, there was a trend toward drier conditions in this area bringing about wooded savannah or grasslands. The rainforest were replaced by this open-canopy forest about ten million years ago with drier conditions forming distinctive wet and dry seasons causing greater extensions of grassland with less scattered forests.

Traveling is such a concern these days with terrorist threats and all sorts of delays.  And yet, modern air travel makes every place in the world easily accessible to visit.  Our journey from Atlanta to Arusha took more than twenty four hours; that is not much time considering the distance.  But, it was a rocky start with some close calls.  First we forget our refrigerated items so our dear CJ nicely turned around the car just a few minutes from the airport exit to take us back home and pick them up.  During transit in Amsterdam, we somehow lost track of time in the airport lounge where they do not call the flights and nearly missed our connection.  (The fact that we had been up all night on a plane doesn’t count!)

KLM airline is promoting all things Dutch during the month on October!  We have incredible food –amazing for airplanes!  The first course “Salmon Bonbon” is some strips of gravalox salmon formed over a half mold form base of minced salmon with red onion and parsley.  For a salmon lover it was heaven- unfortunately salmon is not top on my list!  Then they had a choice of cod fish or venison stew with red cabbage – both were delicious.  Wines and cheese were local Dutch rivaling the best of other continental varieties particularly the cheeses made with live yeasts…… When will we learn??  A gift of a miniature typical Old Dutch house with some type of BOLS liquor was given to each business class passenger.

We arrive exhausted about 8:30 PM in Arusha, Tanzania at the Kilimanjaro International Airport.  Gordon and I marvel at the lack of any lights as we come in for the landing. Electricity is very expensive in this poor country.  Arusha is the second largest city located in Northeast Tanzania. The guide books say the population is approximately 400,000 people- our guide says Arusha has grown to 1 million in the greater Arusha area—and I think he is right!  Clearing customs we are met at the airport by our transfer agent from Abercrombie and Kent taking us to the Arusha Coffee Lodge. It is a pleasant eighty degrees with minor humidity similar to Atlanta currently.  Most people drive with their windows open to conserve fuel and at night this is OK.

The airport is situated about 25 miles out of town to avoid the high mountains nearby. It is on the main highway from the capital of Dar le Salem to Arusha, a two lane paved road with speed humps every one hundred feet!   It takes us over 1 ½ hours to get to our hotel because of the constant road bumps.  Some of the bumps are paved, some triple bumps, some are just dirt slung across the road, No matter how they are constructed, it a complete snafu.  Colonized by the British, the driving is on the left.  Our driver seems to know the exact speed for each crossing be it dirt strewn across the road or triple breakers.  We arrive at 10:30 PM in time for a little late dinner and needed horizontal time.  A line of 7 porters each take one bag, heft it on a shoulder and march us off to our waiting cottage. Yep! We have lots of bags as usual!!

We have reservations for three nights at Arusha Coffee Lodge, positioned in endless acres of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation.  An exclusive, boutique lodge, it has been designed around the farms’ original plantation homes, revealing the warmth of old colonial plantation homes historically distinctive to the coffee plantations.  There are 18 plantation houses lavishly furnished in Victorian style, featuring split-level living room area and immense balconies. The dining room faces the entry fountain courtyard which adds a soothing quality to meals and drinks.  Our thorough travel agent, Cyndy Stanford from Sterling-Brownell Travel, has remembered to ask for accommodations near the main pavilion. We are ready to flop into bed oblivious to the crystal chandelier and beautiful surroundings. Our room is freshly sprayed nightly for mosquitoes though thankfully this is not the season for them. The lovely wooden bed with white silken curtains (mosquito netting) looks exquisite!  With screened windows open to let in the (not cool enough) night air, we sink beneath the swirling fan surrounded by yards of shimmering white.  Too bad that those nice yards of mosquito netting keep out the circulating air from the fan and windows!! Air conditioning would be nice!  We are too tired to even notice the yellow rose petals sprinkled around. From 10 PM to past midnight the winds howl outside signaling the rainy season to come.

Arusha is the Hindi name for the rising sun.  It is regarded as the gateway to the popular Northern Safari Circuit.  Some think that Arusha is a pleasant city, due to its moderate weather, location, beautiful countryside and lively music scene. (Tanzanian hip-hop is currently popular with the youth market.  It is mostly performed in Swahili, with various genres influenced by African American music.)  However Lonely Planet guide books sees Arusha as a low rise jumble of Indian looking shops lining Soloine Road, and an insistent buzzing of touts along Boma Rd.  Long lines of taxis, diesel trucks and safari vehicles inch their way down a single dusty spur road lined with milling people carrying on conversation or business out of doors. The constant road bumps keep traffic in chaos with every clever driver trying to decide when his turn is to brave death with a head on collision. Brightly colored ladies wearing mismatched clothes sit along the dusty edges of this narrow two lane highway next to their cloths of produce laid out on the dirt. We see colorful displays of stacked piles of mangos, papayas, bananas and oranges.  Another face is the view of the perfectly shaped cone of Mt. Meru rising over the landscape of rich moist black soil that seems to sprout coffee bushes, bananas and corn overnight.

Tanzania is about twice the size of California.  It is home to 120 native tribes of Africans that live successfully together.  Although it is one of the poorest countries in the world—its economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost half of its GDP—it has more land ( 25% plus) devoted to national parks and game reserves than any other wildlife destination in the world.

Tanzania’s history begins with the dawn of humankind.  Hominid (human like) footprints unearthed near Olduvai Gorge, together with archeological finds from Kenya and Ethiopia, show that our earliest ancestors were likely to be roaming the Tanzanian plains over three million years ago. This is the land of Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.  Of cloves and coffee, spices and tea!  It’s the land of the Maasai, the Makonde, the land of Umoja, (oneness) and ujamaa,(familyhood). 

An eloquent young teacher named Julius Nyerere was the founding father of Independence from colonial rule.  The Arusha declaration of 1967 committed Tanzania to a policy of socialism and self reliance.  Tanzania’s experiment with socialism is credited with unifying the country and expanding education and healthcare.  The reality is it was a failure.  The combination of steeply rising oil prices, the breakout of an economic union in East Africa, and sharp declines in coffee exports proved disastrous.  Nyerere voluntarily resigned the presidency in 1985 giving way to broader democracy and entrepreneurship. Tanzania celebrates a national holiday in honor of Nyerere. 

Tanzania today has a multiparty political system that, as a whole, remains relatively well integrated, with comparatively high levels of religious and ethnic tolerance.  The country has earned a reputation among African nations for moderation and balance, and most observers consider it highly unlikely that the country will disintegrate into the tribal conflicts that plague Rwanda.  Tanzanians place a premium of politeness and courtesy. There is a large orphan population due to aids and other diseases.

About 35% to 40% of the country is Muslim and between 40% and 45% is Christian.  The remainder follows traditional religions.  We see mosques, Seventh Day Adventist Churches, Greek Orthodox, and other churches.  Friday is a special day of prayer for the Muslims; we see many people wearing white headed to the mosque for prayer.  However, the majority of Muslims live along the coast near the capital of Dar El Salem.

Day 1- Arusha National Park While Gordon rests today, I have my first private safari to Arusha National Park, the closest national park to Arusha town and one of Tanzania’s smallest, 212 square miles.  Justin is my special guide today. He has been working in the safari business for 14 years. Philbert Mambo made our arrangements. The word safari means “long journey” in Swahili.  Arusha National Park is small and topographically varied offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of habitats in a short time and often overlooked by tourists. It has three distinct habitats providing a wide variety of vegetation zones supporting many animal species:  the forests that surround the Ngurdoto Crater, the colorful pools of the Momella Lakes, and the soaring peaks of Mt. Meru.  Sometimes the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon clears revealing the majestic snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, only 30 miles away, but not today.  Mount Meru – the fifth highest peak in Africa at 14,990 feet- dominates the park’s horizon with its peak and eastern slopes protected within the national park. Luckily I get a glimpse of its perfect cone shape top peaking thru some hovering clouds

We pass thru the entrance gate leading into the Ngurdoto Forest with massive fig, olive, and wild mango trees. The grasslands to the west are known as Little Serengeti where I see a small bunch of Burchell’s zebras seeking shade under some trees, warthogs, water buffalo, and water bucks. In the midst of the forest lies the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep cliffs enclose a wide marshy floor dotted with herds of buffalo and warthog. (The crater is fully intact – 1.8 miles wide by 1280 feet deep often described as a mini Ngorongoro.)  We drive up to the rim, where the landscape changes to tropical date palms to have lunch overlooking the lovely vista.  Grazing below is a herd of water buffalo with some crown cranes nearby.  I am unaware of the height until I calculate how small those tiny lumps of the grazing buffalo actually are.  An African Hawk Eagle stops by followed by some noisy silver check hornbills while I enjoy a quiet lunch. There are no roads to the crater floor.

We descend into shadowy mountain forest where Justine has heard some monkeys. This is only place on the northern safari circuit where the elegant black-and-white Colobus monkey is easily seen.   We also see   blue monkeys and baboons.  Colobus monkeys do not drink water but get all their moisture from their food. They are endangered because their lovely fur was prized by the Maasai.  Their fluffy white tails are much longer than I expected.  We find some beauties eating in a sunny patch of the tree tops.  Justin’s sharp eyes see a great spotted eagle blending into the shadows.

From Ngurdoto Crater, we drive northeast to the tranquil beauty of the salty Momella Lakes.  The lakes, created by lava flow from nearby Mt. Meru, each have a distinct hue of green or blue because of the varying mineral content in the water.  More than 400 species of bird have been spotted in this area.  Today we see a night heron, black winged stilt with red legs, Egyptian Ibis, and black headed shrikes.  Like many lakes in the Rift valley, they are shallow and alkaline attracting a wide variety of migrant water fowl including thousands of pink flamingos feeding on the algae.  On the hill top we see three Maasai Giraffes nibbling the thorn bushes. On our late afternoon return drive we see beeeater birds, bush ibis, mousebirds in the African elephant grass and a few stray blue monkeys feeding along the road.

I arrive back to Arusha immersed in the Safari experience.  It is dusty bumpy roads with wonderful animals and views.  Thank heavens my art teacher, Chris DiDomizio, convinced me to buy a telephoto lens.  Though it alone weighs over 8 lbs, it is a must for photography in the bush.  Neck bandanas provide cover for the nostrils each time we pass another land rover. I am coated in a layer of dust from passing vehicles. Hot showers at the end of the day are such a pleasure.

Day 2- The town of Arusha and tourist attractions are on our horizons for today.  Arusha could be any small own in sub-Saharan Africa—dusty, crowded, and forgettable.  The towns are too poor to have sidewalks or paving as the oil to make asphalt is very expensive. This type of subsistence living does not give you the warm fuzzies. Stick brooms are used to sweep the front yards in front of one story shacks made of anything that will provide shelter.  The poor mud brick made from the sandy soil disintegrates slowly unless covered with stucco.  Many roves are corrugated pieces of metal. Though there are masses of colorful people everywhere, this could be Cambodia but for the Kamer Rouge who killed all those millions there.  The Maasai market is a one stop shopping area for handicrafts made by local Tanzanians.  There we see various handicrafts made of ebony, redwood and paintings made by local artisans. There is a large scope for bargaining here.  The Kikoys that the Tanzanian women wear make wonderful wrap skirts!  Maasai women are selling their intricate beaded jewelry to pay for their children’s school.

We drive thru town visiting the African Cultural Heritage Center.  The center is considered pricey so we shopped first just to look planning to return and purchase after visiting the Maasai Market.  As we drive we see colorful women walking with loads of miscellaneous fodder, bundled on their heads, harvested outside the city and brought in to feed their cows.  Women also balance produce to market opening their cloth in the dirt to sell their daily harvest from carrots, radishes, lettuce, bananas and oranges Men on bicycles are also performing this task.  Men pull carts full of all kinds of products including, lumber, sticks, bananas, used shoes and clothing. There are no sidewalks, no pavement; it is just brown dirt everywhere.  All roadside plants and trees are covered brown with layers of dust waiting some rain. Concrete and asphalt are too expensive explaining all the brown dirt roads.

At the Maasai market, Gordon enjoys dickering with locals for small tourist items.  Women sit together out front making beaded boxes and necklaces.  As we walk down the narrow alleys of the market, young men aggressively hawk their wares inviting you to be trapped in their tiny unlit shops. Each assures you that he has the most unique and best priced wares.  Once inside they step in after you blocking your exit in almost desperate hope of getting a few dollars.  Our guide tells us that a $1.00 will feed a family of four for a week in this unfortunate country.  We buy a few items very aware that the quality does not match that of the Cultural Center.

After the market we leave town for lunch at a 5 star resort called Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge.  People are walking everywhere we drive. We are glad to not be staying at this cavernous impersonal hotel.  The hotel is used for delegations of important personages far removed from Arusha town and easily defensible.  They are not serving local foods. Tanzania’s unofficial national dish is Ugali, corn porridge. A morning favorite is Uja, a thin porridge made from beans, cabbage, corn and millet.  We see ladies stirring bubbling pots of these on street corners.  We are surprised to see rice paddies; evidently it is one of the staples for Tanzanians along with corn and beans.

We return to the African Cultural Center happy to buy now as we know that the prices are warranted. Going anywhere is a hassle as roads are impossible so we choose to have dinner at the hotel each night.  The food is quite good. 

  Day 3- It is an early start for me as I leave at 8:30 AM to visit the Tengeru Market about 45 minutes from the Lodge.  It is a wholesale Saturday market where locals sell lots of bananas and fruits, vegetables, used shoes, racks of old bras and anything else necessary for subsistence living.  People walk everywhere here along the roadsides with dusk kicking up from the cars. Natives hope to make between 4 and 10 dollars this day and walk for miles to sell at the market.  At 6 PM they will pick up their cloths with whatever is left and walk the many miles home in the dark.  Some people take the local bus, a minivan stuffed with people so tight that they hang out the windows and produce bags are strapped on top.  These buses cost less than a penny fare.  A dollar will feed a family of 4 for a week. 

  In the afternoon, we fly to Lake Manyara airstrip where we will continue overland to our lodge. It is a Cessna caravan single engine prop plane that seats 12 people.  Not too comforting as we looking out the window at the massive rain storms headed in our direction—the wet season is coming early (hope we have dry days ahead).  The pilot warns of turbulence but luckily we have none. We have repacked our bags and left our suitcases in Arusha to meet us in Nairobi.  We are only allowed 30 lbs and have been told to use medium duffel bags.  With computers and all our gear, we have no room for clothes.

   Elvis, our guide from A & K that we met in Arusha, has driven four hours from Arusha over rough roads to meet our plane.  Air Excel flies regular schedules in the bush. We land on crushed red volcanic cinders with little demarcation.  Forget night flights from here!   It is 1 ½ hour’s drive to our lodge with picturesque landscapes of small villages and huts. Many people walk along the roadway. It is a remarkably nice highway built by the Japanese inspired by Hillary Clinton when she visited years ago. (This is the first decent roadway that we have seen.)

   We depart the nice paved road to a typically heavily rutted single lane dirt track climbing a couple of thousand feet through coffee plantations. We briefly pass through the Ngorongoro conservation forest, heavily wooded and thick with brush. It is late afternoon; the orangey light is wonderful.  We note as we enter our lodge compound the high electrified fence to discourage baboons and other animals.   Our lodging is at Ngorongoro Manor, part of the Elewana group, a beautiful building reminiscent of  a Colonial Dutch country farm though the property is only a year old……built from the ground up! Colorful flowers are everywhere set off by the whitewashed buildings and manicured grounds. There are twenty guest cottages situated on the 1500 acre coffee plantation! It is an intimate lodge with beautiful flowers and vistas over the coffee plantations. We enjoy the lavish teakwood appointments of the rooms with fireplaces. We have sunset on the patio where Gordon enjoys a Johnny Walker black neat and a cohiba cigar he bought at the duty free in Amsterdam.  Dinner is soon so we freshen in the lovely bathroom with the biggest rain shower Gordon has ever seen (fifteen inches across) and I get a soothing bath in the raised old fashion ball and claw tub.  Red geraniums and yellow marguerites are sprinkled throughout our room on the beds, sinks, tub, towels, toilet bowl and floor.  After sundown we hear new sounds not the barking of dogs but the warning calls of vigilant baboons and an elephant trumpeting.

  Day 4- Ngorongoro Crater- We are about 2 hours from the crater floor anticipating a bumpy ride ahead.  Elvis picks us up at 7:00 AM to maximize our time in the crater.  The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, often called the eighth wonder of the world. It lies in a cluster of other volcanoes (sometimes seen rather ominously smoking) that border the Serengeti National Park to the north and west. The crater, which formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago, is 2,000 ft. deep and its floor covers 100 square miles. The basin, measuring 11 miles in diameter, lies 1,640 feet below the rim which towers above it at about 7,217 feet above sea level.  It is estimated that the height of the original volcano ranged from fifteen to nineteen thousand feet high.  It is so vast that a 6-ton elephant appears no larger than an ant. Although it is “a natural enclosure” for a very wide variety of wildlife, up to 20% or more of the wildebeest and half the zebra populations vacate the Crater in the wet season.

Animal populations in the crater include most of the species found in East Africa, but there are no impalas, topes, orbi, giraffes, or crocodiles. Aside from herds of zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest, the crater is home to the “big five” — rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. The crater is home to almost every individual species of wildlife in East Africa, with an estimated 25 000 to 30,000 animals within the crater.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area originally was part of the Serengeti National Park when it was created by the British in 1951. Maasai continued to live in the newly created park until 1959, when repeated conflicts with park authorities over land use led the British to evict them to the newly declared Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we see villagers grazing sheep and cattle. The area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.  The area is part of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, and to the north-west, it adjoins the Serengeti National Park. The park is administered by the Tanzanian government.  Admission costs are heavy with $200.00 for our land cruiser and $50.00 per person.  Even our guide gets charged $10.00 for the pleasure of escorting us.  He does have a special license to drive within the crater.  30% of the funds collected at the entrance go to the Maasai peoples. When they get upset with their demands to the park ranger headquarters, they start a few fires which they have done today.  The heavy winds fan the flames and we see smoke increasing all day.

Hard to believe that our earliest human ancestors once hunted and gathered in the world-famous Oldupai Gorge inside the Conservation area.  More than sixty hominids have been found in these archeological sites dating back to 2 million years or more.  Though the Olduval Gorge Museum is nearby, established by Mary Leaky in 1970, we have come to see the animals.

At 7:00 AM the gates open to the crater floor.  We are having to pinch ourselves to believe we are here in  this giant soup bowl with very steep sides harboring an astonishing variety of landscapes—forests, peaks, craters, valleys, rivers, lakes, and plains. Standing on the lip and gazing into this vast natural arena, the opposite walls of which rise almost 12 miles away, one is struck not only by the sheer size and symmetry, but by the visible ecosystems.

We motor up 2000 feet on a bumpy road to the crater ridge that begins high up in the misty forest. (Hope we have new tires!)    The mist is still too heavy to see the vista so we will come back here in the afternoon. This mist forest depends on a regular and abundant amount of mist and drizzle to grow the lush vegetation.  Looking closer, we can see the particles of mist swirling like raindrops among the ancient trees.  The aptly named Pillarwood trees stand sentinel over the strangler figs, the croton trees, the highland Bersama (a local plant), and purple flowers of the wild tobacco. The tree trunks and branches are home to thousands of epiphytes—including arboreal orchids and ferns.  Monkeys, bushbuck, bush pigs, and elephants frequent these forests.

 The crater floor, dominated by a huge flamingo-filled alkaline lake, holds the highest concentration of predators in the world—lions, hyenas, jackals, leopards. Our guide hears over the citizens band radio about a hyena eating a wildebeest.  We drive with all the other land rovers over to the kill site to watch.  Cheetahs can occasionally be seen but fall prey to lions and hyena, which the nervous and fragile cheetah is no match for. Big herds of plains game such as Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelle, impala, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest are easy meat for the thoroughly spoiled predators that need to expend very little energy to score a megameal. We see two young bloated male lions sound asleep next to the road looking like stuffed animals not moving a hair as 20 vehicles take pictures as they pass. Next we hear on the radio about a spotting of three black rhino.  The park use to have more than fifty but have been poached down to 5 remaining. We hurry over along with the masses and to see the three rhino very far in the distance.  Though I take a picture, they are really too far away. In fact, my first pictures were of some distant rocks and not the rhino at all.  We picnic along a small lake where an elephant is enjoying a drink.  A large gray floating island is actually a herd of hippos resting in the center.

Birdlife is spectacular with some endemic species: the Rufous-tailed weaver, Schalow’s wheatear, and large flocks of the incredibly beautiful crowned cranes.  And vultures everywhere!

We return to the Manor house to shower and change for dinner.  Our house boy, Justin has prepared a lovely table on the terrace with the chimera heating me nicely.  The manor has extremely personal service with Justin acting as our alarm clock in the morning and putting us to bed at night.  We send out our clothes daily to the laundry as the dust just covers us. Wish they could wash my shoes!

Part 3, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Day 5- Today we drive back to Manyara airstrip heading to the northern part of Serengeti National Park at Lobo Airstrip. The Serengeti is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sadly we leave Elvis behind.  Elvis was assistant park warden for many years before joining the A & K team.  During his twenty years guiding for A & K, he has been the escort for Bill and Melinda Gates, Hillary Clinton, Prince Charles, Robert McNamara and many more.  We are certainly with the best guide!! Air Excel, again a Cessna Caravan Single prop, is prompt and takes off easily.

Alex from the Elewana Migration Camp meets us at the airstrip.  Flying in, we see the lovely Serengeti, softly green from recent rains, stretching out in all directions. We have a safari from the airstrip to camp. Our vehicle weaves its way through herds of zebra, wildebeest and numerous kinds of antelope.  Rocky outcrops called Kotpje and Umbrella Acacia break the horizon. The soft grassy green plains, great lawns, stretch endlessly everywhere with misty mountains faint in the distance.  Our first safari on the Serengeti is exhilarating.  We see herds of Burchell’s zebras and wildebeests along with various types of antelope. Alex is a great guide knowing his animals as we expect but also all the birds from the tiniest to the very large.  It is so special to have a private land cruiser that we don’t have to share. 

We are staying for three nights at the Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp in the Northern quadrant of the Serengeti (suggested to be the best area of the massive Serengeti Park for game viewing in October).  Hidden among the rocky outcrops or kopjes of the vast, internationally renowned Serengeti plains, our camp exudes the decadence reminiscent of old Africa.  In 2009, it was voted number 1 in East Africa by Condé Nast Traveler reader’s choice awards for “The World’s Best Places to stay in 2009.  I am sure we will be pampered even in 2010! We park on a granite outcrop in front of a wooden bridge that spans a gorge leading into camp. The beautiful split level lounge, cigar bar, restaurant, sundecks and swimming pool are perched among the outcrops and overlook the vast and rugged landscapes.  Those dread stairs seem everywhere with two flights to our tent.   Somewhere in the shrubbery very close by is the Grumati River.    The dining tent has a lovely view over the valley where we eat a quick lunch and nap before our afternoon drive at 4:00 PM.

Richly furnished throughout, the camp provides a haven of sumptuous indulgence among the raw splendor of the surrounding bush.  We have a spacious tent that blends into the habitat.  The tent sits on a raised wooden platform, with wooden doors; the walls are part stucco and part wood with large canvas netted canvas openings, and a canvas roof. So parts of the room are solid, whilst other parts feel like a tent. The interiors have polished wooden floors, wide French doors, fan, comfortable beds, a wide leather armchair, coffee table and a writing table. Outside the French doors is a wide veranda with rocking chairs. The en-suite bathrooms sit behind canvas curtains, to one side of the bedroom. Here we have a beautiful dark wooden surface with raised black twin his-and-hers sinks. Above the sinks hang carved wooden frames with mirrors. Hot water comes from individual tanks of water at each tent heated by a solar panel……please stay sunny!! Such luxury in middle of the Serengeti, AFRICA!!! 

At 4:00 PM we head out for a pleasant afternoon visit to the wooded plains.  We are in a tetsy fly area but they prefer hotter weather so though they are more active in the afternoon, we have little problem and the Deet spray is working. Black and blue sprayed cloth panels hang from the trees to trap and kill the flies. The flies are slower with longer wings than our common fly.   The light is beautiful with dark storm clouds adding to the softness.  We find several young males lions on the kopjes waking from their daytime sleep, getting ready for dinner.  Two females with cubs are nearby. A new Dunlop tubeless tire totally blows on these treacherous roads; Alex changes the tire in 10 minutes—I think he does this often. We return just in time to change for dinner and bed!

At night we have escorts with flash lights skirting the bush for hippos coming ashore to graze. They have learned to dash to the stairs to assist me with my heavy photographic equipment. Two cameras, three lenses, and a vest of accessories must weigh about 20 extra pounds on my knees. Wish they could carry me up those damn stairs! Though craved from the rocky cliff face, they are slightly uneven. Verandah decks surround the spacious main building lobby and dining hall with gorgeous views.  Undaunted, a tiny rain shower at dinner has the waiters quickly moving all tables inside. What a production but I am sure they are use to it. We see warthogs tonight in our front yard; last night it was cliff springers. Little hyrax (rodents if you ask me) are everywhere watching.

Our beds have water bottles which I love so Gordon gives me his too. During the night we hear the grunting hippos in search of their nightly meal and the barking of baboons.  They must eat about 8 kilos of food a night since they do not digest well.  There is an animal track in our backyard where we can see the baboons enjoying their breakfast while we prepare for the day.

 Day 6 -Serengeti National Park  It is 5,791 square mi of pristine wilderness- the greatest natural game park in the world! Its Maasai name Siringitu, means “endless plain”. It is about the size of Northern Ireland. Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed the 7th world wonder, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the 1,000,000 wildebeest’s trekking south across the Mara River for fresh grazing. Now the migration is quiet though there are crossings daily along the river.  We see numerous herds of tranquil animals grazing over these vast plains.  Great herds of buffalo and wildebeests, combined with smaller groups of zebra, elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, hartebeest, impala and Grant’s gazelle find their perfect areas for grazing. Some animals are permanent residents.  They all seem to graze at different level living harmoniously together on an endless lawn.

The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates the park. Golden lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators. This is the cycle of life on the plains and we are very aware when watching the lions hunt or a leopard feasting with her cub after a kill that this must happen.

But there is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s isolated granite kopjes. 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird live here on the open grassland while black eagles and vultures soar effortlessly above or watch from the tree tops.

Wonderful and so quiet, we listen to the solitary winds on the plains! As marvelous as the game-viewing is, it is the far horizons of expansive plains that characterizes the Serengeti dotted by an occasional flat topped acacia tree, stretching across the sun scorched savannah. It blows me away! Shimmering golden horizons and limitless plains running to the ends of the earth —glad I brought a wide angle lens.   We pass wooded hills and towering termite mounds, rivers lined with fig trees, sandy rocky places where little can survive and flat top acacia woodland.  Everything is stained orange with dust including ourselves. And above it all, the piercing blue of the noble African sky dotted with gorgeous clouds.  Gordon loves the low impact viewing from our vehicle! It is huge beyond description making us feel so small in our place in the interconnectedness of all things. We are so privileged to be able to experience the wonder of it all…

We leave at 7:00 AM headed for the central Serengeti and the Seronara River today. We see lots of game in route.  The Serengeti is endless constantly changing as we drive from woodland forests of Acacias to the thistly Whistling Song Acacia where the soil is most sandy to the lush grassy plains and then bright green palms along the rivers.  The animals change as well.  Herds of impalas graze here on the lush flat plains of grasses. Wonderful parades of elephants! We were lucky to see a leopard in a huge sycamore fig tree with his kill.  He is resting after a big lunch!! Alex has brought a beautiful lunch to enjoy at a picnic table with china, glassware and silver.  What a feast! 

Not to be missed on our way home is the Retima Hippo Pool!  There must be at least 25 hippos in this pod, all wallowing in the slimy shallow muddy river waiting for the sun to set. They will then dine on any grasses nearby eating about 150 pounds a day. Hard to believe that they weigh between 5000 and 6000 pounds each!  It takes eleven months gestation for a baby; they are about 180 pounds at birth.  Hippos have babies about every two years. 

It is an exhausting day by the time we return at 7:00 PM. as it is impossible to sleep bumping along the road.  We shower off the safari dirt with our wonderful hot rain showers and head up to dinner on the terrace.  We start dinner again outside but are moved in when the first drops of rain appear not wetting the ground.  We are near what is called the little rainy season which should start in November.  Winds pick up each afternoon bringing clouds that taunt the locals with the possibility of the much wanted rain.

Day 7 Good morning! We have a delightful breakfast on the deck before heading to the Mara River, northern border of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania but not the end of the Serengeti which extends into Kenya. It is cloudy today at 8:00 AM…hope it burns off. This area has been made famous by documentaries of the great migration. The landscape is green and hilly here with rock outcroppings.  For several miles before we reach the river we see a bone yard of wildebeest that did not make it.  Probably they will be picked clean or baked soon but so far many have some skin left on their carcass. The green plains are full of buffalo, wildebeests and zebra – little dots upon the distant hillsides. They have returned to the North early confused by the unexpected rains in July- another product of global warming! They will calve here in Tanzania in February before returning north to the Maasai Mara for summer grazing. At the river wildebeests flank each side wondering if they want to cross.  It is a gray day with a little rain making photography dull.  Huge ten foot crocodiles fat from lots of food sleep on the banks waiting their next meal.  Large hippopotamus are out of the river as there is no sun to burn their skin.  They waddle around and finally plop on the muddy banks.  Crocodiles do not bother the large hippos but will try for newborn babies. 

On our return we blow another tire fording many small streams and rocky ground.  The lodge is trying out a new customized Nissan— it obviously doesn’t take well to this environment.  Most safari vehicles that we see carry two spares in the back—guess we know why!! We are around two hours from camp and the second spare that the lodge put on the back does not fit.  Some men drive up in a jeep and jump out with AK-47’s.  They have come to help?  It is obvious to me that they are not going to get that tire to fit on the wheel………  Alex walks off to find cell service to call the camp and they radio another car to come get us.  It is amazing to us that there is cell phone coverage out here in nowhere! When the vehicle arrives, we jump in relieved.  We see a large black manned male lion in the dusk. We are tired when we return to camp at 8:00 PM.  We decide not to freshen up going two flights down and back up; instead we have dinner immediately and head to bed at 9:00 PM- exhausted!! Later we find out that those men in an unmarked car wearing logo tee shirts are rangers…… could have fooled me!!

Part 4 – Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

Day 8 –This morning, I photograph the local baboons outside our tent while Gordon packs. After a nice breakfast, we will leave the magical Serengeti to fly to Kenya to visit the famous Samburu National Reserve.  We have three short stops along the Serengeti on Air Excel before landing at Kilimanjaro Airport. The plane is now full though that is only12 people. A&K meet us with a box lunch that we eat at the airport while waiting our flight to Nairobi.  Air Kenya uses twin engine Otter de Havilland planes.   We are the only passengers today.  At Nairobi, Immigration for local flights is in a small building separate from the International terminal.  A&K meet us and whisk us through. We leave again in less than 15 minutes on a private charter Cessna 206H single prop that can seat 4 passengers.  Gordon and I have a challenge folding into the seats.

Few destinations world over evoke such powerful and visceral images as Kenya. Indeed, the acacia-dotted savannahs of Kenya are inhabited by classic African animals, from huge elephants and graceful gazelles to prides of lions and stalking leopards.   Kenya is also host to the Great Migration in which over a million animals move as herds across the Mara River in search of fresh grass.

Kenya gained independence from the UK in 1963and is still seen as one of the few success stories of Britain’s withdrawal from empire. But the political situation has fluctuated extensively since.  Today Kenya has a coalition government negotiated with the assistance of the UN following elections in 2007. 

There is not a great sense of national consciousness in Kenya.  More residents are aware of their tribal affiliation than of being a “Kenya citizen”.  The focus on tribe is fortunately accompanied by an admirable live-and-let-live (hakuna matata) attitude. Kenyans generally approach life with great exuberance. They are quick to laugh and to smile.

While tribal affiliation is important, family is paramount. With the pace of modern life, the role of extended family has increased in importance.  It is not unusual for Kenyan children to live with aunts, uncles or other relatives in a regional village while their parents are providing support by working in Nairobi or a safari camp. We see no day care for youngsters. 

Kenya’s population in 2008 was estimated at 38 million, comprised almost entirely of Africans, with small but influential minorities of Asians (about 80,000), Arabs (about 30,000), and Europeans (about 30,000).  While Kenya is home to about 70 tribal groups, the majority fall into two major language groups: the Bantu and the Nilotic. The Nilotic speakers migrated from the Nile valley some time layer and included the Maasai, the Samburu, and others.  The Bantu arrived from West Africa about 500 BC, and included the Kikuyu, the Meru, and others. Bantu speakers account for more than 90% of Kenya’s African population.  The Kikuyu hold most of the positions of power in the country. Christianity is the largest religion while Muslims make up 30% of the population.

Kenya straddles the equator, covering an area of 583,000 sq km. Though we are on high plains, it is not hot.  Kenya is dominated by the rift valley.  Within the Kenya portions there are numerous swells (raised escarpments) and troughs (deep valleys), and huge volcanoes including Mt. Kenya.

Around 10% of Kenya’s land is protected by law. Despite the ravages of human land exploitation and poaching, there is still an incredible variety of birds and animals in the parks. From our plane we observe massive farming operations in small plots. In the Reserves, we see many ranger vehicles hopefully shielding endangered species.

Kenya imposed a total ban on hunting in 1977. That left Kenya Wildlife Service free to concentrate solely on conserving Kenya’s wildlife.  This came just in time, after a shocking amount of poaching linked to a drought in Somalia, which drove hoards of poachers across the border into Kenya. A staggering number of Kenya’s rhinos and elephants were slaughtered in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Dr. Richard Leaky, the famous paleontologist, reorganized the Kenya Wildlife Service, allowing rangers to shoot poachers on sight, which seems to have dramatically reduced the problem.  Anyone found in the parks after closing is immediately suspect as a poacher.  Natives are now more aware of the value of the tourist dollar and protecting this valuable natural resource.

Landing at the Samburu airstrip, we board our land cruiser for a game drive enroute to the camp. Jacob and Sampson are our guides for the next three days. The golden light of late afternoon is beautiful with purple storm clouds gathering.  We see many birds in the late afternoon light and tiny dik diks. They are always in pairs as they mate for life. Immediately we are aware of the dry arid habitat. The expansive green plains of the Serengeti are gone.

Birdlife is abundant here too with over 350 species recorded. Birds of the arid northern bush country are augmented by a number of riverine forest species.   We see Somali ostrich, grey-headed kingfisher, sunbird, bee-eater, marabou stork, tawny eagle, bateleur, vulturine guinea fowl, lilac-breasted roller, palm nut vulture, red-billed and yellow-billed hornbill, secretary bird, Verreaux’s eagle, superb starling, and many vultures. The Lesser Kestrel and the Taita Falcon are species of global conservation concern and they both utilize the reserve. Luckily we see several species categorized as vulnerable including the white-headed vulture, martial eagle and the yellow billed ox-pecker. The fabulously weird unwieldy-looking kori bustards (the largest flying birds on Earth) have been fun to photograph. We see a leopard with her kill in the road.  Rangers are trying to protect her space from the land rover tourist approaching.

It is past 5:00 and the light is gone so we head for camp. Darkness descends about 6:15 PM.  In this part of Africa, all the days are similar in hours of light and dark.  We are staying at one of the twenty tents of Larsens Camp for three nights, named after Erik Ole Larsen, a legendary Dane credited with defining the luxury safari under canvas.   It opened in 1987 but has been newly rebuilt after floods washed out the camp completely in March, 2010- you would never know it!  Larsen’s camp is bordered by the Uaso Nyiro River on one side and the other is electrically fenced from wandering wildlife in the reserve.  It is a cool green oasis contrasted to the hot dry Samburu Reserve. Each tent sits on a plinth of natural stone facing East along the river so that the morning sun peaks in.  Here in the middle of nowhere we have electricity, hot water, flushing toilets…. Five stars in the bush! An electrified wire perimeter with a gated drive keeps the grounds fairly safe except for mischievous velvet monkeys and baboons that wander the grounds.  The river is home to crocodiles so we will keep our swimming to the pool!

Our tent named ‘Shrikes’ is near the main buildings.  It is a fully canvas tent with wooden poles supporting the structure.  Three sides are screens with an outer barrier of canvas for stormy nights.  Dinner is served on the wooden deck overlooking the river with a campfire to keep us warm??  So far we can’t seem to cool off—it has been so hot!  The wind and clouds engulf us but do not burst open yet.  Philip, our waiter, is always in attendance along with Gabriel who brings us wonderful wines and drinks from the bar. 

Black faced velvet monkeys own this place and will come snoop when possible.  I shoo them off while trying to take some sunrise pictures at 6:00 AM. They are very inquisitive! Gordon loves to watch them play on our porch in the mornings coming.

The Samburu National Reserve, established in 1985, was one of the two areas in which conservationists George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness made famous in the bestselling book and award winning movie “Born Free”. North of Mount Kenya, Samburu covers a relatively small area of 99 sq. miles of mostly parched semi-arid savannah, rough highlands, dry washes, and riparian forests. The other national reserve is directly across the river-  Buffalo Springs National Reserve.  Sadly the direct route over a nearby bridge washed away in the floods in March so it is a longer drive to get to the other reserve.

Bare granite inselbergs (a mountain or rocky mass that has resisted erosion and stands isolated in an essentially level area) rise from the semi-desert like marooned tombstones in endless seas of bush and scrub. Volcanic mountains add drama to the skyline, and through the heart of it all runs the shallow Ewaso Nyiro (River of Brown Waters), a ribbon of life graced by shade-giving acacias and tall doum palms (Common name Gingerbread Tree, it a type of palm tree with edible oval fruit, originally native to the Nile valley.)  The river is a main source of water to these animals and also locals nearby. The reserve offers scenic panoramic views of the vast rugged Kenya landscape for which Africa is famous. Vegetation varies from grassy plains to very rocky sandy or volcanic soil supporting very little grass or bush.  Being semi-arid, the sparse vegetation makes for easy game viewing. In the distance the revered Ol Olokwe Mountain (shaped like Table Mountain) looms over the shimmering landscape, its red rock face reflecting off the sandy ground – lending a rosy tint in photographs.  The mountain is sacred to the Samburu as their monotheistic God lives here.

We go for an early safari drive this morning at 6:30 AM while it is cool returning for a late breakfast.  It is a busy time on the plains.  It seems that all wildlife, including the birds, hide from the hot African sun after about 10:00 AM in any shade to be found. The herds of elephant are grand. Samburu is known as elephant country with many elephants that have grown particularly accustomed to the presence of humans and love the muddy waters of the Ewaso Nyiro River. But we do not see any big tuskers. They come so close to the land rover that it is hard to remember that these are wild dangerous beasts….in a heartbeat they could turn us over into the bush or river.

Our eyes are filled with so many wonderful species of animals. With its incredible wildlife and picturesque surroundings, it’s a real surprise that Samburu National Park remains one of Kenya’s lesser-visited regions. (Larsen’s camp has only 4 to 6 guests during our visit which is difficult for them.) Here, in addition to the more formidable predators, live the beautiful dry-country animals of Northern Kenya that make up the Samburu “Special Five” – gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, and the endangered Grevy’s zebra (characterized by its big round ears and designer straight stripe coat.)  Years ago, there were sightings of the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino) but with poaching and drought, there are no rhinos or buffalo left.   We do see all of the big five from the Samburu  list along with elephant, lion and leopards, but the elusive Cheetah still evades us. Our “here kitty kitty” have not produced results. The leopards have been spectacular; we really get up close to photograph them either with fresh kill or with a baby.  The lions lay lazily in any shade available in packs usually of young males or females with cubs. We return to camp for breakfast at 9:00 AM.  Philip, again, sees that we have great service for breakfast.

At 11:00 AM Jacob and Sampson take us over to a native village just outside the park.  This reserve is named after the native Samburu people who have inhabited this region longer than the Maasai. Cousins to the Maasai, they continue to live a traditional way of life as pastoralists and nomads despite the intrusions of westernization. We see young men grazing their herds of mainly goats and a few cattle.  The land here is too parched and rocky for cattle. The Samburu do not expect an entrance fee and allow pictures. Every bit of shade is taken by someone sitting at their cluster of huts in the full sun.  The tribal elder greets us while a younger man, speaking good English, guides us around their huts. There are 13 families living within the compound each with their own hut. The sides are sticks with everything from newspaper, tarps and palm fronds thrown over the top. Inside the hut they have two areas divided by stick walls – one area for adults, one for children.  A cooking fire is in the center. There is a cow skin on the floor that is their bed. Plastic sacks hang on the wall for clothes. Younger children, from two to five sitting under a tree, sing their ABC’s and count to twenty. At age 5 they will walk to the convent school down the road.  It is a memorable experience sharing their lives for a few short hours. They are thrilled with our purchases.  I buy some necklaces directly off the warriors as I don’t like their souvenir trinkets. The tribe sings and dance several songs for us including us in their ceremonies. But at 30 to 32 centigrade, it is blistering hot—no wonder they all sit in the shade.  We totally enjoy our morning but the sun is too hot to stay any longer.  We return to camp!  Some of the Samburu camels are grazing inside the reserve.  There are no fences but the Samburu people know the park boundaries though they choose to ignore them.

After a lovely lunch at the river’s edge and a refreshing nap, we head out again for our next game drive. I get a tour of the kitchen while Gordon is sleeping. The kitchen is divided into sections for better food handling with a separate section for pastries, salads, meats and cooked vegetables.  We stay out until the light is beyond repair returning for dinner with the wind whirling again.  Unfortunately no red African sunsets for us!  Tonight, the sky opens with a down pour……great-no dust tomorrow!  The rains cool the air and we sleep well; I steal Gordon’s hot water bottle to add more warmth to my bed.  Amazing how long those bottles stay warm!

At 6:30 AM, we head for Buffalo Springs National Reserve today taking a picnic breakfast with us. It is just across the river from Samburu, but the bridge was swept away in floods making it a longer drive to get to the park. However, the animals cross the river at will. The colorful sunrises at 6:15 AM are pretty reflecting across the river out front. But so quickly the sun is full up and the day is hot!  We have finally learned how to safari after so many days.  It is easier to stand and rock with the car watching out the top of the car viewing the changing panorama with the wind cooling in your face than to sit and perspire bumping over the roads.

Part 5 Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Page 6 – Today we travel to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, the Kenya portion of the great Serengeti ecosystem. But first there is time for one last search for the elusive Cheetah.  Gordon sleeps late as I depart at 6:30 for a last look at Samburu. We will be staying at Sanctuary Olonana just 10 minutes from the Oloololo Gate, (the best place to see the most animals) beneath the Siria Escarpment.   Olonana has its 14 massive tents ranged along the edge of the Mara River and we have Number 1, specially arranged by Cyndy Stanford of Sterling Brownell Travel. Named for an important Maasai spiritual leader, the camp occupies the site of a cultural center first established here by the famed South African explorer Kingsley Holgate.  It has since been transformed into a luxury establishment where guests are ensconced in vast, beautiful bedrooms with tented beds, fed contemporary cuisine and cared for in the best African fashion. Christine meets us as we arrive and briefs us on the camp and amenities. She arranges a custom game drive for tomorrow and our hot air balloon ride for the following morning. The lobby has traditional decorative elements painted on the ceiling with a large fireplace and a nice library of African books.  While the hippos play in the Mara River below our railing, the camp is perimeter is fenced off to protect the animals from us humans.

Our canvas tent has heart pine flooring with two queen beds and a private veranda at the water’s edge overlooking the river.  The attached stone-wall bathroom with rain shower is at one end. We have a private view of the river and the opposite bank from our pillow. A pod of hippos lives permanently in the river just below Olonana. We love hearing the hippos snort and bellow. As in other remote camps, electricity and hot water are provided at peak hours.  Running a generator is very expensive.  Olonana is particularly modern and eco-friendly; water is pumped from the Mara River to service the camp and returned after being treated — however, drinking water is still the plastic bottle variety! The camp maintains a small organic garden where much of the lettuces and vegetables are grown. Gordon is having a wonderful massage this afternoon.

We have lunch and unpack before leaving for our first game drive on the Masai Mara National Reserve at 4:00 PM.  Evidently this is the agreed upon time that all the lodges in the area send out their land rovers as we have a line up at the guard gate that you pass through to enter the park. A young couple of newlyweds on their honeymoon share our vehicle this afternoon with our great guide Abdul.  The clouds have gathered and the light is flat.

The Masai Mara National Reserve of south-western Kenya lies in the Great Rift Valley where the valley is wide and a towering escarpment can be seen in the hazy distance. The birthplace of classic safari, there is no place more quintessentially African than the Masai Mara which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania.   , which yields a climate somewhat milder and damper than other regions. The Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) covers about 583 sq mi   and daytime temperatures rarely exceeds 85°F and hardly ever drops below 60°F at night.  We are here in the end of the dry season when the grass is long and lush after the rains…a good time to see the huge herds of migratory herbivores.

Named after the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and their word – “Mara”, which is Maa (Maasai language) for spotted, it is an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savannah and cloud shadows that mark the area. The vast, fertile savannah plains are home to probably the greatest population of wild animals in Africa. The Mara, Sand and Talek rivers cut through the Masai Mara, providing the animals with an abundant source of water and food. The lush vegetation along the banks of the rivers forms a stark contrast with the grassy plains where massive herds of wildebeest, buffalos and zebras roam.

Though it is primarily open grasslands, there are four main types of topography in the Mara: Ngama Hills to the east with sandy soil and leafy bushes liked by black rhino (there are 17 native rhino/ in the park; Oloololo Escarpment forming the western boundary and rising to a magnificent plateau (a backdrop for some of the movie ‘Out of Africa); Mara Triangle bordering the Mara River with lush grassland and acacia woodlands supporting masses of game especially migrating wildebeest; Central Plains forming the largest part of the reserve, with scattered bushes and boulders on rolling grasslands favored by the plains game.

The plains are full of the dominant animal–wildebeest, along with zebra, impala, topi, eland, Masai giraffe, Roan antelope, Coke’s hartebeests, Grant’s gazelles and Thomson’s gazelle. The region is also home to large populations of giraffes, black manned lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackal, elephants, bat-eared foxes, hyenas, and crocodiles. The Masai Mara is a major research centre for the spotted hyena.

 The plains certainly are full of animals –herds of buffalo, zebra, impala, wildebeest, topi, eland, hartebeest, elephant, and giraffe. The reserve is 4,875 to 7,052 feet above sea level.  It is flat and endless with an escarpment at one side.  We see a rare side stripped jackal. We start watching four lions hunting wildebeest but have to leave as the park closes at 6:30 sharp! We enjoy the drive and return just as the rains pour down.  I guess our luck has run out and we are in the little rainy season officially though it should happen mid November!!

We love our evening showers after long days on safari followed by gourmet dinners.  All fresh vegetables are washing in a chlorine bath just like cruise ships – it will certainly be organic lettuce tonight! There are about 20 guests in camp—many more than we have seen anywhere else while on safari.

Abdul has arranged a private drive today starting before sun up. We meet him at the car at 6:00 AM and watch the sunrise as we traverse the escarpment toward the ranger gate that opens at 6:30 AM.  The light is unbelievable though there are patchy looming clouds during the whole day.  We see the hot air balloons that we will ride tomorrow and lots of game.  We head back to the lions to see if they killed the beast.  They are hunting so they did not; again, they miss but we watched them hunt in amazement.  Abdul is a magician!  He finds us the big five in one day- our first and only day to achieve this!  And all the animals were in good range for viewing!  We have breakfast on the plains under a tree and lunch at the edge of the escarpment.  We see a mother Rhino with baby, lots of lions including two full main males, a leopard with its kill in a tree, buffalo, and elephant, and the cheetah besides a myriad of other animals including baby giraffes and elephants!  Our lunch gets a little wet as the rains find us again, but they are temporary and selective giving us room to move away to other viewings.  Abdul points out interesting flowers, trees, and birds of the Maasai Mara as well.

The treacherous annual Great Migration of the wildebeest (between the Serengeti and Masai Mara) takes place between the months of July and November – though actual times of the migration are difficult to predict. With the unexpected July rains, many herds have stayed including large herds of wildebeests and zebra.  All animals are at liberty to move outside the park into huge dispersal areas.  These areas are unfenced Maasai-owned ancestral lands where free-roaming wildlife commingles with semi-permanent human settlements.  Maasai are not allowed to bother or kill any of the wild animals while grazing their herds.

There are over fifty different birds of prey particularly vultures. Additionally, over 450 species of birdlife have been identified in the park. We see marabou storks, secretary birds, crowned cranes, ostriches, African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller, which is the national bird of Kenya.

Masai Mara National Reserve is losing animal species at a rate that has scientists concerned, according to a 2009 study published in the May issue of the British Journal of Zoology,* (The Scientific Paper – Dynamics of Mara-Serengeti Ungulates in Relation to Land Use Changes.)  ”The study provides the most detailed evidence to date on the declines in the ungulate (hoofed animals) populations in The Mara and how this phenomenon is linked to the rapid expansion of human populations near the boundaries of the reserve,” ** from an article that ran on the website of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ILRI conducted this study between 1989 and 2003, which was funded by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), monitored hoofed species in the Maasai Mara on a monthly basis for 15 years.

According to this study, six species including giraffes, impala, warthogs, topis and water-bucks have declined significantly at an alarming rate in the reserve.  Losses were as high as 95 percent for giraffes, 80 percent for warthogs, 76 percent for hartebeest and 67 percent for impala.

We have a wakeup call at 4:30 AM with tea and coffee.  At 5:00 AM we head out for a hot air balloon ride.  Governors Camp runs this balloon operation.  There are two balloon baskets going up at dawn.  Each basket will hold sixteen people not including the pilot.  Our balloon has fifteen. The immense balloons slowly inflate with many employees in red suits holding down the balloon.  We climb into the wicker baskets; Gordon gets a little push and I need help too. We launch at dawn grazing over the tree tops of the Maasai Mara plains. It’s one thing to marvel at Kenya’s incredible wildlife from the ground; it’s quite another to do from 1,000 feet above the savannah.   The flame roars; slowly we climb sailing into the clear morning sky just as the sun begins to inch over the horizon. We have a complete 360 degree Birdseye view. We float quietly above the plains and forest following the curves of the Mara River. The plethora of game is tiny dots below.  We see lines of wildebeests, giraffes, zebras and a lion in the orange glow. We float silently thru the open skies over the unending open stretches of savannahs and trees of the Maasai Mara. With its rolling grasslands and wide-open savannahs, the Maasai Mara is the kind of unfettered, sprawling wilderness we realize that “Out of Africa” is truly real. This is an unforgettable day for us. My camera seems to be busy clicking on remote.  One hour later, we have a nice uneventful landing on the plains down river from our launch.  Somehow we get out of the basket and the balloons are deflated.  The red crew has come back to tend the balloons while we get in vehicles and head for breakfast on the plains.  The champagne is ready!  The cooks have been working at our destination site (the open plains) fixing a feast of fresh hot scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potato cakes, juice, homemade breads and croissants, fresh fruits, and crepes. BURP!

We return to our beds at Olonana quickly asleep while the noisy hippos talk outside.  I have an afternoon safari with Abdul while Gordon has a spa afternoon.  After seeing the big five yesterday, he has closed his book on safaris.  Abdul and I seek some of the lesser game and birds that I have not seen such as the oribi, waterbucks, and eagles. The afternoon skies are unstable now that we have entered the short rain season.  As the clouds gather we decide to visit a Maasai village near Olonana. 

Many Maasai villages are located in the “dispersal areas” and they have, over centuries, developed a synergetic relationship with the wildlife.  They are a fiercely proud tribe renowned for the vibrant colors, particularly red, of their traditional dress and their fascinating customs. Within the conservancy areas, however, the Maasai are entitled to graze their cattle (which is illegal within the National Reserve), so we see herdsmen, their cows (often with tinkling cowbells audible for miles around), and various other signs of human habitation. Here, too, concessions have been granted for the establishment of private game lodges and tented camps where we are staying. The Maasai are always dressed in their traditional robes of red carrying a long stick.  My trek pod stick must be highly prized by one of them!  It came off the plane with us as Abdul put it in our vehicle but it did not make it to our guest tent.

The Maasai have a wonderful culture but often torturous history.  They are cousins to the Samburu but their huts have mud pressed over the sticks to make adobe similar to our plains Indians. They follow their traditional way of life particularly the stages through which all Maasai pass, from young boy or girl to respected elder.  Their villages seem to revolve around the importance of cattle from their enclosures, outer palisades and to the mud and cow dung huts. Though they now have added legumes and corn to their diet, they still find their main protein from milk and fresh blood that they extract from the live animals without killing them.  Supposedly do not like the smell of their poop when eating a western diet of more vegetables and fruits as it smells like “baboon poop”.  From these tall red-robed Maasai people, we see a lifestyle that is completely at odds with western practices making us wonder about certain western values.  Their social structure and many aspects of daily life are so foreign to us.  I don’t see myself building a hut with the Maasai ladies or Gordon as a warriors dancing or making fire with stones and sticks.

The grass is long, lush and green.  Their cattle are fat and happy and so are they.  Abdul takes me to a small village enclosure of Maasai. They are expecting us as he called on his cell to alert them to our arrival. Many villages have become savvy to tourist charging entrance fees and performing their traditional dances in Hollywood fashion.  But we saw this at our last village visit at Ngorongoro Crater; all I want to do is take some pictures. This small village is on the hillside just out of the lea of the wind. They weather is ominous.  I take some nice pictures of the people giving gum to the children and dollars to the ladies.  It is time to head home before the heavy skies deliver these afternoons rains.  We meet Abdul for drinks at 7:30 to share pictures before our dinner at 8:00 PM.  I swipe Gordon’s hot water bottle as it is finally cold outside.  We brought clothes for chilly nights that have never been out of our duffel.

Abdul and I sneak in a little bird watching on the grounds this morning before breakfast.  I meet him at 6:30 AM -time for the birds to dine on bugs in the early sunlight. Gordon and I have breakfast on the patio overlooking the Mara one last time before we leave for Nairobi.  Our plain is a twin engine otter that makes several short landings along the Masai Mara before heading to Nairobi.

Part 6 –Lake Nakuru National Park and Nairobi, Kenya

We are met by Patricia from A&K who has been caring for our luggage while we have been on safari. Our lunch today at Carnivore Restaurant culminates our Safari with Abercrombie and Kent. This restaurant has become a standard stop on the safari trail.  Every type of meat imaginable including three types of wild game is roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a huge open charcoal fire that is centered at the entrance to the restaurant.  Waiters, dressed in colorful uniforms then carry these swords around carving the meats onto sizzling cast iron plates.  We taste ostrich, camel and crocodile. The crocodile was very fishy – yuk! Gordon eats bull testicles but I pass!

After lunch we head to Giraffe Manor. Giraffe Manor is an elegant, personally hosted, exclusive manor house, famous for its resident herd of giraffe. Built in 1932, it is the only place in the world where you can enjoy the breathtaking experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over your breakfast table and at the front door.  It is surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest providing shelter to many species of birds, warthogs and the elusive Bush Buck.  A family of warthogs is grazing on the grass when we arrive at 2:00 PM.  Lynn is entertaining the guests stretching her neck inside the sun porch for pellets of food.  Evidently the mouth of a giraffe has some natural antiseptic qualities.  She takes a pellet from my lips and eats from our hands- but I do wash up afterwards! 

The house is so typically English with ficus covering most of the brick structure.  The vines have been nibbled by the giraffe as high and low as they can reach. A lovely garden with pond is outside the sunroom. The interior rooms are beautifully paneled with lovely hardwood floors.

The Manor has arranged a car for the afternoon so we can visit Karen Blizen’s home, now a museum.  The manor is in a very exclusive area of Nairobi called Karen filled with gorgeous estate homes. They are all heavily fenced and guarded with many different security company vehicles around. The Karen Blixen Museum is the main colonial farm house set in the coffee plantation where Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa lived from 1914 to 1931.  The house remains but the coffee plantation is gone. Most of the original furniture is gone too but it is fun to see the house as the movie was filmed here. The movie vistas showed such a different picture. 

Just down the road is the Kazuri Craft Center. Kazuri is the Swahili word meaning “small and beautiful”.  The craft center employs about 350 women in this area of high unemployment (65% to 70%.)  These lucky women often feed an extended family of 20 from their salaries.  I enjoy a tour of the factory watching the women making all the beautiful pottery beads by hand. They have separated the stages of bead making into areas of forming, painting, and assembling. Gordon has a nice cool break sitting in the shaded patio while I shop.

We return to the Manor for a short nap changing after for dinner.  We are treated like family here with guests enjoying a drink in the living room followed by a lovely formal dinner in the dining room.  There are only 8 guest rooms so it is very intimate and special. Our room has a balcony overlooking the gardens.  We have a cup of giraffe food for visitors that visit during the day.  The hot water bottles in our beds have a nice cozy covering with a giraffe on them.

Nairobi or ‘Nairobbery” as it is fondly called has the reputation as the most dangerous city in Africa.  Carjacking, robbery and violence are daily occurrences and the social ills behind them are unlikely to disappear in the near future.  Gordon is taking a day of rest while I visit Lake Nakura National Reserve.  George Karuku from Steenbok Safari (steenboksafaris@gmail.com) has arranged my last safari with Albert today. Sadly, this is not a good safari experience.  Albert picks me up at 6:30 AM to drive out to the park.  It rains slightly putting a damper on my hopes for some nice pictures.  At this hour it should only take two hours but we have car problems and with a breakdown it takes four hours. Evidently this company or guide does not maintain their cars as this is a simple issue of dirty filters in the oil and diesel.  I watch as they work with bare hands pouring the oil and fuels on the dirt beside the gas station. Guess I should be happy that this only takes an hour!  Now he needs gas so we stop again for fuel before we are finally on the road able to drive at decent speeds instead of creeping. Albert is a very good driver though his English is limited. We are traversing a major two lane highway full of trucks which we have to pass.  I see a sign prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving but that does not seem to worry Albert who talks incessantly on the phone. He seems to have a knack for passing at 100 KM per hour judging his distances carefully.  We do have to break quickly when oncoming cars are not as careful.  We traverse a ridge over the Rift Valley with many view points to see the Longonot Volcano caldera. All along the road there is activity from farmers selling their wares and shops open for business.  School children are walking to school in their uniforms. We drive thru the bustle of Nakuru town on our way to the lake. Nakuru means “dust or dusty place” in the Maasai language, an appropriate name though not as dusty as Arusha.

Lake Nakuru National Reserve, established in 1961, is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. The lake is world famous as the location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth – myriads of fuchsia pink flamingos whose numbers are legion, often more than a million.  They feed on the abundant algae, which thrives in the warm waters. Right now the lake is high and not quite so concentrated with flamingos but there could easily be near 300,000 to 500,000 here. Scientists reckon that the flamingo population at Nakuru consumes about 250,000 kilos of algae per hectare of surface area per year. I am told that there are between 300-400 other species of birds including white pelicans.   Albert does not point out any special birds so I just take photos with my telephoto lens to look up species later. There are two types of flamingo species: the Lesser Flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, which has a bill with a black tip. The Lesser flamingos are ones that are commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are so numerous. They are particularly beautiful when they fly as the black on their under wings contrasts with their pink bodies. The number of Flamingos has been decreasing recently, perhaps due to too much tourism, pollution resulting from industries waterworks nearby who dump waste into the waters or simply because of changes in water quality which makes the lake temporarily inhospitable. Usually, the lake recedes during the dry season and floods during the wet season. The lake’s level dropped dramatically in the early 1990s but has since largely recovered.

From the entrance gate we drive through lovely forests of yellow fever acacia trees.  The sun has burned through the clouds and they are spectacular with the sun light softly defining their branches. After driving down to the lake, we proceed up to a view point over the valley and lake.  I have to ask Albert to put away his phone so that we can see the rest of the park before returning to Nairobi.  Traffic returning will probably increase our drive time by one hour so I don’t have extra time to wait for him.  I am hoping to see the Rothschild Giraffe here in its wild setting instead of at the manor or giraffe center and I do.

The park was declared a rhino sanctuary in 1983.  Black and white rhinos have been introduced from South Africa.  Albert finds out from some passing park rangers that the rhinos are grazing at the far end of the lake.  We drive there and find a small gathering of white rhinos with one black rhino grazing and butting heads.  They are quite near the road luckily. Sadly, it is time to leave! Albert is an excellent driver with good reflexes- necessary in this country- making it back to Nairobi in record time though I am frustrated at his cell phone usage while driving, illegal in Nairobi. It is a tough two lane road requiring lots of passing of trucks.  Holding cell phones and talking is dangerous here.

Today, A&K has planned a long day for us before we depart at 11:15 PM for Amman, Jordan. We start out at 10:00 AM heading to downtown Nairobi to see the government buildings in city center.  Traffic seems to snarl constantly but we make it to a very nice African shop and then DHL shippers across the street.  That takes all morning! 

Next we head to the Karen Blixen Gardens for lunch at the Mambo restaurant.  The gardens are lovely with tables on the terrace and sprinkled on the grass.  Anderson joins us for lunch before afternoon plans.  We have a 3:00 PM appointment at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage for a private viewing of the babies.  They have to eat every three hours. David Sheldrick, an antipoaching warden, pioneered techniques to save orphaned zebras, black rhinos and elephants.  They are reared here on site next to the Nairobi National Park. This national park was founded in 1946 sitting incongruously in a suburban location with abundant wildlife set against looming skyscrapers and jets flying into the nearby international airport. The little critters, as red as the surrounding dirt, come scampering down the hill for their next meal.  Large bottles fitted with nipples filled with special vegetable formula of milk await them.  They are so cute and gulp greedily.  Gordon is the photographer while I feed them with their handlers.  Next we see their bedrooms where they are kept safe at night and feed again every three hours.  The rhinos are out grazing in the park but one blind one is on site that we visit as well.

We drop Gordon at the Utamaduni Crafts Center that is nearby.  There are about 18 local craft shops inside offering a wealth of Kenyan Culture handmade by local artists so he is delighted while I go to the Giraffe Center. Run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, the Giraffe Center breeds and raises Rothschild giraffes reintroducing them into the Kenyan national parks. The center is next door to our accommodations at Giraffe Manor so the giraffe roam between their two homes.  Anderson takes some photos of me feeding the stately beasts.

Gordon has a new batch of goodies to add to his collection when we return to pick him up and I buy a new cane for the rest of our trip.  The traffic snarls again so Anderson takes a short cut.  Short cut means driving a back unpaved dirt road that is truly not fit for driving. Deep ruts and huge mounds challenge us even in our land rover. We pass thru some of the vast slums of Nairobi where more than one million people live.  We freshen up at the lovely offices of A&K (near the airport), eat dinner at a new local hotel then head to the airport.

OMG!  What a horrible airport! We are finger printed on electronic machines and photographed as we leave!  There are no normal waiting areas for planes and all airlines share a tiny business/first class lounge.  The first lounge that we manage to find is full and hot so we head to the other one that is only hot but not full yet to await our flight.  This time we watch the clock and leave ourselves in plenty of time for boarding our Air Emirates flight to Dubai which will take 4 ½ hours. Though the front desk assures us that they will announce the flight, we have heard nothing.  But we are prepared!

Repetitive buildings Shanghai

Chapter 1

            Viking River Cruises has the largest passenger ship on the Yangtze River.  The Viking Century Sun was launched in 2006.  The controversy over the construction of the Three Gorges Dam Project on this river with its impact on the scenery above the dam prompted Gordon to consider seeing the area before it is completely flooded.

            February sale prices in the 2008 brochure made our journey reasonable.  Luckily we signed in February with an incentive package.  Our departure to the airport at 4AM was brutal.  We have a 4 hour layover in Toronto and then 14 ½ hour flight on Air Canada.  The executive class was worth the bizarre booking by Viking Cruises to Toronto and the 4 hour layover.  Air Canada employs the seat configuration at diagonals allowing total reclining for each upgraded passenger.  We left Toronto at 1:00PM and flew thru the night arriving in Shanghai at 3:30pm the next afternoon.   Our hotel, St. Regis, is a typical large 5 star business hotel for tours offering excellent quality but nothing exceptional.

            However, Shanghai itself is extraordinary….Shanghai is a modern city on par with New York City or Chicago.

Shanghai view

  More than 5,000 tower blocks have been built in the last 18 years with the relocation of many residents to other places allowing the government to erect massive towers.  Those families that are relocated are offered a new home or monetary compensation.  One does not own land in a communist country but leases are available for different lengths of time.  Tall unique sky scrapers designed by international architects are everywhere.

  Streets are clean, wide, and planted with Sycamore trees.  You don’t see lots of monuments such as Paris with Egyptian Obelisks or the Arc de Triumph, nor the Bernini fountains of Rome but the vast numbers of extraordinary buildings keep you constantly looking up.  The new professional Chinese dress with great flair and style.  Department stores look like those in any city.

            China is known as ‘Zhōngguó‘ in Mandarin Chinese. The character zhōng means “middle” or central; the letter, guó, means land, kingdom or country. An appropriate English translation would be “middle kingdom”. The name “Zhōngguó” first appeared in history in about 6th century BCE and was used to refer to the late Zhou Dynasty, as they believed that they were the “center of civilization”,  How appropriate because we are experiencing this phenomena again as we tour this huge land.

            China is home to ¼ of the earth’s population and by land mass is the third largest country in the world.  Its population is relatively concentrated along waterways and the sea.  300,000,000 million of its 1 ½ billion population are migrant workers.  For Shanghai that means its official population of 18 million is truly 25 million counting migrant workers and unregistered citizens.  Shanghai is China’s main port and the 4^th largest port in the world.

                        Since we have only a day in Shanghai, we asked the hotel for a car, driver and guide to escort us for the day.  Viking Cruises was planning a bus trip to carpet and embroidery factories which we declined. The world presented to the tourist of Shanghai is an immaculate modern city.  Street vending and street people are controlled by local officials—– not seen by any tourists.  We have a wonderful guide for our one day in Shanghai who works for the state owned tourist bureau.  It is all new infrastructure and roadways built to maximize traffic control.  Instead of sound baffles as we use to control noise, the Chinese have view baffles that limit sight.  Electric bicycles are encouraged over motorcycles because of pollution, but we see cars everywhere.  Our car is a buick.

Moon Gate Jade Buddha Temple

   Our first stop was the Jade Buddha Temple, the most famous of Shanghai’s temples.  The building was moved and renovated– opening in 1980.  The sharply curved eaves and roof decorated with figurines is a great way to start our China adventure.  The devout light incense and candles in the courtyard–bowing and worshiping Buddha.  The Jade Buddha itself is carved from a huge piece of Burmese jade encrusted with precious jewels. After sightseeing and some shopping we eat at a Chinese restaurant that serves the famous Hairy Crab.  This crab resembling the Maryland blue crabs is delicious – very sweet.

            Our afternoon at the Shanghai Museum is amazing.  Their collection of over 120,000 pieces spans 5000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty.  The museum itself is intriguing with beautiful displays of their collection which we can photograph without flash.

            We met the Viking Cruise for a Chinese acrobatic show about 5pm – one of the oldest performing arts traced back to Neolithic times.  Beautiful costumes, creative lighting, unbelievable contortions, juggling, and lots of acrobatics!  With a Chinese dinner afterward, we head to bed.

acrobatics

He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.    Lao-Tzu