Bumpy Roads (Africa 2017)

Story by me. Photos by Greg, Monte and me

January 10, 2017. Day 1. LAX to Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. All flights smooth. KLM flight attendants so nice. At Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha, Tanzania, the VISA check-point lady asked me, “How is Trump?” When I told her I don’t like our new President-elect, she said that no one that she asks seems to like him, so how did he get elected? I suppose not many Trump fans visit Africa.

Flying over the Alps on our way to Africa

The next official tried to confiscate the two microscopes I brought to donate to schools, but after 45 minutes of pleading I convinced her to let me keep them. It’s nearly midnight. Our guide met us outside the airport, and we rode to our nearby hotel, a simple but nice place.

Day 2. Our group assembled in the courtyard. We consisted of myself, Eliza, Scarlett, several El Portal friends, including Sarah, Greg and Autumn Stock, Monte, Andrew, Kim and Jacque, and Balanced Rock friends Marsha and Amy. Plus our leader Laizer Olotumi, a Maasai warrior who now lives in El Portal with his wife Kim, also on our trip. Laizer and Kim, I learned over the next two weeks, are incredible people.

Laizer and Kim

Also with us were our guides Yussif, Raja and Yumi, and their three tricked-out Land Cruisers with pop top roofs for safari viewing. We loaded up the Land Cruisers (two with people and the third with our gear) and headed to Ngorongoro Crater, then into the Serengeti. The drive was nearly 7 hours, and crossed an extremely dry and dusty area where the dust clouds were blowing so thick and dark it was hard to breath. For a while we were silent, fearing our whole trip will be nothing but a dust bowl.

Arusha

Between Arusha and the Serengeti

But, things cleared beautifully ahead. We stopped on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, then headed on and into Serengeti National Park. It’s only our first day, and yet we saw so many animals: thousands of wildebeest, two black rhino, hundreds of zebra, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impala, topi, a platoon of baboons, giraffe, elephants, spotted hyena and – get this – a leopard eating a hippo! Holy shit. We were all mind-blown. Notable birds include a black kite that swooped down and snatched with its talons Scarlett’s sandwich out of her hand, white-necked ravens, pied crows, superb starling, white-crowned shrike, eagle, Egyptian geese, harriers, the huge, ugly and fascinating Marabou stork, the prehistoric Kori bustard (largest flying bird on the planet at 40+ pounds), the regal secretary bird and hundreds of ostrich. They were massive.

The ubiquitous wildebeast

Hyena

Autumn, Monte, Scarlett, Greg and I in the pop-top

Really? Evolution out of control...

Pied crow, Egyptian goose and Marabou stork

We arrived at camp for sunset. Tents already set up in a line looking out over the Serengeti plain, and a couple of concrete structures nearby to eat our dinner in and the other as a restroom (for “formalities”, as Yussif called it). We were out there! There was no fence or barrier between us and all that wildlife we saw today.
At dinner (cooked perch from Lake Victoria) Laizer told us a story of a lion he killed when he was a young Maasai warrior. He speared it through its head, after it had killed two of his cows and was now charging him. He killed another lion later in his life as well. Unreal.

Sleep, and perhaps some vivid malaria dreams. It was a full moon with puffy clouds.

Day 3. I awoke to look out my tent and see the full moon settling into the distant acacia trees. I watched it sink into the horizon, then the sun rise behind me. A full African sky!

Some calisthenics, a navy shower, and hearty breakfast of eggs and Tanzania style pancakes, then off in our Land Cruisers with pop-tops up for safari. It began with a pair of jackals trotting along, then into a burrow, then back out and about. Next, some warthogs, with babies in tow, and the whole hoggie clan darting about with tails straight up in the air. They have such personality! Some bat-eared foxes wandering about, then we came across a heard of tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebra intermixed, and then zebras all on their own horsing around (or is it, zebraing around?!). Some topi, with their elegant rich dark hues, next to hartebeests with their distinctive curved horns. Also a few giraffe, and some elephants lumbering along, some with playful and uncoordinated babies by their side.

Warthogs win the award for quirkiest personality

And of course more birds, including the regal martial eagle with its white feathered legs and stern-looking flat-topped head crest, blacksmith lapwings with their black velvet breasts, the meter tall black-headed heron, and the stalking secretary bird. Also, the lilac-breasted roller with a kaleidoscope of colors, and Usambiro barbet with its cheery black, white and yellow spots. The helmeted Guinea fowl in gregarious groups, and white-headed and lappet-faced vultures too. All of this before lunch!

Secretary bird

But the highlights of the morning were these: First, a pair of chetahs lolling about on a termite mound. And, second but no less, lions! A male was resting in the shade. Then we spotted a lioness lapping water from a creek. She then walked to a tree for some rest in the shade. Ten minutes later the nearby heard of wildebeest and zebra caught her attention… and appetite. She began stalking, keeping low to the ground and hidden from the ungulates. Then she burst into a lightening charge; the wildebeest and zebra exploded into a scatter like water splashing from a stone. The lioness didn’t have enough of an element of surprise to make a kill. She panted from one side of the creek, looking forlorn at her lost prey on the other side.

To camp, lunch and a siesta.

In the afternoon more safari njema (good travels). There was so much wildlife. Highlights include a mongoose at camp, a pride of sixteen lions – seven lioness and nine cubs – dozing in the shade and then lazing about in the grass

Also a troupe of sixty or so baboons, including dozens of babies, playing around and scampering up and down a tree, some mom and baby elephants on the move, and two servals, with their elegant block and stripped coat, pointy ears and lynx-like contours. Also, hornbills, woodpecker, drongo, three-banded plover and many other flying wonders. Our guides were so amazing. Yussif, who has been driving our rig, has a keen eye and is full of natural history.

Yussif - amazing guide and great guy!

The day ended with a true African sunset. The huge golden globe hung above the horizon, sending rays of light divided by horizontal clouds and piercing through vein-like branches of acacia trees. The vast Serengeti plain glowed. At dinner three Cape buffalo walked into our camp. These formidable bovines, with their huge curled horns, can be very aggressive toward people. Years ago one killed Laizer’s sister. More buffalo, plus a hyena, came through our camp in the night, but all was saawa saawa – okay okay.

Day 4.  We headed out under the pre-dawn moonlight in hopes of spotting a hunt in action. No luck, but still we find lots, including many dik-diks – an adorable cross between a miniature antelope and an alien, a giraffe, vervet monkeys (with their blue balls!), hippos galore, monitor lizards, Cape buffalo, warthogs, baboon, lots of other species, and… crocodiles! Also, it was an incredible day of birds. Highlights include goliath heron, African fish eagle, lilac-breasted roller, bee-eater, and ox pickers. Back to camp for handmade crepes and mango.

Dik-dik

What creatures!

Cape Buffalo

Safari Crow and the Kerr fam!

Lilac-breasted roller and bee-eater

Kim, Laizer, Jacque, Amy, Andrew, Sarah, Greg, Autumn, Scarlett, Eliza, Marsha, Kim and me

Another wild afternoon. Too tired to explain in detail, so will simply say giraffes, vervet monkeys, baboons, a train of elephants, and a pride of lions, first sleeping and then stalking zebra. Safari njema!

Vervet monkey and olive baboons

Monte, Eliza, Andrew, Marsha, Amy, Jacque, Kim, Yussif (squatting), Greg, Autumn, Scarlett, Laizer, Kim, Sarah, me and Yumi

Day 5. Cape buffalo, gazelle, warthog and lions all came through camp in the night. We were in canvas tents and with no fence or anything else between us and the Serengeti wildlife. I became good at holding my bladder through the night!

Again, we awoke pre-dawn, and this time packed up our gear under the glowing moon, ate breakfast (eggs, mangos) and headed out on safari under our final sunrise in the Serengeti. It was an incredible morning. We were in search of lions. We first scout some Maasai kopjes. Kopjes are ancient granite rock outcroppings amidst the otherwise infinite Serengeti plain (“Serenget” is Maasai for endless plain). No lions.

But then we continued on to a giant acacia tree, where we found a dozing male lion. We were very close and he was beautiful. He sat up and pondered the morning.

In the distance we spotted another male lion walking our way – toward the first lion. We waited anxiously as the second male approached. What will happen when they meet? Will they fight? The second lion approached from behind the tree, stepped around it and went directly up to the first lion. In that instant we were all holding our breath. The lions meet. They immediately nuzzled their noses. They were brothers! Their greeting to each other was so cat-like and so endearing that it brought us to tears.

The second lion then flopped down next to his brother, and they both laid down their heads for a snooze. Kings of the Serengeti, resting in the shade. This memory will never fade in my mind… or my heart.

We continued on and soon found two lionesses resting up on a kopje. They were part of the same pride as the brothers. Once it gets too hot, Yussif says they too will join the male in the shade.

Lioness and kopje

Scarlett and Autumn - two lucky and wonderful kids

This place – the Serengeti – has been so amazing. A journey into a full and fully functioning ecosystem I will never forget. But, little did we know that our visit here was not over. A few miles later along the dusty dirt road we came across a family of cheetahs. A mother and four cubs, all lying and sitting on an old termite mound, scanning the horizon for prey. An incredible sight. What a mother, raising four young that all look very healthy and strong. We never saw the cheetahs give chase, but watching their magnificent forms on the termite mound was an honor. May these creatures live long into the future. May we have the wisdom and love to let them live here in the wild Serengeti for millennia.

What a family

Endless plains of wildebeast and zebra

We must go. We are onward from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro crater, where we will spend the next few days. Ngorongoro crater is a massive caldera that is like a fishbowl version of the Serengeti, with so many animals and species all within the confines of its rim. On the way up the outside edge of the crater we passed many giraffe. At the top of the rim we looked down into its verdant dish.

Uncle Crow and Scarlett on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater

As we then descended we saw many familiar friends: lions, hyenas, jackals, baboons, gazelles, etc., and of course the ever present zebra and wildebeest. We also spotted some new species, including flamingos and the grey crowned crane, plus the eland – the world’s largest antelope. Also great looks at the kori bustard.

Grey crowned heron and kori bustard

Amy (with camera), Kim, Marsha, Jacque and Andrew

Action shots!

But the highlight for us that afternoon was the black rhinoceros. Two rhinos we saw - one standing strong in the grass stout like a dump truck. What a beast! We watched him for as long as we could until we had to go.

Eliza and Scarlett

All vehicles and people, except a few rangers, are not allowed in Ngorongoro crater at night, so we had to high tail it to the rim before the gate closed at 6pm. A light rain cooled us as we ascended, passed through the gate, and then dropped into the Ngorongoro pastureland on the flanks of the crater where the Maasai live. Their villages were picturesque, with circular stick huts and cattle herding boys with painted faces. All were friendly and returned our waves.

Maasai people and tree being dwarfed by a termite mound

We drove up another small mountain into the forest, winding through a narrow rutted road with thick forested edges. Then we broke through to a small meadow glowing in the afternoon sun. Our camp! It was so beautiful that we all gasped with joy. This trip just continued to get more and more amazing. We have so much to thank Laizer for.

Day 6. Morning began with some delicious millet, eggs and pancakes. Then we headed off on a hike to a waterfall and plateau. The landscape was thick, lush and green – a strong contrast to the dry plains of the Serengeti. On the hike we saw more cows than wild animals, but the birds were all about. Of particular note, we saw a chameleon and some beautiful sunbirds feeding on long tubular flowers. For our hike it was required that we be escorted by a ranger, since we were on foot and within the Ngorongoro Game Management Area where Cape buffalo, leopards and other dangers exist. His name was Mr. Doctor. He was a lean, quiet fellow, dressed in army green, and he shouldered an AK-47.

Chameleon and agama lizard

Mr. Doctor

After the hike we packed up and drove to the rim of a nearby crater with a lake at the bottom. We hiked down and up from the rim – about 1000 feet of vertical. At the lake were greater and lesser flamingos. We also checked out several huge fig trees, which the Maasai believe are God because they are always green.

Then a late lunch and short drive to our new campsite. This one was the most immersed in local culture so far. We camped in the ward where Laizer grew up, and there were Maasai bomas, or compounds, all around us. Upon parking and getting out of the Land Cruisers we were surrounded by children and women. With the help of Laizer’s wife, Kim, we immediately began learning Maasai language. Like a round robin, we all took turns greeting each other – us to the locals and them back to us. Each greeting is specific to whether the recipient is young or old, and male or female, so we practiced a lot before the words started to come naturally.

After setting up camp, a group of us strolled across the countryside and between some bomas. The pastoral landscape, dotted with cows with their bells a ringing a religious chorus, was breathtaking.

Bro and sis

The bomas were so quaint, with mud and thatched-roof circular huts and stick wildlife fences. Incredibly bucolic. On a knoll we sat to rest and some boys come over to chat with us. We tested our Maasai language skills successfully, but soon ran out of phrases and so fell back on smiles and waves. I brought out my binoculars and showed the men how to use them. There was a distant volcano – a sacred mountain – that was streaked with snow. I showed them how to view it magnified through the binos, and they were very pleased. But their greatest pleasure came when they trained the binos on a neighboring boma across the valley. They laughed and pointed as they spied on distant people. It was fun interacting with them. One man – really a boy in his 20s – asked me for my Rainbow sandals. Their sandals were made of motorcycle tires. They looked very tough and, once worn in, comfortable. They had a square front and so, I was told, it is difficult to tell from the tracks which direction a Maasai was traveling. Despite the appeal of their sandals, I declined to trade or give him mine. We came back to camp and relaxed before another delicious dinner.

At dinner Andrew, one of our group members from El Portal, showed us the constellations, including the Magellanic Clouds, two nearby galaxies that are visible only from the southern hemisphere. I also was fascinated to learn that one of Orion’s shoulder stars, Beetlejuice, is so large that if it was in place of our sun the earth would be in it!

Day 7. Today we immersed ourselves into Maasai culture and Laizer’s life as he knew it as a kid. The whole area around us was Naiyobi Village, which is a like a County in the U.S. We were inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the Maasai from the Serengeti were moved, following a government agreement signed by twelve Maasai elders in 1949. Here, the Maasai are allowed to only keep cattle and not grow crops, because that was their lifestyle in the Serengeti and so the twelve elders agreed to this stipulation. I’m not sure how I feel about this, because there are many more Maasai now than in 1949, and thus many more cows. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area started with ~10,000 Maasai in 1949, and now has 90,000! The effect of the cattle grazing on the landscape is obvious. Also, since they can’t grow crops in it, the Maasai must purchase their produce, like corn. Of course agriculture would impact the land too. But, cows only?! That seems crazy. In 1949 those twelve elders couldn’t read or write. Did they know the implications of their commitment? Did they really have a choice to sign or not? Of course not. The whole deal stinks of colonialism, and is reminiscent of the robbery we did of the Native Americans centuries ago.

But of course a National Park is also a good thing. The Serengeti is like nowhere else on earth. Perhaps for that reason it should be protected without human inhabitants. Here in the Naiyobi Village with all the Maasai and cattle we saw no lions, elephants, giraffes or other large animals. Laizer and other Maasai had killed the lions (when they depredated their cattle). Ironically, historically the Maasai wanted lions around their village to protect them from raiding neighboring villagers, so long as the lions didn’t eat their own cows. Laizer asserts that Maasai living in the Serengeti today would contribute to lion preservation. But, at 90,000 Maasai, would their net effect on lions be positive? I doubt it. But, the alternative is lots of tourists and vehicle traffic, with its own impact. We saw few tourists and vehicles, but I guess during the high season it is crowded.

One factor why the Maasai population has increased nine fold in the last 65 years is that the Maasai men no longer go on warrior journeys, where they leave their village for an extended period, steal cattle from other villages and sometimes get killed in the process (by Maasai or wildlife). Back then men didn’t marry and have children until they were older and had survived their warrior journey. Thus, fewer fathers and fewer children. But today, male survival is higher because the warrior journey doesn't happen, mainly because it is outlawed by the government. Thus, men marry and raise families when younger, resulting in lots more babies. What is the solution? Of course stealing cattle and dying is no good, and raising a family is good, but tons of babies and rapid population growth is bad and traditional practices (like the warrior journey) should be respected, to some extent. I don’t know the answer, only that it must involve compassion, respect and logic.

That morning we walked to Laizer’s boma about a mile away. It consisted of several wood and mud walled thatch-roof huts surround by a fence of wooden stakes sharpened at the top. Laizer and his brothers also built for themselves two huts with metal roofs. Once inside the boma we greeted all his family – about fifty people. His Dad has seven wives.

Laizer's father and other elders

They first showed us how they take blood from the cow. Men wrestled the animal still but still standing up. Next they tied a rope tight around the neck. Then with a bow they softly shot an arrow into the neck (anterior to the rope) and punctured the jugular vein. Blood came flowing out like a drinking fountain. They filled a gourd with the blood, then released the rope, pressed the wound, tossed some dirt in it and kicked the cow out to pasture. They mix the blood with fresh milk for the men to take in gourds with them when out tending cattle all day. It is their meal – and a protein rich one at that. The boma bleeds a cow every morning, and individual cows are bled at most once a week.

Next they showed us how they kill a goat for celebrating a boy turning into a warrior. A small goat was lead out into the bush. The tradition is to not let goat crying be heard by women in the boma. So, they suffocate it. A warrior – a man about 30 years old – knelt on the goat and held his hands tightly over the nose and mouth. The goat twitched as it suffocated, but overall it was not a violent death. After ten minutes the goat was dead. The warrior then drove his knife through the sternum and into the heart, then lifted the goat and shook it by its fore limbs, then hind limbs.  This drains the blood to the heart. They then skinned it, starting at the legs. The skinning was careful and very well done, resulting in one complete hide and no blood! The hide will be used for a bed mat. They then cut off the feet, and accessed the lower internal organs. The intestines they cut out and tied in a knot to prevent feces from contaminating the meat. The kidneys they removed, cut each in half, and fed to the four boys that then become warriors as they chewed the meat. They then cracked the sternum and pried open the ribs to access the heart and blood for drinking if they wish (all declined, in this instance). The meat was cut up, with particular fillets specific for particular people of certain ages and genders. I don’t think the women get much.

We then observed and partook in a social dance that is for helping boys and girls match up. It involved a sort of soul train, with yelping and screaming. The men gathered in a semi-circle and took turns jumping while the rest kept a beat and growled and whooped. The girls watched; the highest jumping male is considered the most attractive. Laizer’s brother, 24 years old, was a very good jumper. We joined in. I did my best, but was only average. Never was cut out for basketball. Good thing I had a sweetheart back home!

Laizer's brother is a high-jumping stud! Note square sandals too.

Laizer then took us into his mother’s home, which was a typical thatched-roof hut. It was very dark and smoky with a small fire inside. The bed was wooden with animal pelts and a blanket. A couple baby goats quietly hid under the bed. Laizer’s mom and another woman greeted us, and we sat around the fire and were allowed to ask questions. At first we were timid and asked boring questions, like, “What do you eat?” (corn) and “What do you do in a day?” (Gather wood and water, cook, care for the children, and pretty much nothing else because there's no time). But, Laizer tells us these are old women who have confidence and wisdom to field any questions we may have, so we dug in deeper. Sarah asked about female circumcision (they remove the clitoris, and survival is far from sure), and his mother said that in the past it was a good thing, but today may not be right with the new generation. We asked their thoughts on the government, and they said they have no control and so put their faith in God (which one I do know know). We asked what they think of Laizer and him bringing us here. They said that what he is doing is good for them because we bring gifts, and Laizer gets money to help his family. The whole conversation was very thoughtful and emotional. These people, especially the women, lead hard lives. Here it is so simple, but also so hard, compared with our luxury back home. We hardly fit in the hut, and the smoky air was stifling. But this is their life, and the women know of little else.

My camera flash was the only light in the hut

We all brought clothes to give to Laizer’s boma. Now, we took them all out and gave them. It was a good activity, but also awkward (to us), because the clothes are things we don’t want and yet they will treasure. The differences between our and their lives is striking. But, in the end all are human and there was so much gratitude both ways – today in particular. We left the boma waving and smiling.

Back at camp we ate a traditional lunch, mainly leek soup and corn prepared mashed potato style. Then many women around Naiyobi brought their jewelry and other items to sell. They gathered in a great circle, we toured it and I bought some bracelets with turquoise beads for Wendy, plus a gourd for holding blood and a Maasai bush knife. Kim, Laizer’s wife, is helping the women set their prices such that they do not lose money. Otherwise they often charge less than what it cost to make the jewelry, simply because they have so little understanding of currency and business. With this in mind, I did not barter but instead insisted on paying more. Still, each item was only a few dollars.

Next we went to the village school. The children all wore green sweater uniforms and of course were excited to have us visitors. We brought many things, including hundreds of pencils and pens, textbooks, an atlas and a microscope that Cal Poly donated at my request.

I met the teacher, Samuel, and showed him how to use the microscope. I brought for him many slides, including of a human ovary and testes. This created quite a reaction! The school classroom was about 40 by 30 feet, with a prescribed capacity of 45 kids. But, with population growth Samuel crams in 110 students.

We played some word games with the students (“Heads, shoulders, knees and toes”) and gave them the pencils and pens. Samuel mandated that we give them to only to the top students to motivate the rest to study harder for next time. Not sure how I feel about that strategy.

We then came back to camp for our last night here. This place is so magical, and so different than back home. I couldn’t live here forever (or, wouldn’t want to), but I’m captivated by its simplicity and closeness to the earth and humankind origins. You could almost feel the dawn of man coming out from one of these bomas, nestled in this verdant valley beneath the God-like volcano.

Watercolors by Autumn (here and below)

At dinner that night we all were especially thankful and emotional. The people, the wildlife, the land area all so incredible. I gave our guides some of my wildlife and bird guide books, and they were clearly touched. We also all contributed to an extra tip for them. Andrew played his ukulele and sang a song he wrote about our trip in the tune of John Denver’s Country Roads: “Bumpy roads, why go home, Donald Trump, say no more…”

Hugging is not typical here in Tanzania, but hugs were abound. As I write this journal with my headlamp, sitting under the brilliant African starry night, I am so filled with appreciation and wonder for life. As I think about what I’ve seen, learned and experienced, as I pick apart the beauty mixed with the troubles here, I hope that in time I can find a way to not just celebrate but also help the Maasai and the Serengeti live and grow. For the moment, I can only say “Thank you” – Asante sana. Thank you Africa!

January 18th (Day 9): Eliza, Scarlett and I in Rwanda. We almost didn’t make it to Rwanda because Rwanda Air changed our flight while we were on safari and I guess we missed the plane for which our ticket was issued. But, after nearly two hours of smiles and patience from us they finally put us on the plane that morning. It was only half full.

The flight across Tanzania to Rwanda was spectacular. We crossed the Serengeti, spotted the sacred volcano above Laizer’s village, and were no doubt nearly directly over his boma. From thousands of feet up everything looked vast, and the villages picturesque. Such a contrast to the dark smoky inside of his mother’s hut. We also saw Lake Victoria – the source of the Nile!

Rwanda was much more agricultural. Although it is the most densely populated country in Africa, from the air we saw many large wooded areas and, of particular beauty, huge and wonderfully shaped lakes.

Kigali, the capital city, from the air was mostly dirt roads and small concrete houses. Upon landing we were surprised by such a large and beautiful airport. Our contact here was Tom Allen, the Director of a program called Bridge to Rwanda that gets the brightest secondary (high) school students in Rwanda into international universities. It was wonderfully nice of him to host us. He even met us at the VISA line! Soon we were off in his Land Cruiser. We stopped for lunch at a rather hip restaurant. A diversity of dress shirts, ties and dresses were common, and a man at another table that works for US AID said hello to Tom. We then stopped at the Ministry of Finances because Tom needed to drop off something. Clearly he is well connected. In contrast to our view from the air, Kigali looked relatively clean, modern and sophisticated. We drove only on paved roads, they had sidewalks, and the stoplights were better than ours back home.

We then went to Rwanda’s Genocide Memorial. It is a very well designed exhibit, and the messages were powerful: 1) Yes, genocide happened here (in 1994) and a million (possibly more) were slaughtered, 2) All walks of life were entangled in the murdering, even good people, 3) Never again, and 4) Forgiveness is key to moving on. That final message was perhaps the most incredible. All throughout Rwanda, and written into law, is the goal of forgiveness. Without that, the people will not – cannot – unite and move forward. This is a good life lesson.

My stomach had been a little upset from something (food?) in Laizer’s village. At the Genocide Memorial I became emotional and, all of a sudden, my body plunged. I got tunnel vision, total sweats and almost fell over. I sat down, then went to the bathroom and diarrhea was the name of the game. But then I was better. Crazy. The emotional surge of the Memorial upturned my physical strength – what a mind-body connection!

That night we spent at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali. It was a much welcome luxury. Comfy beds, room service and deep sleep!

Day 10. We met Tom for breakfast, and then he took us to the Bridge to Rwanda center on the University of Rwanda campus. It was a simple, small yet very functional set of office and classroom buildings. We learned about the program, in particular how they scout for the brightest students across the entire country (as well as Congo, Uganda and Tanzania), and bring them here after secondary school to learn English, train for the SAT test and submit strong university applications. The program is only in its sixth year, with not even 100 students, and yet has already placed students at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Dartmouth, University of Chicago and many other top schools – all with full ride scholarships. In all cases, the deal is that the students will return after their university education to help in the development of Africa. We were so impressed.

Some of the brightest kids in Africa

At their request, I gave a “college style” lecture to the Bridge to Rwanda students. I’d prepared this lecture over the winter, and I saw this as an opportunity to give to the program and also trial a new lecture that I aim to give to my Population Biology class at Cal Poly in the spring. My lecture (80 minutes) was entitled, “Ecology and Conservation of Meta-Populations”, and I integrated into it three student-run simulations of spatial population dynamics that I hope will better help the students understand and remember the lessons. Overall, I think it went well.

Tom, Eliza, Scarlett and I then headed out of Kigali for the forested volcano region of western Rwanda. Along the drive we passed countless picturesque scenes of simple villages and farms. They call Rwanda the “land of one-thousand hills”. The road was paved most of the way, though there was not one stoplight or sign. All side roads were dirt. Along the road were people on bikes and walking, always with cargo (usually corn or other produce). The woman were very skilled at carrying baskets on their heads. The children were waving at us and we back to them.

We finally pulled onto a dirt road and followed it along a huge lake. We were about a quarter mile up the slope from the water. The slope was steep and the lake massive, irregular with islands, and dead calm. It must be very deep. Behind us were volcanos covered in jungle.

Along this lake was our lodge, as well as Tom’s residence. Both were extremely beautiful and of similar architecture: concrete walls, high ceilings of eucalyptus log, tile roofs and wood floors. Definitely the nicest houses we’d seen so far. But still rustic feeling.

Tom's house

These houses and the still lake were reminiscent of Scott Lodge at Coleman Lake (a long-time family destination of ours in northern Wisconsin).

Tom said there are no power boats on the entire lake. We relaxed that evening, had a delicious dinner with some New Yorkers also staying at the lodge, and retired early in preparation for our gorilla hike the next morning. Today was the last day for U.S President Obama. I will miss him.

Day 11. Eliza and I awoke before five, packed our things, had breakfast, and met a driver who took us to Volcanos National Park. Scarlett was too young (<15 years old) for the gorilla hike, so spent the morning with Tom. At the Park, Eliza and I met our guide and five other tourists, then we then drove to a trailhead where the gorillas were thought to be.

These volcanos are the last refuge of the mountain gorilla

The drive to the trailhead was on the most rugged road of the trip yet. Extremely rocky. Nearly every child from every home we passed came out and waved. Many wore no clothes.

We slowly approached the base of a huge majestic volcano, with peaks that made a border among Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. There are about 900 mountain gorillas alive on earth, most of whom live in Rwanda in the jungle under or near this volcano.

These daisies are exported to Europe and used to make insect repellent

At our road’s end we walked through some fields – all plowed and planted by hand – until reaching a wall of volcanic rock that demarcated the Park border. This wall ran along the lower perimeter of this and five other volcanos of the region, and inside the wall no development or living by people is allowed. A French speaking Rwandan ranger with an AK-47 met us, and crossed the wall and ventured into the virgin jungle.

Our guide Eddie with an earth worm

After about an hour we veered off trail, used machetes to cut through the thick vegetation (including lots of stinging nettle), and then, suddenly, came upon a band of nine gorillas. Of the nine, one was a baby and three were silverbacks (one of which was the alpha male of the band). We had an hour to sit with and observe them. The gorillas had already eaten their morning breakfast, a diet mostly vegetarian (leaves, roots, bamboo, etc.), and were now taking a mid-morning siesta. Except the baby gorilla – he was like a typical one and a half year old: rolling around, climbing up on his parents, climbing up saplings until they bent over and tossed him down the hill, and in general being an adorable little attention-getter. But he never made a sound.

Over the hour other highlights included mating between the beta silverback and a female, hearing a fight between that female and the alpha silverback, who was not pleased with her infidelity, and seeing the alpha silverback up close. These animals – primates – are incredible. So similar to us in form and demeanor. I was impressed with Volcano National Park, and happy to hear that the gorilla population is increasing. Poaching, the greatest threat to gorillas, is declining in Rwanda (last documented event was in 2009) but not in Congo, which is essentially lawless. I hope that I and my great grandchildren may be fortunate enough to visit with Africa’s mountain gorillas again.

Back at our lodge that evening some locals put on a traditional dance for us. The class division was classic and a bit awkward: a dozen white tourists relaxing on a bench watching a dozen black Africans do a pagan-like dance with head dresses and all. However, the reality was more compassionate. These people lived within walking distance from our lodge, and all the food we’d been eating was food they grew. Maybe it was just how I felt in the moment, and because I’d been working hard to learn their language, introduce myself, talk with them and thank them for inviting us into their country, but I sensed a different relationship between us and them, compared with the classic colonial era one that imbues division.

Rwanda is at a pivotal moment in its history as a nation where people are working hard, and also with joy and ambition to improve their standard of living. I too support that goal. Tom once said, “Don’t give them money, give them jobs.” That also is a message from Rwanda’s President Kagame – that Rwanda will rise as a nation, will prosper and look far back on its era of colonialism and then genocide, with a sense of self accomplishment because the people themselves created the growth and weren’t simply fueled by philanthropy. Not to say we shouldn’t be generous – the opposite actually. These dances were a representation of the beautiful, friendly and hard-working people here. I ran back to my cabin to grab some Rwandan francs for them. I need to do more. I will do more.

Scarlett with Tom

..and Uncle Crow

In the afternoon we walked the dirt road that contoured along the lake slope, passing houses and meeting people.

Tom also showed us a community school he helped be built.

That evening, on the dirt road between the lodge and Tom’s house I met a boy who was clearly bright and well-spoken. His family lived in a mud hut with a thatch roof and dirt floor. But, with Tom’s help the boy had learned that there is a greater world out there with many opportunities. He, like so many Rwandans, was working to seize those opportunities.  As Westerners, one of our jobs is to make sure we don’t allow historical inertia and prejudice – veiled as traditionalism – to create barriers to those opportunities. The boy said he is dreaming of one day being a pilot. May such a dream come true, and may he and all of Rwanda soar.

Example dialogue of Maasai greeting me (an adult male)

Maasai: Papa

Me: Wey

Maasai: Supai

Me: Ipa

Example dialogue of me greeting a male Maasai boy

Me: Ero

Maasai boy: Wey

Me: Supai

Maasai boy: Ipa

Example dialogue of me greeting a female Maasai girl

Me: Endito

Maasai girl: ??

Me: Taquena

Maasai girl: ??

Example dialogue of me greeting female Massai madam

Me: Yeyo

Maasai madam: ??

Me: Taquena

Maasai madam: ??

Click HERE to hear "Bumpy Roads" by Andrew