Day 12
On our way back into Arusha after our visit with the Maasai people, we ran into a huge line of traffic. We found out it was due to a motorcycle rally that happens here periodically, with large numbers of motorcycle riders (all male) converging on an area at the base of a mountain. I am not sure what kind of competitions there are but it certainly is a huge draw in this area and is quite a surprise to us. Nothing that we would associate with Africa.
We prepare for departure the next day, back at the Tulsa Boutique Hotel where we first began, with one more adventure ahead, a visit to a local public school.
In the morning we all head out together with Joseph to visit a local public school which was not on our original itinerary but which we requested to do and for which we had brought along some school supplies as a gift, pens, pads, and colored pencils (a wonderful donation from Nina). Here in Tanzania there are free public schools starting from Grade 1 and then there are private schools which cost about $1500 a year and to which those who can afford send their children. On another scale are the international schools at a cost of about $11,000/year for the ex-pats and the elite who elect to send their children abroad for university. This is in a country where we were told the average annual wage is about $3,500. After primary school, an exam must be passed in order to proceed to the next level and many children do not pass.
We meet the teachers upon arrival and although they are steering us to a Grade 1 class, I ask if we can visit a class for 9 year olds, the age of Drake, and we are taken to a Grade 2 class where about 60 kids sit in rows, almost entirely boys, with 2 teachers. Where are the girls if public education is compulsory? I have received the idea that excuses are given or regulation is not strict so the girls are held back at home.
In the classroom we stand in front and introduce ourselves and sing a song for the class and they respond in song as directed by one of their teachers. We do not have enough supplies for everyone but try to spread out our gifts so every child receives some thing and the children are very excited. At the end, Rae gives a short exhortation to the class to “write their futures” in the books they have received. Joseph tells us we are only the second group of tourists who have asked to visit a school.
This visit on our last day is a perfect balance to our first day when we went to the Living Strong women’s group. The few number of girls in this class emphasizes to us the importance of the work that Living Strong is doing in Arusha — supporting education for girls who have not been allowed the privilege of learning earlier in their lives. I think it has been very valuable for my two grandchildren to be with children not as fortunate as they in their school life. And in-between these two visits has been all the animals and tribes, a perfect sandwich of experience.
As the 12 of us end our time together on this tour, I collected a few memories and comments about the trip from our members:
Marge: Spending 2+ weeks with old and oldish friends, seeing wild and majestic animals, meeting people of incredibly different cultures — I could not have asked for more. After I rest these crinkling bones, I went to do it again!
Rae: I had an unbelievable time with you all . . . the opportunity to patiently watch animals was beyond what i expected. I loved lunch on the veranda and the afternoon visit to the Maasai deepened my understanding.
Nina: Witnessing the wildebeest migration, and feeling their surge of adrenalin, was an incredible once in a lifetime experience. And seeing so many animals in their vastly different and beautiful environments was truly phenomenal. I also appreciated the chance we were provided to accompany an interpreter on visits to a public primary school, a woman’s support NGO and three different tribes. The trip was beautifully planned. Our guides were extremely knowledgable and helpful. This trip was fantastic!
Davis: Palm nut vulture That was my favorite bird sighting. We got a good look at it and then we saw a good look at it flying away.
Pat: This trip was very special. Not only did we see amazing sights, especially to me the wildebeest migration and seeing every animal we had hoped for, but we got to experience and share all of it with people we love. Truly a wonderful trip!
Judy: It’s an amazing experience to see all these magnificent animals in their native habitat. Hopefully, our presence is not altering their behavior or negatively impacting their environment. One of many highlights: The migration river crossing, especially the first day, was awe-inspiring. Seeing thousands of animals instinctively massing on one side of the Mara river, thundering in front of us, then in a coordinated but also chaotic fashion swimming across the river, struggling successfully to climb the rocky cliffs and muddy banks on the other side and finally gathering in massive numbers on the other side, was almost incomprehensible in its scope and execution.
Larry: The most memorable event was the migration, not so much the crossing, as the herds of wildebeest coming from miles around and heading for the same place, thousands of them. It was almost like a dream.
Dhara: I relished the sense of wildness and freedom while standing in the jeep with my family, wind whipping through my hair, watching the animals around us and smelling the savannah grasses. Meeting the people in tribal villages and experiencing their music and dancing firsthand was thrilling. I was awestruck by their skills and traditions and amazed and how we were immersed in their lives by wearing their clothes and participating in some of their practices (like singing and dancing, grinding corn flour and using a bow and arrow).
Shira (age 13 ): I loved seeing all of the people in our group that I have not seen in a while and spending time with everyone. I also loved seeing all the people who live in Tanzania and it was really incredible what a different life style they have compared to us. Tanzania is a very beautiful place with many different landscapes and animals that are really cool to see. All of the little parts of the safari like the bumps in the road, standing up and looking through the roof, the amazing tour guides, and staying in all of the different hotels and camps were just so much fun. A lot of people think that safari is just seeing animals but really there is so much more to experience.
Drake (age 9): I liked the hotels and seeing the leopards and rhino. I liked visiting the school and seeing how other kids live their lives. The Oreteti people were very nice and helped me a lot.
And as I get the last word, I would like to add that I was impacted most on this trip by the experience of the huge diversity of life on our earth: the many animals, from large elephant down to small dik dik, the dangerous puff adder on the road that could change everything for us in a second, the amazing circumstances of environment that could develop all these magnificent species in one location in the world. The conditions and motes of time that had to coalesce to allow this group of 12 friends and offspring to be together, here, now, to experience all we saw and did in these last 12 days. A miracle of life. Thank you Oreteti Safari Africa!
From the Qatar Airport on my way home.