Tanzania

I just arrived in Warsaw after traveling for three weeks in Tanzania and a couple of days in Kenya. It has been a nice vacation, though I have to admit that I was ready for a change of scenery. And man have I had one! But, I'm skipping ahead.
Tanzania is an amazing country. Diverse is the best description - there are diverse cultures ranging from the very traditional Maasai in the north to the Arab and African Swahili on the coast. It was so amazing to walk around and see Maasai men and women in their traditional red checkered robes and beaded jewelry, their earlobes stretched and hair died red. One day I went with friends to the Maasai market where Maasai gather from all around the northern country to sell and buy cattle, sheep, goats and cloths. After being stared at and hastled (I was spanked by a 7 ft tall Maasai man!! Not many people can say they've experienced that.) and almost sold for a herd of cows, I was ready to move from the cattle selling area to the more peaceful area where women were selling cloth and other items. That's where I met this older woman who allowed me to take her picture for a fee. When I showed her the photo on my camera screen you should have seen her face! I'm not sure if she'd ever seen a photo of herself. It would be fun to travel with a polaroid.
The market was in Arusha where the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) takes place. I had the opportunity to sit in one a trial for an hour and to browse their library, which contains some interesting books on genocide all over the world. I would have liked to spend several days doing research there, but I had booked a two day safari. The safari was very nice, we saw lots of animals and just driving through the beautiful thriving wet season savannah was a treat. The green tall grasses make it difficult to see animals, but provide the landscape with a life that makes up for it. Every few kilometers a huge boabab tree stands gnarled and wide, stripped of bark by hungry elephants during the dry season. What incredible trees. If I were to live in a tree, I would choose a boabab.
After my safari I took a bus to Dar Es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. It rests on the coast and has been a central trading area for thousands of years. Even the Ancient Greeks traded goods and slaves with the Arab settlers there. Tanzania has a very rich history. Our oldest ancestors walked its plains. The interior of the country area, with people coming from northern Africa and mixing with local tribes. The Maasai themselves descended from Sudan. They were (are) cattle herders, wondering to find the best grasses for their valuable cows. On the coast Arabs were the first colonialists followed by the Portuguese and then later, the Germans and after WWI, the English. After spending a day in Dar I took a ferry to Zanzibar Island. Stone Town quite a different manner than the coastal developed in, the older part of Zanzibar city embodies the rich coastal history of colonialism, trade, and intercultural mixing. The streets are narrow and jagged and made of stone. Ancient buildings lay crumbled next to colonial structures reflecting influences from various European architectural styles. I spent two days lost within this stone town before heading to the equally impressive northern coast, where I spent a few days lounging on the beach, snorkeling and eating freshly caught seafood.
From Zanzibar I returned back to Dar and worked my way up the coast to a small sleepy town called Tanga where I visited a cave and then up to Mombasa in Kenya. There I spent a day, got ripped off. After nine months I fell for a stupid money trading skit, and watched as two men walked away with my money. I can't believe I fell for it. Oh well, guess I'm back on my toes now. From there I went to Nairobi where I spent a couple of days relaxing and then flew to Warsaw arriving yesterday. I'm going through minor culture shock with the development, the white people everywhere, the weather. I am looking forward to continueing my research here, on my fourth continent this year.