There’s no question that visiting Tanzania’s world-renowned national parks is an expensive proposition. While budget travelers like me can camp and cook our own food, there’s no escaping the high cost of park fees. At fifty dollars for each twenty-four hour period or faction thereof, it’s easy to rack up a couple hundred dollars in […]
Sitting between just 300-600 feet above sea level and bordered by the western escarpment of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park is home to perhaps one the largest selection of bird species in Tanzania. We arrive at our campsite, which sits atop the escarpment looking over the valley, lake, and national park, a couple […]
Leaving perhaps the last bit of civilization I’ll see in a week I ask Simon to stop at a supermarket where I can buy some water, savory and sweet treats and a couple bottles of wine. Yes. You can find decent South African wine here in Arusha. Later I learn there is no corkscrew. Never […]
So it seems that things are coming together. I only wish the pinky finger on my right hand would see some reduction in swelling and pain. Why is it that the smallest appendages cause the most pain? At least I will have some reprieve from throttle twisting while bouncing around in a Land Cruiser crossing […]
While nursing my bloody eye at El Jacaranda in Arusha wondering if I’ll ever see clearly again, I decided to get a second opinion. Another trip to yet another medical clinic where the promise of a German ophthalmologist turned out to be a local doctor and her giggling assistant. Lying on a grey examination table […]
Sitting at the foot of picturesque Mount Meru and at about 4,200 feet in altitude, Arusha is a welcome break from the heat and humidity of Dar es Salaam. It’s perhaps one of the most developed of Tanzania’s towns due to its proximity to the great parks of Serengeti and Ngorogoro and the towering Mount […]
Sadly I had to bid farewell to my new friends from Dar es Salaam, but Northwestern Tanzania and Kenya are calling my name. With a new tire, replacement phone and a strategic plan to see the coast of Kenya, the great parks of Tanzania and onward nothing else could go wrong. Or could it? Have […]
Lately I’ve been cursed with bad luck. Though it’d be unfair to dwell on the negative when Africa, its people, landscapes and intoxicating environment has blessed me with unforgettable friendships and experiences. Those who know me will attest to my glass half-full attitude — regardless of the situation. In Dar es Salaam I’ve been fortunate […]
Here in Tanzania, I ran into something completely unexpected: a welcome party for President George W. Bush. Elsewhere he may be one of the most unpopular political leaders in the world, but in Tanzania, George Bush has been welcomed as “the president of the world.” I’ve spent most of the past two years riding around […]
