Father/Son Safari Part 6: Stonetown

After our day in the son, we came back for a nice relaxing drink ocean side to watch the sunset. Here is the menu from the place...not the best food, but is named after the one and only lead singer of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Who knew that Freddie was born on Zanzibar?!

After Mercury's it was time for some dinner. We ate out on the street...literally! Here are some pictures of the outside street seafood market that they have set up every night down near the water. We had some Zanzibar "pizza" coconut bread, and of course, a couple cold cokes.


Here is our chef cooking the "pizzas."


And a spread of one of the seafood tables...i wanted to try the octopus, but they were pretty expensive.

There was one last day of fun in Zanzibar before we had to think about dad heading back home to the good ol USA. We didn't plan any official tour for our final day since we had to catch our ferry at 2:30 PM. So we had a delicious breakfast of fruit, toast, and tea, and then just walked around Stonetown.

It was incredible to see all of the beautiful doors around the city. The main area of Stonetown is not too big of an area, but you cant drive a car around most of it! Most of the city feels like you are walking down a back alley because the buildings are built so close together.

We also visited the House of Wonder. This is a large cultural museum that has exhibits on everything from the explorations of Dr. Livingston to the spice trade to a room of many different khangas! There was also this cool boat that was made without any nails. The wood is actually sewn together.

The balcony of the museum gave a great view of the city. Some of the buildings weren't built with strong enough stone i guess...

Here we are looking out on the city and the beautiful Indian Ocean.

After a busy day in the museum and touring Stonetown, there was time for a quick sandwich at Mercury's and then we had to get on the ferry! We even met some new friends on the ferry ride...

This concludes the Father/Son Safari! After arriving back in Dar I helped dad pack up, we had some dinner, and then we brought him to the airport. It was a great visit. Though we couldn't see the WHOLE country in only 2 short weeks, we sure came close.

check back again soon for notes on the happenings in Hanga the past couple weeks since my dad left. there is still plenty to do around here!

Father/Son Safari Part 5: Zanzibar

After a long trip back to Dar Es Salaam from Hanga, we had one night at the guest house, and then it was on to Zanzibar! We got up and went to Mass at the guest house, and then caught the ferry before lunch. The ride wasn't too rough, but the power did go out just as we pulled away from the dock so it was a pretty hot trip.

We found a hotel, and just settled in the first night. The next day, we planned a trip to rent a boat and do some snorkeling! We left the hotel at 7AM and drove to the southern part of the island where our boat was waiting for us. Here is dad walking out to our boat...

A Zanzibar sailing dow we saw along the way...

The first leg of out boat trip was spent dolphin watching. I didnt get any good pictures because they were too fast...but we did see quite a few! After seeing the dolphins, we went to an area of the coral reef and went snorkeling for about an hour! I had to test out my waterproof camera...

After we were done snorkeling and had eaten some lunch, we drove up the coast to a beach on the eastern shore of the island. It was low tide...REALLY low tide...so it was tough to swim, but we could walk out into the shallow warm water for over 100 yards! It was neat to see the women out harvesting seaweed...

After a hot walk in the intense sun we just came back and relaxed for a while on the beach and watched the tide come back in. It was amazing to see how fast the water rose! We even bought a fresh coconut from a local guy who came up and asked us if we wanted any fresh fruit! And when i say fresh, i mean: after i asked him how much and agreed to pay 1000 shillings (about 95 cents) for one coconut he literally climbed a nearby tree, husked the fresh green coconut with a stick, cracked it open on my beach chair, waited for me to drink the coconut milk, and then cut little pieces of the coconut inside and served it to us as we lounged under the shade of our grass roof umbrella. simply delicious!

Another day in paradise...

Check back again tomorrow for Father/Son Safari Part 6 of 6.

Father/Son Safari Part 4: Two Short Days in Hanga

After traveling up north, and then spending a whole day in Dar, it was finally time to come to Hanga with my dad! We traveled with two cars. Br. George drove one, and Br. Justin drove the other. There was also another Italian Veterinarian volunteer named Francesca who rode with us. It was a long journey, as always, but we made it to Hanga in just enough time to catch the end of dinner and meet everyone in the dining room.

After we ate, Charlie, Anne, and Lennart had a surprise for us! We celebrated our arrival in Hanga by having a bonfire in the courtyard of our hostel and roasting hot dogs and "stick bread." It was a blast. and a great way to relax after a long journey.


The next day we took a tour of Hanga. We saw just about everything. The workshops, the schools, the banana trees, Hanga lake, and of course the village and the monastery.

We even had a pretty in depth tour of the dispensary from Br. Lucius.



Here is my dad in the doorway of a hut that one of the monks built out of nothing but mud! This is used as a chapel to pray the rosary.

We went down to the hydro power station, too. This is the damn in the background, and the channel for the water running to the turbine. Unfortunately, it wasn't running at this time because there hadn't been rain in a few days, so there wasn't enough water for 24 hours of power.
Here is both of us on my motorcycle! I have been helping fix this up so I can learn to ride it, and use it to teach at another nearby pre-secondary school that the monastery runs. You be the judge, who looks cooler on the bike?

After a full day of touring Hanga, we decided that we should get some work done! One of my recent ideas was to have a ball box to store all of the balls for the kids to use at St. Laurents. Right now they are just sitting in cardboard boxes in the teachers office. So, I asked my dad to help me come up with a plan, then we took it to the wood shop, and Br. Guido and his workers were kind enough to help us prepare the lumber, cut it, and start putting it together!

Here is Br. Guido with one of the workers who helped us all day in the construction of the box.

The clamps really helped when we were nailing the pieces together! Nice to have the right equipment.

Finally, after a full morning, and most of the afternoon of work, the main structure of the box was complete! Unfortunately, there was no electricity in the afternoon, so we couldn't run the machines, so we could not complete the top and bottom parts of the box while my dad was there. But it was a great start! And since he left, it has been completed! Check back in future posts for pictures of the final product. It is already being put to good use!

Here is a picture of the box at the end of our work day. The other monk in the picture is Br. Cassian (standing between my dad and me).

So, after two short days in Hanga, it was already time to return to Dar Es Salaam. We could have stayed one extra day, but then we would have been traveling on Sunday, and we would have had to ride the crowded loud bus instead of riding in a car with the monks! (There were some monks who had appointments in Dar so we just hitched a ride with them).

Since it was my dad's last night, we of course had to have a party for him in the hostel! The festivities were organized by Br. Odo (pictured here giving cheers to my dad).

Here is the rest of the crew celebrating a good stay.

And finally, the two of us with my headmaster Br. Kastor. It was great to be able to show my dad my new home here in Hanga, and especially great to be able to introduce him to everyone I know in Hanga! I am also happy that we were able to get at least a little work done :)

Though our travels in Hanga were done, there were still three more nights left before my dad would return to America. check back again tomorrow for pictures from Zanzibar!

Father/Son Safari Part 3: A Day in Dar

Hello again. This post will mostly be pictures...

After arriving back in Dar Es Salaam after our trek to Arusha and the north, the plan was to head to Hanga ASAP to start work there! However, the convoy of cars (two of them anyway) going back to Hanga wasn't leaving for another day, so that gave us a free day around the city. At first this was a bummer, but we made lemonade! 

So, we woke up on our free day, had breakfast with the other guests staying in Kurasini, and then had one the monks help us hire a taxi for the day! 

Our first stop in the morning was to the Village Museum where there are reconstructions of different houses built by the many different tribes around Tanzania. It was pretty neat to see. Here are some pictures of us with the houses.

Dad tried to figure out how to pound grain...I think he needs a few more lessons.

The sign on this room reads "chumba cha mke mkubwa" (Senior wife's room). They were usually a big bigger and nicer than the junior wife's room. And they had more shelves. 

After visiting the museum, we went further north in the city to a different type of Tanzanian secondary school than I am used to! We visited a school called Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC). It is a christian school run by missionaries. It is a very nice school! I just had to snap some pictures of the classrooms and the beautiful library! something to aspire to with our library here in Hanga :)

We had heard about this school through another mid-west connection! There is a church in La Crosse, WI that sponsors the school and just sent a group of volunteers to work there on a mission trip in the past year. This is a picture of my dad with Bill. He and his wife both grew up in the midwest and now have been missionaries in Africa for many years. It was great to have a tour of the school from him, and be able to chat about home!

After the school, we ate lunch at a hotel on the beach (the first picture up top) and then did some souvenir shopping. We made it back to St. Placid guest house in time for dinner and packing to get ready for our trip to Hanga the next day! Though it was another unexpected "hitch" in the plans, our day around Dar turned out to be very enjoyable. Sometimes it is best not to plan i guess!

Next up: Hanga Monastery!

Father/Son Safari Part 2: Entering the Crater

After a good night sleep in the most comfortable bed I have experienced in nearly six months, a hot shower with good pressure, and a delicious breakfast that included bacon and fresh passion fruit juice, we loaded into our safari vehicle and were on the road descending into the crater by a little after 8 AM. This garden of eden was the closest picture of paradise that i think i have witnessed in my life. It was incredible to see sooo many animals peacefully living along side one another in such a pristine, green, beautiful place. Let the pictures speak for themselves.


This is the steep road that we took to go down into the crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is a sunken extinct volcano. It is just over 600 meters deep and has an area of 260 square meters. That is a lot of area for the wildlife to roam! It makes the perfect natural zoo.


Below is a picture of one of the delicious breakfasts I enjoyed with my dad on our trip through Arusha. Delicious!
Again, let the pictures speak for themselves. But let me remind you, all of these pictures were taken by either my dad or me! These are not stock photos from brochures for the National Conservation Area!
Yes, these predators were sitting right on the side of the road, just relaxing as the cars passed. Pretty beautiful.


We heard different estimates of how many black rhinos there are left in the crater, but what was certain was that this is the only place that they are still living in Tanzania. We were lucky enough to watch this one move across the road we were driving on! like a tank. I wouldn't want to mess with this animal.


Here is the line of safari vehicles that grouped up to catch a glimpse of the rhino as it was up and moving.

Just before it was time for lunch, the clouds opened and it began to rain so we had to close the roof and just watch the animals through our closed windows. It was neat to watch all the zebras and wildebeests standing still like statues in the rain. I guess it is too hard to graze when the grass is so wet? anyway, this cape buffalo didn't seem to mind. He did look up with a pretty confused look on his face when we stopped to watch him, though.

What an amazing safari adventure! We exited the crater in the middle of the afternoon and made our way back to Arusha. We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast place that even had a small pool that i swam in after dinner. Oh, the luxury of a swimming pool.

We also had the chance to realize once again what a small world we live in! Before my dad left home we found out that some friends or ours in Winona had family living in Arusha! So, when we got back to town after the safari, we called John and he came and met us at our hotel for a drink. It was great to find another connection with home all the way across the world here in Tanzania.
Thank you Serengeti Select Safaris for making our safari so enjoyable. Truly an experience of a lifetime.

All for now. Check back again soon for pictures from our day in Dar as well as our travels to Hanga as Father/Son Safari continues!

Father/Son Safari Part 1

I am back in Hanga now after nearly 3 weeks away. It has been a busy January so far! Busy, full, but very fun and rewarding. And so wonderful to be able to spend most of the travels with my dad.

After a short few days to relax after the festivities of Christmas here in Hanga, it was time to trek back to Dar Es Salaam to meet my father who was coming for a visit! I traveled back to Dar with Br. Kastor on December 30, spent New Years Eve with him and the family of one of my students from St. Laurents, and then prepared for my father to arrive on January 1 at 11:00 PM!



There was a lot to do in a short amount of time. We certainly didn't do everything or see the whole country, but we came close. There wasn't much pre-planning involved for much of the two week visit, but that turned out for the best in most cases (though it did make for some added frustration). What a great experience it was for both of us. We will be telling these stories for the rest of our lives!



I think this Father/Son Safari will span at least 3 posts...maybe 4. So check back again soon!



After picking my dad up from the airport, we went back with Br. Kastor and Br. Kulwa to the guest house in Kurasini to spend the night. Our bus left the next morning at 9am for Arusha! We still took time to have some chai (tea) meet some monks, eat good chocolate from the Amsterdam airport, and unpack my Christmas gifts. Then we both went to bed for a few hours of sleep before the long bus ride.

Here is my dad at the Ubungo bus station in Dar waiting to get on our bus to Arusha. It was a hot trip...

Of course, on the way through Moshi traveling to Arusha you pass the highest mountain in Africa. Here is the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro from our bus window.

We spent one night in Arusha, got up early the next day, and planned a Safari! Our safari was only one overnight, but we were able to see both Lake Manyara National Park and Ngorogoro Conservation Area. Simply stunning. This is me with my backpack hiking through Arusha with Mt. Meru in the background.

Here is dad with our safari vehicle. There is a large section in the middle of the roof that comes off so you can stand up to watch the animals as you drive. It was a pretty smooth ride!

Dad standing with our safari guide Alex in Lake Manyara National Park.

Sometimes the animals get confused where the National Parks are...this elephant was outside of the park just on the road between Lake Manyara and Ngorogoro Conservation Area. It took its time and crossed the road in front of us. We could have reached out and touched it. Literally.

We stayed at a lodge right on the Ngorogoro crater ridge. The crater is an extinct volcano that has become somewhat of a garden of eden paradise. It is stunningly beautiful. Here is a view from the dining room where we had dinner and breakfast.

We rose early the next morning to see the sunrise over the crater. After breakfast we were in our vehicle just before 8 AM and on the road to decend into the crater.

check back again tomorrow for part 2 with many animals from inside the crater. We only missed seeing one of the big five...