South Rift Game Scouts donation
Some of the 'bull-dust' common in the Rift Valley during the dry season. The dust is the texture of cornsilk and billows like water - and enters any possible crack and settles on everything.
We arrived at the South Rift Resource Centre in southern Kenya yesterday afternoon after a spectacular drive from the moist highlands of Nairobi down the Great Rift Valley wall, and today spent the day with the South Rift Game Scouts from the two nearby communities.
We brought with us 5 lightweight tents donated by Sierra Designs, and waterproof binoculars and GPS units (and a solar battery recharger) donated by ConserVentures members and supporters.
Jonathan showed the scouts how to pitch the tents and set up and use the binoculars.
The equipment is just the start of a support program we are developing for the community conservation area game scouts in the region. Over half the famous East African wildlife in Kenya exists outside the parks, in community owned lands like the Maasai. They have developed their own scouts program to guard against poaching (which they are very effective at), and act as liaisons with the community when there are wildlife conflicts such as lions eating cattle. Not too long ago these young men would have been 'employed' in their communities as warriors; now they are warriors of sorts, but on the front lines of conservation.
Everything takes longer in Africa ...
Delays because of roads, ferries and long lunch service put us behind our hoped-for schedule but that means an extra night on the shores of Lake Victoria. Not bad for the eve of Jonathan's birthday (his third in Africa).
Tomorrow: long day to Nairobi where we have a meeting, then on to the South Rift to deliver the tents, GPSs and binoculars to the game scouts.
-- Posted from my iPhone
Katavi to Kigoma to Lake Victoria
Kigoma has tons of colonial charm but its past is dark: millions of Africans began their forced slave march to the east coast of Africa here.
Tonight we are en route to Lake Victoria where we take a ferry to Mwanza and then cross to Kenya.
Beautiful zebu cattle near Bwanga.
Most villages have guard stations going in and out. The guards are almost always friendly.
-- Posted from my iPhone
Remote Africa
-- Posted from my iPhone
Moonset over Lake Tanganika
Oops
Leopard day
-- Posted from my iPhone
Dodoma to Ruaha National Park
We found a great Tanzanian-owned campsite just outside the park--includes a big tent for just $15 more a night. Campsites in the park are $50 bare--no shade, no services. We can cook or have food cooked, and they have hot showers. Another plus is daytime security while we are on safari. Our camp for the next 2 days:
-- Posted from my iPhone
Arusha to Dodoma
Tarangire National Park, at Whistling Thorn Camp. A perfect first night.
One of the very best things about Tanzania are the enthusiastic kids. Everywhere you go they chase you or wave.
We arrived in Dodoma today, after 300 miles of classic Africa dirt roads, cattle, goats, trucks. Just had nyama choma (BBQ) and Serengeti lager.
-- Posted from my iPhone