This blog is brought to you from Cinnamon's Lounge at the Z Hotel on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Hopefully the cinnamon daiquiri (a refreshing mix of rum, apple liqueur and juice with a hint of cinnamon) I am drinking will help me to recall the travels of the past two weeks in an intriguing way. We are relaxing here on the beach for a few days so that Liz and Don can recharge before heading home and us prior to heading to South Africa. We've determined that six weeks of travel in developing countries required considerable stamina so are happy that we endured but are also happy to now relax. Prior to making the trip to the beach on the northern tip of the island of Zanzibar we spent a couple of days in the town of Stone Town. Stone Town is about 600 years old and was originally established as an Arab trading post. Goods from around the world were (and to some degree still are) traded in the town - most notably spices and slaves. Stone Town, with it's cobbled labyrinth alleyways, is a UNESCO heritage site so it was great fun to explore. The Arabic influence in Stone Town is still quite strong in terms of architecture, decor and religion so that made the visit all the more interesting. That coupled with the natural beauty of the island has made this a very pleasant stop.

While our visit to this island is enjoyable, the focal point of our time in Tanzania was a safari. We visited several parks and conservation areas and they didn't disappoint. The rains came early to some parts of Tanzania this year but fortunately they largely fell at night so didn't trouble us too much (other than some very muddy roads). Perhaps in some way they were a blessing as it kept temperatures a little lower than normal, hence we didn't 'cook' like we are doing now as daily highs are close to 35C. It was also nice to see some areas green and others dry. While on safari we saw all of the 'Big Five' - elephant, water buffalo, lion, cheetah and rhino (albeit a rhino at considerable distance). Ngorongoro Crater was very impressive. The crater is 600 meters deep and covers an area of 240 square kilometers. We saw many zebra, wildebeest and elephants there. The Serengeti was a totally different landscape but equally as impressive. There we saw giraffes (they can't climb the steep slopes to enter the crater) and many of the big cats (as well as a little of everything else). One has to be patient when watching the cats as they sleep about 18 hours a day. When we came upon a cheetah it was laying in the tall grass and while I (and others in other vehicles) could see its spots I had to convince the doubters in our jeep that it truly existed. Finally it stood up and proved that I wasn't lying! It was gorgeous! 'Serengeti' means 'endless place' in Swahili and it truly is that as it covers a vast 14,892 square kilometers. It reminded the 'Saskatchewaners' in our jeep of their homeland - vast and flat with bad roads (Rob said it - not me)!

In addition to viewing all the animals we also visited a couple of tribes. Boy was that an experience! The first group we visited were the Hadzabe Tribe of Bushman. There are only about 800 of them left and they still live a nomadic life hunting game, eating tree roots and living in caves. There is some skepticism that some is a show for tourists. Regardless as to whether or not there is 'some show added' I feel comfortable they still live with only the basics as do millions of others in this country - as it is so very poor. We also visited a family of Datoga. Back in time they were associated with the Maasai but now are independent. They also live with only the basics of food and shelter. Their homes are made from mud, dung and sticks and their diet is limited to cattle, maize and a 'few extras' the tourist dollars provide. It's distressing that so many people still live in such impoverished conditions but sadly it is the way for the majority here. We also took the time to check in on a village school one afternoon. It also exemplified the country's poverty. The class we visited had 120 students crammed in with one teacher who taught all subjects. The kids wore tattered uniforms and very few had pencils or notebooks. They sang "twinkle, twinkle, little star" for us and we had a short exchange of questions and answers. It was great to see their bright, smiling, hopeful faces. With dedicated teachers a few of them will realize their aspirations of being teachers, nurses, drivers and doctors but reality is that many will continue the cycle they are in now - barely making a living off the land.

One day in Arusha we met a very interesting Dutch man who has lived in Tanzania for over 40 years. He enlightened us as to many of the countries challenges. He reminded us that the bad, "butt numbing" roads, the frequent power outages (three during dinner last night alone), the endless paperwork required for simple transactions and the lack of basic maintenance of facilities are "all inclusive" in a trip to Tanzania. After being here only a short time we could relate to many of his experiences so we laughed and learned - and were grateful that our safari had gone well (despite some of our own challenges). The sun is setting, there are a number of locals playing soccer on the beach after a days work and it's time to find a place for dinner so I will sign off for now and update again from South Africa in a couple of weeks.