Page 14 - Gateways_Summer2023_Neat

News Bites continued

Left: Lynn Gagala and Laura DePasquale, Credit: Chris Panek
Above: Maasai villagers held a welcome ceremony for the travelers, Credit: Lori Chasse

Day 5: Maasai Village
D a y 5: M a a s a i V i l l a g e
a n d O l d uv a i G or g e
and Olduvai Gorge
e h
e
v
a
w
n
e
n
r c
t
o t
r
d
h
t
r
e
d
r
i
i
n S
h
g g
s i
n t
e
h t
n
u
e
a
r
h
o
n
o
t
i
.
o
g s
T h e t r i p w a s c a l l e d “ T a n z a n i a : A T r e a s u r e T r o v e o f W i l d l i f e a n d C u l t u r e . ” were heading south to their calving grounds in the southern Serengeti.
u
e
i
The trip was called “Tanzania: A Treasure Trove of Wildlife and Culture.”
u
l
ge
e s
i
n r
r
l
a
T
e b
p
g
d
o
i
e v
e o
e
l
o
o
t
t h
i
h a
i
h
t a
e
s
l h
i
a
n o
o
B e s i d e s t h e m a n y w i l d l i f e - v i ew i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s , i t i n c l u d ed m a n y c u l t u r a l The visit here began with an optional hot air balloon ride over the
Besides the many wildlife-viewing opportunities, it included many cultural
i
e
a
h
n w
n
e
r b
r t
t
v
a
er
S
n
w
o ff e r i n g s . T h e t r av e l e r s v i s i t ed a M a a s a i v i l l a ge a n d c u l t u r a l c e n t e r a n d Serengeti at dawn. .
da
e
t
t
g
offerings. The travelers visited a Maasai village and cultural center and
en
i
me t w i t h v i l l a ge r s a n d a r t i s a n s . T h e y s p e n t a n a f t e r n o o n a t O l d u v a i T y R e i m e r : T h e b a l l o o n r i d e w a s s p e c t a c u l a r !
Ty Reimer: The balloon ride was spectacular!
met with villagers and artisans. They spent an afternoon at Olduvai
e
:
s
u
a
u
a
l
q
ra D
a
P
e
u
o
e
E
o
s o
a
o
m
er
o
t
s
l
e d
h
i
l
y
r
s
i
G
e
s b
Gorge, made famous by the discovery of fossils of early human ancestors L Laura DePasquale: Everywhere you turned, there were animals. .
i
o
c
n
y h
y
s
u
n a
mal
r
e
s
m
e
c
d
w
n
r
ge
w
t
e
f f
,
a
d
, m
o
er
h
a
e
er
a
r
f e
u
er
y t
a
t
u
v
v
y o
n
h
s
r
e f
s
b y M a r y a n d L o u i s L e a k e y . W e w e r e s it t i n g a n d d r i n k i n g c o ff e e a n d a l i o n e s s c a m e o u t o f t h e
We were sitting and drinking coffee and a lioness came out of the
by Mary and Louis Leakey.
C i nd y P h e l p s : T h e v i s it t o t h e M a a s a i v i l l a g e w a s a h i g h l i g h t . b u s h w it h h e r c u b s — r i g h t o n t o t h e h o t e l c a m p u s ! T h e r e w a s a
Cindy Phelps: The visit to the Maasai village was a highlight.
bush with her cubs—right onto the hotel campus! There was a
a
y a w
p o
h
g. T
a
d c
r
g
f e
i
t
n
e g
o
u
r
n
n
c
n
i
s b
n
t
h
e
p
n
l
g a
a
a
h
e
n
d u
a
g h
. I g
o o
i
h
f a y
s w
l
y d
o
r
m
e
i
l
e
t v
e
o
y w
e
s
d
o
d u
p
h d
e
e
u
o
t
T They welcomed us with dancing and chanting. They draped us l large group of elephants by a watering hole. I got video of a young
c
r
n
a
g
e
it
e i
e
e
n
o m
d h
e
o a
n
t a t
s
e
i
. W
w
r r
i in their robes. We were invited, two at a time, into mud huts where e l e p h a n t c h a s i n g a h y e n a a n d t r u m p e t i n g a t it ; t h e y o u n g e l e p h a n t
v
e
elephant chasing a hyena and trumpeting at it; the young elephant
s w
d
r
it
m
b
e
t
e
n t
h
o
h
t
, t
, i
u
u
i
r
e w
. T
e
e
e
h
g
. W
t they live. The husband explained life in the Maasai village. We also d e f e n d e d it s e lf . I c o u ld h e a r h y e n a s o u t s i d e m y b e d r o o m a t n i g h t .
e M
h
a
v
a
n t
e a
y l
i
a
p
u
s
x
e h
i
a
i
i v
n
a
l
d l
b
defended itself. I could hear hyenas outside my bedroom at night.
s
e
n
o
s
l
e i
d e
l
h
i
f
a
l
No one can convince me there is anywhere else on the planet
t t
e
d
i
g
e
h
n t
n i
o
n
got to visit children in the kindergarten in the village. . N o o n e c a n c o n v i n c e m e t h e r e i s a n y w h e r e e l s e o n t h e p l a n e t
g
i
i
e
g
h
a
l
e v
it c
s
r
t
n i
o v
r
a
e
n t
ld
r
l
e k
h
i
o
d t
y p
more beautiful and special than Tanzania.
h
e a
l
e v
i
p
it
r
s
e
n
r
n
n
a
G
e e
Lynn Gagala: The Maasai are extraordinary people and the visit m o r e b e a u t i f ul an d s p e c i a l t han T an z an i a .
t
x
y
L
i a
:
a
T
e M
h
a
g
a
s
a
al
d
i
a
o
r
n
a
r
a
y
n G
n
g
:
a
l
a
i
w a s v e r y e n l i g h t e n i n g. T h e c h ie f t a l k e d a b o u t t h e i r l i f e a n d c u l t u r e L Lynn Gagala: Never in my life have I seen so many animals—
e
a
v
e I s
n
was very enlightening. The chief talked about their life and culture
o m
l
n
a
a
s
—
e
y a
n s
m
n m
N
i
e
v
y l
e h
r i
e
f
e e
e
e
s t
h
h
s
e
r
r
i
s o
d
f w
y
e
b
ld
e
e n
e
a
b
e b
uff
o
, a
n
d z
l
r
r a
a
, c
t
o
a a
p
a
s f
t
d t
r
c
f t
h
e
n
e l
e
y a
. T
e w
a
a and their view of the world. They respect the land. They are not herds of wildebeest, cape buffalo, and zebra as far as the eye
h
h
ld
e
e
ie
h
y r
n
i
o
d
h
s
w o
r v
p
e
t t
. T
h
e m
meat eaters and don’t kill animals. . . .Olduvai Gorge was an awesome
s t
o
c
e
l
e t
h
a
e e
v
n s
d
r w
m e a t e a t e r s a n d d o n ’ t k i l l a n i m a l s . . . . O ld u v a i G o r g e w a s a n a w e s o m e can see! It was the most remarkable thing I’ve ever witnessed. .
s
t w
s
a
a
e
v
’
m
e
g I
k
e
s
e
! I
r
t r
it
b
i
a
e
n
n
T
N
A
N
TANZANIA
Chris Panek: The national park is a protected area and rangers
c
e
h
h
e
e
r
e L
. I
t w
a
e t
s i
e
e
s
v
p
g t
r
ie
h
s
r
experience. It was inspiring that it’s where the Leakeys’ discoveries C h r i s P a n e k : T h e n a t i o n a l p a r k i s a p r o t e c t e d a r e a a n d r a n g e r s
i
c
x
r
s
i
p
e
’ d
i
n
o
n
a
s w
’
n
e
k
ie
y
a
t it
s
o
n
o
’
c confirmed Darwin’s theory of evolution and they were able to a r e t h e r e t o m a k e s u r e t h e r e a r e n ’ t p o a c h e r s . T h e g u i d e s t a l k e d
r
l
u
w
e
y o
i
n a
f e
o
v
i
n
t
r
h
s t
e a
r
e
h
o
n
fi
e
are there to make sure there aren’t poachers. The guides talked
e
d D
r
m
y w
b
d t
l
o
a
e t
t f
ff
l
r E
n
n
o
m i
i
i
fi
s o
o
f
t
n e
c
r
i
s
m
g
u
r
g
s
t
d s
i
s
find some of the first beginnings of man. Digs are still going on about conservation efforts. Tourism is important for East Africa’s
n
g o
t A
. T
o
t b
n
l g
e
a
o
o
s
a
i
r
n
n
r
e fi
t
v
o
n
r
a
a
g
b
a
m
s a
’
e
u
s
s
r
r
p
i
. Di
o
h
o
o
a
e s
t c
s i
i
e o
n
f t
t
f m
n
r
e
h
t there today. . e c o n o m y , s o c o n s e r v a t i o n a n d t h e p r o t e c t i o n o f a n i m a l s i s v e r y
o
economy, so conservation and the protection of animals is very
a
t
e
d
y
important. .
n
t
ta
p
r
m
i
o
Days 6-8 Serengeti National Park
D a y s 6 - 8 S e re n g e t i N a t i o n a l P a r k R i c h a r d P h e l p s: T h e l a s t a c c o m m o d a t i o n s o n t h e S e r e n g e t i
Richard Phelps: The last accommodations on the Serengeti
e
u
k p
e
e t
e o
t
r
s w
o
c
t o
n
n a r
h
m
p
a
a C
t
a
m
s a
] w
a
r
K
f
o
m
r
w
i
a
i
r
i
z
a
l
g. T
n
h
o
a
n
a
e t
t
r
s
r
i P
t
r
a
k i
e
a o
o
n a
n
e p
f m
i
l
a o
The park is a protected area on the Serengeti Plains, an area of more than [ [Kirawira Camp] was amazing. The tents were out on a rock platform. .
r
c
e
s a p
h
r
e
ed a
T
t
e
, a
e
n t
ge
r
h
e S
n
W
o
d t
a
When you walked into a canvas tent, there was a tiled toilet room
s a t
m

i
i
l
e
l
o
t r

o
e
l
i

e a
23,000 square miles. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and calls itself
n
f
t
2 3 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e m i l e s . I t ’ s a U N E S C O W o A h e n y o u w a l k e d i n t o a c a n v a s t e n t , t h e r e w Z A I
i
r
a
t
r
l
d He
t
l
a
d c
e
s
l
s i
ge S
and shower in the bathroom, a big four-poster bed. You were looking
a
i
o
me t
n o
l m
o
t
i
h
e
a
s t
o t
r
h
r
o
r
c
h r
g
i
,
e
n
t M
ef
e G
o t
u
H
n

a
f

t
g
a
i
e a
” w
h
r
“ “Home to the Great Migration,” which refers to the annual migration of a n d s h o w e r i n t h e b a t h r o o m , a b i g f o u r - p o s t e r b e d . Y o u w e r e l o o k i n g
n
i
down into a valley and within a thousand feet there were zebras
2 million wildebeests as they follow the rains. The wildebeests are joined
2 m i l l i o n w i l d e b ee s t s a s t h e y f o l l o w t h e r a i n s . T h e w i l d e b ee s t s a r e jo i n ed d o w n i n t o a v a l l e y a n d w it h i n a t h o u s a n d f e e t t h e r e w e r e z e b r a s
and wildebeests wandering around while we were eating.
by other herbivores, including zebras and gazelles, and the carnivores that
b y o t he r he rb i v or e s , i n c l u d i n g z eb r a s a n d g a z e l le s , a n d t he c a r n i v or e s t h a t a n d w i ld e b e e s t s w a n d e r i n g a r o u n d w h i l e w e w e r e e a t i n g.
prey on them. The travelers arrived in November when the wildebeests
r w
e
h
n t
e
b
o
n N
v
m
e
e
b
d
i
l
ee
h
s
t
e w
s
ed i
m
e
. T
e t
h
h
r
p
e
n t
y o
r
r
s a
r
v
i
l
e
av
r
e
14 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES