Opportunity of a Lifetime

As an aside from the post below, here are some links to photo albums from my recent trips to Thailand, Zanzibar, and Malawi. Feel free to check them out if you're interested.

Malawi http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100363933700792.2771216.5132789&l=268ede3304

Zanzibar http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100217414900642.2747511.5132789&l=12d6ddfc4e

Thailand (2 albums) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100169223311972.2724615.5132789&l=58f05b56cd

Thailand Part 2 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100175082031052.2727800.5132789&l=305502cfc4

When I moved to Tanzania I planned only to stay for my initial two year contract. That time is nearly completed and the years have flown by as fast as the mosquitoes buzzing around my feet. As with all initial plans, mine got thwarted by life’s constant surprises. Africa’s adventures and lessons have changed me forever and I have not yet quenched my desire to experience what it has to offer. It is for that reason that I have resigned my contract and I will now be here until June of 2012.

Since I’ll be here for another year you have more time to come out and visit! I am looking forward with great anticipation to a trip I have scheduled for my vacation in October. I want to tell you about it because I’m inviting anyone who would be interested in joining me to come out to Tanzania and experience this marvelous adventure with me!

I’ll be doing a six day hike followed by a safari. *NOTE: This hike is NOT an intense climb! This is more closely associated with a six day stroll than six days of torture. You don’t even have to carry your own equipment! Interested so far? Read on!

Explaining the beauty of this place is difficult. After all, I’ve not yet been there. I’ve sat around countless dinner tables of friends, entranced, listening to their stories about hikes around the Ngorogoro Conservation Area. Now to describe it to you I’ll use a mixture of their descriptions, pictures, and text from my trusty Tanzania guidebooks, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide.

The spectacular 5,151 sq. mile Ngorogoro Conservation Area (NCA) occupies the volcanic highlands between the Great Rift Valley and the Serengeti Plains. It encompasses vast stretches of plains, grasslands, bush, and woodlands. The varied habitats guarantee breathtaking sighting of “the big five”- elephants, lion, leopard, rhino, and buffalo, and it teems with giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, gazelles, and other safari favorites. For animals, this place is a haven, while for tourists, it’s something close to heaven.

The rugged Crater Highlands consist of an elevated range of volcanoes and collapsed volcanoes rising up from the earth. The walk tours through Oldupai Gorge where the famous Leakey archeologists unearthed a plethora of notable fossils. You’ll also visit Olmoti Crater with its hosts of antelope species and nearby waterfalls. The stunningly beautiful Empakaai Crater is filled with a forest-fringed soda lake. The resident bushbuck, reedbuck, waterbuck, buffalos, monkeys, and flamingos call Empakaai home.

Empakaai Crater from the air

With its stunning ethereal blue-green vistas, the 12 mile wide Ngorogoro Crater is NCA’s incomparable highlight. A vast, unbroken caldera left behind when an enormous volcano collapsed, created a crater that teems with animals. The deep bluish-purplish color of the crater walls provides a spectacular backdrop to your game drive photographs. If you’ve seen Disney’s Lion King, they used Ngorogoro Crater as their inspiration for the setting.

Animals of all kinds share the Highlands with the local Maasai tribal people, who have grazing rights and are often seen herding their cattle throughout the area. The hike also crosses through their bomas, villages, and visits can be arranged.

The trip will end with a visit to Tarangire National Park for an unparalleled safari adventure. It is home to virtually every safari animal you could want to see and is also a major destination for bird-watchers.

If you’re interested in joining me on this once in a lifetime opportunity please e-mail me at cmlane1@gmail.com. I would love to have some of you visit and make lasting memories with me!

Sacrifices for Family

Today I want to share an encounter I had a few weeks ago with a local man who I am blessed to call a friend. People here are much more community oriented than the average Americans. They ‘do life’ together on a whole different level, often sharing homes, food and resources out of necessity. This kind of communal mindset permeates all areas of life and sets the tone for personal and commercial climates.

One Friday evening I hired Francis, one of my two usual taxi drivers, to take me to the bank then to a friend’s house. There was a bit of traffic and I had confused the bank’s hours, so whenever we arrived it was already closed. I got back into the car and disappointingly shared the news. Without a moment’s hesitation, Francis opened his ashtray where all of his money is kept and took out a handful of bills while asking, “Sister, how much money do you need to be ok until you can come back?”

Instantaneously my frustrations slid off like a layer of dirt in a shower. I was touched that this man, who I know struggles to make ends meet on a daily basis, offered what little he had to make sure that my comparatively spoiled desires were met. Why? Because we’re family and that’s what family does for one another. I’m blessed to have these ‘family’ members here to look out for me.