Alexandria, Egypt

We took the train to the city of Alexandria, the ‘greatest historical city with the least to show for it.’ Our intent was to dive the remains of the ancient city, which are now under the Mediterranean Sea. Ironically, we never dove (read poor reviews of the ONE dive shop in town) and our highlight was our time spent with the Hash House Harriers! A small group of wonderful hashers drove us out into the countryside where we ran between fields and saw what no tourist every really sees!

Nothing like encountering a herd of goats, sheep and donkey on your running path! We passed farmers, crossed rickety bridges, jumped across drainage ditches and crawled under irrigation pumps spewing water. I shocked them all by wearing running shorts (women must hide their knees and shoulders…well, and preferably everything else.)

Self photo with a farm horse…also took one with a donkey. I was the official photographer…so had to include myself in a picture! Afterwards we went back to Phil’s (Scottish expat) apartment for a homemade dinner and then on to Dave and Desiree’s (New Zealand expats) for a round of cards. The highlight of the night was throwing paper airplanes off their high rise apartment deck…

The centre of the city arcs around the Eastern Harbor. We spent part of the day wandering around the city…having breakfast at a famous old café, drinking fresh mango juice at the “king of mango” and sipping Turkish coffee (and I mean sipping…strong stuff).

For lunch we headed to Mohammed Ahmed for “fuul”, an unassuming peasant dish of slow-cooked fava beans cooked with garlic and garnished with parsley, olive oil, lemon, salt, black pepper and cumin. Definitely a local hangout…the place was packed…and we were the only tourists. Right up my alley!

That evening we again met up with the hashers. We started with a rooftop Chinese dinner looking over the harbor…and ended with beers at the famous Spitfire bar. We learned so much about Alexandria from our new friends…the good and the bad!

We decided we should be good tourists, and go sightseeing. First stop, Pompey’s Pillar and the Temple of Serapeum. The pillar is a massive 30m column that rises out of the ruins. It is one of the only ancient monuments remaining whole and standing today in Alexandria. The best part is that it is right smack in the middle of a dilapidated neighborhood. One minute you feel like Indiana Jones, and then you notice the flapping laundry on the neighboring patio.

The ironic thing is that my favorite part of the day was our walk between tourist sites. Most people go by tour bus. We passed donkey carts, children playing, and old men smoking their sheesha (water pipes).

The catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa, discovered accidentally in 1900 when a donkey disappeared through the ground. These catacombs are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt. This picture shows loculi, the holes in which the bodies were placed.

Our taxi driver took us down streets packed with rabbits, ducks, geese, etc. Some came without fur or feathers if you know what I mean. Desiree told me that she got to witness the recent “Feast of Sacrifice” which as the name suggests includes the sacrificing of animals…and that the streets were running with blood. Glad we missed out on that part. On to Aswan and the Nile river!

Cairo, Egypt

We arrived in Cairo, Egypt at around 1AM to find the streets packed full of people. Now with a population of 2o million, I suppose that this might often be the case. However, what we didn’t realize is that it was Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday "the festival of sacrifice." Which explains why we had such a difficult time finding a hotel room! This is the view from our window. Downtown Cairo is a very dilapidated, dirty city!

The next day we headed for the famous Egyptian Museum. After standing in four different lines and going through metal detectors we made it in. What takes most people half a day to see took the Eisenbrauns a little over an hour. We are not museum people...however, it was fascinating...mummies, the treasures of Tutankhamun, jewelry, statues, death masks etc. all packed into an old dusty building that is literally bursting at the seams.

Cairo does have some beautiful old buildings. We spent a lot of our time wandering the streets of downtown...causing quite a scene. It is almost like the people of Cairo have never seen a tourist before (to be fair, the only ones we saw were in buses). We also sampled some delicious Egyptian foods...chicken shwarma, kushari (a mix of noodles, rice, black lentils and dried onions served with a fiery tomato sauce and garlic vinegar) and felafel.
The Pyramids of Giza. Does this not look like a movie set??? Crazy! The pyramids are smack in the middle of the congested city of Giza. We had a driver (thank goodness) who helped us buy our ticket and get through this mayhem. The locals were literally getting "smashed" trying to get through the gate. When the pyramid "officials" saw us we got right in. We both felt a little guilty about the preferential treatment.
Up close the pyramids look more like a pile of rubble....but impressively large! They are guarded, and have a "do not climb" sign.
We got out in the nick of time, as the locals came in droves to see the pyramids during their holiday. We also got hassled for horse, camel and cart rides. Very distracting as the animals were in VERY poor shape...which was hard for us to see.
Our drive home through the suburbs. Garbage piles on both sides of the canal. We watched a young girl walk out and dump the family garbage can over the side of the bridge and into the water below. Very disheartening.
We noticed that VERY few buildings were "finished." We have since heard two theories. One is that the family keeps "growing"....so if the son marries, they can add a level for him and his family. The other is that if the building is not finished they don't have to pay the taxes on it.
Coptic Cairo is the heartland of Egypt's indigenous Christian community. This is the Hanging Church, as it is built on top of the Water Gate of Roman Babylon. There is also a synagogue within the high stone walls, which explained the metal detectors and guards in full riot gear. On to Alexandria!

Zanzibar, Tanzania

After 10 days on safari we decided to hit the beaches of Zanzibar. No, this is not a minivan….this is our plane. The smallest one yet this year! No toilet, no stewardess, no co-pilot! Buckle your seatbelts…

We spent one night in Stone Town, recently declared a UNESCO world heritage site. We walked down to the harbor and watched the sun set. The people are exuberant! We watched one group have a bicycle “wheelie” contest in the middle of the street, and another group having a “handspring” contest on the beach.

Zanzibar is a blend of Moorish, Middle Eastern, Indian, and African traditions and architecture. Once again we get to hear the “call to prayer," and I don't get to wear my tank tops (difficult when they make up half your wardrobe!)

The architecture is beautiful. Most of the buildings are white. Many have an Arabic look to them. This is the "House of Wonders."

Many of the bars/restaurants are on the rooftop. The breeze feels amazing, and you can look down upon the labyrinth of alleys below. Particularly fun when the power goes out..which happens a LOT in Africa!

In the morning we walked over to the market. Rows of fresh fruits and vegetables and rooms full of raw seafood and meats. Of course, we happened to notice the disgusting pile of animal skins left sitting in the gutter. Much more interesting!

Zanzibar Island, aka the Spice Island was an important stop in the spice trade centuries ago. We took a “spice tour”, visiting a farm with all the different spices. We learned how they grew saffron, cardomon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. In this picture is a seed pod that produces a bright red powder used as a dye.

We also tasted all the different tropical fruits…jackfruit, papaya, mango, pineapple…delicious! Afterwards we were served a traditional Swahili lunch.

We then headed to the eastern coast for three nights at Paje beach. White sand beaches and turquoise waters…most of the time…when the tide isn’t out and the seaweed has been raked up! We had our first ride in a dhow, a wooden canoe. We sailed out to a lagoon to snorkel.

We took a trip out to the Jozani Forest. The Red Colobus Monkey is one of the rarest monkeys in Africa. It is found only in Zanzibar and half of the current population is found in this forest. They are champion sleepers! Laid out in the funniest positions, and they don’t budge, even when you are right below them.

Baby Colobus monkey…Albert Einstein hair, little old man face…adorable. Now on to Cairo, Egypt!

Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Boundary Hill Lodge...owned by our safari group. After four nights of camping…this was just what we needed. Each “cabin” has its own private hilltop location…and looks out over the plains of Tarangire. The bank of floor to ceiling windows allows you to watch an incredible sunrise each morning. I think we have found heaven.

Yes…this is the bathroom. Makes you want to drink lots of water. At night, the stars light the room.

This is the first accommodation to get three photos in the blog! Our second patio has a functioning bathtub as well as a private outdoor shower. Oh, and did I mention the fact that everything is solar powered? Luxurious and eco-friendly.

The next day we headed into Tarangire National Park for a game drive. James was quite surprised when we found these, as apparently they are quite rare. I find it amazing that on every single game drive we see something new….

Tarangire is arguably the best park in Africa for elephants with a population of over 3,000. You see them around every bend…but their favorite spot is down by the water.

We sat and watched this group have a pool party. They sprayed mud, flopped down in it, rolled around and generally had a blast! Somehow they avoid sitting on the babies…but barely.

We got to spend a morning in a masai boma. The walls of the hut are made of mud and cow dung…very water repellent. This young girl is one of the wives…they do not get a choice as to who they marry….and it can be a very young girl with a very old man. The more prosperous the man, the more wives he has.

We are sitting on one of the beds, which is a ledge covered with a cow hide. We sat around some coals and talked all about the masai culture with James and a masai warrior that works at our lodge. The boys are circumcised anywhere after about twelve years of age, and can NOT make a face or cry during the procedure. The girls are also circumcised so that they do not “feel pleasure and become prostitutes”.

Dean said that the young girls could not take their eyes off me. Perhaps because I am twice the size of them! They live on a diet of milk mixed with blood, porridge and red meat. If a “warrior” passes through the area and needs a place to sleep he gets one of the beds. He puts his spear across the door so that the husband knows not to come in. Hmmmm. I'll have to try that at home. (Kidding!)

Our last activity was a safari walk. We went with our masai warrior, who would protect us with his spear. Did I mention that each night at dark a warrior meets us at our door with a spear or bow and arrow and a lantern to walk us to dinner? (As we were leaving James told us the reason for the escort after dark- a lion killed a zebra right in front of OUR unit a few years back.) We only saw small creatures and zebra, but had a lion appeared I was ready to witness some warrior prowess. On to Zanzibar! It is beach time…

Lake Manyara, Tanzania

On our way to Lake Manyara we stopped off to hike the rim of the Norongoro Crater with a ranger. Note the machine gun slung over his shoulder….in case we encountered buffalo, lion or elephant. Hmmm…..He taught us what to do in case we came across said animals. We never did, but now I have some strong life skills. Add that to the old resume. The best part is that we didn’t get attacked by a lion, however I almost got shoved over the rim of the crater by a mating Masai bull and cow. Typical.

A Masai boma. The houses are built by the wives, and made of wood coated with mud and dung. In the middle is a stick fence enclosure for all the cattle. The masai walk with spears in case they encounter lion, elephants or buffalo. All very possible, as many of them live within the National Park.

Our Lake Manyara campground. Easily our least favorite accommodation during the safari. We drove down a dusty 4WD road for an hour only to find a sandy barren wasteland. It was dry season, so the lake had shrunk to miles away. I had the pleasure of showering in the outdoor bucket shower with a fence that went up to my belly button. Leave your modesty at home.

The good news? The sunset was pretty and the stars were out in full force….and we were only there one night!

Lake Manyara…..thousands of pink flamingos and pelicans. When they all took flight it sounded like an airport.

Who can find the small deer-like creature in this picture? I made James back the truck up. “I swear I just saw a gazelle IN the tree!” Turns out it is a “rock climber” that has decided trees are just as fun.

We hit the local market in town to pick up some fruits. I got to look at all the different varieties of bananas…and have tasted them all! We stared at the produce, while all the villagers stared at us! Now on to Tarangire National Park.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Masai people are everywhere…driving their cattle and goats, selling jewelry, walking in the village and living in their boma’s (villages). Both men and women wear elaborate jewelry, short hair and colorful clothes. They are polygamous…most men have multiple wives and many children. Our guide told us that one Masai man had 8 wives, 25 children and 45 grandchildren!

The road coming into Serengeti National Park, arguably the most famous National Park in the world. Note the dust coming off of each car….it is like that every time you pass someone! No air conditioning….so windows open. Hard on the lungs and your laundry (especially when you pack light like we do.)

At this point we hit the “Big Five”….we had seen lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino and leopard all by day two. We could go home now….Doesn’t the leopard look comfy? They even drag their pray up into the trees.

This was our highlight of the entire safari. We had tracked a group of lioness as they made their way through the grass. This female then began stalking….and came right by our truck…heading for a group of giraffe. James said that lion rarely hunt giraffe…but she was going to give it a go…alone. While she was stalking we noted that the people in the truck ahead of us were staring at our truck. The second lion had moved forward and was sitting RIGHT behind our truck…with us all innocently looking in the other direction! We could have pet her as she passed by us. The first lion did chase the giraffe….but to no success! (Thank goodness…) Oh, and we caught it all on video!

Our camp for three nights. Incredible….at one point we could see giraffe, elephant, zebra, baboon and buffalo all from where we sat. No fences around us. At night we had all kinds of animals sniffing the canvas of our tent…and lions roaring in the background. Our tent was pretty luxurious…king bed, pit toilet and bucket shower all included. Each night we sat around the campfire naming the various animal sounds we could hear. We also had the pleasure of meeting a great couple from Syracuse, NY to share our adventure with!

Baby giraffe on the camp driveway. The giraffe are very curious, and we could usually get pretty close.

Lion cubs! There was a huge pride of lions on a bluff overlooking a watering hole. We saw them nearly every day. They were the same lions we saw stalking the giraffe. A pride is one big family…lots of snuggling and face rubbing going on.

I think this was taken with night vision...as it was after dark. Another leopard…we were lucky with the cats. We watched this one climb down from the tippy top of the tree and eventually get on the ground. We hoped he would hunt…but instead he got face to face with a hyena! Lots of growling and hissing….and the hyena eventually slunk away.

James said we would be lucky to see one cheetah, we saw SEVEN. We watched these two walk across the grass, scaring all the zebra and gazelle half to death. They then plopped down in the shade to wait for an unsuspecting animal to come from upwind. Sure enough…a herd of gazelle came merrily through the meadow. The cheetah gave the gazelle quite a chase….but ended halfheartedly. James thinks they weren’t very hungry, but typical of cats they can’t let the ball of yarn go by without a swat!

The Serengeti ecosystem is defined by the annual migration of over 1,500,000 million wildebeest, zebras and associated predators. We were lucky enough to witness the very beginning of this migration in this area. Difficult to see in this picture…but those are wildebeest running across the road….and it looked like the line never ended! On to Lake Manyara!