Photo Blog - Tanzania

Victoria Falls.

The Tonga people of southern Zambia have a legend of a dragon. The Nyami Nyami, meaning “meat meat”,lives in the Zambezi river, specifically at Victoria Falls. There are many stories of his origins. Some say he used to live at Victoria Falls, locally Mosi-o-Tunya, meaning “the smoke that thunders”, where the coiled up dragon spent his time. Downstream his wife lived, and when the Kariba dam was built, the Tonga people, many who had to be relocated, prayed to their great spirit to fight back. In 1957 and 1958 the river received the worst floods in over 100 years. The Nyami Nyami heard their call. The Tonga people, still wanting their land back, believe that some day the Nyami Nyami will find a way to return to his wife. People around the river wear a necklace made out of local river stones or bone, representing the Nyami Nyami, providing them good luck and passage along the river.

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Bagamoyo, Tanzania, sunrise.

400 year old cave dug by the Chagga people during times of
war with the Massai. They went from miles connecting villages
and housed their families and livestock. They got good at defending
themselves in their caves, disguising their presence, hiding their smoke
and disposing of their enemies in the river (also connected underground).
Guards would wait in the darkness just after the tunnel opens further than
you can open your arms and touch the walls. When you reach that point
you say the secret word. If not, you'll get to meet either the half kaput stick,
knocking you out, or the full kaput stick.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Baby Baboon tasting a leaf.

Ground Hornbill at Lake Manyara

Bull Elephant at Lake Manyara

Giraffes at Tarangire National Park

Herds of Tarangire National Park

Massai are the only people allowed to live in the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area in northern Tanzania. They are herders and
have made an agreement with the government to live in harmony
with the land, only herding, and no farming. They wrap themselves
the cloth, blue for men, red for women. For their sandals, they are now
made from used tires, using the tread on the bottom. They are squared
instead of rounded so your enemies cannot tell which direction you
were headed based on your footprints. Many men have gaps between
their front two teeth. They say that since they were a war tribe in the
past, the gap served the purpose of feeding the injured when they
couldn't open their mouths.

Massai women wear beads around their necks, shrugging their shoulders
to make noise to the beat of their songs.

African Elephant crossing the plains in the crater.
The crater walls made for beautiful views.

Roar

Lions hanging out by the stream.

I've found that zebras make great pictures. This is one of my favorites.

We came up on this lion hanging out in the middle of the road.
Later she got up and took shelter from the sun right under my window.
I could have touched her.

Lesser Flamingos migrate from one side of the lake to the other.
They live here their whole life.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. The crater is made from an extinct volcano,
which basically imploded. This region has been better preserved for the wildlife
than many other regions in the area. It boasts the highest density of predators
in all of Africa.

Stone Town is known for their wood door carvings. Just walking
through the streets you can admire them all.

Octopus dinner with macaroni. Yum.

Spice tour guide climbing coconut trees. They tie bark into a figure 8,
wrap their feet, and shimmy up the tree. I tried and made it a few feet
before calling it quits, drenched in sweat.

Coconut picking acrobatics.

Completely unedited picture.

Our snorkeling guide owns a restaurant and catches octopus in
his spare time. Caught this one for us and let us play with it for
a while.

Stone Town, Zanzibar at sunset.