Hello! Happy Thanksgiving!
We are still in Arusha, but no longer with the Maasai anymore. We have been staying with Black Panther, Pete O'Neil for the past 3 days. For everybody who doesn't know who Pete O'Neil is, he started the Black Panther Kansas City chapter. After being exiled from the United States, he and his wife Charlotte moved to Tanzania and started the United African Alliance Community Center. We have been catching up on some much needed rest and relaxation.
For all of you who are wondering what the title to this blog means, well...it's a tribute to our goat. Six days ago, we had the opportunity to sacrifice a goat that we had bought previously in the market. After a long day of swahili class and numerous hours of playing soccer with the Maasai, it was "goat time." One of the customs to the Maasai culture is to sacrifice a goat and drink the blood.
The first step is to smother the goat so he can't breathe. Cliff volunteered to do this. After the goat died, you get a knife and stab the heart so the blood coagulates into the goats ribs. After skinning the goat, it was time to cut him/her open. Once the goat was cut open, it was time to take out the organs. It first started with the kidney. The kidney was offered to many of us to eat raw. Only a few of us had the stomach to eat it. Next, the intestines were taken out and put on the fire. Once they were smoked, the Maasai passed around the intestines for anybody who wanted to try. They were full of fat and I recommend not eating them! Next, we took out the liver and threw that on the fire to cook. While waiting for the liver to cook, it was time for the blood. I've never seen anybody drink blood of an animal before, but watching the Maasai drink the blood, it was like watching a savage eat/drink. They put the blood and a few other chunks into a large cup for us to try. Taylor, Cliff, Karen, Alexa, Zoe, Jess, Will, Izzy, Becca, Charlotte, and myself all drank it. Sadly, some of us even went back for seconds. It had a little barbecue taste to it, so it was a shock to me how good it was. After all the meat had been cut off the goat, they put it on sticks and let the fire barbecue it. Once it was done, it was chow time. I've never had goat before, but hey, there's a first time for everything.
One our final day with the Maasai, some people went to church while others went to herd cattle. After making our way back into Arusha, we decided to stay out a hostel called Backpackers. Everybody was happy because there were HOT showers which we had all missed. After a long night of rest, we were set to go to the UAACC. Godwin, drove us there and after telling us goodbye, it was home sweet home.
We've been watching documentaries on Pete O'Neil, participating in art classes, hanging out with kids, and even playing pool for hours. Well, it's Thanksgiving and we're all cooking different things tonight. So until next time...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Chris (HI MOM)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Walk to "Lake Manyara"
Hello again!
Yesterday was an intense one. We set out at 8:15 am for a walking safari to Lake Manyara. We can see the lake from our boma, and a bunch of us were excited to finally walk out to it. We were led out by one of the leaders of our boma, "Emseea" (I'm not sure how to spell it...)
He showed us different plants and natural medicines, including one that had a root that could cure back pain... and gonorrhea. Another was a tree that gave you the munchies, in the event that you had killed a cow and didn't want to waste it. There was also an apple that cures stomach flu, and a whistling acacia... that whistles. =D Nearly 5 minutes into the walk however, we saw a heard of giraffes and several empala. It was beathtaking.
After a hot, but enjoyable 3 hours, we stopped at a baubab tree to rest. Rather than rest, Karen and Cliff immediately started climbing it. Becca, Will, Chris, Alexa, Charlotte and Vicki followed once they were told it was safe. After that, we headed out to the lake that looked somewhat closer.
The trees and bushes vanished, and we were surrounded by nothingness. The occaisional gazelle ran by, or a giant heard of cattle, but there was nothing around us. After another 2 hours, we stopped in a giant mud puddle and looked around. Emseea looked at us and said "This is the lake."
Yes. Lake Manyara is dry and we've been looking at a mirage for 5 days. It was frustrating, but funny. I'd never thought mirages could be so convincing.
We trudged on through the desert for another couple hours, and finally made it into town to get picked up and driven back to the boma. The rest of the night was relaxing after we scarfed down a speghetti dinner.
Today, we'll be having another truly Maasai experience. We bought a goat in the market earlier, and later, Emseea and some of the other local guys will show us how the Maasai kill a goat. We'll be drinking the blood traditionally and then having a barbeque. I'm sure there'll be a detailed update on this in a few days!
That's about it!
-Jess
Yesterday was an intense one. We set out at 8:15 am for a walking safari to Lake Manyara. We can see the lake from our boma, and a bunch of us were excited to finally walk out to it. We were led out by one of the leaders of our boma, "Emseea" (I'm not sure how to spell it...)
He showed us different plants and natural medicines, including one that had a root that could cure back pain... and gonorrhea. Another was a tree that gave you the munchies, in the event that you had killed a cow and didn't want to waste it. There was also an apple that cures stomach flu, and a whistling acacia... that whistles. =D Nearly 5 minutes into the walk however, we saw a heard of giraffes and several empala. It was beathtaking.
After a hot, but enjoyable 3 hours, we stopped at a baubab tree to rest. Rather than rest, Karen and Cliff immediately started climbing it. Becca, Will, Chris, Alexa, Charlotte and Vicki followed once they were told it was safe. After that, we headed out to the lake that looked somewhat closer.
The trees and bushes vanished, and we were surrounded by nothingness. The occaisional gazelle ran by, or a giant heard of cattle, but there was nothing around us. After another 2 hours, we stopped in a giant mud puddle and looked around. Emseea looked at us and said "This is the lake."
Yes. Lake Manyara is dry and we've been looking at a mirage for 5 days. It was frustrating, but funny. I'd never thought mirages could be so convincing.
We trudged on through the desert for another couple hours, and finally made it into town to get picked up and driven back to the boma. The rest of the night was relaxing after we scarfed down a speghetti dinner.
Today, we'll be having another truly Maasai experience. We bought a goat in the market earlier, and later, Emseea and some of the other local guys will show us how the Maasai kill a goat. We'll be drinking the blood traditionally and then having a barbeque. I'm sure there'll be a detailed update on this in a few days!
That's about it!
-Jess
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Maasai =D
We've finally begun our 10 days with a Maasai tribe in Esilalei, Tanzania!
I'm sorry it's been awhile since the last blog, but things have been pretty rustic lately. After leaving Kigali, we landed in Arusha, Tanzania full of excitement. Especially me and Becca, who were jumping out of our plane seats when we saw the familiar airport.
We stayed one night at an incredible hotel, complete with a swimming pool and some pretty epic bandas. All the luxury was followed by Terengire National Park. Only 10 minutes into our first safari, and we saw a cheetah! One of the most difficult animals to see and there it was. Just hangin' out under a tree. It was a jaw-dropping experience. We continued through and got up close and personal with giraffes, dik-diks, antelope, elephants, water buffalo, and squinted to see the lions. At the end of the day, we went to our first night in the safari tents, and prepared for the next day.
Ngoronogoro crater was gorgeous. The lake was low and the grasses were a classic African-yellow in the dry season. The zebras and wilderbeasts ran by us, and we saw THREE MORE CHEETAHS! Several people commented on the fact that in Uganda, a natural healer had predicted luck for our group. ... Maybe that was it!
After our animal filled days of awesome, we went to Esilalei, a small village inhabited mainly by Maasai. Our small troop of safari cars drove off the paved roads, and dropped us in the middle of nowhere with a cook and tents. It was one of the most surreal things I've experienced. Three mud huts surround our tents, and a few small bomas (clusters of mud huts) are near by. But otherwise, the desert-esque savanah surrounds us on all sides.
The Maasai have welcomed us with open arms. Our first day, we participated in a local dance (men seprated from women). Izzy and Chris decked themselves our in traditional Maasai blankets, and Alexa and Zoe became "Maasai Mammas" (as said by some of the local men) shortly after.
There isn't a lot of volunteer work to be done, but we're soaking up aas much culture as possible. Cliff hearded cattle with the men. Karen, Alexa, Zoe, Becca, Taylor, Vicki, and I learned traditional beaded and interviewed a few of the people. Charlotte, Izzy, Will and Chris went to a local church service and visted a few of the nearby homes.
The afternoons are scorching hot and it's hard to do anything but lie down, but people have been adapting. An intense sandstorm alomst hit yesterday, but crisis was averted.
Anyway! We'd best be getting back to the boma for dinner.
More soon!
-Jess
I'm sorry it's been awhile since the last blog, but things have been pretty rustic lately. After leaving Kigali, we landed in Arusha, Tanzania full of excitement. Especially me and Becca, who were jumping out of our plane seats when we saw the familiar airport.
We stayed one night at an incredible hotel, complete with a swimming pool and some pretty epic bandas. All the luxury was followed by Terengire National Park. Only 10 minutes into our first safari, and we saw a cheetah! One of the most difficult animals to see and there it was. Just hangin' out under a tree. It was a jaw-dropping experience. We continued through and got up close and personal with giraffes, dik-diks, antelope, elephants, water buffalo, and squinted to see the lions. At the end of the day, we went to our first night in the safari tents, and prepared for the next day.
Ngoronogoro crater was gorgeous. The lake was low and the grasses were a classic African-yellow in the dry season. The zebras and wilderbeasts ran by us, and we saw THREE MORE CHEETAHS! Several people commented on the fact that in Uganda, a natural healer had predicted luck for our group. ... Maybe that was it!
After our animal filled days of awesome, we went to Esilalei, a small village inhabited mainly by Maasai. Our small troop of safari cars drove off the paved roads, and dropped us in the middle of nowhere with a cook and tents. It was one of the most surreal things I've experienced. Three mud huts surround our tents, and a few small bomas (clusters of mud huts) are near by. But otherwise, the desert-esque savanah surrounds us on all sides.
The Maasai have welcomed us with open arms. Our first day, we participated in a local dance (men seprated from women). Izzy and Chris decked themselves our in traditional Maasai blankets, and Alexa and Zoe became "Maasai Mammas" (as said by some of the local men) shortly after.
There isn't a lot of volunteer work to be done, but we're soaking up aas much culture as possible. Cliff hearded cattle with the men. Karen, Alexa, Zoe, Becca, Taylor, Vicki, and I learned traditional beaded and interviewed a few of the people. Charlotte, Izzy, Will and Chris went to a local church service and visted a few of the nearby homes.
The afternoons are scorching hot and it's hard to do anything but lie down, but people have been adapting. An intense sandstorm alomst hit yesterday, but crisis was averted.
Anyway! We'd best be getting back to the boma for dinner.
More soon!
-Jess
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Genocide, Culture, and Quotes
It's been an intense couple of days.
On Friday, we all took our time to see the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The museum was really interesting to say the least. It walks you through the history of Rwanda in relation to the 1994 genocide. There was so much information is was nearly impossible to process it all in one sitting. Even today, a people are going back for round two.
Yesterday, we all took a two hour drive to Butare in one of the most hilarious matatu's yet. It was decorated in the rasta colors, with quotes like "One Love" and "Together as One" on the ceiling. Music was blasted the entire day, complete with a light strip in the back at night.
The plan was to go to the National Museum, but we ended up going an hour further to the Murambi Memorial and genocide site. It was a moving experience for all of us. After a brief summation of the events in 1994, the guide took us to a series of small buildings, each with 5 or 6 rooms. In each room, there were tables covered with preserved bodies of the victims that were buried in mass graves at the site. Just seeing the sheer amount of the bodies, and knowing they were barely a fraction of the total number of victims, was intense in itself.
After that experience, we drove back to Butare and the National Museum. Our spirits were lifted considerably with a jaw-dropping cultural dance performance. For me at least, it was the highlight of the day. After the dancing and drumming, we toured the museum. Many of us had no idea how complex and intricate Rwandan society was and is.
Some Quotes So Far!
Izzy- "You are all my puppets!"
"Look Tiger. I could be those 30 women."
Will- "You know what, Alexa? I can't wait to get my arm bitten off by a shark and then smack you with my other limb."
Jess- "She projectile drooled."
"Here you go, dumbass. That's how normal people poop."
Alexa- "We're just being Africa'd out."
Becca- "The petite!"
"I just want to squeeze you right now!"
Zoe- "Shit, Peter!"
That's all for now! Tomorrow morning at 6am, we'll be off to Arusha, Tanzania!
-Jess
On Friday, we all took our time to see the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The museum was really interesting to say the least. It walks you through the history of Rwanda in relation to the 1994 genocide. There was so much information is was nearly impossible to process it all in one sitting. Even today, a people are going back for round two.
Yesterday, we all took a two hour drive to Butare in one of the most hilarious matatu's yet. It was decorated in the rasta colors, with quotes like "One Love" and "Together as One" on the ceiling. Music was blasted the entire day, complete with a light strip in the back at night.
The plan was to go to the National Museum, but we ended up going an hour further to the Murambi Memorial and genocide site. It was a moving experience for all of us. After a brief summation of the events in 1994, the guide took us to a series of small buildings, each with 5 or 6 rooms. In each room, there were tables covered with preserved bodies of the victims that were buried in mass graves at the site. Just seeing the sheer amount of the bodies, and knowing they were barely a fraction of the total number of victims, was intense in itself.
After that experience, we drove back to Butare and the National Museum. Our spirits were lifted considerably with a jaw-dropping cultural dance performance. For me at least, it was the highlight of the day. After the dancing and drumming, we toured the museum. Many of us had no idea how complex and intricate Rwandan society was and is.
Some Quotes So Far!
Izzy- "You are all my puppets!"
"Look Tiger. I could be those 30 women."
Will- "You know what, Alexa? I can't wait to get my arm bitten off by a shark and then smack you with my other limb."
Jess- "She projectile drooled."
"Here you go, dumbass. That's how normal people poop."
Alexa- "We're just being Africa'd out."
Becca- "The petite!"
"I just want to squeeze you right now!"
Zoe- "Shit, Peter!"
That's all for now! Tomorrow morning at 6am, we'll be off to Arusha, Tanzania!
-Jess
Friday, November 5, 2010
Goodbye Uganda, Hello Rwanda!
We arrived in Rwanda yesterday (some of us by foot!) and drove into Kigali. Of course, it wasn't a completely hassle-free experience. Chris was stopped at the Rwandan entrance. The man pointed at his signature in his passport, and the one on the form and said that the difference in the tilt of the "C" was suspicious. That, piled on top of the fact that Chris has cut his hair since his pass photo, and that he now has a beard, made the guard hold him back for awhile. Cliff stepped up though with the question, "Haven't you ever shaved before?" After some other forms of ID, Chris was allowed in.
Will got us a supremely awesome hotel-complete with western toilets in each room. After putting our things down and setting a time for supper, we all went our seperate ways to explore the city. Frankly, the difference between Kigali and the places we've been in Uganda is incredible. There are paved roads, a mall, several bookstores, a coffee shop, banks several stories high...
This morning, a few of us went to have coffee before we went to see the Genocide Memorial of Kigali. The Memorial was really moving. We learned the history of Rwanda, what led to the genocide, and the after-effects that the country is dealing with today. The final rooms displayed skulls, bones, clothes, and photos of the victims.
Until Monday, when we fly to Tanzania, we'll all be splitting up to explore Kigali, and visit several different sites and memorials.
More updates soon!
-Jess
Will got us a supremely awesome hotel-complete with western toilets in each room. After putting our things down and setting a time for supper, we all went our seperate ways to explore the city. Frankly, the difference between Kigali and the places we've been in Uganda is incredible. There are paved roads, a mall, several bookstores, a coffee shop, banks several stories high...
This morning, a few of us went to have coffee before we went to see the Genocide Memorial of Kigali. The Memorial was really moving. We learned the history of Rwanda, what led to the genocide, and the after-effects that the country is dealing with today. The final rooms displayed skulls, bones, clothes, and photos of the victims.
Until Monday, when we fly to Tanzania, we'll all be splitting up to explore Kigali, and visit several different sites and memorials.
More updates soon!
-Jess
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)