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ANIMAL KINGDOM: TANZANIA |
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Lion on the Serengeti |
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MUTUAL OF OMAHA'S WILD KINGDOM (circa 1960-70's) spent a
great deal of time at the Serengeti game preserve in what is now Tanzania. I
used to love that show with host Marlin Perkins generally sitting safely high
and far away while his partner, Jim Fowler, wrestled Rhinos, lions, hyena,
crocs, etc. Old Jim Fowler would tag the beasts even after the native guides
had long since skeedaddled. |
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Indeed Tanzania is beautiful. It was formed by the merger
of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. Although AfroTrek tends to be down on just about
every East, South, Central and West African Nation (crime and attitude),
Tanzania is easily the safest, most likable of all Black African Nations. |
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Migrating herds on the Serengeti |
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Tanzania has a solid stable economy which kinda is due to
the stable government. They have a strong agricultural base, very good health
care (in small villages it's based on practicing paramedics) and an above
average educational system. The government is run by the President, Vice
President and national assembly. If the President is from Tanganyika, then he
must chose a vice president from Zanzibar (and vice versa) to keep power
balanced. |
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The population is made up of about a trillion different
ethnic groups who for the most part speak Bantu, Arabic and English all with
different dialects. You will find a lot of Masai people in Tanzania as well,
which is one of the reasons Afrotrek never recommended the country. Masai
still practice the ritual of female circumcision, something that most of the
world finds disgusting. But Ces la vie! Somewhere along the line they'll wake
up. |
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Tanzania is the largest of the East African Countries and
you'll not only find Serengeti, but also Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest
mountain on Africa), Lake Victoria (largest Lake) and Lake Tanganyika (the
deepest lake) as well as the lower part of the Great Rift Valley (where human
life first appeared). There is also a modest amount of diamonds and a trace
of gold can also be found here. |
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Masai Warriors |
Mount Kilimanjaro | |
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If you go, though, be prepared to be immersed in
traditional as well as contemporary cultures. The wood carvings are abstract
and the music is what you might call contemporary traditional. If you shoot
over to the Island of Zanzibar, be sure to buy one of the wood chests for
which they are famous. You'll find great deals in the city of Zanzibar at any
of the several open markets, There you can hone your skills in negotiating
and dickering; it'll remind you of Tangiers, Morocco or Istanbul, Turkey
because of the Arabic influence. |
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You'll arrive in Tanzania through Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro
airport and you might prefer KLM or Northwest Airlines .
Use them and you'll come through Amsterdam in lieu of Nairobi, Kenya (the
whole idea is to stay out of Kenya). Tanzania, unlike Kenya, is safe enough
to do on your own. The people, for the most part a very law abiding, aside
from the usual con artists. Still use caution at night and lock your
valuables in the hotel safe. In Dar es Salaam you might consider staying at
the Sofitel for about US$149 a night as AfroTrek did in 1999. When dining be
sure to visit the local cafes and if you can try some of the plantain and
coconut stew. And do try some of the local beer, it is quite good because of
the early German influences. |
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But animals are what most folk wanna see, and baby you'll
see them at the Serengeti reserve. Lions, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Giraffes, zebras,
ostriches, monkeys, spiders, snakes, you name it. There is every link on the
food chain for your observation. But remember, this is not the zoo, where
trainers toss morsels of food to the nice critters. This is real life, real
time and if you have a weak stomach go to a petting zoo. During my visit, we
had the opportunity to see hyenas corner and take out Bambi (actually a
Gazelle). It ain't pretty. However, the wildlife is accustomed to pesky ass
humans driving along in Land Rovers. Most seem bored with people in fact! You
can sign on to one of several local safari companies and unlike in Kenya,
generally have a good safe time. You should use the stateside services of
Abercrombie and Kent, perhaps the best adventure planners in the world. |
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Another venture would be to visit Kilimanjaro. There are
several companies that offer tours and even climbing treks, if you are so
inclined. A and K actually has a couple of expeditions that include Serengeti
and Kilimanjaro. But hurry, due to shifting climates, there is little remaining of the famous snows of Kilimanjaro! Experts say the mountain will be bare buy 2012! |
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The best part about Tanzania is the entry requirements are
few. Unless you come from a Yellow Fever area, you don't need a bunch of
shots. You may need to do the malaria thing so check with current State
Department requirements. The other thing - visa's are easy and relative
cheap to get, unlike most other African countries. Some precautions would be
to carry your camera with you en route and not check it, things happen.
Here's the downside... and it's a big downside: look to drop north of $7000 per
person at least (including airfare, safari, transfers, visa's, etc.). It
ain't cheap by any means. You'd better really like animals! |
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You don't have to take Jim Fowler with you to wrestle
elephants and crocs but you can have a once in a lifetime visit to the wild
kingdom. |
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