Baby Zebras! And MORE

Jambo! Karibo!

I'm writing this on the bus back to Oxford from Gatwick airport, after flying Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam to Amsterdam to London.  Yuck yuck yuck.

quick digression Amsterdam is the first place I've been repeatedly misidentified as a native! Which just resulted in me making a fool of myself repeatedly:
      Situation: Dutch stewardesses/employees/cute little kids in store/etc. talk to me in Dutch.
      Me: Dumb blank stare. Awful at responding smoothly or even realizing what was going on.    
      Stewardesses/kids/etc.: Look at me strangely. Graciously apologize.
      Me: Awkward attempt at reducing awkwardness: "Well, my blood is Dutch, but I'm American!"
      Launch into family history which just prolongs awkwardness without realizing they weren't
      getting half of what I was saying.  Happened several times.

Anyways, on to Tanzania, a.k.a. land of adorable baby zebras!  Every year, my family takes one big trip a year around Christmas.  This year we went on safari, which has single-handedly ruined zoos for me for the rest of my life.  Because it is SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING to watch animals interact than just watch animals in a cage.  Doubters? Presenting the top 10 safari moments from Tanzania that we saw LIVE:

1. Three brother cheetahs chase down second-to-last wildabeast in herd of 200.  Eat wildabeast alive.
2. 12 elephants take mud bath together. Teenagers wallow and play and smile a lot.  Elephant slippage everywhere. 
3. Colobus monkeys make 30 foot jump over road between two trees.  About 90 feet in the air. 
4. Baby lions sleep together. Paw at each other.  Roll over.  Yawn.  Annoy mom. Too cute to handle. 

   

   Lions taking advantage of truck shade next to us. 

5. Dumb wildabeast herd try to cross muddy lake.  A few get stuck.  Rest of wildabeast follow in line until 100 are stuck.  Spend next hour trying to keep following in line. No one thinks to turn around. 
6. Hyena chase off pack of about 50 vultures to eat some dead zebra.  Vultures fight like crazy for the rest, and then have to dry their wings off to rid of blood. 
7. Mama gazelle gives birth to tiny baby.  Baby learns to stand and tries to run.  Falls a lot.
8. Horny zebra males get repeatedly rejected by females. The ladies were not feeling it.  Back kick to the face.  On that note, baboon boners also deserve to make this list. 
9. Super healthy giraffe males fight by wrapping necks around each other.  Kind of looks like dancing.
10. Mad (HUGE) bull elephant decides our truck got a little too close.  Chases after us.  Trumpets and flares ears.  Terror. Those are some long-ass tusks.

Bull starting to chase our car. Note how close the tire marks were.

Really good pictures of top 10 will come soooooon.  They are on my parents' camera which is flying back to the States, where pictures will be sent to me.   I tried my hand at wildlife photography which was oodles of fun.  

Anyways, we also stayed in the area of the Maasai tribes of Africa, who are nomadic herders that maintain their traditional culture.  Polygamous/polyandry society.  Men are circumcised at the age of 15-20 without anesthetic and without making noise; we saw some newly circumcised teens dressed in black.  Squirm.  Our amazing Tanzanian guide Isaac was telling us how hard the Maasai are on women: they build the houses, cook, raise the cattle, and raise the children, while the men trade animals and drink liquor, according to him.  Also they are really sharp dressers.  

It was hard to fathom how different the lives of these women were. I couldn't help imagining that suppose there was a clone of me born in the Maasai tribe. There is hardly any way she'd end up at Oxford, through no fault of her own. She'd be married by 12 or 13 without any choice in the matter. It makes me feel fortunate or guilty or both, I can't decide which.  It's just one of those life questions that puts things in perspective. 

It was wonderful to see my family again, although it was even harder to say goodbye this time since I don't know when I'll see them again.  Sniff.  All in all though, a great holiday.  Now to bury my nose back in books. 

Lalla salama!  (Sleep well in Swahili) 

Lisa