Camels, snakes and eyes wide open

A day off work, but not a day off the adventure… Today we were able to sleep in a little later as it was our one day off; we definitely took advantage of every moment of the day!  As usual, we piled into two 'daladalas' that stayed with us throughout the day and headed out as one very energized group.  

Our first stop was the exchange bureau/bank so the 'mzungas' could get some much needed Tanzania shillings to spend.  Some ATM's work better than others, some don't work at all.  If all else fails, just try again and you'll likely have success; persistence pays off.  Just the trip to the ATM can be quite interesting because our 'daladalas' were immediately approached by locals trying to sell us batiks.  Everyone's bartering and ignoring skills are vastly improving so we managed to make a few good deals before even getting to the market!

From there it was off to Shanga River House.  Shanga is a jewellery making organization that was started in 2006.  The founder, Saskia Rechtseiner, wanted to start a business making jewellery using marbles that her son's played with.  She hired a local woman to work for her, and realized that the woman couldn't speak.  It soon became apparent that individuals with special needs were either hidden by their families because of the shame, or they were left on the streets to beg.  Needless to say, Saskia was deeply moved by this realization and shifted the focus of her business from making money for herself, to finding an opportunity to help a very needy segment of society.  Today, Shanga River House is a thriving, non-profit organization that employs some 30-40 workers.  The majority of the workers are deaf, mute or physically disabled.  All the workers are productive members of this amazing organization that produces a variety of high quality jewellery and purses.  They use recycled glass to make the beads thereby attempting to help with the need to recycle.  When we arrived at Shanga we were given a brief lesson in signing so we could communicate with the employees.  We had a tour of the operation, and then had an opportunity to make a few purchases.  No doubt many of you at home will be receiving lovely gifts from Shanga!  If you'd like to check out their wares, go to www.shanga.org; you can purchase their products on line.  The motto at Shanga is 'Kindness is a gift that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.'  That left a lasting impression with our group.

Once again it was time to pile into the 'daladalas', this time for a thirty minute ride through the countryside.  As one would imagine, the terrain is fairly flat and dry, with a few hills in the distance.  It does bare some resemblance to the desert areas of Oliver/Osoyoos with wide open spaces spotted with a few shrubs and the odd acacia tree.  However, we did see several Masai 'bomas' which are gatherings of a few mud huts surrounded by protective fences made from acacia trees.  Acacia trees have strong, sharp thorns several inches long that keep out predators.  The Masai people are still allowed to live on the land because they do no damage to the land.  A 'boma' is an area where on warrior will live with his wife/wives, children and livestock.  Each wife will have a separate hut.  The acacia fence will encircle all the huts into one small community.  The Masai still successfully live off the land without running water or electricity.

Our journey took us to the Snake Park where we saw crocodiles, alligators, tortoises, a variety of birds, and, of course, SNAKES!  These weren't just any snakes.  These were some of the most deadly cobras, vipers and pythons known to mankind.  And, just for added effect, they fed the snakes while we were there.  Much to our surprise, the snakes were fed very young chicks.  Once the snakes honed in, the chicks were gone quite quickly and painlessly.  On an equally exhilarating note, the kids were able to hold a snake and/or baby alligator if they so chose.  Several were brave enough and took full advantage, others got their thrills just looking on; I was among the latter group!  The snake park also had a walk through a replica museum of a Masai village complete with both men and women circumcision ceremonies.  We were guided through by a Masai warrior who himself had gone through the ceremony to enter manhood.  Although the practice is currently banned by the government, many Masai men and women still go through with it because it is such a significant part of their culture.  As we walked through the museum, one of the chaperones commented that it is amazing to walk through an exhibit that is a current way of life, not a lifestyle from hundreds of years ago.  In fact,  one of our English speaking program guides, Moses, is a Masai warrior.  You could have heard a pin drop the night he told the kids about his culture as we sat around a camp fire.  It is quite an honour to work with someone who can move so effectively back and forth between two very different cultures.  He is fluent in English, Swahili and Masai, and moves fluidly between the three languages, eagerly teaching us useful expressions and sharing his knowledge.  

No day off would be complete without a trip to the Masai Market; that was our last stop of the day before dinner.  Being Sunday afternoon there were several other bus loads of tourists already there.  This was a good thing because it meant that we wouldn't be quite so aggressively 'welcomed' into the individual stalls for a 'free look'.  It was a bad thing because the merchants started their bartering at a higher price than usual.  Fortunately, this was the second time around for us and we were feeling more confident in our ability to get a good 'best price'.  At least all the kids were able to.  I, on the other hand, despite my newfound confidence, didn't seem to be able to get the same deals at the end of the day.  The entire experience made for great dinner conversation and showing of the latest round of gifts and souvenirs that were purchased.  I'm not quite sure if Canadian customs is ready to deal with the barrage of knives, shields, scarfs and sandals that will be brought into the country shortly; time will tell.

As usual, our day wrapped up over an evening meal for 30; this time, courtesy of Mr. Bidlake.  We enjoyed a lovely variety of pizzas and calzones at a local Italian restaurant before we headed back to Base Camp.  

Tomorrow morning we start a little earlier, with refreshed muscles, eager minds, and a determination like no other to get the job done.  Week two, here we come!