Author Archives: avt5049

Safari in Mikumi

So I have finally had my African safari experience!! How amazing to see the large animals and colorful birds on the beautiful landscape. The backdrop of the Eastern Arc Mountains made for beautiful photographs and 3 enjoyable days in the outdoors. Riding on the top of the Safari Truck is so awesome and makes the whole experience so memorable (and so do the people you share it with!! J) and authentic. The highlight of the trip was racing through the landscape with the wind blaring in my face  to find a lion pride who was feasting on a wildebeest. Who would have thought I would ever see that in person. Maybe I will post a picture of it when I return to the states. It is so frustrating that I cannot share these awesome photos! Anyway it was a well deserved trip for all after our week of hard work.

I also had my own little experience apart from the group because when we were doing work in the village the week before I got nipped by a local dog…and didn’t get arabies shot before coming here. Therefore, I have spent a good amount of time in the last few days on bumpy Tanzanian roads in transit to the hospital to get it checked and to a dispensary to get the shots. I have already gotten 2 of the three and am taking antibiotics to prevent an infection. It is not a very bad wound at all and luckily the dog’s teeth did not puncture my pant leg, so the chance of me getting rabies in the first place was very low and we do not think the dog was even infected. I will have to say it has definitely been a different experience and the hospitals here are VERY different than what is in America. They don’t even have band-aids. Seeing the conditions that they operate their facility in has made me appreciate what I have and has encouraged me to be more understanding of their way of life. Even though I wouldn’t have expected to get bit or am glad that it happened, it definitely was eye opening. The medicine here is also very inexpensive, but has to be because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

This week starts our final projects and the long haul to the end. Only 2 weeks left!


Location: Mang'ula, Tanzania

Village life in Mang’ula Tanzania

We have all been in Udzungwa Mountains National Park for 4 days now. When we got here, there was no power…and no internet except late at night and early in the morning. Even then it was very slow and it is hard to get our work done because we were only running on generator power for 4 hours a day. It is amazing how dependent we are on both in America. It is quite an adjustment and is like being at summer camp. It is a beautiful place situated in the Eastern Arc Mountains. I wish that I could post a picture of them. I have seen so many amazing sites here already and it has only been almost 2 weeks.

It is a big change being here in the “country” rather than in the big city of Dar es Salaam. The ride here was really bumpy and very long. There are even tour buses that people commute on here and they drive like they are on the interstate in America.  Farms of all different crops line the road ways and we even saw a man climbing a palm tree. They cut little foot notches in them so they can collect the fruit.

Yesterday we went on a hike in the National Park. It was intense and very humid, but the waterfalls that we saw were amazing. The whole crew even took a dip in the larger one. We have also seen a lot of the town of Mang’ula. It is very rural and most people live in mud-brick homes. There is no internal plumbing in them and water is collected at a local well type of thing. The way that these people live is so primitive and simple, but they are so happy, especially the little children who followed us all through town.

I wish that I knew the language (Swahili) because it is so frustrating to not be able to understand them or speak with them. All I really know is thank you, or asante. Hopefully I will pick up some more before the trip is over.


Location: Mang'ula, Tanzania

A new continent, another world

Well it has been a quick first week in Tanzania! The airplane ride was solo long and everyone was more than confused and very tired when we got here. Our first stop was in Dar es Salaam, the old capital of the country. It is amazing to compare a big African city to a large U.S. city. VERY VERY different. The sidewalks, if there are any at all, are dirt and not many of the streets are paved.  We stayed in a very nice hostel (with air conditioning!!! It is pretty hot here, and very humid–similar weather to Florida) in the “richer” part of the city. Not what one would expect, but it was interesting to see a different way of life. It is strange being the minority, and travelling in a large group makes us stand out a little.

We have a guide while we are here named Patrick. He is so cool and fun and took us for a walk around the city and beach of Dar. He came with us to Morogoro, where we are now, and is going to be joining us in the national park in Udzungwa for awhile also. He is a big help to us and we ask him so many questions. He is always happy to answer.

Morogoro is a smaller town and from what I have seen is very diverse (in that there a quite a few different religions as well as a mix of Africans and Indians, where as Dar seems more African dominated). The town is at the base of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen! The first day we were here we played soccer with some of the locals across the street from our hotel, which is very near the beautiful scenery (I can see it out the window as I write this). The town is very interesting and was bustling today when we drove through to go to the Sokoine University of Agriculture where we saw how they grow rice and other food products. I also ate some of a cassava root. Not so much a fan. I do miss American food already and most especially vegetables, well raw vegetables. We can’t eat them here or drink the water because of the potential to get sick from its untreated state. Lots of bottled water for everyone, including locals who also only seem to drink water. Soda is also very popular and comes in glass bottles that they recycle/reuse. Coca-cola is very popular.

We are all getting along well and are getting to know each other and are also learning from eachother. The group will be off to Udzungwa National Park tomorrow where we will start working on our landscape architecture projects that involve the park. I am excited to get started and see some more of the country’s beautiful natural features.


Location: Morogoro, Tanzania

In for an exciting summer

Hey everyone!

My name is Abby and I am just finishing up my third year in Penn State’s Landscape Architecture program.Time is flying by and I will be studying the landscape of Tanzania in less than a month! This will be my first experience away from the North American continent, but I think will be a awesome experience for me. I have finally received the flight information today and 13 hours on a plane is sounding like it may be a little difficult–lots of movies? I guess I will consider it time to relax from the rush of the end of the semester and getting ready for the trip.

I know most of the crew I am going with pretty well– most of them fellow LArchies. It will be good to spend some time with them seeing that I will be off to Rome in the fall with half of our class, and they will be there in the spring. It will be weird to not see them for an entire year when we spend a lot of everyday together now (work, live, play..one big semi-dysfunctional, but happy family 🙂 love you all). However, I am also excited to get to start new friendships with the rest of the group and know we will all get the experience of a lifetime out of this. I am also anxious to compare my experience in Tanzania to that in Rome– to wayyy different types of culture shock to come as well as many many photos (I will try and restrain myself).

Until next time,
Abby


Location: State College, PA