The Rhotia Valley Lodge uses a generator during the day and relies on the stored solar energy the rest of the time.  Fresh water is a precious commodity and hot water is the Holy Grail.  Each tent has a water tank that is heated by the stored solar energy and when it is gone it is gone.  So each guest is asked to use the hot water sparingly.  The problem is it takes so long to come out (when it does) that you end up having to collect the cold water that comes out before the water runs hot in a bucket to be used to flush the toilet or save for cleaning.  Veta usually takes her shower first and by the time I get in it’s gone. So far I have had 1 tepid shower and 1 freezing shower at 5AM, which was the time we had to get up to have breakfast and leave for the Ngorongoro Crater by 7AM.

The road to the crater was again bumpy and bouncy, but the scenery was quite beautiful.  Imaging hills of red clay topped with plush carpets of green vegetation and sunflowers forming a rolling multilayered patchwork quilt.  The homes are red clay brick huts with thatched roofs enclosed by fences made of twisted vines accentuated with palm-like shrubs.  Although each homestead is simple and rustic, the owners take great care to keep their area carefully manicured and clean.  There is a lot of pride if not money in these hills.

Kevin told us that the local people of Rhotia Valley and the nearby town of Karatu are Cushitic people who migrated to Tanzania from Ethiopia.  They have a different culture and completely different language than the majority of Tanzanians.  They believe in witchcraft and only live off the land.  They do not want to accumulate wealth or have large homes because they are afraid that their neighbors may become jealous and put a curse on them.  So they are happy to eke out a living that just covers the bare necessities: small home, food, clothes, and education. Those who become educated and want more leave to go to the larger cities and send money home to their families.  The Cushitics a very family oriented.  The other ethnicities in Tanzania are the Bantu people (majority), the Nilotes (the Maasai people), and the Khoisans (the Click people).  There are however 120 different tribes in Tanzania.

Now onto the Ngorongoro Crater:  the descent into the crater is spiraling bumpy road that thumps and bumps its way down to the bottom.  Once there, the land is flat as a pancake and you can see for miles.  From great distances it’s possible to see small dots in the distance that with the help of some binoculars turn out to be cape buffalo or elephants.  The sad part is you can also see the other vehicles racing about in search of the lions.  We saw lots of zebras and wildebeest and two hyenas contemplating an attack on two ostriches, which they quickly gave up on when the male ostrich ran towards them flapping his feathers. I was able to get a great photo of one of the hyenas as he ran towards our truck.  The lions were visible but they were very sleepy and barely lifted their heads for a photo op.  I was happy to see a silver back jackal and a golden jackal running about.  There were lots of warthogs scampering around, but what was most interesting was how all the animals seemed so relaxed, even the Thomson gazelles, which are usually quite shy.  The rare sighting, according to Kevin, was 5 Elangs lazing about without a care in the world.  Kevin told us they are usually difficult to get pictures of because they are so skittish and usually run when they feel eyes upon them.

We ate our lunch in the middle of the crater by Ngoitoktok Spring, which is a large fresh water lake in the park.  Afterwards we took another drive around and saw, for me anyway, the best shot sight of the day — a pack of 11 hyenas sleeping by a watering hole.  Two would occasionally lift their heads to see what the three fools in the truck were looking at, which gave us a chance to photography their mangy faces.

The climb out was a lot easier than the descent.  On our way back to the lodge, we stopped off to check out a local Maasai community and take a tour of their village.  They welcomed us with a song and dance and the women invited Veta and I to join the dancing.  The men would pound their staffs and jump really high in what seemed like a competition to see who could jump the highest and the women chanted and popped their shoulders forward to make their necklaces flap up and down.  The women put necklaces on us and we joined in popping our shoulders and flapping our necklaces like the others.  I tried to mimic the chant in a kind of call and response pattern (ala the old plantation days), which made the old lady next to me laugh and squeeze my hand.

After the welcome song, we followed the chief inside the village to see a typical boma (a family house).  I tiny round hut made of vines and dried cow dung (it did not stink) but it was very dark inside because the only access for light were three holes in the walls that were about  4-inches in diameter – just enough to let the smoke out for cooking and light inside to see.  The entrance is about two feet wide and four feet tall so you have to stoop and shimmy to enter.  The entire space inside was about 5ft x 5ft The roof was made of vines and straw.  In the middle of the room in where there were stones to contain the fire for cooking, and two raised platform areas about 12-inches high and covered with a smooth, but stiff sheet of cowhide that they sleep on.  The platforms were divided by a mud and dung wall.  The wife and daughters sleep on one platform and the husband and sons sleep on the other.  No clue where the mom and dad go to make another kid cuz there ain’t another room.

The chief then took us to look at some handmade crafts created by the women of the village.  We bought some stuff after a round of bargaining that felt like 5 hours, but was probably 15 minutes.  I stared at the ground while Veta haggled over the price.  After that, the chief took us to their school and we met the children who greeted us with a song.  We gave them some of the pencils and pens we brought and then shook the kids’ hands and said goodbye.  One boy would not let go and then another girl kissed my hand.  I am not sure what to say about that and that’s all I will write.

We said our goodbyes and then headed back to the lodge.  Veta went back to the room to shower.  I stayed at the bar and had a beer while transferring pictures to my computer because it was almost time for dinner.  There is a bathroom in the main part of the lodge where dinner is served, so I just washed my face and paws in there.  Veta joined me all fresh faced for dinner: Freshly made bread from their bakery, onion soup, Greek salad and moussaka, and crepes with fresh fruit for dessert.

After dinner, I had the pleasure of another freezing shower.  I got in and waited but the water never warmed up so I shivered through another ice bath.

Thank god they have the Internet, so I will connect and upload my posts tomorrow evening.  During the day we will visit the orphanage located down the road (which is part of and supported by the lodge).  I brought lots of books, flash cards, games, and pens for the children so it should be a fun day.  Also, I will get a tour of their dairy and bakery.  I think Kevin is going to pick us up around 4 to see another local town.  The Internet comes on at 6pm sooo wooooohoooooo good times to come. Hope I will be able to upload photos too so you can see my prize shot of the day: three souvenir carts parked by the main road to town: one had a sign attached that read Barack Obama’s Souvenir Shop; the second read John Kerry’s shop; and the 3^rd and my personal favorite said Hillary Clinton’s Shop.  With that I will say goodnight.