Non-Program Day Numero Dos

Today was our second non-program day. We got to sleep in again :]

After breakfast we drove down to mto wa mbu, the town at the bottom of the hill/ small mountain our camp is on. When we saw our bikes they looked pretty good. I found one that was a good size for me and hopped on. It was a little chaotic getting started because there were thrity of us all trying to get on our bikes and get started at the same time. Once we got going though we got on some asphalt and everything seemed okay.

The trouble started when we got across the street and started biking on the dirt roads. The dirt roads here have about a million rocks sticking out of them and our bike seats were really hard so I was in pretty much immediate pain. Plus there were thirty of us with varying degrees of biking experience/skills so there was a lot of near missed and bumping tires. Also, we were riding through a residential area so there were kids running up to the road, people were walking along the road, people were biking along the road, dogs were running around and a drunk guy even ran with us for a while. The drunk guy kept yelling "follow follow follow!" It was rather creepy. I just wanted to scream at him "GO AWAY!!!"

After a little while of riding through town we got out into the open plains near the national park. When we got out there there was a herd of zebras. We stopped and took pictures of them for a while and then we got back on our bikes and started riding RIGHT TOWARDS THEM!!! Riding our bikes with/after a herd of running zebras was by far the coolest thing I have done so far! The best part was that people kept riding off to the side so the zebras we in effect herded along in front of us. I absolutely LOVED this part of the trip. Running with zebras may be one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life.

When the zebras ran away we headed to Lake Manyara and hung out on the shore for a while. It was cool because there were lots of birds (big cranes) and a few fishermen on the lake. There were also mountains all around the lake and the big grass plain we had just rode across behind us. It was so peaceful. I could have stayed there all day and just taken in the scenery.

Getting back on the bike to head back from the lake was extremely painful. But I just kept treking. On the way back we stopped at a carving place that used traditional methods to make beautiful traditional figures. I got a game that is similar to mancala. It is made of ebony and has giraffes carved on the outside of the board. Also, I was really proud because I had one of the staff members bargain for me so I got the game for only 20,000 Tanzanian shillings (about $13). After the carving place we went to a painting place that was similarly traditional and just as I said "I don't think I'll buy anything. Nothing here really strikes me" I saw a painting out of the corner of my eye that I couldn't stop thinking about. I ended up buying it. It is a symmetrical painting of two maasai people herding their cows under an umbrella acaica tree. I had to get it because I hadn't seen any other paintings like it. The painting was also only 20,000 shillings (and it's a sizable piece).

When we walked out of the painting shop everyone was gone but their bikes were still there so we were really confused. Our guide told us that everyone was tired of riding bikes so they had walked back to the cars. I was glad we didn't have to ride any more because my butt and my hands really hurt. I have bruises from the handle bars on both of my palms. I guess it must have been from standing and using my hands to brace myself so that I wasn't sitting over bumps...

After the bike ride we had lunch and went to the maasai market in mto wa mbu. It was a bunch of alleys with little shops all along the sides. I really enjoyed being there and bought a few things but by the end I was so tired of bartering and being hassled by everyone to come into their shop. I just climbed in the car and shut the window. (You have to shut the window otherwise people will come up and stick their heads and/or their merchandise in the window and try to get you to buy things.)

We ended the day at Happy Days again. I ordered "chicken chips" (fried chicken and fries) and a beer. It was so nice just to sit down and chill. We tried to play my new game but it was too confusing. Some of the staff members promised they will play with me though so hopefully I will have mastered the concept soon.

Tomorrow we will be looking at wildlife management areas (wildlife conservation areas that are controlled by local people). I think I'm going to wear my new dress. I'm super excited :]