This morning we got to sleep in because we didn't have class. It was the first time I've slept in past sun rise since I've been here.
At breakfast we packed lunches to take with us for the day and then we headed out to see the elephant caves. The elephant caves are where the elephants go and dig into a hill to free chunks of earth containing essential vitamins and minerals. It is the only place around that they can get these things. Animals travel from all of the national parks in the area to get the nutrients from this area. The elephants use their tusks to carve out chunks of earth which they then eat. Other animals, such as buffalo and baboons, eat the chucks that the elephants leave behind. We didn't see any animals because they are usually there in the early morning and evening and hide during the day but we did see evidence of them (tracks and poop). Also, the caves themselves were pretty amazing.
After the elephant caves we went to a place called African Galleries to look at Tanzanite. I got three pieces; two chips and a cut stone. I plan on putting them in jewelry when I get home. It was really expensive to buy them pre-set but relatively cheap to buy just the stones.
Then we went into Karatu to shop for a little while. I bought some fabric, a Tanzanian soccer jersey and a small wooden giraffe. Bargaining is hard. I don't really know when to bargain and when not to. And sometimes I forget what is a reasonable price (they usually ask foreigners for triple what the product is worth). Plus people here can be scary to bargain with... I don't think I have been ripped off anywhere (there is always someone who paid more) but I am not getting as good prices as I managed to haggle the first day we went into town.
After walking around in town for a while we went to a restaurant called Happy Days. There we got "normal food": pizza, pasta and burgers. I also had a beer called Serengeti. I was just super excited because it had a leopard on the label. There is also a beer here called Kilimanjaro (like the mountain) that "refreshes a Tanzanian thirst." Haha. A lot of people wanted to eat a lot and get drunk because this was the first chance we had to drink and eat "American" food all program but I just relaxed, tried bits of other people's meals, and watched them be ridiculous.
After Happy Days we went to the tailor to get our fabric made into different things. I am getting a bag and a pair of pajama-like pants. I am especially excited for the pjs! I feel like I won't spend money for a while though. I know I'm on vacation but I always feel guilty spending money...
Tomorrow we have to write our first paper. I'll let you know how it goes :]
Do the elephants travel from national parks on their own to get to these caves? Or are they brought there to get the food that is so beneficial to them? I can imagine that question might make you laugh. I am thinking that if they come on their own, do they come through the towns in-between the parks? Is there some kind of bypass for them? I bet those pajama pants will be nice and the jewelry you make from the tanzanite will be a keepsake from this trip that you can have for a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThe elephants travel on their own. None of the parks here are fenced in so the animals can travel in and out as they please. Sometimes here are wildlife corridors (strips of conserved land that connect the parks) but the animals don't necessarily follow them. The area that we are in has a rapidly expanding human population and it is a struggle to keep the animals off people's land and away from their livestock/crops. Then, if the animals do eat crops or attack livestock or people- we actually have to be in camp before the hyenas come out at dark because they have attacked people in this area- it is hard to convince the locals not to retaliate by killing whatever animals they can find. There are many programs and methods that are being tried to reduce wildlife-human conflicts.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't wait to make jewelry from my tanzanite!