What's Gnu

I remember a book I read as a child that talked about an animal called a gnu. I just found out that gnu is another name for wildebeest, but it's much more fun to say and use in puns :-) So I will tell you what's gnu today.

The tented camp where we are staying is the coolest thing. Our tent has a queen size bed with a mattress and comforter, and we also have end tables and a wardrobe to hang our clothes. There is a zippered flap that separates the bedroom from the bathroom part of the tent. In the bathroom area, there is a sink with a small mirror. The staff supplies you with a thermos of hot water (which is so well-insulated that it stayed hot all night) and a pitcher of cold water. You put the stopper in the sink and add hot and cold water until you get the temperature you like, then you can wash your hands and face. If you want a shower, you tell the staff when you would like it, and they bring a bucket of hot water and pour it into a bladder that is hanging outside the tent. You step into the shower area, which has flaps to make it separate from the sink area, and take a very quick shower. When Clif took his last night, I asked him if he had enough hot water. He said, "yes," Then a voice from outside the tent said, "Would you like more hot water?" It was a little disconcerting to hear that someone was waiting outside our tent to see if we needed more hot water for our shower, but they just want their guests to be comfortable. Then there is another area separated by flaps that is the toilet area. There is an actual toilet seat that you can sit on, but first you must reach down and pull out some kind of lever that "opens" the seat. Without giving you more details than you want, let's just say it's basically a waterless toilet. There is a kind of "flushing" mechanism that will make the toilet paper go down if you pump it several times. I really shouldn't complain. On this trip, I have had to use a squat pot at some rest areas and pour water from a bucket to make it "flush", so this is pretty luxurious. And it's light years better than the outhouses at Clear Creek Camp. But still, on this trip of a lifetime, it's a little "primitive."

However, the staff has a reception tent set up with couches, chairs, lamps, a re-charging station for electronics and a bar! They use solar energy to keep things refrigerated, so I had a cold drink after the dusty day on the road. Then we went to dinner in the mess tent. There were linen tablecloths, china and silverware and a lovely meal of pumpkin soup, fried fish, mashed potatoes, carrots and peas and fresh-baked bread. They also served lemon cheesecake for dessert.

I've never had an experience quite like this. On the one hand, I'm sleeping in a tent without running water and with only a few small solar powered lights. On the other hand, I'm in the middle of the Serengeti eating on fine china! So, I really have no complaints. It's just very interesting.

We went out in the park today and finally saw a leopard. We actually saw three - a mama and two cubs. Then we saw a pride of lions taking a nap. We also saw some jackals for the first time, and lots of other animals we have seen before - but they are still cool. When we stopped for lunch at the Visitor's Center, we saw some very large rodent-like creatures which we learned are called hyrax. We referred to them as ROUS (Princess Bride reference). We passed a couple of safari jeeps with families, and the kids were sitting in the back reading magazines. Clif and I looked at each other and shook our heads. If we ever brought kids all the way to Africa to see the Serengeti, we'd make sure they actually saw it :-)

We really like our guide Alex. He knows a lot about the animals in the park, and he's very good at spotting them from a distance. Clif asked him today why he wanted to be a safari guide. He answered, "When I was growing up, I thought, 'I want to work with white people.' So the only jobs where I can do that is in a hotel or on tours." This answer really threw us. As I posted earlier, I was uncomfortable with seeing all the white tourists being waited on by all the African workers. I have been careful all week to refer to the clients of the safari companies as "tourists" and not "white people". But the term Alex used was "white people", and he used it in a way that had a positive meaning (for him). The Swahili word to describe us is mzungu - one who goes in circles, an aimless wanderer. I think that probably describes us best. People with a lot of money who come to Africa and wander aimlessly. But for some Tanzanians like Alex, that's a good thing..