We left Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge and the infinity pool for our lodging in Karatu (the village that our lodge is near). This place was heavenly! I don't even need to describe it because the pictures will tell it all. Yes, we each had our own 'house' surrounded by gardens, coffee plantations, flowers, another great pool and a gorgeous view.
Each house is named after body parts...other places used up all of the African animals so I guess they ran out of ideas. Pua was our home...it means 'nose'.
I might mention here that the people, ALL of the people that we have encountered, have been so friendly, helpful, kind and cheerful. Everywhere we go we hear 'jambo!' ('hello' in Swahili). We ventured into the town of Karatu (with our trusty guide, Nixon of course…it's not advisable to wander out on our own) to have a look at the authentic comings and goings of the townspeople. It really is an interesting place. Dirt roads; people everywhere; motorcycles for hire under every other tree along the main road; children walking to and from school in their uniforms; animals wandering the streets, and it's not too difficult to spot the Masai in amongst the locals, with their traditional red or blue robes and a stick in one hand.
Days are hot, nights are just right. The nights were particularly memorable. There was a thunder storm. There was an elephant. The thunder storm…you have never seen sheet lightening like this, I am positive. The next day while we were eating breakfast, we were discussing the noises that we had heard in the night as well that sounded like some people in the town were having a party as there was lots of yelling and shouting…our server overheard us and told us that it was not a party…it was an elephant. Sometimes they wander into the town areas of course and when they do, all the people make as much noise as possible to scare it away and signal to surrounding homes to be aware. That was an exciting night! (Only because our hotel is enclosed in a huge metal fence and a guard and dogs at the front gate!)
The homes around the lodge are made of hand made bricks. There is a lot of red dirt around, as it is rich in minerals. The single lane roads are meant for cars, people, goats, sheep, cattle and even elephants! lol On our way to town, the kids were coming home from school and it had rained and left a muddy mess on the roads…but the kids don't seem to care. They find entertainment in the simplest things. As we approached a group of kids, maybe 8 years old, they started throwing their shoes into the middle of the road right before we passed--leaving no option but to drive over them. The children laughed and laughed…maybe it was some sort of competition. It was comical nonetheless. For them, and for us!
The other thing we noted was the number of very small children that are walking around on their own. Small boys and girls walking along the highway to their school (which in some cases is as far as 5 km). When I say small, I mean 6 year olds even!
Kids on their way to school.
In fact, those are the privileged children who actually get to go to school. The ones that can't afford to pay 100 dollars for the school fee for the year stay home. The Masai children of that age are already guarding the family herd of goats, sheep or cattle. They take them to a place to graze (we found a lot alongside the roads) all day and then take them back home at night. Yeah. As young as 5 for sure…sometimes an older brother was with them while in the 'training' stage, but many were already flying solo. It's just so shocking.
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