Trip to East Africa

My wife and I recently took a trip to East Africa, to Kenya and Tanzania, which is when the photos at the left were taken. Our guides---John in Kenya and Willie in Tanzania---were extraordinary in their knowledge of tracking, animal behavior, plant life, astronomy...the list goes on. Both are highly educated and terrific people. They made our weeks in their respective countries thoroughly enjoyable. If I have time, I'll rotate the pictures or try out the slide-show gizmo.

Decades ago I studied "Olduvai Gorge" in Anthropology; I enjoyed seeing it in person. The Gorge, known as "The Cradle of Mankind," rests in the Great Rift Valley, on the Eastern Serengeti Plains in Northern Tanzania. Ironically, "Olduvai" turned out to be a misspelling by the German scientist who named the spot for the sisal plant that populates the area. The Maasai people called the plant, "Oldupaai," meaning "many uses." (E.g., rope, clothing , antiseptic, baskets, and more.)