Tanzania – beautiful and heartbreaking

Two years ago I spent 18 days in Arusha, Tanzania and it was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was during my first year of “nomading.” That first year was full of experiences where I thought ‘this is, for sure, the farthest I have been outside my comfort zone.” And then I would be wrong because the next place or adventure, I would think the exact same thing.

However looking back, I do think Tanzania was the most challenging time during my first year. I volunteered at a local school just outside of Arusha. The children were beautiful and the experience was heart breaking. There, I stayed at a local homestay where I met some beautiful people but some circumstances were still heartbreaking. I went on a safari and (outside of my children being born) it was definitely the most beautiful, awe inspiring, breath catching experience of my life. However, I learned so much on the safari that was… heartbreaking. My time in Tanzania was when I started to understand that 2 completely opposite things can both be completely true. Tanzania will always hold a special place in my heart. And one day when my heart has fully healed, I hope to go back.

I went to Tanzania primarily to volunteer but I hoped to do a safari while I was there. Thankfully, I was lucky to do both. I had already volunteered in Guatemala and thought I was ready for the experience. Sadly, I was not prepared for the heartbreak that was volunteering in Tanzania. On the other end of the spectrum, I thought I knew how awesome the safari would be. But it was more magical, more beautiful, more “pinch me, is this real” than I could ever have imagined.

Going on safari

First, I don’t think there are words or photos that can help anyone feel the incredible grandeur and beauty that is Africa. I will try but I will certainly fail. I’m a huge fan of National Geographic documentaries which is why I wanted to do a safari. Before my visit, I watched a few documentaries about African wildlife. And then I saw a herd of elephants amble by, up close and in person. Well, I do not have the words to describe the majesty of it. It was nothing like seeing it on a screen.

We watched a lioness stalk her prey for almost an hour. It was humbling to see first hand the beauty of the whole ‘circle of life’ thing. At first, it was devastating to think of the poor unsuspecting zebras. Then I saw hundreds and hundreds of zebras roaming and cavorting, as compared to a handful of fierce but thin lions. I realized it all worked the way it is supposed to work.

Then the quiet dignity of the funny little wart hogs – I don’t think anyone who has only seen them on the movie screen can grasp the delicate way a warthog moves or understand how sweet their little family units are. And the massive herds of wildebeests were… well they were absolutely wild. I loved it all but if I had to pick my 2 favorite animals, they would be the incredibly wise and beautiful elephant and the tiny but dignified warthog.

I was lucky enough to have 2 housemates who also wanted to do a safari and we were able to arrange a 2 day, 1 night tour to the Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Both are protected areas and absolutely beautiful. Not just in the land, although looking down on the Ngorongoro Crater from the rim above will forever be etched in my mind and heart, but the harmony between all the animals was the most unexpected beauty. Adding to my luck of having 2 new friends who were happy to safari with me, was the wonderful guide that we had. Johnson was incredibly informative, a graduate of environmental studies. He was able to teach us about the animals, the local tribes and especially the conflicts between the local tribes and environmental groups.

Tarangire National Park

The Tarangire National Park is the 6th largest National Park in Tanzania, covering 2,600 square kilometers. It has the highest concentration of African elephants in Tanzania. In my life, I never expected that I would ever see that many elephants so close. It was truly incredible. The most beautiful but heartbreaking moment was finding one very old male elephant far removed from any of the herds. He was walking so slowly and Johnson explained that when an elephant knows they are going to die, they leave the herd and wander off on their own. Some say that this is a romantic myth but he believes it to be true and now, so do I. We also saw 2 young elephant bulls fighting, as well as some mothers with their calves washing off in the river.

Tarangire is also where I fell in love with the sweet and dignified warthog. We stumbled across a little family and stopped and watched them interact for a while. The little one was so playful and honestly looked like he was dancing in the way that he pranced around his parents. The entire afternoon was magical and even though we were told the next day would be even better, I did not believe it could be. I was wrong.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The following morning, after driving almost an hour from our campsite, we entered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The sky was incredibly blue that day and as we climbed up and up, the clouds got brighter and fluffier. It looked like a painting. Then we ascended the rim and got our first glimpse of the ‘crater’ and honestly, I almost cried.

The Ngorongoro Crater is 610 meters deep and covers 260 square kilometers. It was formed when a large volcano erupted and collapsed 2 to 3 million years ago. And it is impossible to describe how beautiful it is. It is home to approximately 25,000 large animals year round and is also part of the Great Migration that happens every year. The Great Migration is actually a continuous journey of wildebeests, zebras, antelopes and other grazing animals through Tanzania and Kenya and back again.

We spent over 6 hours touring around the conservation area and honestly, I could have spent 6 days and not have tired of the views. There were zebras, wildebeests, antelopes, gazelles, jackals, water buffalos, flamingos, ostriches, warthogs, hyenas, giraffes, hippopotamuses, black rhinos, elephants, and lions. It was incredibly humbling. Actually it was more than humbling but I’m not really sure what word that is but to see so many animals live in harmony but also understand that within that harmony there were hunter and prey.

The only animal that we did not see, and we looked, was the elusive leopard. Honestly, after watching 4 lion cubs play for over half an hour and then later, a lioness stalk a herd of zebras for almost an hour, I am not sure my heart could have held the wonder of also seeing a leopard. Words cannot describe the raw beauty of it all. It is a day that I will never forget.

Tourism & Conservation

For me, it was really special as our guide taught us so much. Thankfully my new friends were also ‘nerds’ who wanted to learn and not just get the perfect picture to post. Not only did Johnson teach us a lot about the animals and the eco-systems, but also about both the benefits and drawbacks of tourism. It’s conflicting because tourism does provide money for many of the conservation efforts, but it also has detrimental effects on the land and local culture. And it’s hard to determine how many of the conservation efforts are not only due to the tourism industry but in fact are to benefit the tourism industry. And of course, tourism tends to benefit governments more than the local people.

The Maasai

Johnson also taught us about local tribes, specifically the Maasai. The Maasai are one of the most well-known tribes globally. They are one of the largest nomadic tribes in the world and are well known for their beautiful and distinctive robes, as well as their celebratory ‘jumping’ dances. They have been featured in recent news due to conservation efforts that are at odds with their traditional land practices. Generally they have been supported by the global community in their fight to protect their rights and land claims.

The other challenging and ‘2 opposite things can be true’ part of this dilemma is that the Maasai population has grown to such large numbers, over 1 million now, that their nomadic lifestyle & hunting practices threaten wildlife numbers. On the one hand, it is heartbreaking that many are being forced to give up their traditional way of life but at the same time, if conservation efforts are not supported some animals are in danger due to the grazing and hunting practices of the Maasai. It is also extremely disturbing as many Maasai (not all but most) continue to live within an extreme patriarchal social system. For the Maasai, it still common practice that girls be forced to marry as young as 12 or 13 years old. It is an incredibly complex plight for both ‘sides.’

On a side note, I took no pictures of actual Maasai people. However, I did go to the local art gallery that had the most beautiful exhibit featuring local artists’ work. The artists definitely captured the color and beauty of the Maasai. It is always a challenging process for me to determine if or when it is appropriate to take pictures of others, specifically because they are ‘locals.’

Tanzania was one of, if not the most, beautiful place that I have travelled. It is also definitely the most heartbreaking. I am lucky to have experienced it all, even if I still carry the nicks on my heart. I will share more on the volunteer experience in my next blog post. Many people know very little about Tanzania other than being the home of Mount Kilimanjaro but it is so much more. Please let me know if you would ever visit this beautiful country or if a safari is on your bucket list. Thank you for reading and sharing.

https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/national_parks/tarangire-national-park

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/39