Week 4- Village life in Tanzania

day trip to the mountain village of Mahenge

We spent last week getting to know our local village, Kitchangani, and the life of the people here.  Morning at our home at Kilombero Valley Ornithological Center (KVOC) start with the crowing of Leonard, the camp rooster, and is soon filled with the sounds of native birds overhead during the cool hours of the day, and the sweet smells of smoke from the campfire which heats up the tea for the morning (all tea is called chai in Tanzania) and Dutch oven bread. The Primary School across the street hums with life at 7:30 as the kids sweep the school grounds before classes with their grass brooms.  

Town is very simply marked by the constant activity of the village folk, a couple of tienda-type stores selling soap and cold drinks, women selling rice cakes and chapatis from campfires on the red earthen ground, and the activity of the ‘bar’ (which does not serve drinks)- this is the community center of tables and chairs, an occasional soccer game broadcast, curious children hovering, and the local power source where folks can charge any devices they have (for us, our computer and cell phone for email service).  Next to the ‘bar’ is the market, open air and loaded with the only the necessities in season during this dry time of the year.  Tomatoes, onions, okra, sacks of beans, bananas, potatoes, salt, TP and rice, plus a few other specialty items. Everything is 'made in Tanzania' from what we have seen- even the salt is from the coast, and the TP is labeled made in TZ!         

By 2 pm or so, the heat of the day is smothering us, so we head down a side road, past Tanzanians sitting on the ground under the shade of the cashew and mango trees next to their homes, past children yelling Mzunga (white person!), through the banana groves and local kasava farms to the river for our afternoon swim.  As we approach the river, we have to take a turn right for the men’s area, or go straight for the women and children’s area.  These sections of the river are designated because it is the local’s body and clothes washing areas, which most often occur at the same time. 

It is not uncommon for folks to be naked in the river while doing their laundry, suds and all.  Out of respect, we find our own location upstream to wallow in the shallow water.  It is the end of the dry season, so the waters are lowering daily and is now barely up to our knees- sort of like Methow creeks in August.  The fish nibble on our toes (kinda creepy, yes), reed mats float by, clay breaks off and we ooze it between our toes and fingers, and the tannin colored water gives us a partially clean feeling, but cooler none the less! 

Sometimes we beat the heat by a bucket bath, complete with a wash cloth, shampoo, soap, and the privacy of the enclosure next to our banda (hut). Other times its washing our laundry in same buckets at the local well, a ¼ mile walk down the road.  Amelia and Emmet water fight while Kim and Steve referee.  Everybody scrubs. We alternate between bucket baths and river dips with regularity- however we are a bit behind on the laundry!

Loading up camp. We ride on top!

There was a turn of event this last week, as we’ve noticed this happens often in Tanzania, and a contact of Sebastian’s (KVOC Director) offered him a new project.  The project is working on the locally managed Iluma Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a large protected area (over 500,000 sq km) between Lupiro and Ifakara and adjacent to the Selous Game Reserve- the largest in Tanzania.  Our team assignment is to survey for biodiversity in preparation of opening the newly established wildlife area for ecotourism in the coming years.  So off we go, camping for the rest of the week, and testing protocols and sampling methods for inventory and relative population estimates for amphibians and reptiles, birds, carnivores, and large mammals. 

emmet photos last nights elephant tracks

setting up camera stations with volunteer Michael and game warden Mr Kimboga, AKA Babu (grandpa)

 

The first day on the Wildlife Management Area we saw zebra, a warthog family, bush pigs, and fresh morning tracks and dung from a herd of elephants in the wetland near to where we are camping.  We setup wildlife detection cameras, started early morning bird surveys, driving surveys for large mammals, and nighttime driving safari surveys for carnivores.  

Full disclosure: while camping we also have the reality that surveys can only take place during the early mornings and later evenings when animals are active, plus the heat of the day is almost unbearably HOT for everyone.  So we play endless card games in camp, sitting on foam pads while sweating and becoming more sticky and dirty in the dusty conditions.  The gnatty bugs do not respond to DEET.  There is no cold water to drink or to swim in, there is only hot rice and beans for lunch, and no relief until the sun goes down.  Let’s just say we welcome the evening hours- a nature walk to move our stagnant bodies, fresh caught catfish with our dinner of rice and beans, and the setting of that tenacious equatorial sun.  Sounds pleasant?!   Spirits remain high and adventure greets us daily!

We are now back at KVOC for a day off.  The plan right now is to go back to Iluma WMA on Tuesday for a 5-day stint doing surveys.  We’ll share more next week!!!

Kim, Steve, Amelia and Emmet!