Updates from Uganda: A new year, a new job, and a new primate

Last year I celebrated New Year’s Eve on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania amongst a great group of friends. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, some drinks, good company, and celebrated the passing of 2011 and coming of 2012 from the rooftop of our hotel in Stonetown. This New Years, I was back on the same continent, just a few countries to the north. The New Year found me waiting in line for a visa to gain entry into Uganda. But before I get too far let me rewind and provide a backstory about how I came to find myself in that visa line.

Three and a half years ago I was contacted about a chimpanzee project in Uganda. Working with chimps has always been something I have dreamed of doing. At the time I had recently returned from working on the blue monkey project Kenya. I decided that if I was going to do it, it would be best to return to Africa before too much time had passed and before I completely re-assimilated into a life with refrigeration, reliably fast internet, and instant gratification. In the end, a German woman who studied bonobos in Congo wound up getting the job and I didn’t. Such is life. 

A few months later Jake and I met somewhere out in the Mojave Desert and I quickly forgot about chimpanzees and the jungles of Uganda. My life went in a direction I never thought it would; I left the Midwest for the Southwest, traded primates and jungles for tortoises and deserts, and found the perfect partner to join in my crazy adventures. Well, six months ago the same job found me once again, this time in a different place, both in life and location. They needed someone to join the project immediately for a period of six months. At one point in my life I was able to just drop everything and run off to live in another country without much thought or planning. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy anymore; I suppose that means I’m an adult now. Jake and I were about to purchase a house, I had work commitments lined up for the fall, and was to be the maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding that September. I knew I had to say no, but I couldn’t stop thinking about chimps, living in Africa again, being able to do it over, this time with Jake. So that’s how I got here, the seed was planted, sat dormant for years, and recently it started to grow. We decided that with enough prior notice we could make it work. So this fall Jake and I signed on to the chimp project for six months set to begin in early 2013. I blazed the trail and arrived just minutes before the New Year, while Jake is set join me and the chimps in Uganda this March.

When 2013 hit I had just passed my passport off to the immigration official and without changing tone or looking up at me he said with one breath, “how long will you be in the country, happy New Year.” I never understand why, no matter where you are the people behind the visa counter are always unnecessarily unfriendly. I smiled and replied; he stamped it and placed it back on the counter without once looking up. 

The rest of Entebbe and Kampala made up for the immigration department’s lack of enthusiasm for the New Year. The streets were packed with people. My taxi driver had to dodge drunkards left and right on the way to the hotel. When we finally reached my hotel in downtown Kampala at 1:30 am the party on the streets was still going strong. It continued all night long. I was directly off the street and even my ear plugs couldn’t stop the celebrations. Early the next morning when I emerged from the hotel everyone had disappeared. The entire city was a ghost town. Not a single shop on the street was open. I passed only two people on what would normally be a very busy street. I knew it was a holiday but where could all those people possibly have gone so quickly? They were just here, outside my window, screaming and yelling. I kind of felt lonely and longed to be surrounded by those people who just hours ago I was cursing. The lack of open businesses did not stop me from accomplishing the one thing I needed to do though: find a quiet and quaint guesthouse and get some sleep. Shortly thereafter, I checked into my new room and slept for the next 15 hours. When I woke up the following morning the sun was shining, exotic birds were singing, and I was just in time for breakfast.

Before proceeding to the reserve and the chimps, I had to meet with the director of monitoring and research at the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. Still a bit shaken from being transplanted in a new country I was nervous and uneasy. They had the final say as to whether or not I would be allowed to stay in Uganda and work as a researcher. We contacted them beforehand, submitted all the necessary paperwork, but never received a response, which is pretty typical. As soon as I introduced myself my letter was produced, I paid my fees (which were a bit higher than expected), and was on my way. I couldn’t help but wonder if they ever reject anyone after they have arrived. That would really suck. I quickly shook that thought from my mind. 

The very next morning I made the arduous but necessary bus journey from Kampala to Fort Portal. We passed a bus along the way and at the time it was right side up but I could tell from all the broken windows and looks of horror on my fellow passengers faces that shortly beforehand it was not. At that point I, along with many other people, double checked to make sure my seat belt was fastened securely. Six hours later I was met in Fort Portal by a short smiling Ugandan man wearing an Indiana University t-shirt. Moses has been working on the project for years and he is currently the camp manager, cook, and staff comedian. My bus arrived a few hours late and we were running short on time so we did a whirlwind shopping tour, sorted out some insurance business for the car we hope to pick up next time we make it to town, and headed for the reserve.

It was 9:30 pm by the time we reached the guest lodge in the reserve. I had dozed off and completely missed the entire 70 some km drive, except for the moment the car swerved and jerked to avoid the giant Nile monitor lizard stretched across the road. At the lodge Moses frantically searched for one of the staff to let us in so we could store our freshly butchered meat in the fridge. Knowing that our camp wasn't equipped with such frivolous appliances, I was kind of wondering what we were going to do with 7 kg of raw meat when we bought it in the market, but I just went with it. A fridge in the bush in Africa is hard to come by, but for a lodge that charges over $400 a night for a single room it is a necessity. Someone was finally roused from the staff quarters and they opened the door and gave us access to the fridge. The staff, who have been having a grand time poking fun at the chimp camp for lacking a vehicle, reveled in informing us that our puny insignificant taxi wasn’t going to make it the final 3 km to camp and then begrudgingly offered to give us and our load a lift. Apparently, the road was a mess due to recent rains. My overweight bags and all of our shopping minus the meat were unloaded and reloaded into the lodge’s open safari vehicle and we took off down the muddy track to camp in the dark. We were slipping and sliding, smacking the tall grass as we went, and flushing nightjars along the way. One of the birds flew up from the side of the vehicle and hit me right in the arm. Everyone got a good laugh out of that. I’m taking it as a good luck sign and am hoping that the bird, like me, was not injured.

Upon arrival at Mugiri camp I was thrown directly into the work of chimping. The first few days were spent battling jet lag, learning the trails, getting to know the staff, unsuccessfully searching for chimps, avoiding elephants in the forest, and mainly figuring things out on the fly because the researcher I was scheduled to replace quit the project back in October. The amount of emotions I have felt since arriving have left my body exhausted and my mind confused! There is so much going on, so much to learn and absorb, so many things to be cognizant of and avoid, and months of records to go over and data to enter from the interim in researchers. It’s all very exciting and terrifying and soon it will just be normal day to day life for me. That’s what I love about life here, you are quickly and forcefully thrown out of your comfort zone and once you accept that you end up surprising yourself and enjoying every minute of it. 

Hopefully soon there will actually be stories of chimps to share! 

By the way, National Geographic named Uganda as one of the top tourism destinations for 2013 and we happen to have room for visitors at Mugiri camp...

Happy New Year from the Pearl of Africa,

Corey

Updates from Africa: Turkey via Nairobi

This update is long overdue, jet lag and the joy of being home got in the way. Really, I was going to skip it but my mom assures me that you are all out there eagerly awaiting my final installment of our African adventure. So here it is:

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The day we flew out of Madagascar there was an overwhelming amount of excitement buzzing around the airport in Tana. The exiled ex-president’s wife, Lalao Ravolomanana, was planning on returning to Madagascar from South Africa. The ex-president, Marc Ravolomanana, and his wife were denied entry into the country earlier that month when the South African Airways flight they were aboard was forced to turnaround midair and return to mainland Africa. All major airports in Madagascar were shut down by the current president and the plane couldn't land. Marc Ravolomanana's presidency was overthrown in 2009 and he fled to Swaziland. He was later sentenced in absentia to life in prison and hard labor for the killing of 30 protesters by his guards after they stormed his office in Tana earlier that year. He hasn't been allowed back since. 

When we arrived at the airport on February 4th there were mobs of supporters with flowers and signs displaying the former first lady's picture waiting to welcome her home. Airport security was on high alert checking every car and requesting proof of tickets to enter the parking lot. Luckily, our flight left for Nairobi long before hers was due to land and we escaped without conflict. In the end, it turns out they forbid her from boarding plane in Johannesburg by orders from the Transport Ministry of Madagascar. 

We had a few days in Nairobi before leaving Africa behind. It was a relief to be back in an English speaking country, we could successfully communicate with people once again! We spent our last few days in Kenya feasting on my favorite local foods - sukuma wiki, ugali, and goat meat - and we made a couple more visits to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant. When we were in Kakamega back in December Jake became fast friends with Evans and Titus, the bird researchers working on the banding study. When he's not in the field Titus works at the Nairobi National Museum and we were able to meet up with him. He picked us up in his brother's vintage Toyota Landcruiser and we toured Nairobi National Park. We saw eight different black rhinos in the span of a couple hours. Black rhinos are critically endangered and difficult if not impossible to see in many other parks, but Nairobi NP houses a high density of these enormous prehistoric folivores. The next day we visited Titus at the Nairobi National Museum and got a behind the scenes tour of the immense bird collection and even a caught glimpse of some of the type specimens that were used to describe species we saw while on safari. The strong smell of the chemicals used for preservation seeped into our sinuses and made our heads pound; we fought as long as we could stand it but an hour and a half and probably a few brain cells later we gave in and left.

Before returning to the land of malaria free mosquitoes and parasite free people I thought it would be a good idea to visit an expert for a checkup. Conveniently, there was a tropical medicine specialist down the road from our guesthouse. I had an infection on my leg that needed attention and a mild case of food poisoning but as far as they could tell I am parasite free and good to go! The doctor also recommended that I eat more beef and goat...Jake was shocked and somewhat disappointed that he wasn't handed that prescription. Then that night we waved goodbye to Africa and boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

The country of Turkey straddles two different continents, Europe and Asia. Obviously, Africa isn't one of those, but if we hadn't gone to Africa we would have never ended up in Turkey (on this trip anyway). We threw in this part of the trip without much thought while booking our flight on Turkish Airlines; for an extra $20 we were able to extend our layover from 2 hours to 6 days. What the heck, why not? And if you know my mom, you know that it didn’t take much to convince her to meet us there. 

Arriving in snow covered Istanbul in a sleep deprived trance after two months’ time in African was surreal enough, being greeted by my mom at the door of the hostel was too much to handle. Traveling can be so strange sometimes; you can completely loose sense of time, place, and even self. This transition was definitely strange. A couple of cappuccinos and bean bags in a hookah lounge somehow seemed to help. Soon after, the three of us layered on our jackets and explored Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district.

Istanbul is an enormous city and one of two bi-continental cities in Turkey. We based ourselves on the European side. Asian Istanbul is only a hop, skip, and a jump across the Bosphorus Strait. It was so cold the week we were there that we didn't stray too far from our hostel much less venture to Asia, even if it was just a boat ride away. Luckily, our hostel was centrally located and we didn’t have to stray far for history, hand woven carpets, and hot tasty food. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more popularly known as the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sohpia were right out our back door. We literally had to pass between them both to get anywhere. The Blue Mosque is named for the blue tiles that line its interior walls. It is said the Sultan actually forbid the sale of blue tiles to anyone while the mosque was under construction from 1609 to 1616. He wanted them all for himself. The mosque is an incredible building (the architect aimed for overwhelming size and achieved it), as is its nearby rival, the Hagia Sophia.

Just beyond both buildings lies a street we came to call baklava alley. Shop after shop offers the sweet sticky honey soaked desserts and strange marshmallow like candies called Turkish delights. We never passed without trying a few. Silence usually ensued after we left those shops, our molars were glued together temporarily with sweet sugary sap. Beyond baklava alley are rows of kebab shops and restaurants that lead the way to the bustling Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world and it’s unbelievably overwhelming and easy to get lost within. Fifty-eight covered streets that can be accessed from 22 different entrances wind their way around more than 4000 shops all offering more or less the same things. Turkish men yell at you in the language they perceive you speak, people herd you into shops and smother you with scarfs, everyone thinks they have just want you need. You can spend your Turkish lira on  hand woven carpets, whirling dervish decorations, olive bowls, Turkish tea sets, costume jewelry, or scarfs not approved by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Shatoosh scarfs are made from the soft wool of the endangered chiru or Tibetan antelope. These alpine steppe dwelling animals cannot be domesticated and are hunted in order to harvest their highly prized wool. Their numbers have drastically decreased because of the demand for the fine precious hair used to weave these scarfs. Every scarf store has a pile of these tucked away and will pull them out upon request. They are exquisite and beautiful but I’m certain the chiru themselves are more majestic than a scarf could ever be.

My mom and I decided to partake in a hamam or Tukish bath experience; Jake took this as his opportunity to get out of town and go on a birding excursion with a local guide. Due the lack of clothing inside the hamam, the baths are separated into male and female sections. The inner portion of the bathhouse is one large marble room with many spigots that pour out scolding water. These taps are placed at intervals around the walls and topless Turkish ladies sit next to them and pour water over themselves. There is a sauna room and a very cold deep pool on opposite sides of the bathhouse. We visited a traditional hamam instead of the spa like tourist baths near the Grand Bazar and from the very beginning we were lost. No one spoke English or provided instructions so we sat in the sauna until we could no longer breathe, then we just lingered near the spigots and poured warm water on ourselves in an attempt to imitate the Turkish patrons. Eventually, I guess it was our turn and we were taken to the giant raised soap slathered marble slap and had our skin rubbed raw by a Turkish woman wearing really nothing more than the blue jean like mitten she used for scrubbing. Next we were drenched in bubbles, massaged and scrubbed clean. It was an interesting experience and maybe if I didn’t have stinging soap in my eyes the whole time I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

The bitter cold winds blown off the Sea of Marmara and the wet snow didn’t stop us from having a good time in Istanbul. We returned multiple times for the warm comfort of those cappuccinos and beanbags in the hookah lounge where we gathered ourselves that first day. We soaked in some history, my mom bought a hand woven carpet purse, and we consumed delicious hot food for six straight days. Nine weeks, six countries, and three continents later we returned home. We are still trying to process the incredible, overwhelming, nearly problem free (one stolen wallet, some food poisoning, etc), one in a lifetime adventure we just lived and experienced.

Happy trails from home,

Corey and Jake

Updates from Africa: Madagascar part 2, Tana to Toilara

Antananarivo (Tana for short), the capital city of Madagascar, straddles a dozen or so hills high on the central plateau. Colorful houses dot the hillside and antique Renaults serving as taxis clog up the narrow roads with noise and exhaust. The reconstructed Queen's palace (it was destroyed by an act of arson in 1995) sits high on a hill commanding absolute attention and overseeing all the activity. Comically obnoxious Hollywood-esque letters advertise the city's name on the steep slope side below. There are zebu-carts running down dirt roads and green rice paddies farmed by families who live on less than $2 a day. All this is within walking distance of luxurious hotels where well dressed businesspeople drink and enjoy fancy French cuisine.

Starting from Tana the well traveled and popular Route Nationale 7 starts heading south along the central plateau. It winds its way through the highlands eventually turning southwest and dropping down before ending in the coastal town of Toliara. The whole trip is 799 km one way without side trips. Jake and I made the roundtrip journey in a silver station wagon with a Malagasy man named Lalah behind the wheel.

Eight hours south of Tana, halfway down RN7, there's a turnoff that takes you east to a town and national park both named Ranomafana. As popular and well studied as the park is today you would think it was the reason for the town's existence, but it wasn't actually even created until 1991. Ranomafana means hot water in Malagasy and it was these waters that drew visitors to this area in the days of colonization. Today the park trumps the water thanks to many amazing and fairly recent discoveries.

Upon arrival in Ranomafana we were met by our guide to devise the program for our visit. There was some confusion as we thought we were meeting a man named Emile and Lalah was convinced our guide's name was Rajeri. Emile Rajeriarison (Rajeri for short) turned out to be one person and an incredibly knowledgable guide. He has worked with many international researchers in the park, including American primatologist Patricia Wright, who with the help of Emile discovered the golden bamboo lemur in 1986, and German herpetologist Miguel Vences, along with whom he discovered multiple new species of frog. He has a very impressive resume and a great sense of humor. We were lucky he was free and were happy to pay his hefty guide fee in order to experience the forest with a true local expert for a few days. First thing, he introduced us to a group of golden bamboo lemurs. This endangered lemur subsists mainly on leaves and shoots of giant bamboo. These shoots have such high levels of cyanide that if other mammals consumed similar amounts it would be lethal. Incredibly high levels of cyanide have been found in their feces, and there is actually a species of dung beetle that specifically forages on their ultra-toxic poo. It's this strange and specific diet that allows them to live sympatrically with two other species of bamboo lemurs at Ranomafana.

Emile showed us all three bamboo lemurs and five other lemurs without even breaking a sweat. Although his real interest and expertise showed when he would disappear momentarily, reappear with a closed fist, and plop a beautiful little frog down in front of us along with more natural history than we could swallow. Names and facts came whizzing at us like mosquitos after nightfall, only unlike mosquitos there were no itchy welts left as reminders. Luckily there is a book for all that (and Emile had a hand in its existence). We didn't have nearly as much luck with the birds in the rainforest but luckily the primates made up for it. It rained on us every day and night, on the plus side the leeches were not nearly as bad as expected.

After Ranomafana we made our way back to RN7 and continued south. We passed an enjoyable afternoon in the small community run Anja Park surrounded by meowing ring-tailed lemurs. We spent a day at Isalo National Park climbing up sacred sandstone formations, hiking into slot canyons covered with hanging gardens, and diving into cool picturesque pools with plunging waterfalls. We made a quick visit to the small fragmented Zombitse National Park where we had an up close and personal performance by a young Verreaux's sifaka and found a squat Zombitse sportive lemur who somehow shoved himself in a tree hole half his size. We passed villages with bright red houses made with bricks from the blood red earth. We got stuck behind herds of zebu cattle driven by young men on foot, making their way from the south to the east where they can get a better price for their product. We saw Malagasy women with loads of produce on their heads walking to sell their wares at market day, each with a clean colorful hat made of raffia in their hand for when they arrive. In the highlands there were people selling plums and grapes, near Ranomafana it was eels and crayfish, and in Fianarantsoa where we were hoping for vanilla someone tried to sell us a Pachypodium, a native plant the locals call elephant's foot. As RN7 turned westward enormous centuries old baobab trees sprung up like beacons from the unnaturally barren landscape. Much of the native spiny forest has been cleared away for charcoal and the accompanying Verreaux's sifakas hunted. Only the highly saturated baobab is left, its water content too high to be of any use as fuelwood.

Eventually we reached the end of RN7 and were welcomed to the city of Toliara by high winds and sporadic downpours, the effects of a cyclone from the neighboring Mozambique Channel. We spent a few days in Toliara and the nearby coastal village of Mangily, 25 kilometers along a sandy road to the north. We visited a private protected patch of spiny forest and were presented with two more species of lemur, a magnificent long-tailed groundroller, a furtive subdesert mesite, and a timid little hedgehog tenrec. We didn't stay long at the beach as the cyclone mucked up the water and flung buckets of sand in our direction; nonetheless, Jake was quite pleased with the bonus seabirds that were blown in on the winds from the channel.

We are now back in Tana where we started. It took three long days retracing our steps on RN7 in that silver station wagon. Our memory cards are overloaded, our clothes are filthy, and our minds are spinning from all we experienced these past few weeks. In the end we tracked down about a quarter of the lemurs and 3/4 of the endemic birds of Madagascar. We couldn't check them all off this trip; we decided we'd better leave something for next time.

The lemur I longed to see the most, the aye-aye, truly is an elusive character and successfully eluded us this entire trip. Yesterday we made a visit to the zoo with hopes of finally catching a glimpse of one. The zoo houses six of these googly-eyed creatures of the night, but alas, the nocturnal lemur house is closed for repair for the next year. Aye aye aye, maybe next time.

Tomorrow we fly back to Nairobi and on Monday we are off to Istanbul. There we will meet up with my mother of the year to spend a week on the frigid shores of the Sea of Marmara. Luckily, she's bringing us both coats, I hear it's cold this time of year.

All the best from Antananarivo,
Corey & Jake

Updates from Africa: Madagascar part 1

Madagascar makes me tired. This place is an overload for the senses. Every crevice contains creatures beyond my imagination. Leaping lemurs, bizarre birds, peculiar plants, and the most colorful chameleons in every shape and size one could think up. It feels like we are in a world dreamt up by the likes of Dr. Seuss and Jim Henson. It is mind blowing and incredibly exhausting. We can't sleep at night for fear we'll miss something amazing!

Actually we spend most nights shining our flashlights into trees with hopes of finding eyes looking back at us. During the day diurnal lemurs feed and play, then after nightfall an entirely different group materializes from deep within tree holes and vine tangles to work the nightshift. The only chance you have at seeing these nocturnal lemurs is on their schedule. After searching the dark forest at night, we are usually up with the sun and spend the whole day out chasing birds and lemurs on the dayshift. It's not really your typical vacation, but with over 100 species and subspecies of lemur and 105 species of endemic birds on an island almost twice the size of Arizona, there's a lot of ground to cover and so much to see. Unfortunately, it's now the rainy season here. An already poor road system that becomes worse and completely impassible in places, plus insanely expensive domestic flights mean our options are limited. On the other hand it's the low tourist season and besides a handful of French out of season vacationers we have the parks, hotels, and restaurants all to ourselves. I guess it's a pretty good trade off.

Meaghan joined Jake and I on the first ten days of our Malagasy adventure. The three of us visited two popular and easily reachable (by Malagasy standards- no 4x4, boat, or plane required) national parks: Andasibe-Mantadia and Ankarafantsika.

Our visit to Andasibe-Mantadia was the perfect introduction to Madagascar. The rainforest effortlessly produced eight species of diurnal ad nocturnal lemur, including the diademed sifaka, one of the most beautiful, and the indri, the largest of all living lemurs. The indri is an absurd looking animal with big bug eyes, a stub for a tail, and huge muscular thighs used for literally leaping like a frog up to 10 meters from trunk to trunk. We saw multiple species of groundrollers and vangas, two bird families found only in Madagascar, and they politely posed for our pictures. Thanks to the rain flashy frogs, chameleons, and snakes were all abundant on the park's many trails. Each night we fell asleep with images of captivating creatures seen that day running through our minds and we dreamt about unobtainable rare species like the elusive aye-aye. In the morning we awoke to the distinctive call of the indri in the forest behind our bungalow, hungry for breakfast and more of Madagascar.

Our four day visit to Parc National d'Ankarafantsika was full of new and amazing animals but was exceptionally hot and sticky. Relief only came when it rained, which thankfully was a daily occurrence. This park protects one of the last remaining large tracts of tropical deciduous forest in Madagascar and is home to many rare species. A pair of Madagascar fish eagles, a species of which less than 200 remain, frequents the nearby lake. The ripe mango trees in the Ampijaroa forest station attract bright white Coquerel's sifakas and rare mongoose lemurs, providing excellent viewing opportunities. White-breasted mesite and Madagascar crested ibis, two large and strange looking birds, dart in and out of the undergrowth along the flat sandy trails.

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, founded by the late naturalist and author Gerald Durrell, runs a research center and captive breeding program in the park. All of Madagascar's tortoise and turtle species are critically endangered due to the pet trade and poaching. The Durrell group is working hard to ensure their survival through education, surveys, breeding programs, and reintroduction. Our visit overlapped with a visit by the Durrell staff and some of their partners from the Turtle Conservancy. We heard firsthand about the work being done to save these endangered species and caught a glimpse at some of the tortoises including the mighty ploughshare and the stunning radiated tortoise.

After our visit to Ankarafantsika we made our way back to the capital city, Antananarivo or Tana for short, for Meaghan's flight. As she started the long journey home, Jake and I took a day off from lemur and bird watching and caught a taxi-brousse into the city center to meet up with one of his childhood friends. Jake's friend Brian first came to Madagascar with the PeaceCorps in 2005 and has been living and working for a conservation organization here since then. Jake and Brian caught up over Malagasy food and beer while people pedaled souvenirs, vegetables, and phone cards at the market across the street. We got a few pointers and phone numbers from Brian and promised to meet up again before we set off. The following morning Jake and I started the long journey southwest along one of the best roads in the country, National Route 7, in search of more Malagasy treasures.

There's much more to come from Madagascar.
Cheers from the 8th continent,
Corey & Jake

Updates from Africa: Tanzania

The perfect climate for growing a plethora of spices ensures that eating on the coast of East Africa will be a mouthwatering adventure. After a week of fried potatoes, beef and hardboiled eggs in the highlands of Rwanda I was more than ready for some coastal flavor. Stonetown in Zanzibar did not disappoint. Readily available spices are added to everything. Lifeless rice is transformed into a masterpiece of flavor with cloves and cardamom. Ginger, curry, hot peppers, and coconut milk smother fresh seafood and vegetables burning the lips while tastebuds dance and sing for more. Freshly squeezed juices and homemade jam with local vanilla refresh, rejuvenate, and are served with every breakfast. Tasty tandoori chicken, spicy fried mashed potato balls, and grilled lobster on a stick can be purchased on nearly every street corner. The spices aren't just for eating either, spas have massages with lemongrass oil, clove body scrubs and much more on their menus. It's a fantastic, delicious paradise. 

We spent a few days wandering through the narrow windy streets of Stonetown eating, shopping, and people watching. No matter where we started, we always ended up at the nightly food market where hundreds of Zanzibarians gather each night to eat and meet their friends. The market is a maze of tables offering seafood, nyama choma, fried bananas, and fresh squeezed ginger and sugar cane juice served by men in white chef hats. The waves crash down on the rocky shore as people chat and chow down on the flavorful local specialties at this must see (and taste!) nightly event.

There are a few small islands immediately off the coast of Zanzibar that can be reached by boat in about 30 minutes. We snorkeled off the coast of Dawa Island for a couple hours one afternoon. The breeze on the boat and the cool blue water were a perfect break from the stifling heat that radiates off the stone streets of Stonetown. Unfortunately, the break was only temporary and immediately upon disembarking we were soaked with sweat again. The next day we made a trip to another nearby island, Changuu Island. Changuu is home to a population of Aldabra giant tortoises with an interesting history. The Aldabra tortoise is not native to Zanzibar but endemic to the Aldabra Atoll of the Seychelles. In 1919, four tortoises were given to the British resident in Zanzibar by the government of the Seychelles in exchange for a few plant specimens. Frequent theft of their offspring prompted their move from Zanzibar to Changuu Island in the 1920's, where the thefts apparently continued. Now they are protected in a sanctuary and there are well over a hundred individuals living on the island.

The tortoises may not be endemic but Zanzibar does have its share of endemic flora and fauna including the Zanzibar red colobus monkey. Not surprisingly, these primates were high on my list of things to experience. A quick trip to Jozani National Park proved successful and we were able to hang out with a habituated group for a while. A few females nursed their infants, some juveniles played and bounced above our heads, while the rest of the group noisily gnawed on unripe guava fruits.

From Zanzibar we took the ferry to mainland Tanzania and traveled to Selous National Park for another safari. Selous, a park greater in size than the countries of Rwanda and Burundi combined, is the largest national park in all of Africa. Our lodge, Selous Water Lodge was perched high on the banks of the Rufiji River providing great views of fish eagles, hippos, and an impressive sunset. Right behind our tent was a waterhole where four days earlier a fresh lion print was found. We saw multiple lions in the park but didn't have any feline sightings at the lodge.  Our only visitors were bushbabys in the trees around our tent. Every night as the sun goes down these nocturnal primates crawl out of tree holes and start calling. Bushbabys, also called galagos, are closely related to the lemurs of Madagascar and as the name suggests are pretty adorable. 

After the Selous safari our group split up. While everyone else made their way home Jake and I reached the halfway point of our adventure. From Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania we flew southeast to Antananarivo, Madagascar. We will spend the next month exploring the world's fourth largest island; a place incredibly rich with species diversity and endemism yet one of the poorest countries in the world.

Lots of love from the land of the lemurs,
Corey & Jake

Updates from Africa: Rwanda

As of 2010, there were estimated to be 800 mountain gorillas remaining worldwide. These charismatic heavyweight vegetarians are completely contained within the mountainous regions of three African nations: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Rwanda, a country the size of the state of Maryland, houses one-third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas in its highly frequented, high-altitude, Parc National des Volcans. These 200 some gorillas are the poster child for Rwandan tourism and generate nearly 90% of the small country's revenue for that industry. There are seven habituated family groups available for public viewing and others that are strictly scientific study groups. Each day eight permits are available per group for a total of 56 possible permits with the potential to bring in $28,000 per day in permit fees alone.

We were assigned to the Amahura group and the day after Christmas we trekked up into the misty Virunga range to meet 16 of Rwanda's famous mountain dwelling apes. We ducked and dove through a bamboo forest, made our way up a muddy trail and traversed a nettle infested mountainside for four hours before finding our group at a rest spot. Before we knew it we were in the center of the group and there were gorillas in every direction. With mud stained clothing, nettle stung skin and racing heartbeats from the high elevation hike and excitement, we watched them. And they watched us back with little concern, intense brown eyes and dark black faces, all the while rolling through the nettles and chewing on wild celery stalks. A six month old baby bored with his food rolled on his back with his feet in the air. Perhaps on purpose, a silverback turned his back to us as we took pictures. A
juvenile reached out and touched one of the trackers. A blackback awoke from his nap in the sun and yawned in our faces. It was amazing and so surreal that I'm still not convinced it wasn't just a dream.

After our great ape encounter we headed southwest to Parc National de Nyungwe for a few days. Nyungwe is home to 13 species of primates, including another great ape, our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. Unfortunately, the forest is so dense and vast that we only encountered four: blue monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, vervets, and olive baboons. Nonetheless, it was great to get out and hike after days of sitting in safari vehicles, planes and buses. And hike we did. Nyungwe, one of the oldest remaining intact African forests, is a montane rainforest so there are no flat trails, only hills to climb. Walking sticks are a necessity for successfully descending and then ascending the steep slippery slopes.

Rwanda, like many other countries in the region, has a dark past. The genocide in 1994 touched everyone and every person has an incredible and horrifying story to tell. As a whole, Rwanda has healed amazingly well and the outlook for the future is very optimistic. We met the most genuine, helpful people everywhere we went and were very impressed by Rwanda in general. Our visit was too short and went by too fast. I cannot wait to return to the land of 1000 hills again and climb a few more.

Yesterday afternoon we were treated to an amazing view of Mount Kilimanjaro. As I watched it pass by my plane window in a matter of seconds I had flashbacks of the seven day excursion my mom and I made up it's slopes over two years ago.

Last night Jake and I arrived in Zanzibar and were greeted with a wave of hot muggy air followed by a salty breeze off the Indian Ocean. Here we will reconvene with 6 friends, all making their way from Rwanda on different flights at different times. Right off the coast of mainland Tanzania we will ring in the New Year with spices, Swahili culture, and snorkeling.

Happy New Year's from Zanzibar,
Corey & Jake

Updates from Africa: Kenya

It's amazing how after a period of time you easily forget the negative and only the positive remains. I was so excited to return that I forgot just how long and arduous the journey is to Kakamega. Unknown to us, Jake, Meaghan and myself arrived in Kenya just in time for a long holiday weekend and we weren't the only ones trying to spend it in Western Kenya. All of the direct buses were booked for days so our best option was to take a "direct matatu" to Kisumu and transfer from there. I told Jake and Meaghan they needed to experience a terrible mini-van matatu ride in order for their Kenyan adventure to be complete. We were able to check that off the list right away. A sleepy driver trying to keep herself awake by chatting on her cell phone, shoveling crisps into her face and chucking her trash out the window, a multitude of wrong turns, an off-roading adventure, and a river fording experience completed that requirement.

Approximately 12 hours after leaving our hotel in Nairobi we arrived in the calm inviting shade of the Kakamega Forest. It didn't hit me until just then, when we drove down Station Road and I spotted Erick, one of the field assistants, that I was back. How I can feel so completely at home in the middle of a foreign country so different from my own, where clearly I am an outsider is hard to explain to anyone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. The sounds of tinkerbirds and hornbills, the smells of wet earth fresh from the rain and cooking fires used for preparing chapati, plus the sights of familiar blue monkeys crashing through the trees brought me right right back to where I left off in August of 2009. Even though I only spent 15 months of my life here, it seems I left a lasting impression. I may have physically left the forest but something of myself remained here; before leaving my neighbor and his wife welcomed a baby boy into their lives and named him after me. As we arrived I could hear my own name being shouted through the village as they called baby Corey home.

Between the two of us, Jake and I carried over 80 pounds of donations for the Little Prinz Orphanage. Sabina and staff were overwhelmed and so grateful for the shoes, clothing, and toothbrushes, plus the $700 we deposited into their account. Thank-you to everyone for your support and donations. They are off to a great start and will do amazing things to help the communities around them. I have many pictures to share.

One of the highlights of our time in Kakamega was the neighbor we had and the work he was doing. Hans is a professor of ornithology at a university in Germany working on a long term study of the bird species in the forest. While we were there he was mist netting, catching and banding birds. Six, sometimes eight times a day Hans and his field assistant, Evans, would return from the forest with small pillow cases stuffed with birds to process and band on their front porch. Jake said it was like Christmas every time they came back with presents of new and exotic birds for him to admire.

While Jake and Meaghan were getting their bird fix I was putting in my time with the monkeys. Many of the monkeys I once knew are gone but many more remain. I recognized the majority of them and was greeted by many of my favorites and old friends like Dude, Quack, Buai, and Desdemona. It was nice just to hang out, drink coffee on the porch with monkeys in the yard, take a tour with Wilberforce, undoubtably the best guide in the forest, and hike the trails around the forest station at my leisure. I never had the free time when I was there last time.

We spent nine fantastic refreshing days in Kakamega visiting with old friends, both human and non-human primates, and making new ones. It was hard to leave Kakamega a second time but I can almost hear my name radiating through the village right now as someone calls Baby Corey home for Christmas dinner. 

Post Kakamega we met up with four friends from Tucson in Kisumu. They had spent the previous week exploring Uganda. We left the following morning to meet 30 other familiar faces in the Masai Mara for what would be the most beautiful and memorable wedding any of us may ever experience. Our dear friends from Tucson, Mich and Kate, were married amongst family, friends, lions and elephants overlooking the Mara River. The first to pronounce them husband and wife was in fact a hippo as he let out a loud grunt during the service. 

And the wedding activities aren't over yet. Last night a group of 20 wedding attendees arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. We awoke this Christmas morning in the land of 1000 hills and will travel to Parc des Volcans this afternoon. Tomorrow morning we will embark on an adventure I have dreamed about my entire life, as many of you likely have as well. We will come face to face with the mighty mystical mountain gorilla on the anniversary of Dian Fossey's death, the women who died trying to ensure their existence.

Merry Christmas from Rwanda,
Corey and Jake