TravelStream™ news feed for member womblepeter on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/womblepeter en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:05:18 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223123520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223123520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223123520/tpod.html Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:05:18 -0500 Towards Australia

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Singapore, Singapore

ROME was neither built in a day nor can be seen in a month of days.

If you really need to see Rome on a budget then your time will be very limited no matter where you stay. We found that it was best to avoid the cost of buses, trains or, (heaven forbid), taxis to and from the central part of the city and stayed pretty central where 99% of the interesting buildings and museums are located. The cost of even the cheapest of 'acceptable central' accommodation was right at the top of our budget but it did include a reasonable continental breakfast that saw us through to a snack at lunchtime so that we ate a full meal in the evening. To find somewhere to have an evening meal that doesn't break the bank you do need to leave the main tourist routes and find the streets that sit behind the high streets, there are plenty of them but as with all big cities you don't wander into any deserted streets particularly once it is dark.
When we went to the Colosseum it was difficult to not to get involved in the market that fills the area outside the main entrance but the touristy nick-nacks and memorabilia were not really any different to anywhere else in the world, perhaps a little more Roman! The Colosseum itself was well worth the entrance fee and the rather long time spent in the queue, the sheer size of the place puts you in awe of the construction of such an outstanding architectural feat some 2000 years ago. After numerous snaps from the many vantage points within the arena we left to wander some more, before we had reached the roadway two young girls, probably aged about 12 or 13, approached us speaking in Italian but clearly asking for help pointing to an article in a newspaper which they held up in front of me. Luckily my partner was astute enough to spot the second girl's hand unzip my belt purse and dip into it, she immediately grabbed hold of the youngster's wrist before the girl had lifted clear my passport, money or credit cards. Another case of 'be aware of unusual distractions' they are so often a thief's way of robbing you of your hard earned belongings.

The Vatican city is another of those full day trips that leave you wanting to return the next day. There is so much art, so much atmosphere and so many buildings that will stay in your memory for ever. It is the kind of place where you feel you could just sit down and watch the world go by for hours on end, it is ever changing with a backdrop of such size, splendor and magnificence that you are determined to return one day just to see if it is truly real.
In Rome every corner you turn can hold a sight that brings back a memory of some film set that you have seen, perhaps years before, or book that you've read, especially if you were subjected to learning Latin at school. Three days of touring Rome was not enough, I don't think three weeks would enable you to see everything but we had a flight to catch and were both in need of a rest from walking around in the hot, glorious sunshine.

If you are able to stop off in Rome for a short break on your way to some tropical backpacking country it is well worth the experience and I can assure you that it will never fade from your memory.
Next stop Dubai.

Be aware out there and be careful. Peter T.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224527580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224527580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224527580/tpod.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:46:27 -0400 Towards Australia

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Airlie, Queensland, Australia

Emu Park, near Rockhampton Queensland.
Another small step towards the Barrier Reef, well to us it was a big step but being British makes Australian distances seem like country miles, i.e. at least three times as far. This country is so large that what appears a reasonable distance to drive on the map turns out to be a long, long excursion with the odd sign of human habitation dotted here and there proving you are not in a dream sequence that is threatening to turn into a nightmare. If you can stay awake along the straight boring roads, (or should I say road), then try to stop occasionally to take in the beautiful countryside, it is quite stunning, even if boring by its lack of change. Having arrived at Emu Park and booked into the motel for three nights so we could take in some more sea and sand, alas the weather didn't behave but we did get to see the small local seaside towns. Quite an interesting area but really a place for the richer people of Rockhampton to have their weekend bolt holes and somewhere handy, (40 kilometers away), to keep the yacht!

Airlie Beach, for the Great Barrier Reef.
This is the starting place for your special treat! We stayed outside the main part of town for budget reasons and had no problem with busing to and fro to organize our trip out to the reef. The whole of the town is based on reef tourists and the tourist centre is able to give you all the information you could possibly need. There are stacks of
places to get the right tour to suit your own needs and competition is strong so prices are good. It never hurts to try to bargain for something extra but make sure that what you are booking does include any gear that you need as well as 'pick up and drop off services' from your hotel/hostel.
We somehow managed to book one of the rare wet and windy days and got soaked before we even climbed on board our chosen reef ferry craft. Our worries, about the possible cancellation of the trip due to weather conditions, slowly ebbed with the passing of the black clouds. The facilities aboard were excellent and everything we could possibly need, from wetsuits to a good selection of refreshments. The staff were all very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and gave us detailed instructions to get the best out of the trip. Soon we were all togged up looking as though we all knew exactly what we were doing and everyone took advantage of one of those crazy photo opportunities.
Once we were at anchor we all got into the water, it was warm, inviting and wonderful. The experience of swimming over the reef and looking down at the colourful world of the huge variety of fish and reef can't be put into words, it is something that makes you marvel at nature and an experience that should not be missed. When the time came to return to our boat if seemed impossible that we had spent so long in the water, time had compressed itself into a matter of minutes and a whole morning's tour seemed to have taken no time at all.
As we climbed back out of the sea I noticed the water was decidedly choppy and much to my amazement was immediately seasick, a claim to be such after a swim should be somewhere in the record books!
Returning to our base we once again got wet as the skies opened and by the following day were very happy to head back south to the sunshine that we had left behind. No doubt if we had stayed on the coast near the reef for a few more days the weather would have reverted to what is normal in that part of Australia but we did have a rough timetable due to our flight schedule.

Travel is so much better when you move on when you please rather than have to leave because of any kind of restrictive timetable. You just make sure that you get the benefit of your trips and most importantly ENJOY every moment and that way you will certainly enjoy the memories for years to come.
Good luck and stay safe, Peter T.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224106260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224106260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1224106260/tpod.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:37:07 -0400 Towards Australia

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Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia

Ever get that feeling that there is not enough time? There is so much to do and see in this small world and we have to do it in our three score and ten alloted years. Perhaps I will come back to this world a second time, let us hope that it is as a human rather than a sloth!

Rather than take too much of our precious time up in road travel we settled for a flight as far as Brisbane, (there are one or two choices of cheap flights on the web). The plan was then to drive slowly up to the Great Barrier Reef enjoying the beaches, sun and sights wherever we could. It was to prove far cheaper than trying to stop off on the Gold Coast where all the Eastern Australians seem to gather for their summer break. A car that suited our pocket was easily hired from near Brisbane airport so within an hour of landing we were on the open road without the effort of having to drive through the busy city roads.

HERVEY BAY QUEENSLAND



Hervey Bay, flying fox bats, Hanging around,

Arriving at Hervey Bay we were able to book into the Tower Court Motel that is run by a couple of Kiwis' who have settled there but still have a longing to return to N.Z. The motel is bang opposite the beach and a great place to spend some time chilling out. The one thing that I really like about Australia is their RSL clubs where you are always made welcome, it seems that the local members love to chat to visitors, (especially if you're from the 'Old Country.' ) Their food is very cheap and very good, drinks are also cheap AND they mostly have booze buses that collect you from your base and even return you at your own chosen time. It saves any problem regarding drink driving and allows you to enjoy a drink with your meal; what a wonderful service; what a great family type club and what a good way to meet the real people. At the dock area there are some reasonable restaurants where watching the comings and goings of fishing craft, various ferries and small cargo ships, (if your partner is understanding about your love of anything nautical), passes a good couple of hours while lunching.
Before you move on from Hervey Bay do check out the bats! They sleep during the day in trees at the northern end of the main front road and seeing many hundreds of them hanging blackening the trees is a rare sight indeed. In the evenings they are extremely noisy as the fly along the beach road to their hunting ground; you can't miss that spectacle.

FRASER ISLAND QUEENSLAND


Lake Mackenzie Local tranport !

Fraser Island is one of those places that should be on every-ones wish list to visit, it is really just as fantastic as any Island that I have ever visited or even read about. We spent one day there and now wish that we had taken the two day tour or better still have arranged to camp over there or stay in their lodge/hostel. If you want to do it properly it costs you, to see it you really need to take a flight off their beach landing strip and see the inland Mackenzie Lake with its fantastic very fine sand, (feels more like custard powder), that edges the brilliant blue fresh water lake. The sand is so fine that many visitors use it clean their jewellery, Vera did that and her things came up like new, (so maybe we don't have to buy any more). Once you have seen the lake the next thing is to swim in it. If any lake is perfect for tranquility and swimming then this lake must be the place.
This warrants a stay at Hervey Bay of at least four or five days if you are to do even a day trip to the Island.


A coffee stop was made at Childers that has a little history from the early settlers days, it appears that sugar cane was the main produce of the area and the settlers were not averse to using slaves for labour. In the old centre of Childers is a rather unique chemist shop with everything just as it was in the mid 20th century. Some of the items date back to the late 1800's and include some old cameras and related items used originally by the owner who was a pioneer photographer. Out the back where the pharmacist mixed his potions there were all the original bottles and apparatus of the day, in the front area old posters and even some original packs of proprietary medicines were stacked on shelves or in beautiful display cabinets that were clearly made by professional fitters. The polished wood, brass fittings and small glass sectional parts created a feeling of richness and quality of a past era. Unfortunately Childers was also the place where a fire gutted a hostel back in the year of 2000 causing several deaths.

Bundaberg is a little detour off the main highway north and holds a little interest. The shopping area is acceptable but the main attraction of this town is its rum distillery, with an easterly wind you can smell it from several miles away! There is a museum incorporated with the plant that is just for people like me but alas they were about to close before we got round to getting our tickets. At least I managed to get my sugar fix even if it was by the sugar sweets rather than the rum.

Tomorrow we expect to come back across the tropic of Capricorn and get close to our next destination, the Barrier Reef. The weather forecast is not looking any too brilliant but after coming halfway round the world there is no way we aren't going to enjoy ourselves and swim with the fish! You too make sure that you enjoy whatever you are doing and don't procrastinate until it is too late.
GO ON, enjoy life BUT do be aware and careful while you travel. Take care, Peter T
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223828100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223828100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223828100/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:23:27 -0400 Towards Australia

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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Our arrival was absolutely thrilling.

What a wonderful way to enter Australia! Having flown from Singapore overnight we awoke to see Sydney laid out a few hundred feet below us as we circled round towards the airport. The view of the silver surf breaking on beach at Manly, (the town that stands guarding the beautiful harbour bay), the little ferry boats were tracing criss-cross lines to and fro across the sheltered waters, the iconic Sydney Opera House, a wonder piece of modern architecture and the huge Harbour Bridge standing the neck of the river at the heart of the city. This passing view was indeed something to remember when recalling those special moments of travel.

As with most capital cities Sydney's center is a hustling bustling place where vast numbers of people work in offices, banks and shops but unlike most capitals it is no longer the seat of government, that dubious honour has been given to Canberra. There are however the great buildings that were the center of all the legislation from when this huge country was shaded pink on maps of the world. (The days when Great Britain had world-wide commonwealth.) The comparative short western history can be seen all over Sydney with the predominantly Victorian facades in the shopping areas, museums, churches and state buildings. Alongside these sit the recently constructed blocks of high rise offices and international banks; for some great views of the city get yourself up to the top of anyone of these buildings. The post office tower gives wonderful viewing from the top but is usually crowded an you have to pay for the privilege. Another trip that costs is an official tour of the harbour, if you have the time it is better to just use the ferry taxi boats from Circular Quay to different points around the city that way, although you may miss out on the commentary, you can spend sometime at any of the stopping places. Buses are easy to use and the fares quite reasonable, the fact that everybody speaks English means that you rarely get lost but your feet will suffer if you are going to try and see it all. Sydney demands either a lot of time staying there or a a large amount of staying power.

If you get a wish to seek out the history of Sydney or even Australia, (and it is quite a history), then you really are in luck because they have such detailed records. It feels as though they must have shipped a printing press with the first fleet, indeed as the place was run by the army, or should I say the British government, they detailed the coming of all immigrants from the earliest days up to the latest arrivals.
Another thing that is well worth while is a bus ride to the north-eastern suburbs where from up on top of the hills you are able to see across the valleys, inlets and bays to the city itself. Wear good trekking boots as you can walk for miles through the light bush area and even down to to coast, there is not much in the way of wild-life to be seen so relatively close to human habitation except for the bird life that is quite a bit different - -just listen to them.

In Sydney for a price you are allowed to walk, (for walk read clamber), up to the very top of the harbour bridge to be rewarded with a magnificent view of the bay, there are often restrictions because of adverse wind conditions, be sure to check before you buy your ticket. For free you can pass a pleasant day around Darling harbour which is very touristy but fun. A walk down the eastern edge leads to some old square rigger sailing ships that are very impressive when you stand alongside them on the wharf wall, some are just show pieces while others are seaworthy and used for training or for pleasure. Anything to do with sail fascinates me but is usually a bit of a drag to my wife, bless her she doesn't grumble and lets me go on about the dangerous days of sail in the early and mid 19th century. Most of the museums are usually worth the entrance prices, (especially the nautical one on the harbour), but it all depends on where your special interests lay. Suffice to say whether it is old art, modern art, aboriginal art, contemporary art, immigration, history, the old gaol, early settlers, the city's history, geology or the aboriginal life before the discovery of Australia,- - it is all there for you to see.

Sydney is a throbbing young city with plenty to keep you busy, Darling harbour is fascinating as well as lively, the buskers are great, there is a good choice of eating places, plenty of shops, (as if the Victoria center isn't enough), a relaxing area to wander around the old docks, wharfs and park. A good cheap way to get around the center is by monorail, a day ticket is well worth while.

As with all cities it does cost to stay there, I found a week was enough but that was probable because I fully expect to return. The travel-bug tends to tickle my itchy feet after more than a few days in any one place. The call to move on is strong and Australia is so very vast that there is always something else to see.
Where-ever you are and where-ever you are going, BE AWARE and take care whatever you choose to do.

Peter T.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223553120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223553120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223553120/tpod.html Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:39:32 -0400 Towards Australia

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Singapore, Singapore

Transit time at airports could be so boring.

Me, I become fascinated with the things around me and wonder about all those other people that are in the airport. Why I am there and where I am going is obvious to me but exactly what are all the rest doing? Where are their tickets taking them? Are the on holiday or business? Alone or part of a group? Perhaps they are players part of a football team, perhaps players in a band or orchestra, maybe students. The game evolves as they give unspoken clues by their style of dress or the luggage they have with them. Sometimes the reading matter gives an idea of why they are there, an English newspaper or book can be a give-away, a briefcase or backpack or even a carrier bag helps.
Beyond this game comes the 'Can you spot the plain clothed security man?' or 'Where are the cameras?' or even 'Who is the policeman watching -- and why?' So many people pass through the waiting area. Some appear like flocks of exotic birds in their brightly coloured clothes all dutifully following a banner waving courier- - - -to where? Another tropical spot, or some colder destination where they will be amid our drab northern European dress.

Tonight at one point the people pushing their luggage on the trolleys caught my attention and one of my scribbles came out of this waiting time. 'Changi' is in reality one of the most up to date airports but it still amused me to notice the planners' little flaw.

AIRPORT ACCLAMATION
Changi- Internationally acclaimed the number one,
For service to its passengers it cannot be outdone,
A Singaporean symbol of effort and result,
Achieved by time and motion, the trans-Atlantic cult.

Who needs to save the minutes,
The spare time of commuters?
Who calculated flow-lines
With stopwatch and computers?

Such sophisticated workings to make the airport flow,
With vision screens and cameras - security on show,
Technology at its uppermost - but how it shows its follies,
When unsuspecting passengers try to steer their trolleys!

Peter T.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223143560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223143560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/4/1223143560/tpod.html Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:32:15 -0400 Towards Australia

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai welcomes you with a light show.

It is total blackness as you fly over the Arabian peninsular, no sign of life below your aircraft, not even the odd faint glow from a village or town, you could be over some vast ocean. Suddenly as you descend toward the airport at Dubai bright lights shine their welcome, first white street lighting carves the pattern of the main roads leading to the city, then airport lights and guide lights point you to the runways, next the city lights mixing various colours and shining on state buildings, monuments and high-rise hotels give a brilliance that is akin to any midnight celebration of fireworks in Sydney, London or New York. Dubai shows it's oil wealth through the medium of power, clearly they have no need to economise on electricity.

Once into the airport, (air-conditioned in this desert region of course), the richness shows itself in the exquisite decor, in one area you pass a Mercedes car that is being raffled, another outlet is laden with very expensive jewelery mainly of gold. Arab men stand proudly tall in their immaculate flowing white gowns while others in smart Saville Row suits head off to their departure gates. There are a mix of other people coming and going to or from any city worldwide as there is in most major airports; the holiday makers, the backpackers, officials and rather a lot of sub-continent workers overladen with their belongings in brightly checked canvas bags, cardboard boxes and carrier bags; these I assume are those that work serving the hotels or for the wealthier locals.

Dubai is rapidly becoming a favourite holiday destination for wealthy Europeans who seek guaranteed sunshine and 5, 6 or even 7 star hotels on the beach. In the old town there is some history and the old fort, (which is now a museum), and surrounding area is worth a days visit. The shops all bulge with gold and it is not easy to find something that would remind you of your visit. Not so long ago it was of course just a fishing village with a small port in it's river setting on the coast. One of the excellent things about Dubai is the extremely low rate of any crime and there isn't even any underlying feeling of threat of trouble. The police do their job quietly and only appear in strength within the airport area, that I assume is to counteract smuggling in or out of this tax free country!

It is an expensive place to visit so if you are heading on and trying to stick to a budget it is probably best to stay for a few hours in which time you could cover the old town and riverside before you fly off to pastures new. I'm sure that the high class hotels are quite happy not to entertain any real travelers.

Where-ever you are in this small world, watch your step, there is always so much more to see.

DUSK IN DUBAI
Where the crescent moon hangs by its points,
And single stars are lost in glittering haze,
Silhouetted palms show as crescent shadows,
Mirroring the moon's initial phase.
And the sand stands cold,
In this land of gold,
And you stand and gaze,
As in biblical days.

Peter T
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]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222460700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222460700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222460700/tpod.html Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:59:52 -0400 Tanzania scribbles

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Kyria?, Tanzania

HOW LUCKY CAN WE GET?

By one of those wounderful chances of being in the right place at the right time we were treated to an exceptional trip into the hinterland on Tanzania. Officially we were going to help with the repairing of a wooden bridge that enabled the people from a Maasai village to cross a river. Armed with hammers and plenty of six inch nails we set about replacing and securing the logs that had been destroyed by years of wear and tear. Once we had started there was an influx of "volunteering Maasai warriors" who were keen on wielding the hammers, regretfully their inexperience led to them receiving first aid plasters for their damaged thumbs. The reward of wearing a plaster became a proud symbol for many of the men having assisted in the rebuilding of the bridge!

After the work had been done we were invited into the village which was surrounded by a tangle of thick thorn-bush, (where it was all too clear that the cattle were penned in by night). Meeting the village people and even being invited to enter their homes made us feel very honoured. Communication is never a real problem when there are children and babies around, it is usually a case of humour and cuddles, perhaps it is just that, - - - my wierd sense of childish humour that Vera can-not understand! My family accept the fact that I never have progressed beyond the age of fourteen.

Alas my scribbles never managed to get onto paper the thoughts and feelings of that encounter, even though they are etched forever in my mind. The only short offering is the memory of the long ride through the bush across many miles of Tanzanian countryside tracks.

MAASAI PLAIN DUST

Earth so dry now, tracks are powder, no rain coming, arrid days,
Where we've driven dust has risen, clouds now hanging, causing haze.
Leaves of bushes loosing glory, emerald hues now dulled to brown,
Statued sunflower, colour lost power, petals in this dust will drown.
Lips are covered, feeling gritty, dust in eyes and deep in ears,
Skin encrusted, looking rusted, tracking pathways with the tears.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222014180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222014180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222014180/tpod.html Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:00:46 -0400 Tanzania scribbles

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Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Pictures can not do justice to the the fantastic scenery of Tanzania. The sight of the Kilimanjaro snows that blend into the puffy cumulus clouds when you are still miles away from Africa's highest peak, the sheer vastness of the Serengeti plains or the Ngorogoro crater valley, the remoteness of a Maasai village enclosed by thorn bushes to safeguard their livestock, (as well as themselves). The happy people that seem to scratch survival from day to day, the markets where everybody makes you welcome and wants to know where you are from and what you are doing there and even why you are visiting their country. The vast numbers of animals that nonchalantly pass you as if you were not in their territory, herds of wildebeest, giraffes, lions, elephants, flamingos and so many other creatures. This is one place that has to be seen to be believed and I can only hope to return one day and spend a long time really getting to know the people and places better. Below are my offerings trying to atempt to put you in the picture but on re-reading them I can only suggest that you plan a visit to Tanzania to experience this magnificent place for yourself.


TANZANIAN SUMMER

The land is scorched by searing sun, where insufficient rivers run,
And heat evaporates the rains and pools and lakes are merely stains,
Where water once laid on the ground, no sign of moisture now is found,
And where the hippos once immersed, no longer wildlife quench their thirst.

Gone the ostrich, monkey troupes, with jackal, zebra, baboon groups,
Gone the Thompson deer so elegant, gone the rhino and the elephant,
Lions, leopards, hyena laugh, cheetah, wart-hog and giraffe,
And gone the flamingo, gone the crane, this near deserted Maasai plain.

Along migration paths of beasts, trail sun-bleached bones of lions' feasts,
Thorn bush dried, the grass now dead, earth turned to dust and ochre red,
Lizard, ant and scorpion race, For shadow in this hellish place,
But with the spring returns the rain, that starts life's cycle off again.

Peter T.



TANZANIAN TOURISTS
The adventurous youths and wealthy white adults converge on safaris,
Industrial locals and statued proud Maasai emerge from their shanties,
Tanzanian colours of emerald-green shades, polka dotted....sunflower-spotted...golden fields.

Crimson coloured hedgerows and scarlet blossomed trees abound in the gardens,
Baton swinging guards and security fencing surround the large mansions,
Overcrowded townships of allywayed back streets, colour-faded....dusty tree-shaded....market stalls.

Bright cumulus clouds and snow capped Kilimanjaro merge in the azure sky,
Poorly maintained roadways, ochre dust laden clouds rise as vehicles pass by,
Precipitous rift valley cliffs with ribboned roads grimly clinging....all life bringing....trading routes.

Overladen lorries and old safari trucks strain round the bends,
Overcrowded buses and overburdened bikes complain as they ascend,
Past head-laden women who laboriously climb, each step counting....but ever mounting.... to the crest.

National park safari where tourist-wise Maasai reside in the crater,
Wildebeest and zebra, elephant and rhino abide as neighbours,
Steeping stones of hippos yawning in the water, lions lying....monkeys flying.... cheetahs hide.

Scavengers with talons, jackal and hyenas, bleaching of bones,
Lioness lies bleeding, giraffe calmly feeding, screeching of birds,
scaly legged,long necked, prehistoric ostrich, distant rhinos....pink-winged flamingos....all are here.

Nilotic Maasai guardians of freedom, keepers of history,
inheritors of land, livestock nomad farmers, seekers of stability,
Keep traditional values as herdsmen of the Gods, tradition endowed....warriors proud...live in peace.

Peter T.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222080780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222080780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/womblepeter/3/1222080780/tpod.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:39:38 -0400 Tanzania scribbles

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Moshi, Tanzania

A trip out to a mountainside farm, called a shamba in Swahili, led us to visit a small village school. On the way up the steep path through the jungle type forest some shy/nervous children watched our progress while staying out of sight in the dense undergrowth. As we progressed glimpses of more and more children were to be seen, we started calling out hello, (jambo), they clearly knew we were wazumas, (foreigners), and started to get excited. From that wonderful experience the following resulted in an attempt to capture that special afternoon.

Mr KITALI'S SHAMBA

The mountainside shamba, a Tanzanian scene,
Hands of small bananas, emerald velvet sheen,
Rich green plantation of sugar cane and maize,
Coffee beans ripening in the summer haze.
Roadway, pathway, rutted potholed track,
Views across the valley past a rough wooden shack,
Home for working farmer and family of eight,
Poverty tomorrow, today they eat and wait.

Wazumas slowly climbing, the word moves up the hill,
Excitement cascades forward building up the thrill,
Childish games of tension, they hide as we appear,
Cautious apprehension, the discipline of fear,
"Jambo, jambo" smile and try again,
Give another "jambo", their confidence we gain,
Tension ebbing quickly, a few then start to smile,
The rearmost start the pushing to break the forward file.

It starts then with a tremor, the boldest push forth first,
And then there is a trickle before the flood gates burst,
The smiles have turned to chuckles and laughter's all around,
As waves of happy children their confidence have found
Take hands, shake hands, contacts all around,
Black and white are mixing and innocents abound.
Happy trusting children, they do not understand,
Atonement for our fathers who raped their lovely land.

Peter T.

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Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Why is it that things done with the very best intentions turn out to have the opposite results? Here in Tanzania there is poverty and an urgent need to help local food production so as to reduce the costly imports of things that can be grown locally. We saw how an attempt to solve the problem had caused greater problems, the old adage of, 'the path to hell is paved with good intension's', appears to still be true.
A visit to an aid project led to my writing the following. Regretfully this doesn't help in anyway what-so-ever and the growing original problem is just being exasipated by adding further problems. If anyone has a solution to helping feed these deserving people it would be wonderful, it is always the hungry children that tear at the heartstrings.





TANZANIAN PROJECT

The Tanzanian project's run, by foreigns, there all begun,
With honest hearts and honest will, to make life's problems lesser still,
For Tanzania is very poor , the need for food is more and more.

The thawing Kilimanjaro snows, in deep eroded gullies flows,
In becks and streams to form a river, that to the living is life giver.
The project there by Japanese, to clear the land of bush and trees,
Creating flat and fertile land, where paddy-fields of water stand,
And grow the crop within these fields, rice farmers now with quota yields,
To help the Tanzanian need, 'it's growing population feed'.
But waters from the river mean. there's less for living things downstream.
The lower land is scorched by sun, and insufficient waters run,
To irrigate the Maasai plains, where heat evaporates the rains.

The project in good faith was made, but many prices must be paid,
While farmers gather in the wealth, the labourers must risk their health,
For they must stand in water working, where bilharzia is lurking,
They are aware the odds are high, that if infected they will die,
And malaria is spread, by mosquitoes that have bred,
In the waters that abound, on this project area ground.
The crop however helps to feed, the population's growing need,
So balance now this life equation, to save the growing population,
For poverty knocks at their door, their need for food is more and more.

Peter T.
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