FOOD FROM FAR AWAY PLACES

                             A Beginning---More to Follow

Pizza is not Italian and French Toast did not originate in France, both are strictly American innovations. As I traveled around the world I ate many different foods that are unique to the locale. Some I liked so well I have incorporated them into my diet, some I enjoyed, but left behind for various reasons.

     Danish pastry does come from Denmark. The light airy pastry is scrumptious. But a Danish smorrebrod is very different than an American smorgasbord, the equivalent of a buffet. A smorrebrod is an open face sandwich with any combination of thinly sliced items one desires. They are made to order, usually in a bakery or special shop. The only limitation is one’s imagination.

     Strudel is German/Austrian and I still talk about the fabulous apple strudel I had in Eizendorf, Austria. Served with or without schlag (real whipped cream), it was warm, right out of the oven and melted in my mouth. These people are proud of their apfelstrudel and on another trip I was served it many times, sometimes it was fair, other times good, but none compared to the strudel I ate in Eisendorf.

    It is said the croissant represents the Turkish half moon and was left behind in Vienna, along with coffee beans, after a failed Turkish invasion.

Cumera, a sweet potato, paler in color and less flavorful than our yam, is a diet staple of New Zealand.

     In Costa Rica the typical Tico main meal consists of rice, black beans, shredded raw cabbage and tomato salad. Meat, egg or plantains may be added.

      In the Cook Islands local delicacies include octopus, and ika mata, which is raw fish marinated in lime juice then combined with coconut milk and other ingredients—often vegetables and/or salad greens. Motu roni, the innards of the sea cucumber, resembles spaghetti and is cooked with butter, garlic, and other spices. In that part of the world sea cucumbers are called sea slugs. The slugs grow about a foot long and are plentiful in the lagoons near the reef. After extracting the insides the slug is thrown back in the water where it regenerates its loses and in 6-8 weeks is ready again for such punishment.

      In many parts of the world children grow up on Vegemite. Much of it is made Down Under from the dregs of the sugar process. Children love it, but it does not please my palate in the slightest.

      In Holland it is common to spread Nutella, a spreadable chocolate on toast. This I do like! Now that Kraft is making this product it is common here in the states.

      Poke is a paw paw (papaya) pudding. Mixed with tapioca and coconut cream, it is orange in color, has a funny texture, and a rather bland taste, reminiscent of poi.

      The Earl of Sandwich and I would have been very good friends, as I can make a sandwich out of anything! In many parts of the world sandwiches do not exist, and where they do there is great variety. In France a sandwich meal would consist of a chunk of cheese, a hard roll or French bread and wine. In Italy, no matter what one orders for sandwich ingredients it will be served on a roll or hard bread with absolutely no condiments of any kind. In England I was served a sandwich of grated cheese over buttered bread.

     When traveling, one can almost always find one of our fast food establishments. But what a shame to visit them, as I think part of any trip is to learn about the culture and to try different and new things, including local cuisine. I might not order a food a second time, but I just might, and meanwhile I have enjoyed my trip to the fullest.

     My motto is to eat first and ask questions afterward, as so often our perception of a food colors our attitude and we just might miss out on something great.

Kiev Memories

We had many vodka drinks on this trip. We learned that vodka is often mixed with a fruit 

liqueur. Many of them were very good.

 

I happen to like borsch and I ate a lot of it on this trip, however, the very best was in a Kiev 

cafeteria. It was hearty and superb. The worst was in the Moscow hotel.

\\\

That year the Russian Orthodox Easter corresponded to May 1. Big festivities were planned 

for the breaking of the fast. Walking into the restaurant on the sunny Sunday morning we 

accepted a glass of wine and was greeted with Christos voskrese (Christ is risen). We were 

 

unable to respond in Ukrainian. We were then directed to a nearby table holding decorated 

hard-boiled eggs and paska. Paska is a special decorated bread which is always torn and 

never cut. The breakfast buffet held special Easter fare. A local gal translated much of the 

food for us. What a nice surprise!

 

Later in the morning at the Lavra Monastery there were long lines of people with their 

baskets of food waiting for it to be blessed by the priest.

 

We learned about salo—a pig fat product that is served many ways. It is white in color and 

reminded me of Crisco. Apparently it is popular in this part of the world although it did not 

appeal to me in any form.

TOMATO SALAD---Literally

                                Interpretations are Sometimes Fun

    We were sailing around on Lake Lugano when our hiking guide found us on deck. He wanted to tell us about a grotto restaurant and give us directions to it before he left the next morning.

Lugano, Switzerland’s most southern tourist city, is close to Italy, and most people in the canton (state) speak Italian. The terrain, architecture, and climate are very different from the rest of Switzerland.

      The next morning we rode the local bus to Paradiso, where we transferred to a post bus to the grotto. Little did we know that we were in for a hair-raising ride over a narrow, switch back, hairpin-turn road up, up, and up into the mountains. At the pass, the driver didn’t have more than an inch to spare on either side of the bus!

      The driver alerted us at the proper stop and pointed us toward a cobblestone alley. After walking for some distance, we began to wonder if we were in the right place, but around the next curve, in a garden setting, suddenly the grotto appeared.

     In spite of reassurances the day before that some people spoke English, no one did, no waiters nor clients, plus the menu was in Italian. However, we were able to figure out pizza and salada. I ordered pizza and my friend ordered a tomato salad.

     You can imagine the surprised look on our faces when a large bowl of quartered ripe tomatoes arrived! The only other thing in the bowl was a light dressing. We shared our meals. The tomatoes were delicious and the pizza was good.

     We sat at a stone table, as instructed, but now I can’t remember why that was important. The picturesque restaurant, nestled in the foothill of a mountain, was landscaped with lovely tropical flowers. I always smile when I recall the hair-raising bus ride and that memorable meal.

                     A Drink in Costa Rica

My daughter’s birthday happened to be while we were in Costa Rica. After a busy long day of sightseeing the girls headed for the pool and my daughter and I headed to the bar to meet up with a couple of new friends.

Not being much of a drinker, other than wine, I labored over the drink menu trying to decide what to order. Finally the bartender offered to help me out. Between him and my daughter they recommended the Sex on the Beach. I enjoyed the pleasant tropical fruity rum drink, but I had even more fun at home responding to,” Did you have a good vacation?” with, “Yes, I had Sex on the Beach.”

People’s reactions are so much fun to watch!

INTERESTING DRINKS

               Fun Drinks from Different Places

Iced Tea, not in Europe

      Forget about ordering iced tea in Europe. (There is some possibility you might find a vending machine that that has a bottle of Lipton.) Overseas mentality: Tea should be drunk hot!

       In Linz, Austria after a particularly hard day of biking I was dying for a big glass of iced tea. I went to the hotel bar and bought a cup of tea. Then I asked the bartender for a large container of ice.

     With a strange look, he did oblige me. I took the tea and ice to my room telling the bartender I’d return the cup and container when I came down for dinner. I made the best tasting and refreshing iced tea ever!

When staying on Turneffe Atoll in Belize, I asked the kitchen for a large jar so I could make sun tea. This was a new technique for many. The sun was hot, so it didn’t take long to brew.

Mojitos

    A mojito is a rum fruit drink popular in Cuba. We were served one with nearly every lunch and dinner. Combine the juice of a half lime with one ounce of rum, then fill the glass with lemon-lime soda. Add mint leaves.
   In Cuba a four-prong stirrer is included to release the essence of the mint. Ernest Hemmingway not only enjoyed the drink but made it popular in his literature. Sweet and fruity it goes down easily.

Now mojitos are a popular drink most anywhere.

Origin of the Daiquiri

In 1898, shortly after the Spanish-American War, a mining engineer arrived in Santiago, Cuba to find mine workers apprehensive about drinking the water because of malaria.

He added a bit of rum to boiled water and then topped it off with lime juice and sugar. The concoction was soon duplicated and refined moving to ‘society’ in Havana. The rest as they say is history, but this is where the daiquiri originated.

Vodka

   The Russians take their vodka seriously. We visited a vodka museum where there were 2600 different brands of vodka on display. Vodka is often mixed with a fruit liqueur. In Kiev we learned the five rules for drinking vodka. It should be drunk chilled, but never iced. It is drunk from a small shot glass and with food. A little vodka, a little food prevents a headache. Never mix it with anything bubbly, and avoid bubbly drinks after drinking vodka. Do not switch vodka with another liquor. Finally always drink with friends.

Wine on the Ghan Train

In Australia we bought a bottle of wine in Hahndorf for the overnight ride on the Ghan train to the Outback. The bottle opened easily, but there wasn’t a glass in our stateroom. We stared at the couple of Styrofoam cups on the sink.

Well, these two old Girl Scouts used of what was available. The wine was excellent, but I have to admit, it was the only time I’ve ever drunk wine from a Styrofoam cup!

Wine Bar

At the hotel restaurant at Mt. Cook, New Zealand, I ran into my first and only wine bar. For a nominal flat fee, you could help yourself to the well stocked wine bar as many times as you wanted. The wine bottles were sitting in iced buckets, and you had to pour your own. That was not a problem, and what a bargain!

Mate de Coca

    One day while walking in the neighborhood I ran into a fellow who asked where I was going next. When I told him Peru, he launched into a horror story about a relative who got altitude sickness yada yada yada. What would I do if that happened to me? Flippantly I said, “I’d drink coca tea, like the natives do.”

     You can imagine my surprise when I found plenty of hot coca tea always available in hotel lobbies and on all restaurant menus. Our porters brewed it for us on the trail. I drank a lot of it. I think it tastes like most any herbal tea and was no big deal. However, I did not chew any coca leaves!

Smoky Beer

The city of Bamberg, Germany is known for rauchbier, smokey beer. In 1678, a fire in a brewery sent smoke into the area where the hops and other beer ingredients were stored. Not about to lose a whole years’ harvest, the beer was brewed anyway. It had a distinctive smoky aroma and taste, and as they say the rest is history. I think one either loves it or hates it, but is is different!

Guarapo de Cana

Perhaps sugar cane juice is more easily understood. At the sugar mill in Cuba the gal added a good dose of rum to each glass of the tan colored liquid. Actually it was quite good, maybe it was the run? I expected it to be sticky and very sweet, but it was not.

Scotch

There are so many brands of Scotch in Scotland that one must name his brand when ordering his drink. Just asking for ‘Scotch’ will produce a blank look from the bartender.

Irish coffee

From 1939 to 1945 air travel from America was by flying boats that landed at Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland. After a long 18 hour flight, passengers were chilled from the boat trip from the seaplane to the terminal, often in cold, damp weather. They appreciated a hot cup of coffee or tea. The youthful manager of the Foynes catering service believed that passengers would welcome something stronger. The head Chef at Foynes rose to the occasion, developing, after some research, what is now known as Irish Coffee.

Lakka

Lakka, a cloudberry liquor schnapps, is strictly Finnish. It is a pleasant drink and I liked it.

Brits and their Tea

Although tea is the drink of Britain it is not drunk with or after a meal. Tea time is generally 11AM and 4PM. Tea is also a crisis drink; any time one has a problem it is talked about over tea. Tea drinking is pretty much the center of the family.

Delightful Drink

    When in Regensburg, Germany I kept an eagle eye out for the Café Prinzess. Dating back to 1686, it is the oldest coffeehouse in Germany.

      It was an extremely hot day so we opted to sit outside rather than in the warm room upstairs. Our iced coffee was served with chocolate chip ice cream. It was different, but good, resembling a float.

A pair of older German women seated near us were drinking blond angels, which was orange juice with ice cream floating in it. They looked refreshing. In fact they ordered a second one before continuing on their journey.

MANY SURPRISES

                                 Just a Few of Many

On one’s first visit across the pond it is inevitable that one will be in for some unexpected surprises. That by no means implies that such surprises are bad, just different and unexpected, often simply from lack of experience. The following are some of my experiences.

As I wandered out onto Amsterdam's main street I couldn’t believe all the bicycles. There were thousands of them and they really were more dangerous than any other vehicle because the bikers were quite random about which traffic rules they obeyed. Amsterdam is full of electric trolley cars, some public buses, and canal taxis in addition to all the bicycles. Of course Holland is flat and walking Amsterdam is very easy. A canal cruise gives you a very different perspective of the city. There are 400 bridges in Amsterdam and they are numbered in sequence; the higher the number, the newer the bridge. The bridges are very different in style.

In Germany the subway is called the Ubahn. What a pleasant surprise to find the stations spotless

with no trash, no drunks, and no graffiti!

Frankfort is famous for its apple wine. We gave it a try, but I found it rather bitter and quite dry. Although I did not drink much of the glass a friend and I shared I sure had a terrific headache the next morning!

The gondolas of Venice are strictly for the tourists and it is obvious. Water taxis get one around in Venice, and water boats transport all goods and supplies. There are no cars nor bikes.

St. Mark’s Square (San Marco) is big and a must see. There is much to see; be sure to see the old and unique clock and bell.

Trevi Fountain in Rome is behind the Trevi Palace and where Roman Holiday was filmed and the song Three Coins In A Fountain sung. If you want to make a wish, toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain. It is certainly worth a visit and there is an excellent restaurant on the square.

There is so much to see in Rome but here’s a bit of trivia: palaces of Dukes have candle holders on the outside of the building at the top of the first floor. Rome has 1040 churches and numerous Roman ruins. St Peter’s with its 27 altars is absolutely a must see!

The Vatican, the smallest country in the world, is just one square mile. The church has the largest and richest art collection in the world. On the Right Bank of the Tiber River, the Vatican has two miles of railroad track and just under 1000 residents. Remember to buy one of their special stamps or pick up a Vatican coin.

The Sistine Chapel was started in 1475, the same year Michelangelo was born. Michelangelo started painting the chapel at age 72 and continued until his death at 89.I so wanted to lie down on the floor to really absorb that gorgeous ceiling---unfortunately it was not allowed.

Do climb the 135 steps of the Spanish Steps, a Rome landmark. Plan on some time to really take in this lovely area and build in some people watching time as you rest on the steps.

The main road around many European cities sit on top of where the ancient city walls once stood.

In Florence, Italy make it a must to visit the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. Michelangelo was 26 years old when he started David and it took him two years to complete. He never made a pre-sculpture as he could ‘feel’ his statue in the marble, and he always did all his own work. In his day it was common for an artist to create a work and then anonymous craftsmen would do the actual carving.

     The Duomo (St. Mary’s of the Flowers) church was started in 1296, taking 148 years to complete. It is the third largest church in the world, and should be on your list to visit.

    The Baptistery, famous for its bronze doors done in the 1400s by Andrea Pisano and Ghiberti is also a must-see. Plus there is much more to see and visit.

No matter how many times one visits Europe, if one gets out and about he’ll find pleasant surprises.

It is good to remember that one cannot do it all in one trip, no matter where you go, if the area is of any size or has much history. Personally I’d rather do it more in depth than to run around a city on a bus and say I’ve seen it all----but to each his own & for some the latter may be important.

BELGUIM TRIVIA

• Cannot tip on credit card, must leave tip in cash.

• Do not beckon anyone with index finger, use whole hand.
• Seat self in restaurant, there is no one to seat you.
• A polder is reclaimed land.
• Flat towers are almost exclusively seen on polders.
• All cities/villages have a Grote Markt (big square) and bell towers.
• Bell towers have a clock on all four sides.
• French fries come with all meals.
• French fries are a popular vendor item and are served with mayonnaise.
• Cities are clean. Some graffiti only in large cities: Rotterdam, Amsterdam
• Few smokers on streets
• Chocolatiers and their shops are on every street corner.
• Belgium white asparagus is available 2 months of year.
• Scarves are very popular with both men and women.
• Few cell phone users on street.
• In Bruges there are 7 horse families who own the 13 carriages; there are 5 canal boat families.
• Lots of river traffic.
• Gorgeous handmade lace available.
• Think cobblestones, little paving.
• Cyclists have right of way and do not hesitate to run you down.
• Traffic is fast.
• Good roads are narrow and smooth and cars are small.
• Flemish architecture.
• No billboards!
• 4000 local beers.
• Wild flowers were in bloom.
• Windmill blades turn counterclockwise.
• Only the top of a windmill moves, not the whole tower.
• Outside of really large cities, no fast food.
• Waffles are sold by street vendors and are often sugared. Fruit toppings are popular.
• Dutch auctions start high and go down, opposite of most auctions.
• Small villages have hand-operated draw bridges.
• Dutch people are friendly
• Cities are centuries OLD.
• Tulip season is spectacular!

MIDWAY HISTORY & TRIVIA

A lucky Visit

We traveled in a small turbo-prop plane from Hawaii 1200 miles to reach Midway Atoll. At that time Phoenix Air had the exclusive air contract for Midway Island. It is the largest operator/owner of Lear jets in the world.

On July 4, 1903 President Roosevelt sent the first around-the-world cable which took nine minutes to complete from this station.

Pan Am Airlines set up a base for its Clipper Seaplane Service on Sand Island in 1935. Midway was a regular fuel stop for Pan Am’s Trans-Pacific route which included Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila. This operation, including a hotel and restaurant, was short lived—only 1935-1941.

Before the days of advanced radar, planes on Midway Island were loaded with 4000 pounds of fuel instead of bombs to use the planes for reconnaissance. Generally they flew a 7-mile radius around the atoll and could fly 2700 miles in a 27 hour period. This was their early warning system.

The Halsey-Doolittle bombing raid of Tokyo in March 1942 made the Japanese determined to wipe out US carriers.

Midway was also bombed on December 7,1941, but the Battle of Midway didn’t take place until June 4-6, 1942. Most of the battle took place 100 miles from Midway, but the atoll was bombed again.

During the Korean War Midway played an important role as a defensive outpost in the Distant Early Warning (DEW) System.

During the Vietnam War Midway was a port of call and air traffic center.

Midway now is administered by U S Fish and Wildlife Service. Presently there is no visitation available for Midway.

The Navy spent three years and 80 million dollars cleaning up Midway before they departed in early 1997. Tons of debris were removed from the lagoon. Antennas, a bird hazard, were removed. Lead paint from the buildings was removed because playful chicks would nibble on it. Over 100 fuel tanks were removed. Tons of sand was cleaned of toxic fluids, often pulling 200 gallons a day from the sand for several months.

Midway is one of the world’s most incredible wildlife spectacles. It is a living laboratory and ecosystem under constant study. Island ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to the introduction of non-native and alien species. Native wildlife has not evolved with predatory mammals and reptiles and therefore lack adaptations that allow them to co-exist with dogs, cats, rats, mongoose, snakes, or iguanas.

Millions of birds nest on the atoll. Millions more migrate through the area.

There is a spinner dolphin colony that inhabits the surrounding waters.

Both the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the threatened green sea turtle live at the atoll.

I feel fortunate to have lived on Midway for three weeks participating in dolphin and monk seal research projects before travel to the island was halted. We were also lucky to be there during the gooney bird mating season.

MONTREAL TRIVIA

                                             City Odds and Ends

Montreal comes from Mont Royal.

People were very friendly and helpful. Several times people would stop to ask if they could help when they saw us studying a map. English was not a problem as it seems everyone is bi-lingual doing very well with both languages.

In the city’s heyday of the 1920s, Saint Jacques Street was known as Canada’s Wall Street. The Royal Bank’s former head office, with its 23 stories, was the tallest building in the British Empire when it was built in 1928.

Lots of stairs to climb getting in and out of Metro stations. Escalators are available only after getting down into the station.

Except for the streets, Montreal does not appear very handicap friendly.

The city is very easy to get around, as it’s pretty much laid out on a grid. It is also a very easy city to walk. The city and Metro maps are excellent, complete and easy to follow.

Canada is the world’s largest producer of mustard.

The French Pavilion from the 1967 Expo is now a casino and one of only two buildings from the Expo that survived.

       McGill U was all white male until the late 1800s when a benefactor gave money to educate women.

      Sainte Catherine Street, stretching 15 kilometers across the city, is Montreal’s renowned commercial thoroughfare. Lined with major department stores, shops, and restaurants, it has been the pride of Montreal for over a century. There are eight metro stations on the street.

Poutine, French fries with cheese curds and gravy, is a typical dish unique to Montreal.

Canada also produces 70% of the world’s maple syrup and Quebec accounts for 90% of that.

With the flavors of many cultures on every street corner, eating in Montreal is a culinary adventure. The city has 5000 restaurants that represent 80 different countries.

We noted very few cell phone users and actually saw many regular phone booths around the cities.

People seem to follow a relaxed routine. In the Metro the on and off process is very orderly with no elbowing one’s way. Let the people off, then board.

Exactly seems to be a frequent and proper response to a statement or question. It is often delivered with a tilt of the head and an emphatic expression.

FIRST EUROPEAN TRIP SHOCKERS

When in Rome

      When I read through my diary of my first European trip over twenty years ago, looking for some tid bit, I started laughing at some of the things then that were shocking to me at the beginning of my travels.

       Before the Euro, different currency in each country at times was daunting to cope with. And to pay to pee---wow! But what a smart Idea England did by putting free-standing loos in the carparks. They were clean and convenient and what child doesn’t have to suddenly go to the toilet as soon as he exits a vehicle?

     I love my coffee in the morning, but just couldn’t deal with Europe’s strong variety. It was a few years before one could ask for American coffee. And then with the arrival of McDonalds, one could scoot in and order a fairly decent cup of coffee in a to go cup. At home I travel with a thermos mug to avoid disposable trash.

     And speaking of drinks where was the ice? One might be able to beg a couple of small cubes from a hotel bar— have done that more than once! Chilled soda just doesn’t cut it for one who likes her drinks really cold. Most often tea---of course hot---no iced tea in Europe---became my drink of choice.

      Public transportation was fast, efficient and easy to use. Subways, underground, the tube, uban, or whatever the name were clean, but oh the stairs to get to up and down to the system! Stairs, and lots of them, were everywhere. On the street it was wise to pay attention to traffic, especially in left side-of-the-road driving areas! Traffic circles, round-abouts, rings or circuses were numerous and can be confusing until one gets used to them.

     Hotel bathtubs were deep and hot water could be extremely hot, nearly scalding at times. A good soak at the end of a long and busy day sure was nice though!

       Experiencing the food, culture and language were major reasons for traveling. It was the simple things of everyday living that we took for granted that were the shockers.

     Today credit cards make traveling a lot easier. I accept using some terms like toilet and often having to pay to use one.

     Coffee has not changed but alternatives have been added. Now many coffee machines have a hot water button so the strength of one’s coffee can be controlled to his liking. Vending machines allow for colder sodas. Many in the service industry have learned and recognize what most American quirks are. Many hotel chains now have ice machines.

      I personally prefer small boutique hotels as I can go into any chain here at home. We still lack mass transit here in the US, so I love that part of traveling, and in less populated areas love the local transportation. Stairs still exist and that is just the way it is, so although limited I use stairs every opportunity I have at home.

      Dark colored clothes—navy, black, brown. No place to wear red, cranberry or any other bright color to the English theater!

      I love all that travel brings , of all that I learn and experience. I like trying and eating local foods, but most often after three weeks away the first thing I’ll eat is a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Not only do I love it but I then know I’m home!

WORLD'S LARGEST MIGRATION

Wilderbeest and Zebra Relationship

    The world’s largest—and I must add the most fantastic—migration takes place over Africa’s Serengeti--Masai Mara ecosystem. The 18,640 square mile geographical area includes three well known wildlife sanctuaries: Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the Masai Mara National Reserve and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

     Wildebeest with horns, black manes, and stiff tails are funny looking animals. A muscular hump above their forelimbs give them a front--heavy appearance. They sometimes run sideways and are considered by some as pretty dumb animals.

     In the late 19^th century a viral epidemic wiped out 90% of the population. An inoculation program saved the remaining 250,000 animals and the dwindling population gradually rebuilt to 1.5 million animals. Believe it or not, no two zebras look alike. Their bold stripes are different enough to create a distinct zebra ‘finger print’.

     These two animals, both grazers, have an interesting symbiotic relationship. They co-exist eating different parts of the grasses. In addition zebra eyesight is much better than that of the wildebeest, plus the zebra are much quicker to recognize danger. Young wildebeest quickly learn the zebra high pitched aha aha is a sign of alarm. Wildebeest defend their territory with aggressive physical actions. They make a distinctive grunting sound and you may hear them before you see them. As thousands of animals run by, maybe in front of or behind vehicles, you can feel the ground move. What an incredible site to witness!

    The migration of 1.8 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra is an awesome sight to witness. The animals will travel 1800 miles searching for grass and water. The time of this spectacle is dependent on rainfall so one could say Mother Nature is in charge here. Trying to time a visit, like the polar bear window, can be tricky and sometimes just happens to be plain luck. Interestingly the migratory pattern is always clockwise and circular. Masai people call the area seregit meaning endless plains. The vast Serengeti ecosystem includes rich terrain, forest, swamps, grasslands, woodlands providing diverse habitats. The continent’s hot dry climate does not provide a consistent supply of grazing land which cease when rains end. The herd’s need for food and water literally create the migration which extends over months.

       The migration is a strenuous event for the animals and various conditions including 

hunger, thirst, exhaustion and drowning account for a couple hundred thousand not 

completing the   migration. The primary victims include the sick, lame, old and young. 

During mating season the male aims to to breed with as many cows as possible. Timing of 

the birthing   process  iscritical part of the migration.

 

    These animals know when to have their young. Strangely enough both wildebeest and 

 zebra moms can delay up to a month the birth of their young until weather conditions are 

more favorable. Between February and early March, during a 2-3 week window, 500,000 

calves are born. Both animals are born to run; the wildebeest are on their feet and ready to 

go in seven minutes! The zebra takes a bit longer, but in an hour she is beside mom. 

Babies imprint on mom at the first suckling and mom will feed no one but her own baby. No 


surrogates in this crowd.

 
     

   As rain moves north so does the herd. There are two river crossings necessary during 


the journey. Drowning in the strong currents are real hazards for the young and old.

 

 
     The migration is not a long run from point A to point B. The migration route is broken up 


over months as the animals chase the rain and new grazing grounds. They hang out at 


various places at more or less predictable times and periods. Count yourself lucky if you 


are fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to witness this spectacular event!

KENYAN MEMORIES

                                                      Nairobi

      Kenya is about the size of Texas with a population of 25 million, with two million living in Nairobi. English is the official language but everyone also speaks Swahili as that is how the tribes communicate with each other. Nairobi is a large metropolitan city. Forty-five ethnic tribes live in Kenya. The smallest numbers 250 people. The largest tribe is Kukuyu

      In 1899 the Uganda--Mobassa Railroad was being built by coolies from India. The English spent a lot of money to have the railroad built so in the early 1900s they encouraged white people to migrate to Kenya. In 1909 Nairobi was the capitol of British South Africa which consisted of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Now Nairobi is the largest city between Johannesburg and Cairo The automobile arrived here in 1913.

        The city is large. The tourist part of the city is safe to walk as there are askari (police) everywhere keeping the pesky hawkers at bay. The hotels have askari on each floor patrolling the corridors. We were accompanied as we walked to a nearby restaurant one evening. Yet, I never felt threatened nor afraid.

      The place I felt most uncomfortable was the native market that everyone told us we absolutely needed to visit. It was crowded, hot, smelly and stuffy. Hundreds of small vendor niches were separated by narrow pathways. Smoking was a popular pastime, which I saw as a real fire hazard in the crowded areas. The entire complex which covered a large city block was fenced and with only one or two entrances/exits I could foresee a terrible scene in the case of fire and a stampede. Neither of us bought anything nor saw anything that really intrigued us. Although my son kept constantly moving someone did manage to slice his backpack, but fortunately did not get a hold of any of his camera equipment.

      The merchandise seemed to be all the same, so our visit was very short. We came, we saw, we left.

SOME GREAT KENYAN MEMORIES

The Carnivore Restaurant is a popular and famous tourist restaurant. In the center of the restaurant a large cooking is pit is in where all kinds of meats are cooked. Waiters came to the table and told us what meat he carried and served us anything we wanted to try. The food was good.

Although not much for exotic dining, it was a fun experience.

While in Kenya we traveled nearly 1600 miles in Nissan vans equipped with special pop top roofs. These vans also had special guards to protect their undersides on the sometimes rough terrain.

After riding over the arid areas it was a surprise to find our hotels in an oasis in the middle of the desert. We always had a quaint cottage with comfortable accommodations.

Part of the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro are in Kenya but all of the mountain is in Tanzania

The first day we saw the wildebeest migration was simply awesome, especially since we thought we would miss the annual event. It was spellbinding every time we saw the thousands of animals followed by thousands of zebras.

Waking to barking zebras in the marsh at Amboseli.

Falling to sleep to the sound of rippling water and a crackling fire in out fireplace!

On safari game runs are done early in the morning (6:30 AM) before breakfast and late afternoon/early evening---the times of day animals are most active as they rest in the heat of the day

The day a beautiful spotted leopard crossed right in front of our van.

Watching the sleeping cheetahs awaken and take off with the lion in pursuit—it ended in a draw as the lion is a sprinter.

The mating leopards in the hillsides—what a lucky find!

The tented facilities in the Masai Mara in the northern Serengeti and all its animals. The big five of Africa are the buffalo, elephant, rhino, leopard, and lion. We were lucky to see them all!

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Ambroseli Wildebeest 11-30-1 Masai Mara 3-5-12 The Masai 5-6-12