3/15: Arusha, Manyara

Woke up at 645am-slept well until snoring started. Bernadette said I talked in my sleep and was proclaiming something.
I went to breakfast---which consisted of a lot of fruit, cereal, this bar which was like dry cereal bar, dried fruit, nuts, they offered hot options like eggs, beans, bacon, potatoes, milk, juice, toast.
The fruit- tiny, mini bananas--they were very sweet, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, mango juice, water.
My stomach feels a but uneasy-started my Zpack, vitamins, and malaria pills.
The rest of the group came up for breakfast and I got to chat with them a bit. Then it was time to board the land cruiser and take off.
I learned some Africa words:
Sawa Sawa- ok ok
Jambo-Hello
Asentee- Thank you
Karibu-Your welcome

First stop was a supermarket to get water and snacks, ATM. It was gated off, super clean-lots of staff just standing around, dusting, straightening everything up.
The people of Arusha- very friendly, kids wave a lot at our van, we were looked at quite a bit, kids taking care of younger kids-seem close knit---kids follow and listen.
They drove to a shop/bathroom on the way. The scenery is very lush, green, lots of coffee and banana plants--very wide plants.
Our driver is Richard-very quite man, good driver though.
There are a lot of motorcycles-use for transport, easier to drive they said in bumpy streets.
I bought art/coffee in the shop, it was hot hot hot and humid.
Then off to the Mto Wa Mba tribe.
On the way there, we passed a village of a man who had 32 wives and 105 kids. He is a very famous man with his own town and community---I feel like that's a but gross but here its respected.

We made it to the Mto Wa Mbu tribe-walked to the rice patty--got a little muddy, then went to local sculptors --it was so hot and humid, then to banana farms -had banana beer/wine-tasted weird, but as strong as ours in the States--the beer has a nicer taste the wine tasted more like fermentation, not my cup of tea of either of them.
Then off to local painters---I am not really trusting that these are true local artists, it almost seemed like they were pretending while we were there. Not sure so didn't buy anything.
The kids were so friendly---always saying hallo when they saw us and high-fiving us. They would even come and hold our hands, just so sweet.
We then went to lunch and by this time, I was starving. A group of woman I guess come together and make a large sum of food--- we had a lot of variety--rice, spice rice, beans, rice, pancakes (like a crepe, more tortilla tasting), cucumber/tomatos salad, cabbage, a few spicy items, it was all pretty good---fairly plain tasting which is my favorite. For drinks we had to purchase them which I thought was a bit ridiculous! They had coke, fanta, beer for like $2 each.
Once we had our fill, we were off to Manyara State Park- saw giraffes, monkeys,-baboons, blue ball monkeys (their balls turn blue when they are mating), leopard (so fun to watch, could only see his face and then a group of zebras came and he tried to attack when he saw the baby crossing the road. We couldn't see anything because it happened in a bush but didn't appear the leopard got the baby.)
Also saw elephants --it was so wonderful to see them in their natural habitat.
Left the park and it was about 30 min to the next lodge--lots of people out and about on a Sunday evening. This lodge was in the middle of nowhere but could see Manyara across the lake--we had a beautiful sunset.
The place was made up of all yurts. There was no A/C again (there is no A/C anywhere), but always have bug nets, but we could open the window screens at least for air. We could hear frogs, crickets all night.
There were so many bugs at dinner---yuk!, it made me itchy and very paranoid. I went back to my yurt and sprayed me all over. Dinner was at the main yurt---all open so bugs were flying all over, lots of huge crickets/grasshoppers too. For dinner we had Irish potato soup, and then cabbage, carrots, spinach, rice, cucumber-others had beef. The dessert was banana fosters-basically banana muffin-like small tart- yummy. Food was good-very natural-lots of veggies for me!
Talked with group at dinner about the day and current TV shows.
Then back to my yurt with Bernadette for bed. I put on my pjs and covered myself in buy lotion. This was not my favorite place, especially being outside at dinner-too buggy, every minute flew by me or on the table/plate. No no no---cant wait to leave!