We arrive at the school when classes are in session.  After a few minutes we are escorted into a classroom filled with children about10 years old.  They are a bit uncomfortable with a dozen white adults standing at the front of their room, but with some coaxing from their teacher, they loosen up and start singing songs in English to us. 
 
After a few moments we find that kids will be kids, no matter where in world one is.  They are laughing, singing, smiling, and having a good time.  We do the same.  We take photos and show them the digital images on the back of the cameras.  They point and laugh at themselves, and we find ourselves endeared to these children.  They have minimal supplies, and we give them our pens and pencils.
 
Finally, we have to leave, and we bid the children farewell during their recess period.  What a happy bunch.  Later on Michelle and I leave a donation for the school, and we are investigating how we can get some school supplies to them.
 
We enjoy a nice walk back to the Chairman's house, where we are offered a delicious lunch of local fruits, vegetables, meat, and rice.  After lunch we head back to the lodge, over the rough roads, though the village, realizing that we have so much, and we have a responsibility to those that have less.
 
Arriving back at the lodge about 2:30, we have the rest of the afternoon off.  This will be one of the few "down" times we have during the safari.  We go down to the pool area where we relax, nap, read, and have a Tusker.  Later we meet with the group for a drink, and watch a beautiful sunset.  We end our day with a group dinner, sharing our experiences, and wondering what tomorrow will bring.

Typical housing construction.  Vertical posts are placed in the ground.  Then horizontal sticks are bound to the verticals, and rocks are used to fill the voids.  Then an adobe type material is troweled over the structure to complete the construction.  Local materials used in clever ways to provide shelter.

Here a local gentleman demonstrates his cooking stove.  It is powered by methane, an unusual fuel.  Behind his house he has a small stable with two cows.  He collects the cow manure and urine and places that material in an enclosed container.  As the material decomposes, methane is given off.  He has a garden hose running from the container to a small holding tank, and then from the tank to the stove.  Pretty ingenious!

Our guide for the walk is Emmanuel Sindeii, a very educated and informative young man that is dedicated to the improvement of his people.  He is a local guide 2 - 3 days each week, and works the family farm the other days.  His family farms coffee, potatoes, fruits, and flowers.

About 11 am we arrive at Ngirese Village.  We are welcomed to the humble home of the Chairman of the Village.  We listen to a presentation on the efforts by the village to educate their children through the establishment and operation of a school, and we admire his determination to help his people.
 
We depart for a 2 hour walk through the countryside, where we learn about the customs and ways of the local inhabitants.  The main industry is farming, and it is all done by hand, on some fairly steep parcels.  We are impressed that they can do so much with so little, and we start to  realize two things that are reinforced every day of our journey.  One, we have so much to be thankful for, yet we take so much for granted.  Two, there are people that have so much less, and seem to be as happy, if not happier, than we are...

The village is about a half hour drive from the lodge.  We travel on dirt, then paved, then very bumpy dirt roads.  We pass through villages where colorfully dressed Maasai and other local tribes are selling their wares along the side of the road.  One thing that we notice is that the children all wave.  They seem so happy, although they live in conditions that we in the US would consider destitute.  Most houses are huts, have no power or running water, and are no more than two or three rooms. 

After the meeting we load up in the Land Rovers and head off to a local village.  Today we ride with Samson, and he spends a lot of time explaining the local foliage to us as we drive.  We are amazed at how many flowers in Africa are also in the US.

Monday, July 18.  Our first full day in Tanzania dawns with comfortable temperatures and a high overcast.  We slept pretty good last night, and are ready for whatever awaits us. 
 
As we prepare for the day, we notice what will be a common occurrence throughout our time in Tanzania; critters visiting us in our rooms and tents.  This morning it is a lizard in the bedroom, and a toad in the shower!!
 
We head to the restaurant for breakfast, where we are greeted by smiling Tanzanians, providing us with a lovely buffet America breakfast.  The food is delicious, and we are joined by a few of our travelling companions.  We enjoy a leisurely breakfast with local coffee, and then wander over to the common area where we meet up with the rest of the group and our three guides.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abu, the head guide, introduces himself, Willie and Samson, and gives us some background on each of them.  We find that they have about 40 years of experience in guiding people through Tanzania, and we are confident that they will take very good care of us.
 
The next hour is spent going over do's and don'ts, what to expect, the details of our itinerary, how we will travel, hints about money, when and when not to take photos, etc.  It is very informative and interesting, and everyone get's a good feel for the upcoming week.