Elephants and zebras and lions! Oh My!: Battle of Wills

3-13-11

(PHOTOS at the end)

This may disturb some but a slaughter of crickets has just taken place in my banda. They are so loud and always chirp right as you are trying to sleep. This morning after class (where we watched a movie about Serengeti) Erica pulled her bag out from under the bunk beds and a horde of crickets emerged. Erica ran screaming out of the room and Courtney and I grabbed hiking shoes and whacked away. The gore was horrifying and the only things left of the crickets are their smashed remains. I literally have a war wound, a scratch on my finger that looks all bloody. I have never been so grossed out and as we whacked with the shoes Courtney and I screamed a LOT. I’m sorry if this offends some people, but it was a necessary war. We’ve allowed two daddy long legs (or as Austin says a woodsman spider) to reside in our banda, one next to the front door and another in the corner of the shower and we’ve named them both Henry. We also have an ENORMOUS unidentifiable spider in a hole in our bathroom that Erica named Eragog (misspelled) from Harry Potter. Living in Africa is a frequent battle with the insects. Thank goodness for bug spray!

I leave for Serengeti tomorrow for five days. I will be unreachable with no technology. And the showers there are normally broken so I may not be able to shower either. The showers always break because the elephants think its fun to tip the water tanks over and off their perch above the bathrooms. LOL I wanted to post this blog since I’ll be unavailable for a week. Apparently we will be woken up by lions roaring and elephants grazing near our camping ground. I’m so excited!! I have to go help pack the rhino truck with our water and food. Later today we have to pack for the trip, and I have a paper due tomorrow morning. Oh and we leave at 6:30am. EARLY!!! Before we reach Serengeti we are going to the Olduvai Gorge where the first human was found! LOL so cool!!

Yesterday was our day off and Jess, Christina, Liz and I all went to Mtu Wa Mbu to paint. We went to this tourist souvenir shop and in the back where they do all their painting they will show you how to do it and let you paint. Of course it costs money but it was a blast. We learned how to put the canvas on the wooden frame and then using their traditionally painting knives and acrylic we painted whatever we wanted. Afterwards we walked through the town and ate some cool local food (don’t worry all of it was boiled and cooked).

My painting of jumping Maasai

PROM: our 80’s themed prom took place last night and it was a blast! LOL we all dressed up as crazily as we could! A couple days ago I bought bright pink skinny jeans at the market for 5,000 shillings (basically $3) and I wore a leopard print dress I have but tucked in with my jeans belted so I looked really 80’s or at least early 90’s. Everyone had bought clothes from the market, and everything is so 80’s there, that we all looked ridiculous. All the girls borrowed makeup from the select few who actually brought it. Although none of us have makeup remover so today the remnants are still there LOL. Courtney and Will were voted prom queen and king and they were so cute. They had fake crowns and did a slow dance. Erica and Boora (a security guard or askari) did the worm. Everyone was there and it was so much fun. Our teacher Kioko was dancing even though he told us he wasn’t going to come. I had a blast and even though it was really similar to middle school dances it was better because we are all so comfortable with each other. After Serengeti we will be even more comfortable with each other. Five days with no showering, in tents of 6 people and no alone time. I can’t wait!! We have to put our bags in the Rhino truck or lorry tomorrow morning at 5:30am. AHHHH.

Christina and I before prom (she was my date)

I’ll keep a journal while in Serengeti so that I can blog about my trip. I’ll miss talking to everyone! Oh and its really weird they don’t do time change here so instead of being 11 hours ahead of home I’m now 10. I thought that was cool!