Africa: Day 1 of Shooting
Day 1 of shootingSunday July 13, 2008
We shot in the town of Arusha at a local restaurant called New Garden Slope. It is well known for their traditional dish called “supu,” which is essentially goat’s bone and intestine. Primarily eaten by men (because women are not insane enough to eat it), it is also used as a hangover remedy. According to our TV host and brave food critic, Andrew described the broth particularly yummy even if the meat and other meat parts (i.e. hooves, tongue etc) were not so much. To me, it smelled a bit rancid like someone had died and overall I believe it would not be welcomed by the average American.
Afterward, I thought the local bus stand would offer the best perspective of the bustling town. Since we were shooting on a Sunday, I had a premonition that folks would be returning to their homes and/or setting off on a journey. Sure enough, my instincts were strong. Arushan’s left and right were hustling to get on board these huge rusty overpopulated tour buses. If you think Greyhound is roughing it, you have another thing coming when you see the state of these buses. I have lost count of the number that were broken down on the side of the road after traveling through Tanzania.
Most Arushan don’t have the means of a car, so they either walk or bike. The kids (err, boys) that have the opportunity to go to school will walk for miles to reach their destination, and then will have to trek home. Ironically, for the small amount of people owning and using their vehicles, Arusha is fairly polluted. With 900,000 people within the city boundaries, it seems everyone owns a car, but it’s simply the illusion stemming from tourism and manufacturers coming in and out of town for deliveries.
Once you travel to the outskirts of Arusha, you see these incredible coffee farms, or shambas. Rows upon rows of arabica coffee, corn, sunflowers—their fields line the road. Even further, you begin to see the Maasai huts. It’s quite a contrast to see them when you are 10 miles from the Clock Tower, or the city centre. Important to note: Maasai men are coming into the city more often now, since pastoral life is becoming harder than it used to be.
Some might be asking what is a pastoralist? It’s a way of life by herding cows, goats and sheep, very similar to the American rancher, except for the domestic amenities. Americans put our wealth into our homes, cars and material satisfactions. Other cultures have a different form of what is to be considered wealthy. A Maasai family is rich based on the number of cattle they own, the number of wives and kids they have. When you are born, you receive a cow and then accumulate more along the way.
Yet, the most remarkable moment was coming upon the Ngorongoro Crater. It’s a dormant volcanic caldera that blew up over 3 million years ago. Many human remains, along with other wildlife fossils, have been discovered here. When you come to the edge of this gigantic Crater, you are in awe of its natural beauty and diverse terrain. On one side are savannah grasses, the other-- field of Acacia trees, and then-- the salt ponds.
Better yet is when you actually get to travel inside the conservation area and you approach your first natural Zebra. This is no zoo. It’s a safari. And although you are not allowed out of your Landrovers, you are inches away from zebras, wildabeest, warthogs, dik dik, hippos, ostriches, baboons, rhinos, elephants, and lions. The big 5 game are found here. I only saw the animals I listed above. Somehow, the giraffe, leopards and elephants generally avoided us.
More to come soon...
posted by Only The Lonely @ 12:25 AM
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