The challlenges had began......

Checked in with rangers and starting the trail on the most right side of the map....I think if I am right.....it is hard to see this map now.....Can't buy this map so I took this picture from the glassed farme on the wall.

Blue monkey....they were black to me....quite a few of them between the gate and Mandara Hut.

 

 At lunch area, there were these rockon-bever like animal waiting for hand outs.....they called it "mangose".....never seen one like it before this trip......

continue walking..........my right knee was holding up good.....

After claimed bunk beds, we took a walk near the Hut to see another kind of monkeys and the first sight of Mt. Kilimanjaro.........

Calabask monkeys, if I heard it right.....

First sight of the MOUNTAIN......

Resting in a large hut with at least twenty other hikers from all over the world......cold night it was.

Cheng 8/1/2012

Way to Mt. Kilimanjaro.........

July 19th Barbara and I met up at Mary Ellen's home and had a beautiful and delicious dinner to begin the trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Huge plane and we walked on the group up to it......

We went to Moshi, Tanzania for a wedding that Mary Ellen knew the bride - Gina from early 2000....Moshi is the entrance town to Mt. Kilimanjaro that we conbined the two events in one trip. 

Our luggage did not arrive with us at 3am and the wedding was at noon as invitation stated.  As African custom, wedding might late for 2-4 hours......we took it serious and Mary Ellen decided to go back to hotel to change sliper that hurts her feet......when we get back again the wedding was over....we socialed with other guests in our day old traveling clothes and snekers.......

Our luggage came at 3pm and Mary Ellen changed party cloth and we came back to the wedding in the park the third time...........

July 21st Aligus pick up us from Moshi to Arusha where his home is and had his wife made us dinner at their home and met with their three lovely daughters.......

Lovely couple.......

July 22nd.........reached the gate for the real challenges.....Cheng 8/1/2012

Before Mt. Kili's trip...I know you're waiting pix from Kili....

I told kids near my home that they can come Saturday morning after Kids' time table practice to fix their clothes and few adults at a time to come for embroidery on their fabric and I provided both groups with neddles and threats......going good..........

Carmen and Mark invited me to show dumpling making and all had hands on protices, even with the chopsticks too...........

This was out of my training that my counterpart - Ba Maxium took me to see his father's rice fields, after all I was able to tell them that I will print the pictures from traveling in Bali, Indonesia on rice fields to help him build dicks for his rice fields to keep water and have at least two harvests a year.....they have water and the heat from sun, they shall be able to do so......

They took me to see the wet land that was connecting to Lake Bangweulu......on the way home we had to take a three minutes "ferry" for a short cut to go home......it was 25 kilometer from my home and my bike quited the second time that Ba Manowa had just changed chain and gears a week ago.....that time, I was almost fall from bike.....and this time it hurt my right knee badly.....and it was a week before my hike at Mt. Kilimanjaro......Oh, well........

Isn't this beautiful????  Cheng 8/1/2012

Santa Maria at Chilubi Island.

When kept my backpack at Carmen's I forgot to bring extra camera better with me so I have to save my shoots to the most.....this was the sun sitting when we arrived at the camp ground at Chilubi, and not sun rises the both days we were there.....

Our boat owner was nice to take extra charge and took us to Santa Maria by waterway. 

Santa Maria is as beautiful as I have always remembered....

we even had Fr. Nicoles to give us a tour on the parish and told us the history about it.

On the way out, a few locals were washing clothes at the water front came watch us.....I did not ask permittion to take this picture.....

All around the panensula of where Santa Maria is the water was only 3 to 8 feet deep.....water grasses and lily flowers were everywhere.....PCVs had to play in the water a few more moment in the return trip to camp ground too........we all had great fun on our own ways......I was so happy to know more of new, young PCVs......that I will be with them all till May 2013......Lovely kids.......Cheng 7/9/2012

Islands in Lake Bangweulu.

July 1st more PCVs came joint the trip to the three islands in Lake Bangweulu.  Copper - Carmen and Mark's dog, who is friendly but carring his security duties with no boundery.....often at camp site.

Off we went to see the islands.......

First stop at Mbabala Island, there were almost whole islanders at beach that they were waiting for other boat to bring them goods.....after we landed they turned to us to demend goods.....when it got to be louder than the usual manner, we got back to boat and left them screaming....

This was not expected.....so we decided not to stop at the another smaller island - Chinshi and went straight to the large island - Chilubi, where will camp for two nights.....

For it was early in the day, so most PCVs jump into water and played.....where this picture was water was 8+/- feet.....but it is known that there is cracks.....but they might be shy from many people at one time......I kept dry at boat the enjoy the serenity all around.....but when these fun people got back into boat, none remember to keep backpacks and camping gears dry......

I kind of glad that my sleeping bag was wet so I took a room at the guest house where the camp site was.......two nights camping at the Samfya side of sandy camp ground have been enough on my bones.....Cheng 7/9/2012 

Camping at Lake Bangweulu.

June 30th, one closer by PCV - Casey came visit and we camped at Samfya side of Lake Bangweulu, right under Carmen and Mark's home.

We took little sandy path and pushed bikes down to the water front camp site.

Went into town for dinner and stopped by at Carmen and Mark's on the way back to keep lap top at theirs before going back to camp, right at time they were having dinner and we got invited to sit and eat again.....One volunteer nurse from New Zealand is staying with them for four weeks' work here....

Sun rise from inside the tent......June is cold month, and it can be down to 6, 7C - 40F+/- in the early morning......came into July this low temp will stay till after 10, 11am......and you can feel real cold with nose running a little till sun gets hot by noon......

Peaceful camp site not too big with transplanted trees....

These birds everywhere and even live in my thatch roof, I think.....

It had been terrible on internet connection and phone lately, I've better post a little at a time......till next one.....Cheng 7/9/2012

The prize money well spent......

Sunday, June 24th I had those who helped me on the show preparation to come dinner I cooked with their wives.......but my main counterpart did not come.....they told me that I should not have invited the both of the two wives to come togather......so I learned.......

My beekeeping was greatly supported by the head of Dept of Forestry, Ba Kanja.....many thanks for my heart that he came give my villagers a brief introduction, we will have two whole day workshop soon.....

Starting seriously on existing ponds' managements.....

Also, connecting my area's women's groups to the Government Programs, plus I got smart to have them take the American veggie seeds I have collected to make a group called "Collective Seeds Group" that they need to keep seeds and give me back twice as much in the envelope to give to the next farmers.......if all worked they should have lots of herb and veggies in few months.....

Okay, should not push my luck on internet.....been two weeks it cuts off on me half of my posting....till next time....you all have a nice long weekend ahead......Cheng   6/28/2012