The Coconut Couple

Zanzibar: A Spicy History of Trade and Travel

2007-10-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

With no less than eleven Sultans, a Portuguese period, a brief British barrage, the ominous Ottoman Empire, a bloody independence coup and a tenuous agreement with Tanganyika forming the United Republic of Tanzania, the indigenous inhabitants of Zanzibar have been shaped culturally, politically and economically by the dubious human nature of trade and travel since the first millenia when African Bantu-speakers arrived on the island archipelago. The "spice islands" are legendary and are comprised of two large islands, Unguja (the Swahili name for the island more often called Zanzibar) and Pemba, as well as numerous satellite islands that surround the two giants making up the Zanzibar Archipelago. We travelled to Unguja only, which I will refer to as Zanzibar, and stayed in Zanzibar Town and more specifically in Old Stone Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprised of the cultural and historical "soul" of Zanzibar).

It is fair to attempt to address the archipelago's human history, although it is impossible to to it any justice within the confines of an electronic and sporadic blog. The history fills volumes. The islands are separated by as little as 15 miles and as much as 30 miles from mainland Africa and the watery passage through the Indian Ocean was crossed nearly 20,000 years ago by tribes believed to be of primarily of Bantu origin. Little is known of the livelihoods and establishments made prior to the onset of trade and travel with first started with Arabian and Persian traders arrival in full force as early as the 8th century. Unguja (Zanzibar) is home to a convenient natural port, defensible and providing good anchorage, located in the present-day "Stone Town" district in Zanzibar Town. It would take a bit of time but by the 12th to 15th century, settlements established and the Arabian-Persian Gulf trade networks booming, Zanzibar experienced unprecedented trade and activity. As a powerful city-state Zanzibar exported slaves, gold, ivory and wood to distant ports in India and Asia while importing glasses, spices, textiles and Islam. The latter list is oddly what the islands are known for today. Along with this infusion of activity, ideals and people developed the present-day Islamic architecture (which famously is showcased in Stone Town), the creation of a language (Swahili) and establishment of spice-based economy.

As the age of exploration fired up in Europe the Portuguese took hold of the islands in a brief interruption of Arabian rule during the 16th century. They would have little long term affect on the islands, although one can see Portuguese cannons, there are vestiges of Portuguese influences in some Swahili words and the introduction of card-playing. The first Europeans only held the islands for about 200 years before the Sultanate of Oman took hold of the islands and established a powerful economy of cash crops, trade of mainland African goods and human slaves to Arab elites. The slaves were not only exported but also utilized on the plantations extensively to build the Islamic-based empire which would sow the seeds of discontent years to come. In 1890 the British took a precarious role, forming a protectorate out of Zanzibar, taking a management role while not ousting the Sultans outright. A sultan death and unfavorable succession lead to a brief skirmish in 1896 known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War which, lets just say, with a duration of 38 minutes it holds the record as the shortest war in history. The British did, in their brief history, push for the abolishment of slavery and the slave trade on the island and in 1963 the islands gained their independence and formed a constitutional monarchy.

However, independence did not mean that the formal economically entrenched colonist would flee their lives and businesses. It took no less than a month and little more than three hours before a mere 300-600 armed and organized Zanzibari rebels under the guidance of "Field Marshall" John Okello over-ran the Zanzibar police and seized control of prime bureaucratic structures in Old Stone Town. What followed was a bloody genocide which killed between 5,000 and 12,000 Arab and Asian immigrants, stripped another several thousand Indian and Arab business owners of their lands, homes and businesses and rid the island of its last Sultan. By April the island archipelago was consumed by a much larger mainland former colony, Tanganyika, to create the Republic of Tanzania. Zanzibar still enjoys relative autonomy in the contemporary arrangement.

So that is one spicy history of trade and travel but what about contemporary Zanzibar? Spices are still important with Zanzibar holding its lion share of the clove market and also still producing a healthy portion of nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon. By far, however, the number one foreign currency earner is tourism. Zanzibar has a little bit of everything for a traveler, white sand beaches, historical stone town, spice and plantation tours, local fanfare and nice shopping and a pretty cool little wildlife park where the "friendly monkeys" run the show. It also, like every place where tourist flock, has it share of headaches, hassles and con-men.

Ben and I arrived a bit road wary, having taken a bus from Kampala, Uganda to Arusha, Tanzania via Kenya and having dealt with all that happens at the borders, on the over-crowded buses and the pushy touts. We had spent well over 22 hours on that bus and faced another grizzly ride from Arusha to the coast, so we did what our backs, our backsides and our patience would allow....took a plane. It was amazing to see Tanzania pass under an almost cloudless sky from Arusha, home of Mt. Meru, to the coast. We saw multiple dirt devils, twisting the eroded featureless grasslands, we saw the tale-tale signs of irrigated farmlands (a green splash on a dusty brown moonscape) and the Rift Valley which soon gave way to large coastal towns such as Dar Salaam. One we checked into our hotel in the winding narrow streets of Stone Town we tended to needs such as food and a haircut for Ben. We quite often satisfied our hunger in the afternoon hours down on the sea shore, where vendors fried, boiled and grilled everything you could imagine from the sea. Fishermen, among the dizzying noise of fish sizzle on fire, crowds wheeling-n-dealing and shouts of advertisement to the family table, served up a variety of fish, shark, octopus, squid and compliments of chapati, vegetables and baked sweets. We splurged a few times and visited local restaurants, varying from Indian, Swahili, Sea Food to Asian, always with the same results...some of the best food we were to enjoy on our trip. From spiced coffees, Swahili sweet cakes (hawa), Tsatsiki, and Indian Marsala dishes to road-side roasted octopus, the food rivals some of the best I have had in my traveling experience (with none of the travelers regret in the bathroom the next day). Strolling back from our night excursion, we found a rather empty local "barber shop" with about four Zanzibari youth, stylishly clad in baggy jeans and hip-hop T's smiling inside..."Haircut for 4,000 Shillings ($3.50 USD)?" Sure why not. It was very interesting, Ben got the haircut of a lifetime, the care and precision I have never before witnessed, and I got to sit on the stairs among the Americana poster clad shop (sports heroes, rap singers looking on) and chat with three very nice young Zanzibari men. We talked about America, where we were from, how we found Zanzibar and did I know Lebron James (after all he is from Ohio). I really enjoyed my days winding through these streets of sweet eats, touts, and shopkeepers.

Old Stone Town itself is a labyrinth of smells, sights, shops and homes in various states of decay. The streets cobbled and generally too narrow for cars, with the exception of one street which a single car will race pass narrowly missing pedestrians, bicycles, good laden carts and barely squeezing onto someones porch to allow a car to pass the other way, wound in no particular pattern through the town. They have maps available but it is much more desirable to wander aimlessly knowing that you will either hit the sea or the major road and market, both of which signal Stone Town's end. All women from Zanzibar are dressed hair covered in Islamic fashion with a hijab (scarf loosely covering the hair and wrapping under the chin), with a few electing to wear the burka (full face, hands and body covering), and men also varying in their wear from simply a Sunni Islamic hat to the full robe. I would want no one to think that this is not a tolerant group of people however, there were many a scantily clad tourists walking around, oblivious to local sensitivities.

We decided that we would take a trip to the interior of the island to visit the famed "Jozani Forest Reserve," so we jumped in the back of a local covered transport truck. It was our first trip to see the rest of Zanzibar's urban area and pass into the rural areas, once covered in plantations. The trip itself was adventuresome, we passed a large painting of a pathetic and patriotic looking Saddam Hussein after his capture, we passed crowded markets of people bartering for clothing for the children as required by upcoming Ramadan. And of course the one man that knew any English on the overcrowded truck, wanted us to pay for his fare...hmm. The whole time we are unsure of whether the truck knows where we wanted to go and wondering if we know where to jump off.

The Jozani Forest Reserve is the only place you can see the endemic Red Colobus Monkeys, also known as the "friendly monkeys." Hunting has not played a part in their recent population demise, the locals consider them poison to eat which may well be true due to the fact that they consume large amounts of leaves and excrete a lot of methane, instead habitat loss has been severe with the small Jozani Forest the last forest island within this island that used to be forested throughout much of its low lying interior. The forest has been protected since 1952 but not until 1960 was the Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Area recognized by the government and protected significantly. Our guide told us of the long history of relations with the surrounding communities, although not hunting the monkeys for meat would often sell them and the Blue velvet monkeys as pets, hunt for the Ader's duiker and depend on the last remaining forest for timber, nuts and agroforestry needs. The endemic Zanzibari Leopard, which crossed over from mainland Africa during the last ice age, is almost extinct. The communities surrounding the park are currently very supportive, those little friendly monkeys, which are not as pesky as pantry raiding vervets or baboons, mean tourist dollars. And at least for now, those tourist dollars are filtering down to the community. They are truly unafraid of humans and park officials have their hands full trying to keep less respectful tourist from touching the habitualized monkeys. We saw one large group across the road, feeding on the leaves flushing on a large grove of almond trees. Young, old, male and female went about their daily feeding, grooming, playing and posturing only feet away from their pallid wide eyed visitors and the familiar faces of the Zanzibari park guides.

After the success of our independent trip to Jozani we decided to splurge on a "Spice Tour" with a local tourist agency. I must say it was enjoyable but at $75 it was the first time we looked at each other at the end of the day and had to admit we had been taken (or at least have now been in the area long enough to know that we had been taken). We got to see many of the spices that the island's plantations, slavery and economics were and are based on. Having served in the Peace Corps and Ben having been an "agroforestry advisor" we were advanced pupils and our guide was often disappointed when we knew plants, harvesting and processing techniques and market information. We were also able to pose questions about the impact the spices have had on the local economy and subsistence agriculture. Spices and commodity agriculture is a fickle business, with often high inputs of land, labor and resources and variable returns. No surprises there.

After a week in Zanzibar, it was time to move on and so began our epic "Fight to the Ferry." Zanzibar is known for its aggressive and down-right awful touts and until we ventured down to the Ferry to buy tickets and returned the next day to board the ferry to Dar Salaam, I thought their reputation a bit exaggerated. Sure we had the CD-tape guy follow us down the street singing "Jambo, jambo bwana, Habari gani, Misiri Sana...(this "authentic" Swahili music is pretty much a rambling of commonly known Swahili phrases..we didn't purchase one), sure we had the touts try and take us to restaurants which jacks up the price and sure we had vendors on the street aggressively trying to sell everything (including drugs). No thanks to everyone! But the ferry touts were almost militaristic and criminal, grabbing, screaming and pulling. We had to practically sprint from our taxi, which had touts running and pounding on the trunk, to the ticket counter where we had to be let into the office screaming, "NO BODY HERE HAS HELPED US! THEY GET NO MONEY!" You see these nice gentlemen will hound and pull and push you as you travel to an already well marked destination and then expect a commission at the ticket counter (which the officials pay) effectively driving up you ticket price 2 or 3 times face value. Eventually the officials closed the doors and windows to complete a fair transaction. The next day we returned with our bags exploding with gifts, our clothes and the like, and loaded up and sprinted like over weighted front linesmen..knocking aside those that would pull and grab our bags and "kindly" help us to the ferry for a price. Ah, traveling its so grand. It was a beautiful trip , warm and sunny, comfortable and scenic as we left the exotic cultural infusion that is Zanzibar and headed towards the Tanzanian coast. Customary fishing boats sprinkled the turquoise-blue waters, Ben didn't feel sea sick and I saw dolphins in the distance, you couldn't ask for a better return from an almost mythical place to the large urban town of Dar Salaam.

-Jessica

Cultivation and Canoes: Adventures in Lake Bunyonyi

2007-09-22T04:12:00.000-07:00

We continued heading south in Uganda, the land of rolling hills and crater lakes, to the famed and beautiful Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is a large lake with 29 small islands which historically where not islands at all but the tops of hills found in the mountainous area which forms the border between Rwanda and Uganda. The area, once a riverine wetland, was altered when a volcanic eruption blocked the outflow and flooded the valley areas creating a network of "islands" within this new "lake." The lake itself lies at 1,962 meters above sea level and is about 25 kilometers by 7 kilometers wide. Average depth is a bit murky (as is the water), but is "guess-timated" at anywhere from 44 to 900 meters. Most of the islands have been occupied for the last 200 years, at least intermittently, and this is visually evident by the intensely cultivated and terraced slopes that are present on all the islands. In the local dialect Bunyonyi roughly translates into "Place of many small birds." Given the ornithological inclinations of my husband I wondered would this place translate for me as "Place where the husbands go missing?"

We decided to join a canoe trekking trip, a new tourism venture only offered once a month by the a group called Edrisa. I don't know exactly how to describe Edrisa, it seems a conglomerate of various efforts, the group has a guest house in Kabale, volunteer positions in education with a Bunyonyi's primary school, some fair trade projects and other various projects to help surrounding communities. It is an NGO that has taken the a self-efficient look at the bottom line and set itself up with profitable business ventures to sustainably fund their charitable efforts. For them, not depending on handouts and fickle grants and funds means that the schools and programs they are funding have a stability that many lack. It really is an interesting venture and I would encourage you to check it out on the web at http://www.edirisa.org. (Photograph is Benjamin and Warren tour manager for Edirisa overlooking Kabale) In addition to providing an amazing service to the peoples of southern Uganda, the primary school they took over has gone from one of the poorest and worst performing to the third best in the district, they provide a great service to consumers as well. The canoe trek was amazing, off the beaten track and we got a chance to stay with local families, dine on local cuisine (goat and matooke anyone?) and throw back a couple thick gulps of "sorghum porridge." But I am getting a bit ahead of myself.....

The canoe trek itself started on August 24th and ended on the 26th... so it was a very interesting way for me to turn 28, our madden voyage on the dugout canoes into the terraced hills of southern Uganda. We packed small bags, and meeting up with seven other participants (all of them volunteers for one agency or another in Uganda) we headed up to "The heart of Edirisa" a small primary school where we would launch our canoes and begin a trek into what has been called the most beautiful of the crater lakes in southern Uganda. If Churchill called Uganda his "pearl," Lake Bunyonyi proved to be the "mother of pearl." The children at Edirisa performed several dances, keeping rhythm on a cattle-hide drum, the boys and girls both shy, with eyes wondering to avoid looking at the spectators, and ebullient at the same time. I have no photographs although it is one of the most powerful images in my mind of east Africa. After the performance we loaded the long dugout canoes, able to easily accommodate five people and supplies, and headed into a lake of both "small birds" and rich human history.

We paddled our canoes, the best one can when almost everyone but the guide is already snapping photographs, heading towards Bushara Island where yes indeed, we grabbed a beverage and saw some small birds. Warren our guide was very knowledgeable and we walked around the small island as he showed us some medicinal plants used by many southern Ugandans. Some plants had some very practical applications including leaves that when eaten would suppress hunger, very practical for many pastoralists away to graze cattle for long periods of time, in addition to one plant used by pubescent girls to "develop" or enhance and elongate a certain private part in their nether-regions.....hmm. (Warren's entrepreneur kicked in as he questioned the girls in the group about its potential for marketing in western countries...enough said.)

We also saw the infamous Akampene or "Punishment Island," a small jejune island with only one tree, where pregnant unmarried girls used to be dumped off to die as punishment for their iniquity. We were told that the girls would usually drown trying to swim to another island (as many Africans-even those living on a lake-don't know how to swim) and it was particularly gruesome because sometimes the girls would also grab their brothers or fathers, as they tried to dump them off, and several members of the family would perish. The girls only hope was that a poor young farmer, without the cattle or bride price to marry, would come and "rescue" the girl to become a free bride. The practice was only abandoned in the mid 1900's when it became seen as a bit draconian.

After the unnerving tales of Akampene we headed to a much larger island called Bwama island, where the famous Ugandan cattle, some of which would make a Texas longhorn blush, greeted us. The island was "depopulated" when a Scottish physician set up a Leprosy Treatment Center in 1921. At its height the clinic housed 5,000 patients from all over East Africa and remained open until the 1980s when a drug was developed and patients no longer needed isolation to prevent spread. Now the a few villagers have returned and the well grounds have been converted into a boarding school for primary and secondary students in the area. School was out of session during our visitation, leaving way more cattle than people on this island.

We continued on our way and reached our final destination after some of the group took advantage of swimming in the bilharzia free waters under the watchful eye of a local group of children. Our hostess greeted us with genuine enthusiasm and pulled me up a steep embankment and locked me up in a bear-hug leaving my feet dangling and head pressed against her colorful kanga. Not a single person in the family spoke English or Swahili. Our group went about setting up tents among the scores of interested children, adolescents and goats, while our hosts went about fixing dinner. Foreigners or "mzungus" are still of great interest to the children and they were transfixed by their pallid visitors and particularly digital cameras. We all climbed a steep hill to view the school/ church grounds that was providing primary education to over 200 students. The teacher, one of only 3 or 4, was explaining the dilapidated conditions and struggle that the community has in providing the children with education. Many times, he said, the overcrowded and hot class rooms must move under the mango tree to conduct classes. Certainly not an ideal situation but I also told him that well trained teachers can teach and inspire students in any situation and locally built infrastructure does not mean inferior education. How teachers can deal with 50-60+ children is an entirely different issue. We descending the steep gradient towards the house to ready for a filling meal including goat, sweet potato and porridge. The host family asked me to snap a photograph of their family, three generations, and I hurried to set up the shot as the sun drowned behind us. They were incredibly generous people and my only regret was the sizable language barrier which left most of us with crude gestures and dependent on our guides to translate.

The next day we embarked on a full day trek up to the highest peak in the area, Karembe (mountain? hill?....felt more like mountain) which is about 8,130 feet above see level. Up was of the fast and furious venture, the steep rocky path overlooking the border with Rwanda. The area is inhabited by several tribes, the most famous are the Batwa tribe (also known as "pygmies") and lesser known Bakiga. Our guides explained to us how many Bakiga benefited during the genocides in Rwanda by subjugating the Batwa to carry goods raided from the abandoned gardens and forests over the hill. The Batwa, however short their stature, are renowned as being exceptionally strong and able to carry 100 kilograms for long distances. We saw several Batwa men carrying bags filled with agricultural products that looked twice their size and it became little wonder that these people have been exploited as porters. As we reached the top and crossed the hill, the views were as breathtaking as the climb.

We had lunch at the top of the hill with a commanding view of the terraced islands of Lake Bunyonyi. We also could see Mt.Muhabura, one of the extinct volcanoes of the Varunga mountain range in Rwanda. We finished our lunch and proceeded to "relax" atop the bald hill, void of all shade, chatting and enjoying the beautiful view. Unfortunately this proved problematic latter on as our group began feeling parched and greedily consumed our water supply with several kilometers left to go. The day became long, hot and dusty. The villagers still regarding us with curiosity send children yelling, "Mzungu! Mzungu!" and toddlers crying. Once interesting stop resulted in an impromptu dancing and singing session. It was amazing but all most of the sun-burnt mzungu could do was watch with interest clinging to the few thorn-clad bushes which provided sparse shade. The descent was my least favorite part, long and gruelling it felt as if we would never reach the lake shore again. Once we did, our group had actually broke a record and arrived early which equated to the boats not being at shore. Nearby, Habukomi island was to be our sleeping grounds for the night. Inhabited by just one family, the Edirisa staff had taken the gear earlier that morning and where still on the island. As we waited we watched many of the lake's bird species heading for their night roost. It was a sanguine end to a wonderful yet challenging day.

Arriving on the island at night we saw that the human population was surpassed, at night, by the African crown-crane population. These regal birds were roosting in the trees and walking around the manicured grazing grounds for the few livestock on the island. Sorghum, goats, small crops (maize) and one homestead was the sole evidence of human habitation. We pitched our tents, ate our goat and motoke, swigs of fermented sorghum, our tired bones went to sleep for the night. Our last day we woke early, summited the small isle and were greeted by a green mamba (very poisonous snake) which, sleek and without malice or hesitation, exited the accidental human corral smoothly and at close proximity to our fellow travelers. We continued on canoes, to an island set up for those who wanted a bit more comfort than a tent and had an amazing meal. The group talked, non-stop almost creating a white noise of human laughter and bird-like chatter, the beer was good (cold) and the food was amazing. The birds were abundant and we even spotted an otter. An amazing trip, great company and one more reason why Uganda is truly a hidden treasure in East Africa.

-Jessica (firmly in her late 20's)

The 3 R's: Rest, Relaxation, & Road Travel: Fort Portal & Lake Nyabikere, Uganda

2007-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

(Preliminary Note: The initial photos do not follow the text - try not to get lost!)

After doing all of our laundry, walking around, and generally loitering around Kampala for a couple of days we resolved to try our luck at getting hold of chimpanzee tracking permits and head east to Fort Portal, the staging post for trips to crater lakes and Kibale National Park. That morning we split up - me packing the bags, the tent, and getting ready for departure, and Jessica headed out for an adventure of her own. She took a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) to the other end of town to snag two recently canceled chimpanzee tracking permits at the Uganda Wildlife Authority office.

She told the driver where she needed to go and hung on for what soon came to be a ride she will never forget. They got downtown and started weaving through the traffic and winding streets when the driver asked her where the UWA office was. Apparently he did not know their destination, but of course was not going to say so and pass up a passenger. Jess had not taken the map with her, and Kampala being such a sprawled out city over numerous hills simply could not remember where exactly it was either. Well, eventually they reached the UWA office and she returned on the same boda-boda with an expression I will not soon forget. She was tired but had a great time.

So, we ate an early lunch and then headed down to the madhouse that is the new taxi park and bus station at the bottom (see previous blog for photo) of the hill from where we were staying. The bus that we wanted to take had not arrived yet and the ticket counter was not issuing tickets in advance. So, when the bus finally showed up the front of the ticket window was a chaotic orgy of elbows and people all wanting tickets at the same time. I stayed back and "guarded the bags" while Jess joined the fray, inching slowly towards the small window but still being crowded out by so many other people. Another muzungu (Anya, a woman from Slovenia who also was traveling with a guy "guarding" their bags) eventually pushed her way with Jessica to the front and got tickets for all of us. Having hauled out packs onto the bus and negotiated getting seats (which is not an easy task) we headed out of Kampala towards Fort Portal.

For Portal is a small town in Western Uganda that serves as the main commercial post for the Toro Kingdom and the Kabarole District. For tourists, it serves as the main launching point to the surrounding crater lakes and national parks. We arrived after dusk and made our way to the Continental Hotel. We settled in, had a descent and inexpensive meal and a couple beers with Anya and Domen and talked about their trip to Ethiopia and their home country of Slovenia.

The next day the four of us decided to go together to Lake Nyabikere, one of the area's many crater lakes, to spend a couple of days relaxing and exploring. We made our way to the small shared taxi park a few hundred meters away down the main road and chose the only matatu (14 passenger minivan) going where we wanted. We spent the next half an hour circling town looking for passengers as these vehicles do not leave on their route until the inside of the vehicle can give stiff competition with clown cars at a circus as to how many people they can cram in at one time. We had (no lie) 27 people in the vehicle at one point - with all of their stuff like chickens, bags of sweet potatoes, and hand bags. Comfy!

It took less than an hour to reach Lake Nyabikere 20km south of Fort Portal . We settled into the nice, friendly run CVK Resort, and hung out for the day, relaxing around the lake and spotting red-tailed monkeys and doing some light bird watching. The next day we took a walk around the lake, disturbed only for a short time by intermittent showers. This was an adventure in and of itself.

The lake is so small that you really can't get lost in the surrounding area. However, there are so many paths and winding roads with no signs that negotiating a circuitous route became a fun afternoon. Half way through the walk we came upon a small hamlet at the top of a hill and were greeted by a young girl who was more than eager to help us find our way. So, we let her take us around and through gardens and lightly forested areas, stopping on occasion to look at birds. A couple of her friends tagged along and where mostly curious in the muzungu. It was a pleasant walk, but (of course) when it came to an end at the main road they all demanded money for guiding us around. So, a little peeved, but understanding, we parted with some small change and continued on our way.

On the third day at the Lake the four of us took a long walk down the road south towards Kibale National Park (only 12km away) on information that a couple of chimpanzees were spotted on consecutive days in the top of a fruiting fig tree 10m off the road about an hour and a half walk away. The walk was beautiful. We went by large tea plantations, saw elephant foot prints along the road, took way too many photos of butterflies gathered in groups at the roads edge, and saw a couple new bird species - including a crested hornbill. We soon found ourselves walking in a more forested area and it was obvious that we were approaching Kibale National Park. Off in the distance on our right we heard a troop of chimpanzees on the hunt. It was amazing yet eerie to think that so intelligent and powerful animals were alive and well and on the hunt not too far from where we stood. It did, however, unsettle some red-tailed monkeys that were gathered in the trees above us, and they soon began acrobatic leaps across the road to avoid any change of clashing with the chimps. We never did get to see chimps that day, but we certainly were aware of their presence.
As the day wound on and the light began fading we hopped in the back of a maize truck headed back up to the CVK and the lake for one more night of good sleep, hot showers, and some cold beer. The next day, the four of us packed up, ate breakfast, and then headed south again along the same stretch of road in the back of a truck. We said goodbye to Anya and Domen at the gate to Kibale National Park where we were to spend a couple of days and do some chimp tracking. I think Jess and I will try to meet up with them again, and they have done some campaigning to get us to come check out Slovakia (I mean Slovenia).

Of Kinship and Forests Kibale National Park, Uganda

2007-09-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

After a few excursions on foot from Lake Nyabikere, one of which Ben and I headed to the entrance of Kibale forest with new found Slovenian friends, we headed in earnest to Uganda's Kibale National Park. The park is nestled in mature forest area at an altitude of 1200 meters with a surrounding agricultural matrix of tea, bananas and rolling hills found in this crater lake region of the south. Kibale National Park is a bit of a primatologist's mecca, boasting the claim at having the highest primate densities in the world, including nocturnal, the rare and the hauntingly-human-like chimpanzees. Some of the primate species found in this national park include: the Olive Baboon, Red Colobus Monkey, Angolan colobus, Black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, Bush babies, Galagoes and of course the only Great Ape in the Park, the Chimpanzee. According to the last and very recent survey of the park area, the protected area claims to have nearly 1400 of these magnificent creatures and 5 groups habituated to human contact. The park also has the largest concentration of forest elephants in Uganda- although these creatures are avoided due to their aggressive nature.

Walking down the roads had proven to be a fruitful (and cheap) way to view wildlife. Walking south from Lake Nyabikere we had seen numerous bird species, a young Forest Cobra, a beautiful array of butterflies and witnessed (mostly heard) a very nervous group of Red-tailed monkeys crossing the road, via arboreal-acrobatic leaps, to avoid the hoots and warning calls of a rather large group of chimpanzees. There really was something for these nimble monkeys to be nervous about: chimpanzees are known to hunt and eat monkeys. It was an amazing thing to witness, the monkeys leaping 12-15 feet across the dirt road we were standing on to the tones of chimpanzees under the forest floor. We never caught a glimpse of the apes, just the effect of their antics on the much smaller red-tails and those all-familiar hoots of our closest primate kin. We also saw tracks indicating a road crossing, the divergent toes of the chimpanzees caked in the clay-mud and heard their voices. Would we be lucky enough to observe these apes in the wild? Would they elude us like they had been eluding other visitors recently? I was very tentative and nervous about our chances. Ben kept asking, "Excited for tomorrow? Ready to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat?" I was nervous. This is not a zoo and the natural conditions in the dense forest combined with the movements of the chimps can lead to disappointment. Recently,the park guards told us the day we arrived, the chimps have been elusive, sparsely placed and traveling in very small sub-groups due to late season rains and subsequent late fruiting of the fig trees that the chimpanzees commonly visit for feeding, grooming, socialization, mating, playing and just plan hanging out with the family. We were lucky, the guards said, just last week these trees took to late ripening and the chimps were once again feeding.

We pitched our tent in the park's campsite and quickly took note that while visitors flock to see the large charismatic animals of the parks, the monkeys and chimps at which we view through curious antics of familiar kinship, it is the much smaller inhabitants of the forest that probably rule the forest. I am talking of the supreme architects, extremely social, exceptionally strong in both numbers and physical design - the omnipresent ANTS. They were amazing, I had a strong respect for the our first day as a large, I mean LARGE and in charge, procession cut through the road in droves, with all the supreme organization that only the ants can muster. Not a single individual out of line, the soldiers, the workers- all followed their unified goal and not one questioned their place in the moving mass. As I took photographs I became aware that the commonly called "soldier ants," with massive mandibles, somehow where aware of my presents and began to break rank moving in my direction. They were phenomenal, I thought in admiration, of these supremely adapted creatures. My admiration faltered quickly as Ben and I fought for the next two days to keep them out of our tent and from under our clothes. This was not an easy task and as whimsically tried to pick one off my trousers it bit my finger, drawing blood, and sent me swearing across the grass. They are persistent, even as I removed the body from the head the mandibles held on. In short, no more than twice where Ben and I sent in frenzy, slapping our pants away from these creatures. With the warfare on, we abandoned one of the entrances to our tent, doused the outside and inside with insect repellent (resorting to chemical warfare), crossed our fingers and were pleasantly relieved when the newly arrived (and rather upscale) Dutch campers began the loud-stomping and assumed swearing, in foreign tones, several hours later. Between ants and men: humans find it hard to win the battle let alone the war.

Our chimp-trekking rendezvous arrived, much anticipated, and we followed our park guide and a family of four into the forest. This was by no means a rough hike in the woods, the paths were well worn, occasional trees labeled with English common and scientific names and our guard had a radio by which he kept in contact with base and other trekkers. The forest appeared to be rather mature, undergrowth subdued by a long closed canopies, with large trees with a bit of girth. They also had an unknown fungal infection spreading among many of the larger trees. The guard told our group of the policy of non-interference with such natural orders and yet they are a bit concerned and are now keeping track of the infection rates and spatial movements. While we didn't see any forest elephants, we certainly found enough our their rather large scat and our guard told us that if we see the elephants under no circumstances our we to move towards them or even linger to view, standard protocol: get the as far away as fast as you can and if you can keep up with the guard... all the better.

Walking, walking, walking... and the forest is much quieter than the day that we were on the road listening to the hoots and alarm calls of the chimps and red tailed monkeys. Our group came across a troop of olive baboons. This is a primate species that we had seen several times, second only to the vervet monkeys which are even found in urban centers, and yet the seemed a bit more magnificent and noble in the forest. Several times we had seen them in Kenya, once digging through a rubbish-cage (obviously not working) in Masai Mara Reserve, they were always in the arid shrub lands. Here in Kibale they looked massive compared to those dwelling in the open savanna and we also noticed they looked demographically like a much more stable group, with more adults and less subadults than some of the ones in the savanna. The male was huge (or maybe felt so much larger in the absence of the a protective safari vehicle). We heard, smelled and saw the cautious Black & white colobus monkeys high above in the canopy. I say smelled because being possessing a ruminant stomach and subsisting on almost a completely leafy diet...they have a bit of a fermenting methane smell. I would call them cautious because they are certainly not habituated to humans and for good reason, the former King of the Toro people of Uganda often requested numerous tribal dancers to perform wearing the skins of this long haired monkey (with black and white hair...obviously). Where were the chimps? And then through the undergrowth, a large swarthy creature moved cautiously away from the bipedal encroachers. Then another dark figure, with the accompanied low grunts moved away. It was two males, patrols, our guide informed us. We followed. Our guide immediately set foot to a large fig tree nearby and within the lofty branches were a large group of chimpanzees: males, females, juveniles and infants all enjoying the late ripening of the fig fruit in their forest home.

Fortuitously this was the largest habituated group in Kibale National Park. We watched as many of the individuals, easily 30-40 feet high in this massive tree, stuffed their mouths to comically full proportions with the sweet fruit, laboring to chew and then spitting out the seeds and core. I could have watched forever. A female with small clinging infant passed over head, the small pink foot contrasting against the dark hair of its mother. Noise broke out a bit above, sounds of a temper tantrum if you will, and we witnessed a male and female mating in the branches. The female's weaned youngster was crying and hitting the much larger male for what he must of considered an unthinkable offense. I had read about this many times, juveniles are never happy when their mothers re-enter estrus for the first time(and the subsequent "dating" that goes with this) but the males are generally very patient and pay no mind the interruption. Now I have seen this with my own eyes, this and many other behaviors all right here in the fig tree. Mating, grooming, eating, urinating, defecating, the hungry "food grunts" and socializing. We soon set off to follow the two adult males which were on the ground in the vicinity of their social group. It was hard to pull myself from the fig tree...I could watch them all day, figuring out dominance structures, relationships and such. The males proved to be uneasy about our following, although we did get within about 15 feet of these amazing creatures. They would stop, maybe groom each other or relax and then as if the stench or site of us would rub them wrong, they were off again. Never very quickly, save for once when we were treated to a small "display," always in a controlled manor and pace when allowed us to follow. Once the older male, the guide saying about 35 years old, stopped lounged out and groomed himself a bit, crossed his legs, stole a couple minute nap and then got up and left again. We returned to the fig tree and were allowed to just watch, listen and observe. It was one of the most amazing hours I have spent here in East Africa. That night Ben and I went to the restaurant at the lodge, had a good meal and feeling elated, looked through our photos and talked about the experience and had a couple of East Africa's pleasant bottled brews.

The next day we headed to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community based project which ironically was started with the help of a former Peace Corps Volunteer, which is about 6 kilometers south of Kibale National Park. Once again the walk proved to be as exciting as the park itself and evidence that wildlife does not respect human made boundaries was everywhere. An elephant group crossing across the road is hard to miss, even if they are long gone, the footprints are unmistakable and the vegetation was a bit "disturbed" on either side of the road. We also enjoyed a bit of bird viewing, looking at the hanging nest the Weaver birds make in the trees and laughing at how a few densely inhabited trees looked a bit like Christmas trees with Weaver "bulbs." We saw a beautiful Pygmy Kingfisher and a group of rare Red-colobus monkeys dining on introduced Eucalyptus trees (which locals said they like to become drunk on). The mud and stick houses, with nicely manicured yards of flower and fruit trees, break the monotony of otherwise green expanses of agricultural hills in the area. After a meal of matoke (smashed cooked bananas) and beef stew at the nearby village we headed into the reserve with a local guide.

The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is protected the remnants of the once mighty Magombe Swamp and with over 137 bird species in the area, including the beautiful Blue touraco, Ben was in binocular heaven. Our guide was very knowledgeable and she knew most birds by song or the quick glimpses as they soared through the wooded wetland.

The Magombe swamp is facing a good deal of pressure by the surrounding agricultural matrix an the protected area is essential to the conservation of the small remaining land as this project directly benefits the community through the entry fees as well as employment of guides and guards. We were unable to find out much about the management plan, other than there is a committee and group of elders that enforces regulations as well as the fact that the villagers are allowed some extractive uses. For instance, women use the reeds and stalks from the Papyrus plant to weave local baskets and make thatch for houses. Many areas which we went through was purely agricultural on one side and protected and wooded on the other, there was no buffer zone at all. Also there were children throughout the small reserve trying to sell small clay figurines of the Blue touraco and chimpanzee. Our guide also told us that the colobus monkeys found in Kibale are also venturing into Bigodi, which indicates they are currently able to migrate between the nearly 6 kilometers of unprotected environment to utilize both reserves.

In the end we did see nearly 40 different species of birds in this small reserve, including the beautiful Blue touraco, and a Black and white colobus monkey. The touracos were hanging around the agricultural edge, cows to their west and the thick reeds and waterlogged forest to the east. They are a brilliant blue, the failing light however allowed me only a silhouette to share with you, and I figure this a metaphor for the numerous things here in Africa that are more brilliant than the pixels of a camera or the limit of a language can capture.

-Jessica

Uganda: Churchill's "Pearl of Africa"

2007-09-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

We entered Uganda on a very early and cramped bus from Kisumu, Kenya, arriving at the international border at Busia. International borders in East Africa are not unpleasant, but they do have their hassles.

Immediately we were surrounded and accosted by a swarm of men wearing bright-colored uniform smocks holding massive wads of cash and calculators trying every technique to get us to exchange our money for the local currency. When this happens it already puts red flags to the mind and questions like "why can't I change money after we go through immigration?" come to mind. And then the alarm sounds when they offer exchange rates that (1) sound too good to be true, (2) is to good to be true, and (3) makes you wonder how they can actually use these rates to earn a living. So, we declined (many times if that wasn't enough) and proceeded through the immigration procedures and pay for our visas. Then we saw the sign posted saying that it is illegal to exchange money at the border. (At another border in our adventure a tourist on our bus exchanged her local currency for a crisp new fake US $100 bill that was essentially a wax covered, white and black xeroxed copy. Sorry!).

Walking through the No Man's Land between border posts (50m) a large, white tanker truck was parked to the side. A black gooey mess was slowly oozing out of the very top hatch like a bubbling geyser. A group of boys were scraping the tar-like substance from the tanker, from the ground, and from themselves and collecting it in various dirty plastic containers. We assumed it was oil, bus in passing the spectacle we noticed it had a very sweet smell. Molasses! A band of older women we scolding the boys in Kiswahili, probably to the tune of "Don't you dare on selling that to people at the market!"

After going through immigration our bus was cleared by Customs and we proceeded down the main road towards Kampala, through the heart of Eastern Uganda. We had the pleasure of meeting a young, German woman working on her master's degree studying the impacts of European Union trade agreements with Uganda. She told us that it is actually more economical for Uganda to import many goods from Europe than from its East African neighbors, being hampered by local infrastructure and high duties imposed on these goods in the region. However, moves are being made to incorporate all of East Africa into one customs union to encourage trade and secondary processing in the region. Moving on . . .

When Winston Churchill called Uganda the "Pearl of Africa" he may have been referring to the striking county side of the central or southern provinces: the crater lakes among hills and mountains lush and green, or the amazing abundance of wildlife that the country "once" boasted, the source of the mighty and mystical Nile River or perhaps just the beautiful people themselves, the many inhabitants of Uganda's many historical kingdoms. Although Churchill witnessed a Uganda that hadn't seen the horrors of the Idi Amin's regime and the turmoil of the 1970's and 80's, he was on to something. Uganda is a spectacular country, that seems to cultivate hope as rich as the volcanic grounds in the south cultivate tea and bananas.

Moving west towards Kampala we went over a newly constructed hydroelectric dam at Jinja over the Nile River. It is here that the Nile River begins is long winding journey towards its delta in northern Egypt. The initial stretch of the Nile is a turbulent, whirling conveyor that many adventurous an trill seeking ("crazy") people spend their hard earned money to tempt fate on 30km (~18 miles) of class five white-water rapids. I do not deny that the two of us had planned on taking the trip, but it was probably our best judgement that won our minds over in the end. Even to the best attempts at others who had done the trip before to convince us that is was safe although they thought at the time that "there comes a point during the trip when you literally think that you're doing to die", we declined. Unfortunately during our stay in Uganda an eleven year old girl lost her life on that stretch of river white-water rafting, an uncommon yet always possible reality.

We entered the capital of Kampala on a rather sour note...long ride, we were again in the back row of seats on the bus (which not only don't recline but also have 5 people across) and I had a Kenyan woman which had unrelentlessly slept on me with her dead weight for nearly the last 4 hours of the trip. Upon crossing the border we noticed a couple things: (1)the roads were surprisingly better on the Ugandan side and (2) the housing had changed from the cut stones of the Rift Valley inhabitants to clay bricks on the Ugandan side. I am sure that none of these changes were as stark as we remember, due to semi-unconsciousness for about the last 3-4 hours before being woke up at about 4:30 am to cross the border. Upon reaching Kampala, which sprawls out forever draped over seven rolling hills, we headed for our campsite outside the capital a bit and pitched our tent. There was laundry to be done, sleep to be had (in a horizontal position) and food to be eaten (bus commuters survive on a diet of "stick meat" such as roasted beef or goat and chapati or Indian flat bread). Upon setting up the tent we noticed some large, unusual birds, a resident group of vervet monkeys and the sun striking the distant hill just the right way that made this capital city seem like a jewel compared to Nairobi.

Hanging out for a couple days in Kampala was essential on several points, the first being we had not a stitch of clothing clean upon entering and we had to figure out that our volunteer-budget traveling would not allow us to go see the gorillas-the price having risen to $500 USD a person for one hour or nearly that to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a little-less with a lot more risk. So what to do while the clothes are dripping dry? Walk around the city of course!

Life on the Road - Olsem Wanem? (How?)

2007-09-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you may be wondering how we are tackling the issue of living on the road in East Africa for weeks at a time and on a budget (~$35 USD/day). Here is a brief description of how we are getting along on the road. Enjoy!

Transport:
Public transport – Sort of like a real-life experience on sardines in a can or an experiment on how many people you can actually fit into a vehicle, traveling via public transport here in East Africa is not a luxurious matter. Shared taxis (technically 14 passenger vans) can sometimes hold up to 27 adults and children (and their accompanying luggage). You can also look at is as a wise use of fossil fuels. We generally only use this mode of transport once we get to our destination for short distance travel.

Long-distance travel – Generally we opt for larger buses (technically 47 passengers) but more often in excess of 65 people and their stuff. Cramped, hot, and dangerous (as it tends to speed wildly down the road swerving around slower vehicles) this is not a rather enjoyable way to travel, but it does save some bucks – and those are important after all.

“In Style” – Long distance travel via a more comfortable bus where everyone gets an entire seat to themselves and only stops for bathroom breaks, police barricades, or at international borders. This is much more expensive, but a heck of a lot nicer than the previous option. And then there’s flying on one of East Africa’s many airlines. This is truly a magical experience, and the ease and comfort is easily contagious leaving you wanting luxury more and more. (At least it feels like that). We’ve only taken one plane – and it was awesome!

Accommodation:
Guest house – usually a small establishment, somewhat clean, with communal toilets, showers and laundry sink; rooms typically have two twin beds with mosquito nets and sometimes have a wooden chair and small mirror.

Camping – usual style with the tent we bought in Thailand for $30 with just enough room for our bags and the two of us neatly settled into three parallel lines. Sleeping bags are a must (especially for Kenya as it can get quite cold at night), and rolled up clothes shoved into the sleeping bag cover makes a nifty pillow.

Food:
Eating Local – The best option (and usually the quickest) is to eat what everyone else is eating, such as sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cooked bananas and beans, goat or beef, rice, chapatti – not many vegetables really. It also gives us the opportunity to ‘storian’ (talk) with the locals and hang out.

‘Muzungu’ (Foreigner) Establishments – When the going gets tough (or the palate needs a break) the tough get a cheeseburger. After serving in Vanuatu for three years we think we have “done our time” by eating bland, starch laden food. So, we sometimes take the opportunity to splurge on the more expensive (and slower) foods, like pasta (with cheese), salads, etc. Generally, it is better if you ask what has already been prepared to save a lot of time, effort, and the inevitability of having to change your order because they in fact do not have what you want.

Self Catering – That’s right! We’ve enjoyed cooking rice, instant soup, and soya mince in a couple of cheap pots over a simple collapsible camping stove. It’s been especially nice for making coffee when we first wake up.

Excursions:
A walk in the woods, national park entrance fee and guide, canoeing, spice tour, you name it – as long as it isn’t “too expensive”. This usually does not get figured into the daily living budget, but has been planned for.

Incidentals:
Internet & emailing, stamps, toiletries, pleasure reading books & stationary, etc. . . . oh yeah, and beer.
- - - - - - - - - - -

All of this adds up to an enjoyable experience, both with its discomforts and comforts (which typically becomes a balancing act between food and accommodation). It has already been such an amazing trip and it isn’t even half over.

Samburu National Park: A quick and dusty glance.

2007-09-06T03:40:00.001-07:00

Okay so we are really behind on blogs! Yes as Ben informed you we are in reality in Zanzibar, having already spent nearly three weeks in Uganda. In blog-time, however, we haven't left Kenya and in reality we will probably finish all the African blogging someone in the distant land of India, where I here the Internet is a bit faster... a real IT dream. Anyhow, I don't want to skip Samburu National Park, which was a bit different than the southern-Kenyan circuit, so you are going to get a quick and dusty look at Samburu.... mostly photographs again!

So Samburu National Park is found in the northern Kenya and as such is a bit different in terms of flora and fauna (although we aren't talking about falling through the looking glass here Alice) and particularly has different varieties of ostrich, zebra, giraffe and some plants and birds. The park is part of a larger area of reserves which is around 300 sq kilometers nestled around the Ewaso Ngiro River and home of the Samburu peoples. The environment approaching the park is some of the driest and harshest I had seen in Kenya (although continue further north and I would take that back). We seemed to literally be driving in the middle of nowhere and all the sudden the pastoralist landscape, full of cows and goats further south, changes to cows and camels! Seeing that we were in the middle of nowhere and I had an urge to water a plant we stopped and I ran for the bushes, several kilometers away from the park entrance. All the guys (I was the only woman at the time on this safari) when for another thorn bush. I immediately noticed two things, (1) it is extremely dusty and everything here has thorns and (2) there are several large camels watching me with interest. We thought we were alone and out of nowhere....children are rushing from the other side of the road. This is one of those moments that I wish my pluming did not require my bare butt to choose....flash the camels or the kids! Really they didn't get that close and I immediately noticed another difference in the northern areas as the children caught up with the relieved passengers returning to the van: the children said..."Give me water!" instead of "Give me pens!" That is a pretty hard request to deny but we were unprepared and could not provide hydration even if we wanted to. A local in the park assured me that the situation wasn't as dire as it looked. The Samburu people have been living in this arid climate for hundreds of years, those kids should drink cattle milk and blood like all the other pastoralist. He added that was probably the only English they knew and they probably didn't know what they were saying. Okay, although it still seems hard to deny someone water?

We arrived relatively late in the park and began to proceed to the camp before we get there we see a group of elephants, mostly juveniles in the foreground of the Ewaso Ngiro River. These elephants, which are a prominent feature in many Kenyan parks, are a bit more sophisticated than their southern relatives. Due to pressures from poaching, which claimed the lives of 25 elephants in early 2002, the organization Save the Elephants (http://www.savetheelephants.com/) has provided mobile phones to the elephants of Samburu National Reserve! (Okay now I do feel like the last person on earth without a mobile) The program, utilizing cellular technology through the use of a GSM collar, have set up a system by which each elephant automatically "sends" a text message every hour to a scientist phone. This means that the elephants are tracked in "real time" which is a ground breaking method of studying animal migrations and movements. This can ultimately help scientist answer important questions relating to habitat requirements and preferences, especially in regards to designing and designating protective corridors which allow movement between larger spaces of protected areas. Ain't technology nifty!

The park itself is home to a couple of variations on commonly seen animals on the southern safari root and a few others that aren't so prominent in the south. The Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest zebra in the zebra family, who also has noticeably larger ears (almost a mule like face), a white belly and narrow black stripes. They are often found in association with the Beisa Oryx (Oryx gazella beisa) which is one "sick" looking antelope (for those of you that don't know, "sick" is apparently a good thing now). The oryx has a pair of horns that almost seem counter-productive as they are so long that you can't imagine how they could lower their heads enough to impale something. However they are not simply a spirited ornament, and if fleeing fails, they can inflict serious or fatal injuries on would be attackers.

Another variation within Samburu's arid expanses is the Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), which is a particularly handsome subspecies of the Masai Giraffe described in our guide as having a "striking coat" with crisp lines that produce a "crazy pavement" appearance (see photograph "Hitching a Ride" on the right column of the blog). They are quite beautiful and visually distinct from the other two varieties. Unfortunately we did not get to see the subspecies of ostrich, the Somali Ostrich, which as the name indicates is a northeastern variety found in Somalia, Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Although that couldn't get me down, as we got several glimpses of the innovative gazelle called the Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri), which has a slender, elongated neck and often forages standing up on its hind legs! We also got our first glimpse of a leopard in Samburu National Reserve, which involved unfortunate incidence of nearly 50 vehicles crowded around a small shrub, pushing, yelling and getting quite rude with each other, as the large cat slumbered nearby. The leopard would occasionally rise, turn around in a circle (very similar to a domestic house cat) and lay back down, sending the frenzy of cameras, budget and luxury vehicles in to frenzy for a glimpse. It was obnoxious and I soon started behaving as a child myself... "Can we go yet?"

(Two Gerenuks browsing in the trees.)

("I spy" a leopard that wants all those annoying vans to go away!)

Birds were another highlight in this park especially because the assemblage had changed. One of my favorites, which a snapped many a photograph of in camp, was the Red-billed Hornbill. We also saw another variety of Guineafowl, the Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) which looks like a character from the movie "The Dark Crystal," and the striking-colorful Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudata). One afternoon, the we went down by the river and turned off the engine and just watched all the wildlife migrating towards that watery sustenance. It was quite cool to see how confident the Vulturine Guineafowl scampered about in front of a Nile crocodile, and yet how hesitant a group of Thompson's gazelle were. The crocodile lie motion-less, as if to say "just a piece of drift-wood, nothing to see here." The prey were torn between the urge to drink and the croc...the river gives both life and the possibility of death.

We also saw cheetahs again in this park, although this time (unlike the leopard) they were hastily moving along the contour of the scrub land and truly struck me how beautiful and dramatic they really are. When moving, the camouflage becomes apparent as they deceive even the primate eye, on occasion, blending with the golden-grasses of the scrub-savanna. I was truly able to appreciate them in this environment and in this situation in which they weren't corralled in by safari vans.

Samburu was beautiful, dramatic and diverse, with arid, rocky hills and dry plains as well as doum palm sprinkled river shores. It was worth the long and rough ride and even the camel-laden toilet "facilities."

-Jessica

Of Buses and Planes

2007-09-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

Narrator: (Burl Ives is our ideal candidate)

And so, after already having spent over six weeks on the road, Jessica and Ben said goodbye to Uganda. Having booked two tickets on a comfortable bus (if that is indeed possible) our two determined travelers left Kampala for Nairobi, Kenya, en route to Arusha, Tanzania, a journey that would take them through two international borders (and their adjoining bureaucracy) and over 22 hours.

Apparently moving around quite often and lugging heavy backpacks are not two of their strong suits (or rather they are starting to feel older). Having been systematically worn down by the wear and tear of travel in East Africa, they decided to take the easy way out and fly to Zanzibar pointing to such illuminating statements as “I’m tired,” and “I don’t want to take a ten-hour bus ride and then the one hour ferry to Zanzibar”.

Now, we find our travelers relaxing in Old Stone Town, Zanzibar, where they are staying at the Flamingo Guest House – which shockingly does not resemble a flamingo at all or where there are any flamingoes in residence. Jessica and Ben have winding their way through the labyrinth of small streets that make up Old Stone Town (not to mention its ticks, touts, and trinket shops) and are enjoying the island for what it is.

Let us see what our dynamic duo is up to . . . (Fade to white)

The Gratuitous Photograph Blog

2007-08-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Okay so there is no way to keep up with the amazing scenery here in Kenya and we have accumulated so many photographs (you all know how trigger-happy I can be with a camera) that I am doing a gratuitous photograph blog.... no substance just photographs and captions! Enjoy! -Jessica

View from the lookout over the Samburu National Park.

King of the Savanna. Male lion awaits dusk in Amboseli Game Reserve.

Sun set over the river in Samburu National Park.

Beast at dusk in the Amboseli Game Reserve.

Walking and talking. Two Maasai men walking in the barren grounds outside Amboseli Game Reserve.

Cat nap. It is good to be king in the Amboseli Game Reserve.

Amboseli National Reserve

2007-08-13T00:57:00.001-07:00

August 5-7, 2007.

We spent roughly two and a half days in Amboseli National Reserve in south central Kenya, butting up against the border with Tanzania. Our initial reactions to the area were shock at the shear amount of environmental degradation present in what is considered one of Kenya's best parks. There is a tremendous amount of erosion across the landscape here in Amboseli. Caused by rising salinization (salt accumulation in the soil due to evaporation of water on the surface), damage caused by elephants, and safari vehicles creating their own paths, the resulting area is reminiscent of the American Dust Bowl in the 1930s (except with elephants and wildebeest to name a few).
Dust literally covers most of everything here. In fact, the wildebeest look noticeable older (grayer) here than in "the Mara". Wildlife is not hard to spot moving even hundreds of meters away. All you need to do is follow the smoke trails whisping into the air like far off smoke signals saying, "Over here!". These gray clouds are choking the remaining grasses and it is assumed that their decline will cause most of the ungulates who rely on them to move on (but where?). We even saw an interesting elephant foraging strategy here. A juvenile female would dig the dying grass with the back of her front foot, then proceed to roll it into a ball using its trunk to blow the dust off of it before eventually popping it into its mouth. It was all very well choreographed. And in the afternoon when the winds blow stronger you can see thin twisters of the gray dust shoot into the sky. This situation demands attention, but at least on the surface it appears that attention is not forthcoming. Amboseli is a hard place.

There is a large wetland system (Lake Amboseli & others) throughout the park. It takes up a rather large area during the rainy season and shrinks to a series of small pockets (swamps) during the dry months. Here is the best place to see wildlife galour of all shapes and sizes, colors, and adaptations. Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems capable of supplying sustenance and water to high numbers of resident and nomadic animals (including humans). Hippos graze through the muck, cattle egrets perched on their backs waiting for their free ride to turn something good up. Fish eagles, jacanas, plovers, wildebeest, cape buffaloes, elephants, and hundreds of other species rely on this area. Here, more than the surrounding areas, the web of life is solid and multifaceted, but it is only as resilient as the supply of water. This dwindling arc of life support is the hope of thousands of creatures for survival in this harsh, nebulous environment. In fact, a mountain across the political border with Tanzania largely determines the hydrological upkeep of the wetlands in Amboseli.

The water that supplies the wetlands here is heavily subsidized by snow melt from Mount Kilimanjaro which slowly makes it way through subterranean rivers, trickling out into this oasis. As many of you may already be aware, the amount of snow on Kilimanjaro has been steadily declining for at least the last thirty years. A simple math equation of annual accumulation minus annual melt off shows this trend year after year. There may even be a time when there is no snow garnishing the top of Africa's highest peak.

What is causing this to happen?, you might ask. Popular scientific thought is that the steady rising of earth's annual temperatures, global warming, is the cause. And as an extension of that, we as individuals, groups, companies, and nations are heavily subsidizing this effect. So, in essence, we are all involved (whether we like it or not, we have no choice) in the fate of the hundreds of species of wildlife that call Amboseli National Reserve home. Indeed, the web of life reaches everywhere.

Nevertheless, over 350 bird species and 65 mammal species call Amboseli home. I could easily spend weeks here just looking for birds. My favorite for some reason it the Blacksmith Plover, a medium sized, black and white plover who boastfully walks by themselves or with a mate near the water's edge. We saw our first adult male lion, who at the time was courting a lovely lioness. Cats are cats across the board and do a very good job of laying around for long periods of time. Well, at least you can get great photos of them in action (or rather inaction).

We also were fortunate enough to have witnessed an awesome ceremony performed by male elephants not even ten meters from our vehicle. We saw a large group of elephants headed towards one of the swamps - mothers, infants, toddlers, juveniles, and a couple of larger males. It was clear who was the dominant male in the group. He was huge and he was in must (sexually available). Surely his goal was of a romantic nature as he followed behind the group of females.

What proceeded was none other than a sizing up of potential suitors. You have to hand it to the smaller male because he had one huge set of proverbial tusks to stand up to the larger one. The encounter was rather gentle really. They would lock trunks slowly, push on each other, and do sort of swaying motions with tusks interlocked. But nothing violent was observed. It almost seemed like a friendly arm wrestling match between friends, although replace trunks and tusks for arms. They eventually sorted things out, the smaller one submitting himself to the larger one by turning around with his rear end exposed, and then continued on their way. Ask Jessica how many photos she took when you get a chance.

We said goodbye to Amboseli and headed back to Nairobi retracing the bumpy roads one by one. Our safari had come to a close and it was amazing. I encourage anyone in need of adventure to come and experience the ride of a lifetime.

There certainly is something magical and inspiring about the landscape in Amboseli. I challenge anyone to look at a sunset here and not claim it in their top five places to see the daily event. It is noticeably so old and weathered here yet so may animals continue to eke out an existence, weaving their way through the ropes in the web, relying on the connections between each other.

It is reassuring that even in the face of hardship life is resilient.

On the Move: On the heels of the Wildebeest in the Maasai Mara

2007-08-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

There is not much else more iconic than a trip to the Masai Mara...the migration of tens of thousands of Wildebeest, Zebra, predators in tow and the famed Masai herdsmen, long and thin, draped in red blankets looking after herds of cattle and goats. It would be hard for someone to come away disappointed in this amazing environment with its tumultuous past and rather tentative future. Ben and I were lucky enough to arrive during peak migration of Wildebeest (and tourist alike).

We arrived for an afternoon game drive leading from the front gate to our campsite. The first thing that struck me was the enormity of the area.. it is massive, sprawling, the golden-brown tones of a large grass savanna seemed to spread over the hills for miles and miles. It was the stereotypical African environment: Acacia trees, golden grasses and red hot sunsets. The stuff that inspired Karen von Blixen-Finecke to write "Out of Africa," the amazing and exotic environment that drew the big game hunters "Out of Europe." The only difference I saw after crossing into the Masai Mara Game Reserve from the hours of driving to get here was there were no Masai or their Brahma-style cattle. I also noticed that I did not spot a single animal beast or bird.... strange. Okay maybe not so strange just a bit naive that the whole place would be filled to capacity with National Geographic-like adventure.

Now I called it a "game drive" and that is just what they are. Most East African parks, particularly those in Kenya or the massive Mara-Serengeti savanna ecosystem, are strictly to be explored within the confines of a vehicle. No getting out, no excuses. The immense spaces and not to mention the wildlife (particularly those meat eaters) are not domesticated in any way shape or form. Yes they may watch you carefully and with little interest in those all so common big white safari vans but there are accidents every year and people die... they are trampled, mangled or eaten. I have a healthy respect for the rules, so as much as you want to pull a Julie Andrews and spread you arms and run singing through the rolling hills.. you don't.

So the first sign of wildlife in the Mara was proceeded by the smell. We though yes, I know that smell, musky large, leathery elephant smell. And sure enough there was a small herd of elephants, about 3 adult females, their juveniles and a few rather young, still nursing, calves. They were amazing and our driver put us very close to the action. I often felt a bit too close and intrusive, yet these lumbering giants continued to forage and eat as if several white safari buses were part of the mundane scenery of "Great Migration" of July and August. They were amazing never the less and approached the vehicles in close proximity, to the delight of many tourist albeit two who always remained a bit anxious due to the immense respect we have for the absolute power and wildness of these magnificent creatures. Ben and I often were the ones yelling: "Stop, Stop.. Sawa sawa (okay), that is close enough!" (although sometimes to the bitter disappointment of those traveling with us).

We continued on, although you could watch the elephants for as long as you desired, as they seemed in no hurry to move on to the next group of gawking tourist. We starting seeing evidence of ungulate life in the savanna, a zebra or twenty here, an impala or Thompson's gazelle over there, when we were lucky enough to get an early reminder of why you should remain in the car- a pride of lions sleeping on a large-sun heating rock, waiting for the sun to fall beneath the hills and instigate the night-time hunt. I was very pleased to note that their rock was about 15 meters from the road, giving them a bit of a buffer against the snapping of cameras and pointing of fingers. The pride consisted of about 4 adult females and what appeared to be a rather young male, his mane not quite full and long but more like a motley crew cut with a week of growth. He sat up and looked around a bit, almost off in the distance and when a female stirred awake they looked at each other briefly and she laid back down. Our guide was explaining to us how the female lions have a longer lifespan than the males and he added a comment to the effect of it being due to their indolent behavior. Probably also has to do with the fierce competition between males.... the old man will eventually lose his pride to the younger, stronger and more fit sophomoric one. Could help but wonder if that was the case with our young male here?

The next day we spent the entire day on game drive, only stopping once to view the Mara River, a hippopotamus laden, crocodile sprinkled, muddy waterway, that if you are very lucky you will see the crossing of the Wildebeest. There was also a troop of Black-faced vervet monkeys that hang around tourist areas hoping to steal a bit of food. Hippos lounged on the opposite mud-bank of the Mara although occasionally a bit of a tiff would break out and demonstrate that indeed these animals could efficiently move their bulk. The armed guard, which you tip and was the source of a debate in the vehicle (need them or not), took us to the vantage point where you could look at the Wildebeest that had yet to cross the Mara River. The guard told us that at various times they will cross for about 2-3 hours straight and then stop for an unspecified amount of time until they resume again. Not all Wildebeest migrate, in fact there are even some within the Mara Reserve that are year long residents. The same can be said to be true on the other side of the border, where the Tanzania's Serengeti National Park joins the Mara.

The environment, despite straddling two national borders and three different management regimes, forms a rather continuous piece of conservation area with animals (hypothetically?) being able to migrate between three different reserves: The Masai Mara Reserve (Kenya), Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania). Three different management models, similar and yet differing histories, all within the Masai traditional boundaries and all very interesting from both an anthropological and natural resource perspectives. In short the "Mara" is not managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service but instead is managed by a Community -Based Organization (CBO) on behalf of the Masai themselves. It was extremely hard to find more information on the history of this area, the structure and politics of profit sharing and/ or how the management plan incorporates the larger Masai community....all things to be explored later? I am on vacation after all! (This is however a field of inquiry that I will hopefully be exploring in graduate school- human ecology and conservation areas management).

And of the Masai themselves? Well, I did go visit one of the tourist "villages" paying a bit more than 10USD for unlimited photographic opportunities, got to see "customary dances," go into a Masai house and try some of the sausage-tree home brew. A cultural sell-out? Cultural tourism? Cultural preservation and profit? I really don't know how I felt about what I saw and I would encourage others to reserve harsh or quick and easy judgements as well. One fact is true: for many a decades in Kenya and Tanzania the image of the Masai was used to sell the country, becoming the picture of tribal East Africa, and the Masai themselves didn't benefit at all. Could you really blame them now for being aggressively adamant to receive a few shillings to take their picture? Can you imagine what it was like to see your image in magazines, pamphlets and books to advertise tourism for which you not only didn't profit but actually lost land and resource access to create?

At least in these "villages" the Masai have some command and control over their image, their culture and profits. They also are able to minimize the effect of tourist on other villages or homesteads by herding the mzungu (along with their cattle and goats) into one concentrated area. I heard many a complaint by tourist about the authenticity or wanting access to a "real village." All these complaints seem a bit ego-centric to me (particularly considering most of these people would role their eyes and yet go inside and take photographs.. all the while feeling sorry and embarrassed for the villagers...hmm). Cultural tourism is tricky, the effects can be complicated and represent a matrix of beneficial and disadvantageous effects and may preserve or distort the culture participating. I believe that people should avoid quick and rash judgments on such matters (or if they disagree...stick to your guns and don't go or support the venture!). Anyone who has ever gone to a Hawaiian luau, an Amish village or Native American Reservation probably has had a few of these conflicting thoughts in the back of their minds. Are we celebrating the cultural diversity or destroying it with our capitalistic purchase of its performance?

Either way the Masai are a dominating force when it comes to the image of East Africa and here is the real kicker... they only make up about 5% of the population of the hundreds of tribes in the area. According to many of the other residence (such as Kikuyu, making up 20% of the ethnic population of Kenya) the Masai are famous because they have refused to let go of their culture, their customs and integrate into the larger monoculture of Kenya, more so than other groups. It not that some of the Masai don't wear modern clothes, shoes or haven't lost many or their customs, because indeed some have, yet many have not and many more live somewhere in the middle. I guess the one instance that demonstrated this more to me than any else was the short road stop we made in the middle of Masai country. Three Masai boys, leaving their livestock for a moment, came running up to the van, amazingly just to peer into the group of strange people inside. Going on the material alone (dangerous but lets go with it) they represented a spectrum of Masai-dom: one was completely traditionally dressed, one had a pair of shorts a t-shirt and then the Masai blanket draped over his shoulders and the eldest was dressed in completely western attire down to his sneakers. All were Masai however. All of them carried implements of a herder, all spoke the same language and all were performing the most important task of a Masai... looking after their cattle.

The Mara was not disappointing in the least, not on a superficial level or an intellectual one. We saw so many animals in this park, lions, cheetahs, a jackal, vultures, zebra, cape buffalo, giraffe, a tone of different antelope and birds. One of the most interesting things to watch was a group of Maribou Storks and various vultures posturing and picking the remains of a dead cape buffalo, which we returned to several times during the day: Nature sure has efficient waste management or more accurately, in this system nothing is wasted. The amazing landscape, animals, people, conflicts and history are shrouded in mystery and myth, compromise and harsh reality. I certainly came away with more questions than answers and a powerful imagery of a place that deserves to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

-Jessica

Pretty in Pink: Lake Nakuru National Park

2007-08-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

So the blog is a bit out of order, but my fond memories of Lake Nakuru National Park have made me jump a bit in the chronological order of our safari. So Lake Nakuru NP is a soda lake, meaning it has alkaline waters, which nourishes the both blue-green algae and a particular group of crustaceans. Now if you are not impressed yet with the lake's greenish slug the two particular animals after this rather interesting mix is the greater and lesser flamingos. There are not just a few flamingos but rather tens of thousands, at any given time, like lawn ornaments gone hostel guarding the lake. Well, okay they don't guard so well and you can easily set a hundred a flight by approaching to closely.

We only had half a day in this park, which is much smaller than the Maasai Mara but I felt I could have spent days. The park also boast some rather lazy white rhinos, which were reintroduced many years ago, and some rare tree climbing lions. We actually saw the lions, about six, including a cub in the trees sleeping as we left the park. The park also has it share of Africana icons: giraffes (although a different subspecies), warthogs, cape buffalo, baboons, waterbuck, gazelle and the like. We actually saw in great number here one the smallest of the antelope species, Kirk's Dik Dik. Name aside it is a delicate little creature and looks more like something out of fiction book with its funny little nose and unimposing horns. For anyone a fan of miniatures... this is your antelope.

So when we first arrived at the lake we were a bit lucky, only a couple vans with Japanese tourist all of which had cameras and lenses that made me flush green with envy. Ben immediately took up the bird watching campaign as there is more than the hoard of flamingos in the park and I wondered off along the edge of the lake and peered into the sea of pink. My lens-envy aside no digital or analogue apparatus could render this lake as beautiful as it was there in full panorama, surround sound and the pungent smell of bird in the air. Ben and I had to be hauled back in the vehicle for a drive up to the Baboon Cliff lookout. The drive was pleasant because we had beaten the large drove of vehicle that were just now pulling up to spoil all the Japanese photographers. Our lone vehicle pulled up to a spotted hyaena munching down on something a Marabou Stork voraciously looking on for scraps. Was that a pink feather I saw?

The question was quickly answered as we spot another hyaena running confidently but with not too much haste into a crowd of flamingos. Our driver said they often do that and look for the ones unable to take flight. So there we were less than 100 yards from the hunt and we watched how the hyaena turned, reassessed and rather easily came out of the shallows of the lake with a bright pink prey in his mouth. Okay so some of you don't enjoy nature's carnage but these displays are the best in terms of wildlife viewing. That life ya know... birds gotta fly and hyaenas gotta eat. Maybe we could change the phrase from "Like a sitting duck," to "Like an elegantly standing flamingo?" Doesn't have the same ring.

We headed up to Baboon Cliff and kept our eyes unsuccessfully pealed for a leopard. The view from the top was simply amazing. You see the lake below, the flamingos look like a mirage of pink in the distance, with the occasional cape buffalo or rhino dreamily strolling along the waters edge. Ben and I wanted to see a Rock Hyrax, which is a small ungulate (stomach like a cow) that actually looks like an overgrown ginea pig, and we found a small den, the rather pungent evidence of their inhabitation left in neat pellet like piles by their front entrance, but no Hyrax.

Well the park's history, like many in East Africa is all pink and furry like we would all like to believe. The park covers about 180 square kilometers and since its creation in 1961 has experienced multiple crashes and recoveries in the flamingo population due to the erratic water levels in the lake. The parks 1st birthday was actually sullied by the fact that the lake completely dried up! And heavy rains which diluted the alkalinity also caused another flamingo crash and mass exodus in the 1970s. More recent management woes have been pollution from Nakuru town, pesticide runoff from the matrix of farms in the area and large scale deforestation in the surrounding watershed. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has stepped in with efforts to combat these modern day realities, particularly by the replanting of saplings in the watershed. Like everything though, the wild corners left will depend as much or more on managing people as the wildlife itself.

Ben and I left, our necks straining to get the last looks at the park. Although I have long had an aversion of pink, with all its gender-heavy hues, I must admit Lake Nakuru really makes pink look good.

-Jessica

Nairobi Reformed?

2007-08-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Well having spent more than a couple days of our Kenyan experience in Nairobi it got me thinking: Is "Nairobbery" up to par with its reputation? I believe that the answer is definitely "maybe." The rumor and volunteer mill puts this urban population at around 3.4 million people although we have found downtown Nairobi to be much smaller than would be expected for this populous. Kenyans are adamant that the new government has certainly greatly improved the situation in Nairobi, particularly within the City Center area, and evidence of this is everywhere. Security and police forces are found on every block and are hard to miss nonchalantly carrying Russian assault rifles. I am also told that there are a great deal of police dressed in street clothes. I hardly feel though that the city deserves, what some travelers and guides have given it, the reputation as "the most unsafe city in all of Africa." Don't get me wrong.... the place can feel a bit concerning. Ben and I have been careful of our belongings and haven't ventured out after dark. Would "street-smart" be a necessary thing to pack when coming to Kenya? Yes.
Well what is Nairobi like then?..... It has the hues and feel of architecture from the 1970's. Unlike many large cities I would say that, barring the natural diversity of the tribal Kenyans themselves, the city is very African... not many wazungu (white people) and just a dash of Indian-ex-pats. Vendors here are aggressive, the bartering is harsh and there are just about two menus or prices for anything that doesn't have a bar-code. (Mzungu prices can be 2-5 times that of a local...a bit frustrating.) Thing to know... nothing here in Kenya is free. Nothing. An example is a local shop keeper that tried to sell Ben and I an old-beaten up cardboard box for 400 Kenyan shillings (nearly $6). We walked away and got another young man to give us one for the price of a soda (50 Ksh). The city does have its charm and so do the Kenyans. They are very political and away of global events and you can have some very friendly debates without risking the loss of a friendly handshake at the end. You can't really blame the people here for having an angle or for competing aggressively for business... life is hard and there is a lot of competition.
Here is a small bit of Nairobi history: almost everything here is less than 100 years old and prior to 1890 was little more than a swamp land with a stream known by the Maasai as "waso nairobi" (cold water). With railways coming onto the African seen the East African railway's company Uganda Railway further developed the area by putting an administrative center here. Nairobi's fate was sealed when the British Protectorate moved their capital from Mombasa to Nairobi in 1901. Even as "permanent structures" went up the town had a different kind of wildlife, as compared to the contemporary night scene, with a lot of wild animals roaming the streets and avenues. Then comes the Hemingway age... the hotels that the British built in the early 1900's catered to the big game hunters that would eventually lead to the crash of the mighty iconic wildlife of the area. The building you see today, like I said think 1970, were build over the demolished colonial ones after independence in 1963. They are mostly bland and boxish.
Moving away from the City Center of Nairobi and common to many other towns in Kenya are rather unfortunate in terms of sanitation and infrastructure. However all are bustling with activity and there are a myriad of bicycles, donkeys and carts, cattle, goats, herders, pedestrians and street vendors to liven the scene up. Some of the architecture found in the outer villages and towns are really quite beautiful. Many homes and building are made with stone bricks that are cut by hand. The shops and street malls created out of these stones will be about two stories and four stores long, all brightly painted with advertisements like NesCafe, Safaris.com or Selcom (cellular phones). It is actually visually more pleasing than the alternative of having roads lined with billboards.
Well I will let you go from there so I can get to the good stuff... the safari, the history, the scenery and the adventure that is Africa!
-Jessica

Underwater in Vanuatu

2007-07-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

I have spent a good deal of time in the rich marine waters of Vanuatu. For a small volcanic island archipelago, the marine environment is one of the richest in terms of biodiversity and shear abundance of wild organisms as much of the terrestrial environment, particularly many of the vertebrates and plants, were transported along with their human counterparts all those years ago on voyaging canoes. As far as mammals go in Vanuatu, the flying fox with about 3-4 species and a few species of bat are just about as naturally occurring as it gets, the remaining mammals are cows, pigs, goats, dogs, cats and of course the omnipresent rats and mice (in differing varieties according to their human navigators- so they are a blend of European and Asiatic descent). There is however a high level of endomism (species occurring and evolving only in Vanuatu) among plants, reptile and avian species. Much more difficult to detect would be endomism in the marine environment, although I have no doubt Vanuatu holds unique treasures in that area as well. So I thought I would do a quick blog to introduce all of my land-loving friends and family to the tropical marine environment. As I generally taught this to incoming new volunteers in Vanuatu... I shall cheat and use many of the same lessons that I had in the past. This also gives me a chance to put a great amount of my underwater photos on-line of which I am generally proud (So prepare yourselves for a lot of photos and little substance).

First and foremost.... the base of the one of the most biologically rich ecosystems in the world... what the heck is coral anyway? Well coral is a symbiotic relationship between a minute (in most cases) animal called a coral polyp and an algae called zooanthellae. This symbiotic algae, that lives within the polyp’s tissue, provides the vast majority of the nourishment required by the polyp and subsequently also provides the coloration. These polyps live together in a colony or what we recognize as a coral. There are hundreds (possibly thousands) of species of coral, most of which are difficult to identify in the field and require microscopic analysis to properly identify at the species level. There are two loose and broad categories in which you can classify corals: hard or soft. In the case of hard corals they secrete calcium carbonate and actually live on top of this limestone secretion. Hard corals are important because they build the overall structure of coral reefs through the process of secreting calcium carbonate. This structure may be colonized by future coral polyps or by other coral reef organisms. Soft corals excrete a common skin rather than a hard skeleton and can extensively grow on all reef system, coming the most abundant in 10-30 meters of depth. They are important food sources on reefs and potential source of wonder drugs.

Due to the fact that corals are not only a living organism but also are a result of an unusual relationship between an animal, polyp, and an algae called zooanthellae there are many things that can damage corals, killing the coral polyps or destroying the entire colony. Corals face both human and natural impacts and damaging events. Some of the natural events and predation that corals face are:

Cyclones or strong wave or tide surges
Predation by fish or organisms that consume polyps or zooanthellae (such as Parrot fishes which eat hard corals and "poo" the nice white sand beaches everyone lays on)
Seismic activities such as earthquakes or underwater volcanoes
Freshwater run-off
Algal blooms
Introduced or invasive species
Coral diseases

It is important to remember that like all ecosystem coral reefs are dynamic systems with periodic disturbance. Human impacts, however tend to be chronic and not allow a recovery period. Human disturbances often may exacerbate natural ecosystem disturbances and may slow or halt coral reef recovery. Such human impacts include (but are not limited to) some of the following... remember to that I tailored this presentation to Vanuatu:

Over harvesting of fish or invertebrates which clean or glean the reef: this includes the Aquarium Fish Trade (also worth mentioning in point two).
Predatory release is another issue when a given animal is over-harvested and this allows its prey to "release" or become very numerous... an possible example of this is the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish which eats coral reefs at an astonishing rate which is in turn eaten by the Triton Trumpet Shell (sold at markets for the curio trade).
Using fish poisons (cyanide or customary) which kills coral polyps
Reef Gleaning- walking on the reef to collect shells or invertebrates
Inappropriate or damaging fishing practices such as dynamite or nets that drag the bottom
Sedimentation or run-off from erosion or agricultural land
Pollution (solid waste or industrial run-off)
Global warming- which is being very closely monitored here in Vanuatu and causes the corals to stress, the polyps expel their zooanthellae and become "bleached." A coral that has bleached is essentially starving and has about 2 weeks to regain the photosynthetic zooanthellae.

Of course I guess some could say, "Who cares about coral reefs?" The answers are many and you can take your pick between the down right conservation minded to the straight laced economically motivated. Here are a few that I often teach during my Reef Check trainings:
•Home to 25% of all marine fish and is required during the breeding times of numerous others.
•Support tourist economies, especially with over 20 million scuba divers in the waters around the world.
•A source of drugs for medical use (did you know that coral calcium can be used in bone graphing and to replace eye balls!)
•Food source for 300 million people worldwide and most of the coastal villages of Vanuatu.
•Coastal protection from wave erosion, hurricanes and tidal waves.
•Important to local and international cash economies of many nations, including Vanuatu.

In Vanuatu coral reefs and the inshore coastal areas are important in so many ways, with many communities in Vanuatu relying heavily on inshore or coastal fisheries which are accessible to men, women, boys and girls on almost a daily basis. In Vanuatu, coral reefs form the basis of the subsistence, local market and export (trochus) opportunities for many rural Ni-Vanuatu.

Culturally customary marine tenure plays a vital role in the management of coral reefs and also the harvesting and processing techniques with men, women and youth each have role to play in harvesting resources from coral reefs. Having lived in Vanuatu for three years, few things surprise me anymore in regards to what is considered edible and not edible from the sea... anyone having spent much time in Asia will not find this very shocking. In Vanuatu people of course eat fish, numerous invertebrates (such as shells, lobsters and crabs) but also things like sea urchins, sea stars and the palolo worm or "nawel" as we call in Vanuatu. The "nawel" is a rather small, high "crunch" to meat ratio worm, that spawns and becomes plentiful only once or twice a year at the new moon in October. I shall struggle to remain completely culturally sensitive and not comment on the taste.

However these diverse ecosystems, coral reefs which rival rainforest's diversity, is not just about fish and coral. There is a vast array of different life forms, functions and proliferation in the marine waters around the world. Here are a couple major categories:

We start with Cnidarians (the stingers): Corals are Cnidarians. Coral growth forms may vary according to species, wave action, availability of light or disturbance regime. Common growth forms include; boulder, table, digitate, encrusting, foliose or mushroom. This remarkably diverse group includes jellyfish, hard and soft corals, gorgonian fans and sea whips, hydroids and anemones. Many contain stinging cells called nematocysts and some are deadly!

Marine Plants are the basis of the marine and terrestrial food web, these primary producers range from microscopic to higher plants such as mangroves. There are two basic types; 1.marine algae, and 2. sea grasses and mangroves.

Sponges have the least complex body structure of all multi-celled creatures and are the reefs vacuum cleaners, filtering out bacteria and organic debris. While natural in a reef system, an overabundance generally indicates sewage or pollution, ie.... stinky, gross water!

Marine worms are diverse and there are thousands of species found in amazing array of habitats and four major groups; flatworms, polychaete worms, Ribbon worms and Acorn worms. Two popular varieties for divers are flatworms and Christmas tree worms. Christmas tree worms are found on boulder corals, and will suddenly vanish if you come too close. Flatworms are easily confused with Nudibranchs but pretty much just as cool. Christmas tree worms actually bore into the coral calcium and I believe using a bio-chemical process and they are very colorful.

Nudibranchs (literally meaning "nude lung") and Sea Slugs are easily confused with flatworms, however these tiny colorful creatures are actually related to Mollusks (snails), the most colorful and attractive being the Nudibranch group. The majority feed on algae, sponges and some cnidarians. One Ni-Vanuatu Scuba-diving Reef Checker I trained in Santo became quite obsessed with Nudibranchs once she noticed their existence on the reef and gave me a bit of exercise because she wanted me to photograph and look at everyone she found!

Mollusks and Bivalves comprise one of the largest divisions in the entire animal kingdom with over 100,000 species represented worldwide. This group is extremely important in terms of subsistence as well as economically valuable as it includes bivalve shells such as oysters, shells sold for curio trade (such as the triton trumpet shell), trochus (which are used to make buttons) and giant clams (both consumed and sold to aquarium trade). Many of the animals are endangered and some are very dangerous, containing some of the most powerful neurotoxin in the world.

Cephalopods are a major subdivision of the mollusk family and comprise of octopus, cuttlefish, squids and the nautilus. Many live in the open ocean or deep waters around the world but some species such as octopus are found in coral reef areas and are important predators as well as prey for hungry humans. Between 650-700 species of cephalopods have been documented worldwide but the group remains one of the most mysterious with new information being found every year.

Crustaceans are the most dominant group by far found on the reef systems with over 30,000 species worldwide, many of which are economically important and just down right tasty! The crabs, shrimps, lobsters and numerous microscopic organisms, which often are an important ecological food base, are related to land-loving Anthropoda which includes land insects, spiders and scorpions. In Vanuatu this group is very important for both local food (often served in coconut milk) and for local markets in Vila and Luganville. Traditionally there were some species reserved only for consumption by chiefs.

The Marine Fishes are the iconic and often most conspicuous animals found on the reef and with nearly 7,000 species of the world wide 12,000 found on coral reefs or near shore areas, this is ecologically and economically an important group on Vanuatu's reefs. Approximately 638 species of fish associated with coral reefs alone have been documented in Vanuatu and many or these are consumed locally or sold to local and overseas markets. Coral reefs are also important nursery grounds for many transient or migrating species often sought after by fishing vessels such as tunas, trevally and sardines. In Vanuatu many coastal communities have specific names for each species in local language and sometimes may have different names for juveniles or male and female of one particular species!

Marine Reptiles includes sea snakes, with nearly 50 species worldwide, and turtles the ancient lineage which is nearly 150 million years old. The sea snake is differentiated from the eels by distinct scales and lack of gills. Sea snakes may be extremely poisonous although non-aggressive. All species of turtles are considered threatened or endangered internationally but yet are still killed for certain ceremonies and consumed for subsistence purposes in Vanuatu.

Marine mammals, such as dolphin or porpoises, dugong and their relative in the Atlantic the manatee, are found in warm tropical seas. The dolphin or porpoises are rarely spotted near shore while the dugong often feeds on near shore sea grass beds and is totally protected under Fisheries Laws of Vanuatu. Whales may also venture into Vanuatu's waters during the winter months of the temperate zones.

Marine birds are also important within the coral reef and near shore ecosystems as they are predators and natural reef gleaners. Many consume crabs, bivalves, micro-crustaceans, fish, baby turtles and eggs.

Humans in almost all coastal areas worldwide serve as a mega-predator and may have large impacts structurally and ecologically on coral reef ecosystems! Humans are one of the few animals that have the capacity to change their ecological relationship in the coral reef systems as well and need to constantly adapt, monitor and manage themselves in regards to this delicate system in order to maintain healthy coral reefs for future generations. Check out the link on the right for Reef Check International for more information on coral reefs worldwide.

-Jessica

Waffle wrapped Hot Dogs

2007-07-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

So this is the last short note from the Kingdom of Thailand. A couple short thoughts since the last blog: You know how I said you can buy almost anything in Thailand.. particularly Bangkok... the photo to the left is a fuzzy little example of this that was on sale at the night market in Kachanaburi. Nice dress. Enough said. Of course Ben and I have been combing the city to find what we thought would be a simple enough quest: a raincoat for Ben. Didn't really need or want a furry bunny in a dress or a T-shirt with a man on a toilet with an I-Pod that says "I-Pood." Well we found one today, so all the moms can stop worrying, but it was the hardest purchase that we have made here in Thailand.

Ironically it has been raining here in the Kingdom, not often but with a certain fury when it does. As Ben and I just made it to the Indian Embassy to pick up our visas the skies opened and poured forth a mess that apparently was a bit much for the gutters to handle. Ben and I were left with the choice of soaking shoes or a small block of turf out front of the embassy to walk on. The whole thing got me thinking about those alternating sweat and sewage smells so prevalent in Thailand...Ben said he would just remove his shoes and wade across to get some coffee across the street. A small argument ensued, which I won (probably due to the fact that if lost he would spend the evening in an extremely small hotel room with a grumpy wife), with my not so meekly put point which was... this is Bangkok not the bush in Vanuatu! You have seen the streets and you are not walking barefoot through god knows what to cut your feet and get some strange infection!

I guess the fun thing about traveling is that you never know what the fun bit of strangeness will come your way. For instance, waffles are apparently a big thing here with street vendors selling them with a variety of sweets and toppings. I decided that I would purchase a "waffle on a stick" at the night market in Kanchanaburi. As I enjoyed what I thought would be a familiar taste I bit into a hot dog in the middle. Ben chuckled and asked how it was... I replied, still eating..."Taste like a hot dog with a waffle wrapped around it." Next post... Kenya.

-Jessica

River-side by the Kwai

2007-07-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

Leaving Vanuatu was difficult even though both Benjamin and I were utterly exhausted by work and in dire need of a break. In many aspects I am not sure that it has really sunk in that we are not returning... I mean we have come to Thailand before and enjoyed cuisine that tasted very different than starch, coconuts and firewood and yet returned to our island home. So it will take a several months I believe before it sinks in that our adventures in Vanuatu are behind us and many other adventures lie ahead. One thing is for certain, leaving the quite small capital of Port Vila and landing, after 28 hours of flights and lay-overs, in Bangkok a city of 10 million people and a sensory overload of lights, sights, smells, colors and languages, is a bit shocking really.

Ah, yes Bangkok. You can buy anything and everything in Bangkok. Benign and any sort of debauchery you like is all laid out in front of you for your bargaining pleasure. Many of the goods just leave me wondering, after having a bit of experience in manufacturing; Did someone really create a mold or fitting to create that? Who is the poor soul that sets in a factory all day and creates these smiling, ceramic and rhythmically waving cats? Coming from our small and rather socialistic South Pacific home I find it hard to look around and see the huge disparity between the Thai and I find it rather hard to witness the homelessness, poverty, hunger and begging women and children that were absent in Vanuatu. It seems to me that Bangkok is a concrete jungle, a complex maize of facades built one in front of the other. Unlike many countries, such as our own, Thailand makes no effort to cover up the disparity, the old or unpleasant facades and they exist side by side with the new, glamorous, high technology and consumer driven facades that the upper-class Thai enjoy. Case in point was the small toddler we past on the "sky deck walkway" walking from one designer mega-mall to the next. There was a row of street beggars only 20 yards from the entrance and the last one was a 2-3 year old sitting by himself, no shoes, no shirt, repetitively and almost trance-like performing the wai (hands in prayer-like gesture) and bowing over a small cup of change. Only 20 yards away were the marble-clad corridors full of Thai people purchasing Prada and the like. A security guard also stood by the door, in full view of the street peddlers and beggars... no attempt was made to relocate the powerful illustration of social class here in Thailand.

There is one thing to be said about Bangkok and that is they have plenty of coffee-houses much to the delight of two Kahlers very sick of being served instant Nes-cafe for two dollars a cup in Vanuatu. Shaming enough Ben and I were "those Americans" for a few days, dabbling into a bit of McDonald's, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Subway and Dunkin Donuts. The only excuse I have is that it had been nearly a year since we had any heart clogging, preservative ridden and entirely inorganic Americana. We have since settled into a bit of a quasi-local-American cuisine... a bit of Pad Thai and a Coke.. that sort of thing. Local whiskey (I think) and 7-up... everyone has to have a vice.

The noise, commotion, smog and cost of the capital city caused us to seek refuge in a smaller town. So Saturday we headed for Kanchanaburi, a "small" town of around 60,000 plus people, and home to the historical Bridge over the River Kwai. The bridge was completed as part of the infamous Death Railway to Burma during the second world war by the Japanese Army during their occupation of Thailand in 1942-43. The Japanese used POWs and labourers from Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia to construct not only the bridge but nearly 415 km of railway to link Myanmar (Burma) to Thailand... a road to further imperial conquest. The labor which was estimated to take nearly 5 years by Japanese engineers was forced to completion in just 16 months at a great cost in lives; 16,000 prisoners of war and between 90,000-100,000 laborers. Only 20 months later the Allied forces bombed the bridge in 1945 and only fractions of the original steel bridge remain. Today the railway, although almost all the original work has been replaced, is still operational. Today it is also crawling with tourist. Oddly enough the Japanese flag is always hung prominently in the middle of many flags representing the war at the various museums and roadside stands... and they also have several memorials constructed by the Japanese... although who they are commemorating was a bit unsure.

Kanchanabari is a beautiful area and home to once mighty rain forest. It is hard to imagine what the POWs and labourers would have faced in light of the modern- and certainly more anthropogenic landscape found here today. Now most of the wildlife seems to be controlled and contained performing for tourist and Thai alike. At our guest house their are no fewer than three advertisements that would cause eco-friendly tourist to raise their eyebrows: a "tiger temple" complete with chained magnificent giants for your petting pleasure, a "monkey school" in which you can watch the trained monkeys perform human antics and the ever popular elephant ride through the forest. The first two are completely out of the question for yours truly and the third should only be done with the most reputable and conservation minded tour operators.

Considering what an icon the elephant is here in Thailand and the posh and gentle treatment received by most house pets, it is disturbing to see what these magnificent creatures face today. I guess like many other "unemployed" Thai the change in work brought about vast changes in lifestyle as well. Historically the Thai have used elephants extensively in agriculture, particularly forestry and even battle. However in the 1990's forestry was banned in the Kingdom of Thailand and many elephants and their human caretakers or "mahouts" were left unemployed. They turned to tourism to regain a living and a salary. However, tourism can is a tricky business and local people and elephants alike may either benefit or be exploited by this temperamental industry. The problem is that tourism depends heavily on responsible and conscious consumers that insist on high standards of humane and fair treatment of both humans involved and their animal counterparts. As Ben and I crossed the Bridge over the River Kwai we saw both examples of Thai humanity and kindness towards animals and their exploitation. A young elephant was chained near a group of stalls, swaying rhythmically, stereotypically and simultaneously pulling at the source of his confinement. Ben and I observed him for sometime, imagining how the Kanchanaburi forest before would have supported this intelligent and sentient creatures unchained wanderings. It was depressing and as we turned to leave we see a Thai women in the River Kwai gently and yet vigorously washing her plump dog as a parent would wash their child. The dog wasn't resisting much as it seemed this was probably not an uncommon ritual. Coming from Vanuatu, in which the washing of any animal draws a crowd of snickering locals, the humane treatment of particularly cats and dogs is a welcome relief.

It is hard to watch the sufferings of any being, human or otherwise. Many of the hardships and misgivings I may have about the situations found here in Thailand must also be viewed through diverse cultural glasses. The answers are not well defined or clear-cut. Tourism will not stop here in Thailand or elsewhere no matter the consequences for the environment or culture that draws people near. You can only support the most sustainable and humane options available and encourage others to do the same. One thing is for sure it is hard not to feel alive in this diverse landscape with the all the success and failures, the humanity and cruelty and the almost palatable optimism in Thailand's future.

-Jessica

Monster eels and Nalat Knives: Adventures in Gaua

2007-06-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

In February I got an opportunity to visit the island of monster eels, a volcano guarded crater lake, large stone relics and basins, a one hundred and twenty meter waterfall and nalat knives. Gaua is an island within the northern most province of Vanuatu, TORBA and consist of two groups of islands including the Banks islands and the most remote islands in Vanuatu, the Torres Islands. I travelled to Gaua to conduct a Reef Check training with 16 local men in the southeastern area of island. The island is one has a rugged geography and a genial demography, the hills steep and sharp, the people warm and friendly. The island is also going through a period of re-population following a history that mirrors many colonized by foreign germs and gents.

Central to Gaua lore and lure is Mt. Garet, a 797 meter peak with a semi-active volcanic outgrowth at 682 meters and a 6 X 9 km crater lake, which spill over into a 120 meter water fall. Not to shabby! The crater lake, known as Lake Letas, is the not only the largest freshwater lake in Vanuatu but in all the south Pacific island countries outside of Papua New Guinea. The volcano is considered the most dangerous in Vanuatu, as there are few spare meters of rock separating the magma chamber and the water held in Lake Letas, a bit of moving and shaking could cause the next Krakatoa. The waters near the lake are said to smell of the sulphurous mud around it and always stay near the boiling point. Six kilometers away, on the eastern shore where my new Gaua friends and some Peace Corps volunteers relaxed the waters are cool, calm and have freshwater prawns and eels. The waterfall is equally, if not more impressive (I mean here in Vanuatu volcanoes are kind of an every-other-island-thing), is Siri or Siriti Falls which is fed by not only the overflow of the lake but also groundwater springs as well. These features are just the terrestrial wonders, there is also an amazing marine environment to experience which was the reason for my travels to this remote island.

The island also is home to several large lagoon areas in which the coral gardens are as expansive and dense as any I have seen in all of Vanuatu. The Siriti lagoon communities were the the ones that requested the Reef Check training under the advisement of a large environmental program called the Landholder's Conservation Initiative Program (LCIP) which is a program that is funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)- sorry about the acronyms.... the development sector is saturated by them. The LCIP in Vanuatu is aiming to build local capacity to better manage their natural resources and primarily are working with terrestrial and freshwater resources and land-use planning. However the program and local facilitator, Mr. Joses Tagase, through various activities found that there was a great need to also conserve and monitor their marine resources and in particular they heavily utilized coral reef and coastal resources. The LCIP then made a request to the Reef Check Coordinator (yours truly) and the end result is that myself and a fisheries officer William Morris, got to spend 10 days on one of the most beautiful islands in Vanuatu.

I had sixteen community members, all men, that I trained and surveyed with over the course of 8 days and utilizing four different reef areas. They were a wonderful and enthusiastic group and it seemed that no matter how rough the seas, how long past lunch we continued to swim or how late into the afternoon kava hour we went... they had no complaint. The island of Gaua is rather cut off from basic service delivery and few government groups make it up this far to assist with projects or programs and subsequently this has made the Gauans self sufficient and motivated bunch. Since I left Gaua the Reef Check Gaua team has completed numerous surveys and rounded the island, working with landowners in over 12 communities to make awareness and collect base-line data on Gaua's rich coral reef areas. They are by far one of the most successful teams of Reef Checkers in all of Vanuatu!

Culturally Gaua is mysterious, rich in tradition and has a sinister side of conflict both historically and contemporarily. This was illustrated very powerfully on my trip to the Banks, as it just so happened that the LCIP program manager, Joses Tagase who is from Gaua and was my host family, was struck very ill upon my arrival. Due to the fact that Vanuatu is rife with a history of "black magic," poisoning, clairvoyants and sometimes intense competition between clans, contemporary Ni-Vanuatu tend to view illness and death primarily as ill-intentioned and human induced incidents. So their first and foremost suspicions on serious illness and mysterious deaths tend to be human caused and when those possibilities are exhausted they will admit the possibility of vector borne or natural causation. This was what I witnessed during my visit as an extremely sick Joses was treated first by customary leaves and water washing, proceeded by a full on prayer and family sleep over and finally having the dispensary worker test him for malaria. This took the greater part of the week. The belief was that someone may have tried to poison Joses, possibly due to his project success or his long time desire to hold this training. This line of thinking is not backward in any way shape or form. It was an unlucky coincidence in the end as he had contracted the most serious form of malaria, cerebral malaria, but unfortunately poisoning is also a well sounded fear in the Banks islands.

In MALAMPA (Malekula, Ambrym, Paama) and PENAMA (Pentecost, Ambae, Maewo) many would have suspected "black magic" due to its unfortunate persistence even in today's Ni-Vanuatu society. Black magic is a very sinister way to kill someone, generally from a rival nasara (tribe), in which a customary leaves, a naikaemas (dark ceremony), and supernatural powers are utilized in the killing. In the Banks they have "Poison-men" which are simply men that are trained to use customary poisons that make their way into your food or drink. There are still poison-men in operation in many of the Banks islands and a particular man still alive in Gaua today is rumored to be responsible for over 100 deaths. So naturally, in this cultural environment, if you fall ill (especially at an inconvenient time or at the height of a success) you are going to check your enemies first. Overwhelmingly, Ni-Vanuatu are kind and benign in their intentions towards others- but as they say it only takes one rotten kumala (sweet potato) to spoil the whole basket.

I had one day in which I wasn't teaching or surveying and I spent that day hiking with two Peace Corps volunteers, Blake and Valarie, and some Ni-Vanuatu guides up to the crater lake and down to the base of the waterfall. This was a strenuous and rewarding hike, the "dark bush," the orchids and the astonishing lake with the smoking volcano in the morning and the powerful and remote cool waters of Siri Falls in the afternoon. The lake is large and locals have canoes, special spears for the prawns and eels and a lot of kastom stories about the "devil of the lake." I really didn't pry into many of the stories because I have found it most appropriate to ask to hear the customary stories of people that you have built a relationship with. Many times in Vanuatu an outsider that inquires too much about the history and custom of an area is treated with suspicion. These are stories that are shared in time and will be part of Blake and Valarie's experiences much like the stories from Unua, Malekula are part of mine.

Now all the way up to the lake and all the way down to the base of the waterfall, which in some areas required scaling down the roots of a cliff side nabanga (banyan tree), I was being told about the large fresh water eels that inhabit the lake and the river. "As big as the post for a house," the men kept telling me. Sounded like a fisherman's tale to me considering that in Malekula the eels only reached about two-three inches in diameter and about two feet long. Technically the eels are protected under a customary taboo in parts of the river, so it was a big disappointment for our local guide to find three tails in a small pool off to the side of the river, the result of poaching and bush processing the eels. I commented that those tip of the tails were actually quite large and my guide responded, "These were still undersized." Once we reached the base of the falls it I saw an eel that met its fate failing over the 120 meter drop- it was huge, a monster, as big as the post for a house! They also inhabit the pool in which we were meant to go swimming. I thought about the shark that I had seen approaching us earlier in the week during a Reef Check training and actually felt much more comfortable with that creature in the water than these eels which to me are unknown in behavior and undetectable in the fast moving murky water.

The waterfall's base was deafening, spray and mist enshrouded and the water fast moving and tepid compared to the river's mouth which was quite cold. You had to swim to stay in the same place and avoid entering the white water only about 20 feet away. We all swam, crossing the river to the shear-cliff face on the other side which had adequate hand and foot holds for a bit of a climb and jump session. It was amazing, the entire area encased by cliffs and the water pounding down from 120 meters above. When we began our hike home we stopped in a small village and were given Nalat by one of our guides brothers. Nalat has got to be one of my favorite and most delightful variations on the cooked-starchy stable laplap. This nalat was made of manioc (cassava) which was cooked in the traditional fashion and then bounded out by a "nalat pounder" on a large wooden dish. They then rolled the nalat into little balls and added the essential ingredient- cooked coconut flakes-derived from the boiling of coconut oil and then extracting the solid sugars that result. I started consuming with one hand and then found myself with nalat balls (plural) in each. They were a delicious end to an exhausting day, which began when the sun rose and ended after it slept behind the Gauan hills.

Gaua was powerful, challenging and in many aspects defies explanation. I enjoyed the trip immensely and it only solidified in my mind how rich Vanuatu is in both cultural and biological diversity. The languages, carvings, stories, dangers, histories, practices and cultural environments in Vanuatu are both derived and shared from common Melanesian explorers and yet uniquely developed to fit the diverse environmental niches created by the archipelago. Gaua is and has always been the island of monster eels and nalat knives.

-Jessica

Ocean Stars and Sunrise Turtles

2007-05-29T01:30:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure to visit the southern most island in the Vanuatu archipelago, Anietjum Island. Go any further south and you are in New Caledonia.... and everyone knows the kava is better in Vanuatu. I got the chance to return to the island in order to train a group of twenty strong local men and women how to survey their reef resources using Reef Check. I also got to take along a fellow PCV, Katie Thomson, and a fisheries officer from the south, Wilson Yuri, in order to train them to facilitate future trainings.

Anietjum was the first island in all of Vanuatu in which there was a permanent European establishment, commencing in 1844 with the arrival of James Paddon a merchant interested mainly in sandalwood but also replenishing whaling ships. Mr. Paddon set up a trading station on Inyeug Island (now known as Mystery Island) in 1852, villagers happily allowing Paddon access to the small uninhabited island which they believed to be haunted with spirits. Over 40 years the merchants logged the island for sandalwood and eventually moved on to an island in the north, Erromongo one of the richest sources of sandalwood in the south Pacific. Whalers continued visiting, using large pots to melt down whale blubber and restocking their ships for future voyages. Mystery Island (or Inyeug Island) is now home to a tourism project, the small white sand beached island flooded with tourist from large cruise liners from Australia at periodic episodes. Both activities have left the villagers of Anietjum plundered in different ways... although that is not the subject of this blog.

If there is one thing to be learned from European history in the Pacific is that after the merchants come the missionaries are sure to follow and indeed the first church in present day Vanuatu was erected in Anietjum in May of 1848 when a Scottish Presbyterian minister, John Geddie, built a large stone church that would seat hundreds of people in Anelghowhat village. Minister Geddie, in his fundamentalist Presbyterian mindset, outlawed everything from kava and dancing to participation in customary ceremonies. And although the minister converted nearly 3,000 of the original 12,000 inhabitants of the island, the seats of the large church would remain less than full due to the tragic epidemics that would leave the island's population as low as 250 by 1905. The first wave of epidemics struck prior to 1860 and nearly 3,500 lives were lost to influenza, diphtheria and whooping cough. The following year claimed half the remaining population due to dysentery and measles, the dead so numerous that bodies had no grave but the turquoise blue waters. The church itself was destroyed, albeit for some masonry relics, by a tsunami in 1875 and as I looked at this shell of a relic among the contemporary village it seemed a metaphor for a larger emptiness on the island, a tragic reduction in population and culture. Currently the population in Anietjum remains under 1000. The Reef Check workshop was held on in the largest village on the island, Anelgowhat which has nearly 600 villagers in several small stations facing Mystery Island. Today you can see results of strong family lines and a bottle necked genetic population, traits such as blond hair are much more common on this small island and I was amazed to see how many blond children ran about the village chasing each other in laughter.

Anietjum, in particular Anelgowhat village, was a ideal village to host a Reef Check workshop due to their high dependence on marine resources, impacts of large scale tourism (such as selling hundreds of lobsters and shells when the boats come in) and the rather large amount of fisheries related projects such as mariculture and restocking efforts by various agencies in Vanuatu. The island itself is surrounded by at least two large reef systems and is rich in marine resources while the communities are struggling to implement customary closures and implement management plans. There is a strong turtle monitoring program in Anietjum with a local man named Alan, capturing, measuring and tagging nearly 70 turtles a year and providing this data to a regional data base. The workshop in Anietjum focused on understanding the ecological effects of the changing economic and environmental conditions as well as re-enforcing local management techniques. Reef Check in many aspects can strengthen local tenure systems, through a system of cooperative management, which utilizing both traditional methods (taboos) and scientific methods of monitoring (Reef Check).

Two nights Katie and I were able to corral some participants away from the kava to go night diving for turtles. The first night was surreal and psychologically a bit challenging for me. The night waters were full of bio luminescent organisms, plankton that glow, and our boat chopped through what looked likes starts against a deep black night sea. As we are traveling in our 16 foot aluminum boat we are talking about the adventures of the past and fishing tales when our star turtle tagger relates a recent story of a night-time pursuit of a turtle which abruptly ended when he realized that a tiger shark, bigger than his boat, was also doing a bit of night time turtle hunting in the area. He leaves the last sentence hanging in the air as I am already perched, fins and mask on, ready to take that backwards flop into the water. I have no underwater flashlight and was resigned to following Alan in the water much like a cygnet follows the mother swan, probably a bit less graceful however. Alan would occasionally just turn the light off, leaving me in absolutely dark water save the ocean stars, those beautiful glowing plankton, which seemed so other-worldly. It only took about 5 minutes to catch the turtle which was sleeping in a shelf on the reef.

When the turtles are captured there is a form to be filled out which includes the species, length of the shell, width of the shell, and width of the head. Two metal tags are attached, each with different numbers, to the fleshy part of the front flippers, much like turtle ear rings. These tags are important and if recaptured will allow us to have some insight into the growth rates and migratory movements of the turtles. The shell of this green turtle was brilliant and one of the men said to us that the local language name for the green turtle in Anietjum translates to the "sunrise turtle" due to the sunburst pattern on the shell. Katie snapped a photograph.

The second time we went night diving, Alan our turtle guru was gone to a conference, ironically, about turtles, so we went with some "yangfala" (young men). They were a bit more enthusiastic although not as skilled and almost everyone jumped in this time (although we still shared flashlights with our Ni-Vanuatu guides). We took a bit longer but caught two turtles, one of which was already tagged. We took our cargo to shore on Mystery Island's white sand beaches and went through the motions of measuring, documenting and tagging before we released them to the sea. It was an amazing experience for me. This ancient lineage of animals which has in holds such a powerful imagery in my mind now, as both an icon of international conservation and the amazing differences on how various cultures dictate what is wild and free and what is fair game and consumable.

Prior to our visit, the local turtle monitoring group (Vanua Tai Group) coordinator gave me a map to show to the people of Anietjum and Tanna. The regional organization SHREP had put a GPS location tag on a large male green turtle in Bora Bora less than a year ago and the turtle had traveled through the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Fiji and was headed for New Caledonia when it made a U-turn straight for Anietjum Island. It was in the area during the workshop and it was an interesting dialogue to have with the islanders, whom often consume the protected animals. Who did that turtle belong to? Debates on the harvesting of highly migratory species continues to be an imposing topic among the Pacific Island countries, which requires agreements, international consultation groups, cross cultural dialogue and treaties. At the grass roots level, no treaty will save a wondering turtle that crosses the path of a rural islander. The most important thing at this level is education, awareness and wise-use. Programs such as the Vanua Tai Turtle Monitoring Program and Reef Check provide resource users with information about life cycles and environmental consequences to human actions, allowing people to make informed decisions. The Ni-Vanuatu of Anietjum, like many islanders in the south Pacific, are the stewards and users of the resources of the land and sea and ultimately hold the reins of sustainability and subsistence, consumption and conservation in their hands.

-Jessica

Customary Marine Tenure in Vanuatu

2007-05-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Throughout Vanuatu the terrestrial and marine resources are managed through a Customary Tenure system. This has wide ranging implications when working in resource management and conservation for both the Ni-Vanuatu involved and the biodiversity here in Vanuatu. Throughout my service here, as a Peace Corps volunteer serving as a “Coastal Resources Management Advisor,” first in a rural village of Malekula and now as the National Coordinator for Reef Check Vanuatu, I have had to work within and have an understanding of this management system. So I guess this blog is meant to give a brief explanation of the Customary Marine Tenure system here in Vanuatu. So what is Customary Marine Tenure (CMT) anyway?
In Vanuatu, through customary chiefs, families or tribes (nasaras), Ni-Vanuatu retain exclusive rights to harvest marine resources in near shore waters.
The constitution of Vanuatu upholds these rights in Chapter 12 Article 73 which states: “All land in the Republic belongs to the indigenous custom owners and their descendants.” “Land” in Vanuatu is defined under the Land Reform Act as including “land extending to the seaside of any offshore reef” and CMT is a system where the management of the near shore reefs is the responsibility of the customary reef owners. This system varies greatly from the management system in the United States at which anything from the high tide mark is under the management of the government and harvesting, activities and regulations are products of statutory law. In Vanuatu, “customary” tenure refers to the present practices of management which are rooted in custom or historical practices but not necessarily identical to past practices... Think flexibility. This means that some of the practices are historically rooted, such as the placing of a “taboo leaf,” although the motivation and restrictions can change according to contemporary needs and knowledge. So the placement of a “taboo” on a reef area (traditional practice) could now restrict only the use of a modern technology, such as gill nets (which are not customarily used) and this is still considered “customary marine tenure.”
CMT varies from village to village within an island and between islands and has strong ties to different language groups, customs, rules and norms and different land tenure systems.
There is a great deal of renewed interest in CMT in Vanuatu today in many areas. I say renewed because many of the customary practices have not been exercised in many years due to the overall degrading of customary ceremonies, rights and rituals in Vanuatu. Contemporarily Ni-Vanuatu are interested in exercising their rights to manage their dwindling resources and this is largely due to marine resources in Vanuatu facing increased fishing and harvesting pressure due to:
* Increased population (and ecological footprint per capita)
*Introduction of more “efficient” fishing technology
*Dependence on cash economy and commercialization of marine resources
In addition to human impacts on near shore marine areas Vanuatu is also very susceptible to natural disturbances such as earthquakes and cyclones, which can have a great impact on coral reefs and availability of resources in Vanuatu.

There are many different kinds of CMT techniques being practices. SOME are for conservation reasons and others are not. The most commonly used technique is the traditional marine taboo. Customarily the taboo was used for wide ranging purposes.
Conservation Taboos
* Areas in which marine resources are heavily depended on for subsistence and contemporarily, for economic purposes conservation taboos may be used.
*Contemporary surge in this type of taboo today in Vanuatu.
Death Taboos:
* Some areas would have used taboos in the event of the death of a chief or any family member’s death.
* Time periods and extent would vary by area and culture
Circumcision taboos:
* A taboo may be put in place when an age-class of males goes through circumcisions ceremonies.
Taboos related to Yam Seasons
*Taboos may be imposed at the planting of, harvesting of or growing duration of yams.
* Also may be behavioral taboos or consumption taboos related to yams and marine resources (For example in Unua, Malekula if you consumed turtle you can’t eat, plant or touch a yam for five days because if you do your yams will grow like the flipper of the turtle)
Taboos related to Feasts or Festivals
* Customary taboos were often used to enhance the size and amount of fishing stocks in preparation for a large feast, marriage or festival.
*Most “conservation taboos” are related to the idea of increasing stocks for consumption

Initiating taboos generally are locally and culturally determined and may be either formally announced without any formality or proclaimed with a special, site specific, ceremony which usually will involve the killing of pig or large feast and placing of the “namele” or locally relevant taboo leaves. Taboos that incorporate customary practices are generally viewed as more powerful and respected by community members. Contemporarily many traditional ceremonies have now incorporated written agreements and management plans which is testament to the flexibility of the CMT system. The taboo is a flexible management tool that is the embodiment of the customary tenure system giving a chief or landowners the right to restrict harvest and activities in a reef or near shore area. Taboos may vary in several ways:
* Taboos may be seasonal or annual for species specific breeding needs.
* Taboos may be “full closure,” multi-species or species specific
* Taboos may vary in temporal length.
* Taboos may restrict certain fishing technologies.
In Vanuatu within the CMT system gender is an important component with men, women, boys and girls each having a role to play in CMT and their activities, targeted species and harvest techniques will vary from island to island and village to village. In general men often participate in off-shore fishing, deep sea fishing and diving for invertebrates. Boys often fish, dive within deeper reef areas, go spear fishing, and night diving with underwater spear guns. While women, girls and small children often fish in near shore areas, participate in reef gleaning, dig for bivalves and collect invertebrates such as octopus at low tide.

Because much of Vanuatu is involved within a subsistence economy, reef closures are significant short term sacrifices that strive to fill a long-term subsistence need in the village. During reef closures villages may need to mitigate the loss of marine protein by:
*Increasing dependence and utilization of land animals for protein
*Fish outside the taboo area (deep water fishing)
*Cut back on consumption
* Purchase canned meat or fish
* Buy fresh fish from nearby markets
* Negotiate for the rights to fish in neighboring fishing grounds.

There are many issues in the contemporary marine tenure system in Vanuatu that may affect the effectiveness and ability to exercise CMT. After the return of land in the 1980’s many coastal areas, especially in urban areas, fell under dispute and remain untenured. In addition the increased economic valuable of marine resources, disagreements about customary boundaries, population pressure and loss of respect for CMT have resulted in disputes over tenure and management in some areas. Vanuatu’s growing dependency on a cash economy also affects the tenure system and increases the likelihood of unsustainable marine harvesting. Much of the export economy related to marine resources and the tourist industry puts additional strain on near shore areas through curio-sales and infrastructure developments. And although legally the Land Lease Act stipulates that customary owners cannot lease their reef areas, access and tenure can only be done through a contract between the lessee and leaser. It is not uncommon that a Ni-Vanuatu finds himself frustrated because he failed to dictate the right to pass over leased ground to reach the reef area.
The flexibility of the CMT system is a strength allowing the adaptation of new management techniques to match the changing economical and ecological situation. In many aspects this is where I and other environmental extentionist have entered the mix here in Vanuatu. Ni-Vanuatu villagers are very hungry for advice when it comes to their coastal resources. However, villages do not want to be told how to manage their reefs or fisheries and it is their customary and legal right not to be micro-managed by outsiders. In order to work within the CMT system here in Vanuatu, you must respect it and value it within your project. Ni-Vanuatu customary managers do want to receive education relating to contemporary practices, technologies and management techniques... They want to know what management techniques are available, where, when and how long to apply these techniques. In the end, it is completely up to them to take control of their resources and most managers are seeking out information and new techniques to make well informed decisions. Many times this may involve looking back to past practices and knowledge and giving equal value and respect to those techniques as well as newer “scientific” explanations. I guess that is the extent of my spill on customary marine tenure and I would be confident in saying that during my service here in Vanuatu the local people taught me more about management and the need for conservation of both biological and cultural resources than I was able to teach them.

-Jessica

Translation of “Kastom storian blong Flaeing Fokis”

2007-05-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

Custom story of the Flying Fox

Why doesn’t the flying fox eat during the day? One day all the animals of the air were fighting with all the animals of the ground. The flying fox didn’t join the animals of the air to fight; instead he just watched the unfolding fight. The fight continued and when finally finished the animals of the air where angry with the flying fox. They threw him out and told him, “You are no longer family now.” So now the flying fox is shamed, afraid and can only eat under the cover of night!

-Story told in Unua, southeast Malekula Island, Republic of Vanuatu

Be wanem samting ia "Bislama?"

2007-04-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

What is "Bislama?"

Communicating in Vanuatu could be challenging for even the most resolute linguist. As I have mentioned earlier there are an estimated 130 local languages found on the 60 plus inhabited islands here in the South Pacific. This is among the highest language diversity per capita in the world. There are three official languages that are recognized by the national government and documents, policies and news may be reported in Bislama, English or French. Bislama, however, is the dominating language that binds the country together; the literate to the illiterate, rural to the urban and the northern most islands to the southern most islands. Being unable to communicate in Bislama will render you unable to effectively communicate with Ni-Vanuatu peoples, especially in a village setting in which about 80% of the country lives. But what is Bislama? Where did the language come from?
"Bislama" is the Ni-Vanuatu version of a group of Melanesian Pidgin Languages which also includes "Tok Pidgin" in Papau New Guinea and "Pidgin" in the Solomon Islands. These pidgin languages arose as Europeans discovered valuable natural resources in these island countries starting in about the mid-1880's, especially sought after was sandalwood and that good old colonial gold..."labor." The Ni-Vanuatu peoples were moved around from island to island and had to work together with a group of islanders that didn't speak a word of their local tongue and a group of pale faced Europeans that certainly seemed to be running the show. This linguistic negotiation rendered "Bislama" which is a pidgin of English which a lot of Melanesian context and grammar. "The name of the language derives from the nineteenth-century word Beach-la-Mar, which itself derives from the French biche de mer 'sea cucumber'. (Crowly, Terry)." Beche-la-mer or Sea Cucumbers were also collected and dried by the French during this initial flurry of economic exploitation. (Photograph is Ben teaching a slope stability session in Malekula, the board reads " Tri= Helti Riva= Helti Rif" or Trees = Healthy Rivers= Healthy Reefs)
I remember thinking that Bislama would be an extremely easy language to pick up and learn, like some children playing around with Pig Latin... well that isn't really the case. The accent can be bewildering, the tenses are utterly confusing and many words have several meanings. Fortunately the whole language is written "FONETIKELI" (or phonetically - Ben loves to point out how the word phonetically is not phonectical- ironic huh?) This means that there is no letter "C, Q, X or Z." Most common English verbs will be understood by attaching a "um, im or em." However there is no verb "to be." The word "stap" means "I am," "to stay, to live (in one place)" or a prefix that is attached to a verb to express the present tense. See where some confusion can come in. So technically you could have a sentence like this: " Mi stap stap." ( I am staying here.)
Even more interesting to learn is all of the Bislama names for trees, plants, birds, fish and all sorts of other environmental wonders. These words don't take the English cognate in most cases. Many of the Bislama language names for trees, birds and common invetebrates are taken from a local language in Ambae Island and many of them have the prefix "na." So for example some animals and plants are: namarae (eels), namaloa (incubator bird), natalae (giant clams), nawita (octopus), nabanga (banyan tree) or nambilak (Kingfisher bird). (Photograph: Jessica teaching a group of 16 men Reef Check on Gaua island, everything is in Bislama written materials, lectures and powerpoints).

After about 3 months of living here you can understand most everything being said (although slang is rampant here and everything can be metaphorical) and you are able to speak at a fluency that allows you to eat, sleep and go to the restroom without little embarrassment. After about 6 months in a rural area you are catching on to some slang and are able to without a doubt know when someone is speaking about you to someone else. You also may need to learn local language for basic expressions like "good morning." Unfortunately for all of you that have kept your language free of swears and vulgarities many of our "four letter words" are perfectly acceptable to use in Bislams. (ie.- "as" means your butt, "sitsit" or "sit" pronounced like the English cognate means "to defecate, or the noun poop") Swearing does certainly exist in Bislama, many of which may be direct cognates or creative and descriptive phrases that I dare not write on this blog.
There are a lot of fun slang terms or phrases that literally translated would be confusing, such as "Mi stap tekem truk blong Adam." This literally translated into " I am taking Adam's truck." but means " am going to walk (Adam and Eve and his truck....two legs.. well you get it right)." Another one involving trucks (and subsequently the fact that most water sources here are ice cold) is "truk blong wota i pas finis." This literally translates to "the water truck has already passed," but means "it is too stinking late or cold and I am not going to bath tonight." Well you guys get the idea.

So for some of you that are brave and like a challenge, this is a small story written in Bislama that you can try and translate. I will give the English translation in a future blog to come. This is a custom story from Malekula Island, although I have heard variations of this story from other islands as well:

Kastom Storian blong Flaeing Fokis

From wanem flaeing fokis i no kaekae long dei? Wan dei olgeta animol long ae oli stap rao wetem ol animol long graon. Flaeing fokis i no join wetem olgeta animol long ae blong faet, hemi stap lukluk nomo. Rao ia i stap gogo, i finis mo afta ol animol blong ae oli kros wetem flaeing fokis mo oli sakem aot hem mo talem "yu no famili wetem mifala naoia!" Naoia flaeing fokis hemi shem mo fret mo hemi mas kaekae long kava blong naet nomo!

Look for the translation to this story in another post to come! The picture of the man holding "a bat" is actually a "flying fox" (hint hint) which is what the story above is about. Incidently the flying fox in Timothy's hand was our supper one night... taste great with coconut milk!

-Jessica

The Ni-Vanua -WHO?

2007-03-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Who are the Ni-Vanuatu?

Thought it might be interesting to give a small bit of history on this group of people that share our little blue planet called the NI-VANUATU. Ni-Vanuatu are Melanesian peoples who arrived in Vanuatu approximately 3,000 -3,500 years ago as people from the Lapita culture (a culture characterized by particular textile and pottery patterns and manufacturing processes) moved from southeast Asia. "The term Lapita refers to an ancient Pacific culture that archaeologists believe to be the common ancestor of the contemporary cultures of Polynesia, Micronesia, and some areas of Melanesia. The culture takes its name from the site of Lapita in New Caledonia, one of the first places in which its distinctive pottery was discovered. While archaeologists debate the precise region where Lapita culture itself developed, the ancestors of the Lapita people came originally from Southeast Asia. Beginning around 1500 B.C., Lapita peoples began to spread eastward through the islands of Melanesia and into the remote archipelagos of the central and eastern Pacific, reaching Tonga and Samoa by roughly 1000 B.C. The Lapita were a seafaring people who settled primarily on the coast rather than inland and their skilled navigators traversed the ocean with ease. (Wagelie, Jennifer)"
The island of Vanuatu, which is a volcanic archipelago of nearly 80 islands, has a rich cultural and linguistic heritage.

On the island of Malekula alone, where Ben and I were stationed for two years, there are about 30 distinct languages still spoken. Many languages, cultural beliefs, customs and traditional systems of land tenure have been lost... many still dominate peoples lives. Vanuatu began its cultural interactions with Europeans as early as 1606 when a Portuguese ship "discovered" the islands and it was subsequently "rediscovered" by French navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville in 1768. Explored once again by an English mariner the famed Captain James Cook in 1774 and given the name "New Hebrides." An onslaught of missionaries, sandalwood merchants, and British and French cotton farmers arrived in the mid-19th century and the condominium government, a joint venture by the French and the British, was established in 1906. Can you imagine being under both French and British rule? This meant two school systems, two governmental bodies, two administrations and twice the bureaucracy which is a legacy that has left Vanuatu with three national languages: English, French and Bislama (from the "Black birding"- a history of stealing natives to work on Australian cotton and sugar plantations in Queensland). Finally in July of 1980 the "New Hebrides" achieved Independence and changed their name to "Vanuatu" (Hints the name Ni-Vanuatu for a native of Vanuatu).
Who are the Ni-Vanuatu now? Well I have been here for three years and stereotyping the Ni-Vanuatu would be like trying to describe what is an "American." The islands are diverse culturally, linguistically and in many cases historically. But if forced to talk about the peoples with whom I have lived for the last 3 years I would be comfortable to say this:

Ni-Vanuatu are largely ritualistically Christian yet also maintain strong beliefs in custom, black magic and traditional healing.

Ni-Vanuatu are inseparable from their land, family and natural resources.

Ni-Vanuatu are can be incredibly kind and yet, at times, as temperamental as the the ocean that surrounds them.

Ni-Vanuatu love to smile and laugh. They are boisterous and jovial.

Ni-Vanuatu are islanders, they live by "island time" and no amount of coxing will change their internal clocks. They value time with their family and friends, work will always come second to their family obligations.

Ni-Vanuatu see themselves first as members of their tribe or nasara, second as people from their home island, third their province (group of geographically link islands) and lastly their nation.

Ni-Vanuatu value community and togetherness more than the individual.

Contemporary the Ni-Vanuatu operate under a free-market economy. The main industry in Vanuatu is copra (dried coconut meat), cattle raising, agriculture, forestry and fishing. Tourism is definitely beginning to make a surge on the economic stage, which in my opinion is very unstable in regards to cultural ramifications and economic stability. Vanuatu is a country that is young and still defining what it means to be the Nation of Vanuatu. Trying to find a balance between customary culture and contemporary-global demands.

-Jessica

Photograph and quotation on Lapita peoples: Wagelie, Jennifer (October 2003) -see link for The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Lapita Pottery

The Coolidge: US and Vanuatu's Histories Crash

2007-03-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

I must say that I really believed that I was going to be an “environmental diver” all the way and had very little interest in diving man-made “disasters” such as ship wrecks. However, diving the USS President Coolidge made a real impression on me and excited me with its massive-imposing figure as well as its history. SCUBA diving by its very nature may be un-nerving; whether staring out into the deep endless blue (and remembering your rather low-rung on the food chain) or night diving when you imagine about everything is only a couple meters away looking at you with hungry eyes (and you can’t see a thing). I have had the pleasure now of diving for work related tasks, although I would hardly call it work, and I explore things at a slow and meticulous pace looking for the ocean’s many minute wonders. Diving a ship wreck is a very different experience… overwhelming at times to see such a massive piece of history, steel and sweat quietly (and eerily) sleeping underwater. You do not get a visual, minus the large tethered anchor rope from shore, until you reach 70 feet in depth and then there is a massive bow of this 654 foot luxury liner turned war ship during WWII.
The ship, which was requisitioned in 1941, was carrying 5,000 troops destined to reinforce and relieve Marines in Guadalcanal when on October 26, 1942 it stuck two mines explosives in the Segond Channel, Santo Island. These explosives had been laid by the US Navy to discourage enemy attack and they were very effective, sinking the massive steamer in only 85 minutes. Only two people were killed in the accident but valuable equipment, weapons and troops were either stranded or sleeping 70-240 feet under water (where the Coolidge lies today).
The water at 70 feet is already murky with little visibility. The ship is amazing; its alive with the numerous creatures, corals, sponges, sea fans inhabiting its slowly decaying structure and yet dead, solemn and imposingly dreary like its war-torn history. Large fish lurk at this depth avoiding the village spear fisherman but less hidden from hand held long lines. Still the groupers and angelfish reach sizes below 70 meters that would be inconceivable closer to the hungry Ni-Vanuatu at shore. Because the ship sleeps on her side you must enter through access panels that were cut from the ship in the 1960’s when they recovered the oil and gas in her belly. Often the bottom is not visible even with use of a flashlight from the top panels. It is dark and on occasion you frighten a fish from a dark and cold corner.
I only completed two dives the last time I went. The first one, at a depth of 130 feet, was a visit to “The Lady.” The lady was a piece of art that once hung in the first class smoking room during the luxury days before the war. During the war it was actually boarded over and found later when the rotting boards were removed under water. This dive is interesting mostly because you get yourself deep into the belly of the ship. On the way in you see large debris all laying on the port side of the ship; airplane drop tanks, jeeps with rusted axles and steering wheels, a barbers chair and large stainless steel cooking pots which were equipped to cook for the large navy crew. The second dive, shallower starting at about 90 feet, was to the medical office and cargo holds #1 and #2. These were really interesting dives, gas masks, tight squeezes, medicine bottles (with medicine still inside) and bullets clutter the hallways leading to medical supplies room. The cargo holds contain more large items, the jeeps, spare tires and the like. It was an amazing couple of dives on a shared piece of history linking the Ni-Vanuatu and American people together, the war and exposure to other cultures changing both countries so profoundly.
-Jessica

Three years and many laplaps later...

2007-03-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Nearly three years has passed since Benjamin and I arrived in the Republic of Vanuatu to serve as Peace Corps volunteers. I remember the flight on April 17th, 2004 quite distinctly as a plane closed on the islands of Vanuatu and approached the capital city of Port Villa on Efate Island. The speculations, laughter and conversations between the 15 “new recruits,” destined to spend the next two years as volunteers, gave way to silence and 15 noses pressed against about 8 windows looking down into a matrix of coconuts, cattle and tin-roofed residential structures. I remember thinking how very, very, very small the largest town in Vanuatu was and how odd it looked against an otherwise rural-rugged tableau of Efate Island.
Efate island houses nearly a quarter of the country’s 200,000 plus populace and the majority of the Ni-Vanuatu people on this island live in or around the capital city of Port Villa. The vast majority of the island is still quite rural. In fact Vanuatu as a whole is quite rural with about 80% of the country living in rural villages scattered through this volcanic archipelago. Only a handful, and I mean about 4 or 5 towns have electricity. Efate, much like many of the larger islands such as Malekula, Santo and Tanna, is sparsely populated within the dense and rugged terrain interiors, with the majority of the population living near the coast and subsequently, the dirt or coral roads.
Our first taste of rural Vanuatu was to come during a ten-week training in a rural village called “Epau” in the northeastern side of Efate Island. There, adopted into a local family and living among approximately 300 villagers, we were to learn about the Ni-Vanuatu way of life. Not a small task for 10 weeks: learning the ins and outs of a new culture, gender roles, language, technical skills, language and practical knowledge like cooking over a fire or opening a coconut (without using your machete or bush knife to cut your own hand off). I remember thinking, “Hey Bislama will be easy right? I mean it is just a pidgin of English after all.” Olsem, sapos mi stap raet long Bislama nomo bambae yu harem save o no? Oh yeah, not to mention getting used to quite different living conditions: different housing, no running water or one tap per family, electricity, new “bugs” (and when sick proceed to different toilet) and different food.
Being adaptive is essential, in addition to being able to laugh at yourself, when you are invariably going to get yourself into mishaps and misunderstandings, and as our director always says you “will always be learning more than you are teaching.” And after nearly three years, many trainings, workshops and “storians (discussions)” later, I hope that I have given half as much to Vanuatu as Vanuatu has given to me. It has been extremely testing at times, pushing me to the limits of resolve, understanding and patience, but overall more “laplap” and laughter than tears. At the end of our two months we headed out for two years on a rural island, Ben as an “Agribusiness and Agroforestry Extensionist” and I a “Coastal Resources Management Advisor.” After three years, and having visited numerous villages and different islands, the thing that strikes me about Ni-Vanuatu is that no matter what social strife, family feuds and disputes, economically dire situations or tragedy that strikes; Ni-Vanuatu are never far from a smile, which of course can be contagious.

Birth of a Blog: Death of a Dogma

2007-03-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Dia olgeta,
Personally I have long been set against such things as "blogs," personal web pages, cell phones and mass communication tools. Slowly these things have worked their way into my life, last week I learned how to text message on my cellular phone... this week we are creating a blog. So that is why this is entitled "birth of a blog, death of a dogma," which signifies a changing technological season in my life. We also thought that a blog might be an efficient way to share our experiences here in Vanuatu (as we finish our three years of service I am getting a bit nostalgic and reflective) and our travels to come. Needless to say our blog will probably initially be a random at times, reflecting back on the last three years as our memory sees fit, but hopefully we will train ourselves to post the new and exciting things as well. The hope is that we can document some of our experiences and share them with our family and friends back home (we are also hoping that it is seen a lesser offense than "mass emails"). So its not exciting yet but there is more to come! Bambae mi lukum yu i no long taem!
Jessica