Recently in Barry's African Adventure Category

The longer that I live in the in Africa, the less I seem to notice. It's not that any less is happening in my life, it's just that things become normal when you see them every day.

Then on certain days it is apparent that life is different here. Example; Over the last few days I've stood on a snake, massacred mosquitoes, and there were monkeys outside my house.



I also just returned from a school trip. We went to Tarangire National Park, Olduvai Gorge and Ngorogoro Conservation Area.

Olduvai gorge is where, in 1979, Mary and Louis Leakey found the 3,7-million year old footsteps of Australopithecus Afarensis, and where, in 1957, they found evidence of the 1,8-million year old Nutcracker Man. The significance of this was a tad lost on the kids. They were far more interested in the elephants, lions, rhinos, cheetahs, etc. that we saw in Ngorogoro and Tarangire.



The soda lake in Ngorogoro crater looked particularly nice as it evaporated in the afternoon sunshine.



The drive around the crater rim is an experience. It really is a long way down.



This picture shows just how big a crater Ngorogoro really is.

As yet another school holiday came onto the horizon I decided once again to see a little more of Tanzania.

Mwanza was my destination. Mwanza is a large town on the shores of Lake Victoria. I was going to take the bus as it looks quite reasonable to reach when you look at the map. However, maps and reality are two different things when African roads are taken into consideration. One and a half hours by plane or eighteen hours by bus. Easy maths.

I felt that the whole holiday would be enhanced by traveling with wine. Everyone along the way was impressed by my approach to traveling and luggage priorities. I travelled with James, a teacher from the school.



I stayed on a permanently moored boat in Mwanza which had been made into a hotel. Incidentaly the boat was the one used in ‘The African Queen' starring Humphrey Bogart.

(Pictured behind myself and the show stealing macca tree.)



I took a ferry to a place called Nansio on Ukerewe Island. No electricity, no flushing toilets, and warm beer led to a short two day visit.



Back in Mwanza I stumped up the cash to stay at a lovely hotel on the beach. A very relaxing, wine soaked, few days were had. The sunset across the lake was marvelous.

Fate transpired to be both cruel and kind this weekend.

For the past year and a half, I have checked the Tanzanian television channels, both terrestrial and satellite, before every old firm game in the hope that the game may be televised. While going through this exercise last Friday I was ecstatic to find out that DSTV, the African version of Sky, were showing the Celtic, Rangers game live on Sunday. 3.30pm kick off, local time.

Not only that, but Monday was also a school holiday. How good can life be?

I managed to explain all I could to the regulars in Top Hill Bar on Saturday about ‘the big game' the following day. To little effect, everyone still is only interested in Arsenal and Man U.

Madaraka did wear a t-shirt closely resembling a Celtic jersey though.



Engrossed in the game.



Celtic vs Rangers live in Arusha. Get in!



…and then Celtic went and lost.