Here is my final movie of our trip!  I hope you enjoy it! :)  Love, Ms. Swartz

It has been amazing visiting your classrooms this fall to share my Africa experience with you all!  Here is the link to our film festival movie trailer.  Our movies got a day to play in Traverse City this fall and it was amazing to see it on the big screen.

Click Here to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPO3e3vI_Cs

Our First Flat tire--left the Adventures begin!

From Mwanza we drove quite a few hours to enter the Serengeti National Park for our Safari.  We stopped for a quick bathroom break and when we pulled over we accidentally ran over some acacia thorns.  Woo-hoo!  Our first flat tire!  (These breaks turned out to be some of my favorite memories with friends.) Since we had some time to kill while they changed our tire we had some time for adventures...

These are the thorns...

 That flattened our tire...

 Which made us play hide and seek...

 ...and discover the weaver nests

 ...which lead to some"snake fruit"

..that I picked

...and dissected only to feel a little poke

 ...through my shoe!

..to "tickle" my toes

...and attack my friends' shoes too!

Yikes!  You don't want to mess with the acacia bush or trees!  However here are some fun facts i learned about the acacia:

-Despite the thorns, giraffes still eat leaves off this tree.  In fact, they love them!  Their lips are pretty thick and their tongues navigate carefully around the thorns too grab the leaves.

-Ants have a symbiotic relationship with ants.  Some have hollow thorns and stipules (like the whistling acacia) which the ants live in.  In return the ants guard the acacia against other invading pests, keep down other vegetation near the acacia, and drink the nectar!

-There is a variety we saw called the yellow acacia--it's bark is yellow and it's leaves are also lighter in color.

I also learned these trees make wonderful pictures with sunrises and sunsets!  (It's the tree I visualize in my mind whenever I think of Africa.)  You may want to share these pictures with your parents, because my parents went bonkers!

I came to dance, dance, dance.....

One of our first stops was at the Sukuma Tribe.  These wonderful people represent close to 15% of tanzania's population.  They are also the largest of more than 120 ethnic groups represented and make their homes in Mwanza and southern lake Victoria region we visited.  I was very surprised to find so many people their on facebook and wanting to keep in touch through e-mail and phone!  Here a few of the kids and I (joined by Harvey the Eagle) waited for a ceremonial dance to start.

Kids are kids not matter what part of the globe you are from!  These two reminded me of a few of you! So funny and happy, full of energy--great kids!

Halfway through their dancing they invited us to join them!  Thank goodness you all taught me some of my favorite "Gangnam Style" (aka NASA Johnston style) moves this year!  I felt a little shy at first, but I decided I would get up and join them to dance and I was so very glad I did.  I'm not a bad dancer either with all the rich drum beats feeding my soul... very easy to find the groove and join the celebration!

Oh, and I was so in the groove I almost didn't notice the GIANT python that came out!  Holy moly it was a big (and fast) snake.  It was also not too happy to have been hanging out in the hot wooden box for a bit.  

Sadly our time was limited and it was time to say goodbye.  After such an amazing day with the Sukuma people I was very sad to say goodbye.  One last hug... 

Are we there yet? I'm hungry!

Well, this is a first for me--a long plane trip.  The longest time I was ever on a plane was about four hours.  We're talking 2 days of travel... on the way home I think it was 33 hours.  Craziness!  Anyway we had a layover in Washington D.C. and had to spend the night at the hotel because our HUGE jet to Africa took off the next morning.  (Unfortunately we were delaying in Detroit, so our tour out in D.C. didn't happen.  I'll have to plan a trip there someday!)

So we settled into our hotel and discovered they had two resident swans in the center fountain.  These swans were so big--much larger than the canada geese on our playground every spring!  Harvey enjoyed hanging out with the "class pets" of the hotel, but I had to snatch him up because Ms. Swan was quite curious about him.  (You can see her eyeing him in this picture--I think it's a smile on her face as she thinks he is food!)

So, we spent a full day on the jet to Africa and landed in Addis Ababa.  From there we jumped a plane to Kilimanjaro.  After that plane we flew into Mwanza.  Oh my it was a lot of planes and time!  However they fed us on every one.  At first I was so excited about the food and huge bags of cashews.  I love Indian and curries, so the food was welcome.  By the end I really just wanted a grill cheese or salami sandwich, but here comes the curry (even for breakfast)!  I'm currently on a curry break... but didn't get too sick of the rice we ate.  

This, however, was my favorite meal on the flight there... chicken, curry rice, spicy couscous, and not one, but two rolls with a sweet cinnamon cake.  Carbohydrates galore!  They also gave us choices of lamb, beef, or veggie.  I tried them all!  I was very happy to see fruit and veggies (well, ones I could peel or knew were washed carefully) at any other meal after being assulted with dinner rolls and crackers.

So here is some of my favorite curries at lunch.  A curried lentil (beans), different curried chicken, roasted potato (might be a tumeric-based curry here too--it's a very yellow colored spice), salad, and naan bread.  (Like freshly cooked tortillas.)  All the dishes were very tasty and this is the basic Africa style dinner.  Lots of veggie and non meat options, but you could almost always find chicken too!  I didn't mind all the vegetarian options--in fact, I kinda went this route when I wanted to take a break from meat or if the meat dish was not what I cared for.

At dinner it was dark!  The Sun set around 6:20 pm daily, so dinner (which we ate around 7:00 pm) was always dark.  It was so neat though--we usually sat outside in the open air or on open patios.   Here we were in Mwanza at the Hotel tilapia on Lake Victoria.  They set up a huge table for us right on the water and I felt very spoiled with the view.  The houses where built into the mountain side their lights danced off the water!

Oh, the boxed lunches.  On many days we were not at a hotel or restaurant to eat.  So the hotels prepared boxed lunches to go.  Food that was good to sit in warm weather, unrefrigeratored, until my hungry belly beckoned it.  Well, about half of it--err, I don't eat eggs.  Is this a mayo sandwich--or is it cheese--or butter? Poke, poke.  I'm not sure.  (Tastes it) I'm still not sure.  Okay, banana and friend chicken it is!  This one also had a crescent roll and sweet muffin.  Others were more varied with a mango juice pouch, oranges, a piece of chocolate, and sometimes cake.  Overall very bread product heavy.  

Oh, we even had a hamburger with a fried egg on top a few days.  (Those days the vegetarian box lunches were REALLY awesome--peanuts, cashews, potatoes, fruit juice, oranges -and- bananas.)  I was munching on my still warm burger after picking off the egg and after about half of the meat I was done.  That was enough beef for me--it tasted just a bit different, was ground up more roughly than i'm used to, and I decided not to chance my still happy stomach.  We got three bananas in that box, and I traded the muffin for more fruit.  

Alas, our extra food we did not eat did not go to waste.  Most of the time we shared it with our drivers and gave the extra to people around us.  On the last day I shared mine with a stray dog that wandered over (there were no people near who wanted my extras) and the dog was very happy to have it!  In Africa I didn't waste food.  I made sure to eat what I put on my plate and careful not to waste what someone else could have instead!

What was my first "American" meal once I got home?  Nachos.  I was craving a really, really salty and crunchy tortilla chip with fresh salsa (I avoided tomatoes while in Africa) and guacamole.  Oh, and extra jalapenos--It was a mouth explosion of happiness!  It was also so huge--I had to share with my friends... there was no way I could finish it all.  (No I didn't really lick my food like the picture shows, we were just really tired from the plane and therefore thought this was a really funny picture to take!)

Hello my favorites!
Harvey the Hyena, Jack the Eagle, and I are back from our adventure.  I know you've been waiting for this update, so over the next few days I'll fill you in on as many adventures as I can.  I thought about all of you (lots) and kept my promise as I only unsealed all your letters the night before reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro!

Yes, your kind words brought tears to my eyes.  Patrick, Austin, Dylan, and Roberto, you got me good--I had to pause for Kleenex for all four letters. (Which I didn't have, so I grabbed toilet paper.)  You boys know me too well.

You made me laugh with your pictures (Breonna and Sarah, I did open my duffle and you two weren't there).  Gregg--it was a perfect image of me on top of the mountain!  Malik--those smiles on your people and mountain made me laugh-snort, you are an artist!

Emily and Chenoa--how did you know I needed salt? LOL.  I was craving it for the whole week!  They even had hot sauce on the table!  I put it on my pizza and dipped my fries in it.

Kolbe and Matt, they fed us toast all the time.  I put butter on it Cynthia--lots of butter. LOL. I even have a picture of it--I'll have to bring it to you next year in 5th grade.

Giana, you rock too!  The last part of the climb was right up the rocks.  Eek--I was very careful not to fall.

Jacob--I did channel Steve from Minecraft.  I didn't see a frozen mammoth, but who knows what is really in that glacier...

Brett, I got a hole in my sock--any chance you might be able to sew it shut?  I actually carried a small sewing kit and used it a few times.

Allison, thank you for being proud of me no matter where my summit was!  Katelyn you too--and the heart was amazing! Bella and Isabella, I miss you both too!

Brianna, Candy Crush came with me and I saw little moles and rodents that looked like your hamster.  So cute.  We tried to catch them, but were not fast enough.

Reece, of course I'm coming back from the mountain--You can't get rid of me that easily.

You all even gave me some motivation to get to the top without quitting. Justin--you are a sweetie, Kevin--you are awesome, I did say that, thanks for reminding me!

I climbed it all the way to the top--took me 13 hours, and no, no medic.  But that picture of me falling down the other side of the mountain was really, really funny.  Thankfully Sonic caught me, thank goodness!  (No name on that paper, of course--you always keep me guessing... could that have been Aaron's letter? hint, hint.)

Don't worry Lanna, I did not fall in a hole or get stuck in a glacier.  I wiped out a few times though on my way down the mountain as I tried to ski through the gravel.  You know what a tough cookie I am (just as stubborn as you sometimes!)--I got up, brushed off my very dirty pants, and kept going!

So here we go.  No, reading this whole blog cannot count for a chapter book--nice try there, LOL. But remembering to send me a photo of your adventures will get you some bonus points!

HERE ARE SOME VIEWS OF THE CITIES WE TRAVELED:

Remember how nervous I was about them not having my pop? Hakuna matata--no worries!  Coke and Pepsi both had bottling plants and glass bottle Cokes (And Coke Lights) were available almost everywhere!  Fanta had orange and passion flavors and they even made a really, really good gingerale (like Vernors, but tasier!)  The odd thing is, now that I am home I am not drinking much pop anymore. We drank so much water everyday and had tea in the morning I have changed my routine a bit.  Water is healthier than pop, so I am keeping this change!  You'll see water on my desk more often this next year for sure!

Here is a view of a street market--how they sell some of their fruit daily is right by the roadside!  We had lots of fresh fruit that was always ripe & tasty...yum!  I always grabbed pineapple when available for breakfast or at dinner.  They also had papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe, and even mangoes for breakfast once.  I ate mini bananas and oranges (at least, I think they were oranges/mandarine type citrus) daily.  I have searched for those mini bananas since I got home, but haven't found them for sale here... yet.

Do you know what this is?  That's right... sugarcane!  There are sugarcane plantations all over Moshi and many people buy a piece for a meal or snack.  You'll often see people riding on their bikes carrying different produce and even milk in aluminum canisters to deliver it to people in the city!  It was really cool seeing all the items people balanced on their bikes.  We're just so used to using cars here, but in Africa bikes and motorcycles are more popular.

Oh Aaron and Isabella--these pictures are for you!  Bananas!  Bananas! Bananas!  On our way up to start our Kilimanjaro climb we passed miles and miles of banana farms.  Giant bundles lined the streets and were loaded on huge, open trucks.  I wanted to reach out and grab them.  I was afraid we weren't going to get a lot of bananas on our climb, but Azizi (our leader) had them for us!  Our cook on the mountain, King, even made us a banana stew one night.  Sounds very different than what we eat, you might even be making a face, but I can assure you it was delicious!  The bananas were still firm like potatoes (because they were "green" and not as ripe as we eat) and the stew was exactly what I needed after a long day of hiking and cooler weather.

Harvey the Hyena was totally checking out the city too!  Here's a restaurant that smelled amazing from our Jeep.  Judging by how crowded it was it must have been delicious!  We were driving through Mwanza on our was to visit the Sukuma Tribe.

http://www.knollwooddentalcare.com/

Oh, and I'd like to do a HUGE shout out and thank you to Knollwood Dental Care for their generous donation of youth toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children I will meet in Africa!  I will hand these out to the children in the schools and villages we will pass through.  I also was able to purchase school supplies from the generous donation by our school's KC Club!

Bubble gum sparkle Kid's Crest with Cavity Protection--
it will make up for the candy I will share with them.

Harvey is helping pack some more.  They said to bring "comfort food" for the trip and the seven days on the mountain.  I couldn't decide what to bring, so I got a bit of everything!   Mind you, I will be sharing with the kids over in Tanzania--I heard M&Ms are their favorite, so I got a larger bag. (Hmmm... I'm pretty sure those are a favorite of my classroom kids too!)  Can you spot Harvey the Hyena in this pile?  If you had to pack your favorite "junk foods" what would you pack?  (LOL, sorry friends, butter popcorn takes up too much room to take over and I don't have access to a microwave!  Aaron, I knew your answer right away!) :)

Jolly ranchers, gum, licorice, granola bars... yum!

It's a Zoo in here!

I can't believe the first week of summer has gone!  All the animals have been paired with a student and Harvey the Hyena has traveled with me to training in Ann Arbor and back.  I also just found out we'll have a short stay in Washington D.C. waiting for a flight to Africa--so we will have a night to explore.  I've never been to Washington D.C. (I know, right--should be illegal for a teacher to have never visited our nation's capital!) and the monuments will be open in the evening to visit.  I am very excited to get some good pictures and share them with you all.  Don't be shy with your cameras--let's see some summer fun!

See you online soon!

All the animals with their "handlers".

That's more like it... it's a zoo in here! LOL.

Harvey the Hyena is helping me pack for Africa.  Let's see... OFF! for the rainforest GIANT mosquitoes that may try to carry me away, rain gear for the days we'll be outside on Safari and the weather has other plans, sunscreen, a winter jacket for the -10 F degree nights camping and hiking up on Kilimanjaro.  Sounds like a great vacation--Harvey Hyena is ready to roll!  (I think I need a few more items before I can go!)