Lake Manyara National Park and Moyo Hill Camp – day 6 – 2/10/11

          After our fantastic day yesterday in LMNP we went back this morning to complete an exercise watching baboons for our Wildlife Ecology class.  We got to the park at 8 am and the difference between that hour and yesterday afternoon was striking.  Everything was much stiller.  We hardly saw any baboons where as yesterday we could barely go 5 minutes without coming across a troop.  The trees were empty except for a few scattered monkey and birds, and in the bush we saw a few bachelor herds of impala resting under a tree.  It was still a pleasure to be in such a beautiful setting but I felt I missed a lot because we were in a land cruiser.  The activity at that time of day tends to be much smaller and I feel better viewed on foot.  Of course park rules prohibit this.  Despite the general quiet, we did see a few new species: 5 dik diks (very small deer-like animals that live in pairs or small families), a herd of water buffalo, and several varieties of bird.  After completing our assignment for class we enjoyed the rest of our time there driving around getting pictures and trying to spot things we may have missed. 

            Upon return to camp we had lunch then class until 3pm.  At three we got to watch the slaughter and skinning of a goat.  One of the committees that we started when we first got here was “The Fine Dining Committee” which has, so far, been the most active of all of them.  Anyways we all chipped in some money and one of the staff went into town and got us a goat.  Our Swahili and Massai Culture teacher killed and skinned the goat in the traditional manner of the Massai explaining what he was doing the whole time.  I was particularly impressed at the speed and efficiency with which he skinned the goat.  The whole process was completed in about 20 minutes.  Our cook (Arthur) roasted and grilled the meat for us and we got to eat it before dinner around the fire.  It was pretty difficult for the few vegan/vegetarians here but they stayed away and seemed to be ok once we began eating regular dinner and the conversation turned to a different topic.   It also was the birthday of a student today so we also had a really good cake baked for the occasion. 

            I thought this would be it for excitement for that day but no.  I was typing up a lab report in the classroom when the lights went out.  I had a full computer battery so I kept trying to read and type by the light of the screen.  This was working fine until all the bugs from outside that had been hanging out by the outside lights found me and my screen.  There were bugs all over the screen, flying into me, and biting my legs and ankles.  SO that was the end of my homework for tonight.  I put my headlamp on and went to find what everyone else was doing.  Some were reading and getting attacked by bugs like me, others were ballroom dancing in the dining hall by flash light and headlamp, and the rest were by the fire playing truth or dare.  I chose the fire group and spent the remaining few hours laughing with my new friends.  Much better than lab reports!