Entrance

Blue door of Peace Corps house in Ipilimo,Iringa Tanzania.

Lioness in Ruaha

A lioness in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. I like this picture (taken from the roof of a land rover) because I see a tenderness in her everytime I look at it. Ruaha is one of the least visited National Parks in Tanzania. It is in the Iringa Region.

White Shoes

White Shoes are always in fashion when you are Maasai. I'll never know how they kept them clean.

Zanzibar Fishermen

During our Peace Corps service in Tanzania we were lucky enough to have two weeks of vacation a year. We used those weeks to visit the birthplace of Freddy Mercury from Queen. It is truly an amazing little island. It is so small but is just bursting with different cultures. Indians have shops that sell goods at great prices, people with roots in the Mediterrean have small food shacks that use curries, peppers and cumin in fascinating ways and Tanzanians hold most the government/transporation jobs. While mostly Muslim in their beliefs they also are tolerant to all beliefs. If you have a chance to visit, spend Friday night at the fresh seafood festival in Stonetown. There is also a very dark history to Stonetown which can be found online or in the pubs over some Konyagi.

Butterfly Farming

This butterfly farm is a lucrative business in Northern Tanzania. There are many tourist attractions that pay for butterfly pupas and believe it or not many butterflys are still purchased by the bag load for decorative purposes and for studies.

Starfish

These starfish were just laying around the eastern Zanzibar coast. These guys are normally covered with a fair amount of water but when the tides recede drastically, as they did this day, they are left in the open air.

The longer you look

As humans it is natural to make assumptions based on what we know. The further we stretch our understanding of other peoples and cultures the more open we become to accepting the differences in ourselves and those around us.
This Tanzanian village house at first glace may look impoverished and in need of roof repair to some. Upon closer inspection you will notice the lush sunflower crop in the background. This means that the family has oil for cooking and possibly for selling. The hen house is up off of the ground which means that the area floods during rainy season and that this person doesn't have to put the hens in the main house during that time like some do. There is a pile of beans in the foreground which also means that this family has land down by the water source and is planting beans for food and also increase the nitrogen in the soil which ensures a better crop next season.
They may not have running water or electricity but these people are pretty well off.

Stairway

A handmade staircase in Amani National Perserve in Tanzania.

Lionesses of Ruaha

Lionesses of Ruaha National Park in central Tanzania.

Ruaha National Park Tanzania

Ruaha National Park in Tanzania is one of the least visited National Park's in the country. It is located in the Southern Highlands, Iringa region. The lack of human traffic makes this one of the best parks to go to. The animals are still weary of safari vehicles and still stand in front of their young when people approach.

Handmade Boat

Lake Malawi borders Malawi, Mozambique & Tanzania. It is supposedly home to more species of fish than anywhere else in the world which is probably why this boat was fashioned out of a tree. The fisherman who created it will eat his larger fish and collect the smaller cichlids to sell to aquarium owners all over the world.

Bovine Skull

This is a cow skull left on the ground in Tanzania. It looks dramatic upside down, like it has another face. In Tanzania the butchers would leave fresh cow skulls in front of their shop so that the village knew that a cow had been slaughtered and that there was fresh meat. A family would need to get their meat on the same day that the cow was slaughtered because there was no refrigeration and drying techniques where not practiced. Fresh bovine blood would run down the village streets as a sign to all to come and get it.

Amani means Peace - Amani National Forest Tanzania

This is one of my favorite pictures. This trail is in Amani National Forest which is one of Eastern Africa's most diverse eco-systems. The land and the forest is said to be protected but every villager we spoke to said that the only work they could find, outside of the low paying tea plantations, was to work illegally for the timber cutters.

Waiting for dinner

Village Elder Tanzania

Blue Door - Mlango bluei

My Bike