Karine Ardault

Panorama

Here is a panorama I made from a few pictures I took  of the ngorongoro crater back in november 2006. The result is not great though it shows PARTS of the crater. It is huge!!

Sometimes I hate living in Tanzania!

Well understand me well, I love this country,I love my job and I love living in Tanzania but sometimes I wish I were in the comfort of my home in Paris. Why? well, here you have to plan in advance if you want to take a shower because you have to switch on the water heater. So no last minute plan. The power situation is a recurrent problem in Tanzania. Again this week we had a huge power cut from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. YES, more than a 12 hours power cut! I know this country has problems with its ability to produce energy and I do not mind power cuts. What I DO MIND is unscheduled power cuts. Because the Public electricity company, the TANESCO, is making scheduled but it never follows them. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!!!! I want power when I am home at night so I can cook, take a shower, listen to music, blog, scrap.....

The Other problem is water though I can not complain since last year as we have not been without water since last year... fingers crossed.

But please Madame TANESCO I want power at night so I can work on my pictures and be more creative because candles are nice but they are not enough to work properly.

Safari - Day 1

This happened on 15 November.

It is Safari Day! We are leaving Arusha but with no rush. After an early lunch at Ciao Gelati (best ice creams around) we are heading towards Gibb's Farm. The weather is nice. The Land Rover is going as its own pace, not two slow, not two fast; perfect to enjoy the journey. We make a stop at Lake Manyara National Park to buy a park map as the gift shop is always closed when we go to the park as it is too early or too late. So for next time, we have a map!

Then we are continuing the journey towards Karatu where Gibb's Farm is located. Karatu is the last big village before the entrance of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It has been tarmac road since Arusha so we are not too tired. Seeing the sign indicating the lodge, we leave the tarmac road for a dirt road. We come across local people and especially kids who never get tired of saying hello and waving at foreigners passing by. We finally arrive a Gibb's Farm. It looks very nice. The property is nested in a very green environment. We are directed to our rooms. I am a little disappointed by the room. It could have been very nice and romantic but it is just basic and functional. Maybe the fire place adds some charm to the room when we use it but we did not have a chance to do so. Hopefully the rest is very nice, especially the garden. There are a lot of trees and flowers, which means a lot of birds too. We take a seat in the garden. The view is awesome. While seated we can enjoy  a clear view on the rift valley. The sunset is not spectacular but still nice. If the rooms are not decorated with great taste, the main building is very nice and very welcoming. I like the dinning room. The dinner is very good. After dinner, it is time to go to bed as the next day will be a long day!