Karibuni Moyo Hill Camp! This compound is located in Rhotia, a small rural town in the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem. The Centre for Wildlife Management studies is run by the School for Field Studies. There is another center in Kenya that focuses on public health and related wildlife issues. Local staff run the operation, and they are so kind and funny when communicating with us. They are great!
This camp is equipped with clean running water, normal toilets, hot showers, permanent building structures (dining hall, library, computer room, classroom, office, gazebo, volleyball net and student dorms). Armed guards patrol the building day and night, and it is closed off to the public. The student dorms, or 'bandas' are quaint little duplex cabins that have 2 bunk beds for 4 students on each side. My banda is called 'Simba right'. I learned that 'simba' means 'lion', and also 'rafiki' means 'friend' for all those Lion King lovers out there. The bandas are named after the 'Big Five', which are: Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhino. I believe I heard someone talking about these 5 animals being the hardest to hunt and kill...kinda morbid, I know. I live with 2 other girls from the States. They are very good roommates, and I am looking forward to getting to know them better. Showers here are not like we have at home. Water pressure is minimal to preserve water, which is awesome, and water is heated instantaneously by a little contraption in the shower head. Still blows my mind that I have access to a hot shower all the way out here. We even have compound-wide wireless internet!
Every morning, we eat breakfast at 7:30am, rinse our dishes and dunk them in bleach water, go to class or on safari for 8:00am, have activities until 12pm when we have lunch, more class or safari at 2:00pm to 3 or 5pm, have free time until dinner at 7:00pm, presentation by the 'mwanafunzi (student) of the day', and free time until quiet hours at 10pm. This goes on 6 days of the week, with 1 non-program day where we do other fun activities. A group rotation of 6 students wake up before everyone to help the cooks make breakfast in the morning, and wash all the dishes at night. During free time, we play volleyball (I was surprised that I could still play volleyball after 7 years, but I was actually pretty good), soccer, or go into the little town of Rhotia for shopping. It is a traditional town where women wear skirts that go passed the knees and shirts that cover the shoulders. Guys wear normal shorts or slacks.
This
is honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. There
are exotic flowers all around, beautiful birds singing at all hours of
the day, it is always sunny (despite the fact that it is really
super cold in the mornings and evenings), and of course the lovely
people make Moyo Hill Camp awesome, like my new friends and drivers, Boni (no pic available) and Kosta (below):
This place has quickly become my home, and I am going to be very sad on the day I have to leave.
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