As I have previously mentioned, we spent a good amount of time on the beach. I could devote a rather lengthy post to how much I love the ocean, but I think that it would bore a good deal of you (or make you so jealous of my beach time that you quit reading). So instead I will devote my time to other things.
The coastal area of Pangani is a beautiful place. The blue waters sparkle in the sun and there is always a breeze to carry the heat away, and best of all there are virtually no mosquitoes. In the mornings, local fishermen hoist the white canvas sails of their dhous (catamaran sailboats) and emerge from the Pangani river to disperse on the wide seas for the day. The tides at Pangani were impressive. The difference from high to low was half a mile. When the tide was out, the white sand beaches stretched far and a beachcomber could find multitudes of colorful seashells and stranded jellyfish with stubby tentacles.
The culture of the coast is also different from farther inland. Though the Kilimanjaro region has Tanzania's highest population density, the coastal region is far poorer. Even though Pangani hosts a lower standard of living than say Arusha or Moshi, theft is rare. (Having said that, I was the unfortunate victim of a boot-thief, much to the dismay of the group.)
During our stay at the coast, we visited a mangrove forest, a seaweed farm, tide pools, and the Maziwe Marine Reserve. The students did studies on diversity, took species inventories and listened to presentations given by locals. The teaching style is a bit different here in that students are much more self reliant. When left on their own, they set to work and and complete their surveys. During lectures they listen intently and ask insightful questions. And on a Friday night they can be found not at the bar blasting loud music, but next door at the quiet restaurant finishing up their homework.
Liability is also different here. In the States, doctors prescribe every test imaginable to avoid missing an illness and being sued. Here, seatbelts aren’t required and in fact, many of the seats don’t even have them. Getting to Maziwe Marine Reserve requires a 90 minute boat ride. Before we left, life vests were handed out, just like they would be in the States. The difference was that there were fewer than 10 lifejackets for the 24 people. The lifejackets that were handed out were little more than orange vest that might have once had some stuffing for flotation. There was little doubt in my mind that if an emergency arose, the vests would provide no assistance. (To add to the circumstances, only about half of the students could swim.)
Our stay at the beach was very enjoyable and it was hard to leave. Luckily our next stop would be a National Park.
I love the black and white!
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