Getting around

Pilots of the small planes we used to get from location to location seem to be largely South African.

THe bush plane industry is thriving in this wild place. I would guess, from conversations that flying is the most efficient was of traveling as many of the roads are not paved at all, certainly not in any of the parks, and in large parts of the country are not either. That being said, the roads that we did travel on, for instance between the Serengeti and Tarangire parks was excellent and paved. Traffic police have places where they wave folks over to check for licenses and various paperwork. Local buses and minibuses are packed with people. THe smaller buses and vans are referred to as dolladolla , which was the amount paid at one time. (Now the economy is based on the Tanzanian Schilling although most tourist industry operations do their trading  in American dollars.) The more affordable wheels, the bodaboda, or hireable motorcycle is a versatile choice. You see the local Masaai, robes flying, behind a sometimes helmeted driver with their walking sticks and bags. Often the vehicle is carrying water jugs that will be filled at some stop. I did not see many bodaboda with filled jugs. Perhaps that happens later in the day. Donkeys are also the workhorses of the Masaai. They will carry water and belongings, in between chores they guard and tend to the cattle, goats and sheep.

Walking is still the major method of transportation. They walk with water, large bags, huge sheeves of grass, whatever. They come from the bomas off the road to wave down a bus or bodaboda. They walk their livestock to market, several miles away.  They often seem to be walking in the middle of nowhere, then a cluster of bomas appears out of the land. Sometimes they are fortunate enough to have a bicycle which sometimes they push up mountains to get to the trading centers- villages of some makeshift stalls, storefronts or hubs.