Atlanta might be land locked, but in the center of the city is one of the largest aquariums in the world; housing more than 10 million gallons of water, and home to tens of thousands of fish and other sea creatures representing several hundred species. This was where we spent a hot Saturday afternoon exploring the aquatic life. The ticket price of $38.95 per person is steep, but it includes access to a dolphin show, 4D movie, and many other exhibitions. Continue reading
This past June, Fausto went to the annual Society of Actuaries Health meeting in Atlanta and I tagged along. While there, I had a chance to explore the city’s small but growing street art scene. Atlanta has hosted the annual street art conference called Living Walls, The City Speaks, where artists from all over the world are invited to create street art. The large murals are often painted directly on the side of the buildings throughout the city, with permission from the owners of course.
[photo credit: www.skyscanner.com]
Our last day on the road, we stopped in Stone town, a once sleepy beach town turned into a major port city for East Africa. Goods flow through here from Asia and the Middle East before traveling off to other cities. This port city also has a sordid history. Hundreds of years ago, this was hub of the slave market where traders came from all over the world to trade in human flesh.
All of that is long gone, and now as you walk around the city, all you’ll notice is the intricate wood carved doors. Zanzibar is known for their beautifully elaborate woodwork designs.
On our last day in Nungwi, we headed to Mnemba Island for some snorkeling. There were plenty of fish but not much coral. Afterward, we had lunch on a deserted part of the beach where the sand was soft and fluffy like stepping on a big pillow.
This peaceful island has one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. The sun starts descending into the water as the whole sky lights up in various coppery hues. The boats leaving at the sunset for their nightly journey juxtaposed against the vibrant colors create a beautiful scene.
Today we left the dusty safari and headed to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. Near our hotel is a small fishing village where the local fishermen go out on their dhow every night and come back early in the morning with their catch. As they get closer to shore, the sail is lowered as they prepare to unload their fish to be sold at the nearby fish market.
There are 216 different tribes in Tanzania, all speaking different languages. We spent the day with a small tribe that lives around Lake Eyasi. Like most tribes, the men and women have separate roles. Generally, the men are responsible for the hunting and providing. They hunt everything from birds to baboons to antelopes. The women, on the other hand, stay home and take care of the children and make jewerlry to sell at the market.
Here, the men are roasting an antelope over the fire. We were invited to taste the meat, which tasted like smoked venison. As honored guests, I even got to wear the crown made from the head of a baboon.
We visited the original Maasai tribe that still lives in the Ngorongoro conservation area. While visiting the tribe, we learned about their culture and their way of life. We were given a tour of their home, the market area and saw their famous jumping contests. It’s interesting to learn about these people who live their life so completely cut off from modern civilization.
The endless plain of Serengeti is filled with wildlife. After spending a few days camping in the national park, we saw everything from gazelles to cheetah. One of my personal favorites was witnessing a pride of lions tearing into their kill. We were about 10 feet away from the scene, where the lioness were fighting over the last piece of the zebra, leaving nothing behind but the rib cage. Nothing is more primal than watching one animal tear into another.
life after 9to5 