Today we got to enjoy everything Elephant Lodge. Swimming, animal visits and more. We were fortunate to have a number of elephant visits throughout our day at the Lodge. At first w could just glimpse them through the vegetation and amongst all the containers. Then they visited the watering hole and continued to wander throughout the site. A few even came back for an evening visit during our fireside dinner.

Today is Sunday and we're taking the day to enjoy the Elephant Lodge. The Lodge uses shipping containers for all their building and the "Contages" are spread though out the grounds. Neat the dining, outdoor fire, pool and gathering area there is an elephant watering hole. The elephants visit, often several times a day. Magnificent. 
The hotel also has two outdoor, wood fired hot tubs. One near the outdoor fire and one on the rooftop deck - so you have view the elephants while enjoying the hot tub.

Stairs to our outside deck

View of our room

Rooftop deck

We were issued a walkie-talkie and were required to get a security escort to and from our room to the main lodge area.

arriving back at the common area

This gorgeous metal art Elephant is also a BBQ!!

Stairs to common area deck and hot tub

Today we're visiting the Maasai Ecolodge in Karatu. This social enterprise supports the Maasai Girls Rescue Centre. We left our Lodge early and picked up the community chief, commissioner and Marina so they can see the accommodation/rescue centre for themselves to better understand the concept we're hoping to offer them.

Although called a Maasai Ecolodge - the Maasai cultural piece was actually more like a museum area, with miniature samples huts, miniature boma or fenced in area for animals and a gathering and some demonstration space to show fire making , spear throwing and beading.

The Rescue Centre rescues women, girls and their children from the sex trade and other abuses. They house up to 75 people and provide accommodation, education, some training in things such as baking. Their support helps them move on to better lives. The facility is beautiful, includes classrooms and outdoor grass soccer field and basketball court. The Lodge and the Centre both have high security.  

The farm grows all kinds of vegetables, raises pigs, chickens, rabbits, has cows for milking and even grows it's own coffee. The animals eat the waste from the produce and help to create a natural ecosystem for the property.

We're back in Tanzania - short trip to follow-up on an opportunity to work with another Maasai community to create a school/hotel social enterprise, similar to what Adrian did in Makayuni.
​This area has lots of kids and no school. We were invited by the local chief and elders to visit and see if the land they are offering could work for a hotel, which would support the building and operation of a school for the community. They have one teacher, Marina, who was educated at the Nashipay school and worked at the Maasai Eco Boma the prototype for this type of development that Adrian and his volunteer teams created  - that we visited with our family in March.
This morning we had our third meeting with a law firm and then travelled from Arusha this afternoon to meet with Marina and the community, chief and elders.

Piles of harvested sesame seed plants - I've never seen them before!

Lots of sunflowers being grown for their seeds!

Adrian managed to meet up with an old friend when we stopped for a bathroom break in Makayuni!

First few picture of the Elephant Lodge. It was dark by the time we arrived tonight. The Lodge is just outside the Tarangire National Park. We arrived just in time for dinner - 5 course set menu. Tomorrow we are travelling back to the village and then to Karatu to visit the maasaiecolodge.com/Maasai Ecolodge which is a hotel that supports a Maasai Girls Rescue Centre - pretty much the same model we're proposing for this new Maasai community. We'll be taking the Chief, Village Commissioner and Marina with us so they can see the concept for themselves.

Back at the Mount Meru Hotel, Arusha. We have three appointments, to interview law firms, that we may need to help with our next school/hotel build should it com to fruition. Managed to actually get in the pool this trip too! Treated ourselves to a couples massage as well.

Today we're back in the air, beginning the two day journey to Tanzania. This was a spur of the moment trip to follow-up on an opportunity to play a role in creating a new school for another Maasai community. 

When we came back from PEI we had every intention of getting into the garden here. Mulch had been ordered and it would need to be moved. Sadly we arrived home to the wrong colour of mulch. Black not red. So while we're waiting for the issue to be solved we decided on a quick trip to Wolfville, dinner at the Church Pub and plant shopping at Blomidon Nurseries.
Highly recommend the Tuna Poke and the Brisket Sandwich. We will return!

Such a beautiful place...we'll be back soon!

Most of you know, or should know, that gardening isn't my thing. My role is one of chief schlepper of things and organizer. I am very proud of my contributions this year. I have put together our new outside tables, put the new latch on the door and hung paintings. Schlepped mulch, cleaned the windows and the house and, generally, hopefully, been useful. Still much to do - and we're finding time to enjoy ourselves - with things like breakfast on the deck! Bring on summer!