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Travel Pictures - TANZANIA - 1999
All images © Ron Miller

Tanzania may be the African nation that best embodies the Africa of our imagination, as it has exquisite game parks in addition to the continent's highest peak - Kilimanjaro. Tanzania also includes the fascinating island of Zanzibar where visitors can relax on tropical beaches as well as experience the appalling history of the slave trade. The parks I visited included Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti. Unlike many of the more managed game parks in Africa, the Tanzanian parks are truly wild and offer an authentic, African wildlife experience.


A drive-through window for trains? Villagers selling food at a rural train stop - Southern Tanzania


Tanzania's capital sits on the coast of the Indian Ocean where the heat and humidity can be oppressive. This diverse city is home to an interesting mix of cultures and has an overall unhurried feel about it. Although Dar es Salaam has character, it also has the appearance of a city that was built in 1950 with regular maintenance ending shortly thereafter - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


Approaching the spice island's largest city, Stone Town, on the ferry from Dar es Salaam - Zanzibar, Tanzania


The waterfront really comes alive in the late afternoon - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


Zanzibar's main city, Stone Town, has narrow, cobbled streets and 300-year-old buildings sporting ornate multi-level verandas and carved wooden doors. Zanzibar, also known as the "Spice Island," has for centuries been the center of trade in East Africa for exotic spices, ivory, and even slaves - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


One of the many carved wooden doors in the old city - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


This group of African dhows plying the Indian Ocean seem to mirror Africa's economy; of the seven boats, one is active, five are underemployed, and one is "retired" - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


A flotilla of outrigger canoes are beached on Zanzibar's gulf side - Zanzibar, Tanzania


A touching memorial to the slaves who were auctioned off at this very location. Historically, Zanzibar was a focal point for the East African slave trade, and within Stone Town is the site of the former slave market. Africans from the mainland were brought to Zanzibar in neck chains where they were held in underground chambers before being auctioned off like cattle. Many died from disease and exhaustion, but this was considered to be merely a weeding-out process so that only the strongest slaves would be brought to market - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


In what may be the very best example of positive cultural change, this Anglican church was constructed in 1877 upon the very courtyard where slaves were previously auctioned off. In fact, the interior altar is located adjacent to a circular piece of marble that marks the exact spot of the former whipping post - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


Hazy sunset from my hotel lobby - Stone Town; Zanzibar, Tanzania


Entertaining sign at the YMCA - Moshi, Tanzania


The roof of Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, reflected in the YMCA swimming pool - Moshi, Tanzania


Close-up view of the dwindling glaciers on the 19,330 foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro - Moshi, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


A rare stretch of pavement in the otherwise dusty streets of the world's capital for both safari companies and unbelievably persistent safari company peddlers (a.k.a. "flycatchers") - Arusha, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Mom has found temporary sanctuary from malaria-carrying mosquitoes - Arusha, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Because there are lions in the area, I hurriedly snapped this photo of our battered and sputtering Land Rover just as we crested the Ngorongoro's crater rim - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


Tasty fruits and hand-woven baskets for sale at a tourist stop - near Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Two African elephants foraging around the bloated trunk of a baobab tree - Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


This lone giraffe has found valuable shade in the "forest" - Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Zebra showing off their stripes at a watering hole. The zebras' stripes are believed to have multiple benefits. First of all, when a lion attacks a herd, the plethora of stripes makes it more difficult for a predator to distinguish one animal from another. The stripes on their rear ends are all horizontal and, in a mass of fleeing zebra, the net effect would be a multitude of stripes that appear to run together. Another possible benefit of the striping is temperature regulation as the extreme difference in heat absorption between the black and white hair may create air movement next to the animal's skin to aid in cooling - Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


A "big bend" in the river. The giraffe will never keep its head down for too long - even while drinking. This is because the extreme change in blood pressure would burst the blood vessels in the brain. The giraffe has valves in the veins and blood vessels of the neck to constrict blood flow to the brain when the head is lowered so that the giraffe can safely take a drink. However, should a lion attack and the giraffe need to raise its head quickly, a sponge-like device near the base of the brain will provide a continuous supply of oxygenated blood so that the animal does not pass out! - Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Vista of Lake Manyara from the Rift Valley escarpment. What might appear as a Garden of Eden might be more accurately called a "Garden of Feedin'" due to the large mammals - including predators - that inhabit this park - Tarangire N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Mom peeking from her tent just before sunrise atop the rim of the caldera - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


Sunrise view from the tent camp on the crater rim - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Overlook of the Ngorongoro Crater's caldera. The 2,001-foot-deep crater was formed when a giant volcano (estimated to be feet 15,000 to 19,000 feet in height) exploded a long, long time ago. Approximately 25,000 large mammals live within the crater including Africa's highest density of mammalian predators - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Another view of Ngorongoro's crater that is more than 10 miles across - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Descending into the caldera - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


Masai children hoping for a handout (or compensation for a photo) at a popular overlook - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Masai herdsman with goats (zebra in the distance). The Ngorongoro Crater is the only Tanzanian park that is multi-use in that it protects the wildlife while allowing human habitation and farming - although only at subsistence levels - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


These Masai warriors were on high alert for any cameras pointed in their direction, and it was a challenge to sneak a photo without paying them money. We became more than a little uneasy when this group rushed toward our safari vehicle with fingers pointed at my brother's huge telephoto lens. They accused Brian of sneaking unauthorized photos and demanded payment - a request that was quickly honored because ... well, they all carried spears! - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


Official, authorized photo of tranquil Masai warriors posing with their pointed negotiation tools and a little extra money in their pockets - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Pink flamingos foraging in the soda lake at the crater bottom - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


This bull elephant is foraging among the few trees at the crater bottom - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Close-up of a lone bull elephant. Using its tusks and powerful trunk, this elephant was able to snap stout branches as though they were mere twigs. The sharp cracking sounds of the breaking branches echoed across the crater like gunshots. With the engine shut off, even the munching of bark was clearly audible. Most elephants do not die form predators but from starvation after they no longer produce replacement teeth. An unwavering truth in the world, for all animals, is that life is a constant struggle against the alternative - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Vista out to the vast expanse of the Serengeti from the outer slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Mom, Me, and Brian above the Serengeti's vast grasslands that, in the dry season, resemble a brown ocean - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania


This pride of lions was lounging just a few hundred yards from the visitor center and walking trails! - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


The lions' view of their grocery store. This herd of impala is grazing around a rock outcrop, known in Africa as a kopje - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Sunrise at the hippo pool (swim at your own risk!) - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Another daredevil's swimming pool - if the hippos do not get you, the crocodiles (near the rocks) would probably step in - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


This elephant was checking out the new visitors by smelling through its trunk- Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Charge! The elephants did not appreciate our vehicle parked so near to them, and this perturbed pachyderm, with ears flared to look even more intimidating, charged our jeep. It was thrilling to try and anticipate each charge by the subtle changes in their body language. The elephants slowly worked up a fury, usually swaying side to side with accentuated trunk movements just before each charge. Although the consequences of a charge can be deadly, we could not seem to contain our laughter - that is, only after realizing that the charge was a bluff! - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


A mating pair of lions - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


The mass migration of zebra and wildebeest on the African plains - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


A close-up of the migratory herd including a helpless, orphaned wildebeest at left. The young wildebeest with its tiny, undersized body and long, spidery legs, looks more like Bambi than a homely, adult wildebeest. Sadly, the youngster continually approached the other animals in a desperate attempt to locate its mother. The other animals showed no sympathy, as the wildebeests lowered their heads in an attempt to gore the helpless orphan while the zebra kicked at it with their hind legs. The herd animals instinctively try to kill orphans, as their eventual weakened condition will attract predators - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


You can't see this at the zoo. All of the commotion around the orphaned wildebeest has attracted the attention of this collared lioness - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania


The lion charges the young wildebeest as the herd flees - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania


This orphaned wildebeest never had a chance. Strangely, this wildlife drama took place among a half-dozen safari vehicles. The animals practically ignore the vehicles as if they are part of the natural environment. In fact, because the animals have been around tourist vehicles all of their lives, they are perceived as nothing more than metal, moving bushes - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu stated, "Nature is not human hearted" - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


These zebra lookouts, staring and barking at the nearby predators, are refusing the lions' dinner invitation - Serengeti N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


This group of lions, lying nearby in the relative coolness of a creek bed, is the object of attention for the zebra lookouts - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


The 14,980-foot Mt. Meru, an active volcano, towers above the savannah about 44 miles west of Kilimanjaro - Arusha N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


The wild animals were not the only hazards during our walking safari! - Arusha N.P., Tanzania


The cape buffalos are the most dangerous animals for those on a foot safari (there are no lions in the park ... usually!) - Arusha N.P., Tanzania


Would a single rifle really provide protection during a stampede of cape buffalo? Approaching the animals without the safe confines of a vehicle was an entirely different experience - Arusha N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


Brian and mom approaching four gentle giants (gentle as long as one does not get too close!) - Arusha N.P., Tanzania


You are not hallucinating! This timely photograph was taken as a herd of giraffe traversed a hill top. The map referred to this area as long-neck ridge, but we couldn't figure out why - Arusha N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com


More gentle giants as we walk along with the safely of our guides - Arusha N.P., Tanzania © BrianKMiller.com



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All images © Ron Miller For authorized use of these photos, please contact Ron Miller at TheHappyCannibal@gmail.com