Erica
Gang-Breuss
Under
an African Moon
Good
ideas often come in the night! And, so it was with Erica's African
holiday. She had just bought a new bed from GEA, an Austrian
manufacturing company which is not only famous for its generous
world-wide support for those who are needy and suffering, but its
trips to the hearts of the wanting as well. And, so it was, as a
customer of GEA, that she got an invitation to go on a journey to
Africa. And, it didn't take long to say yes.
It
was to be a two week Tanzanian walking adventure with the
Massai. And, not knowing what to expect, she got more than she
dreamed of. And, what she got was a journey of contact.
And,
that's what walking is. It's purely ground level and its speed is
the same as all that surrounds you. You are neither quicker nor
slower nor higher. You are as one with all that surrounds you. And,
that which you see and you touch is the feeling of nature. And, East
African nature with its fauna and flora is something that's special,
and being part of its speed is a wonderful feeling, and Erica's first
big surprise came at the end of her very first day. And, it was
delicious!
The
Massai, it was explained, have been eating the same meals for at
least the last five thousand years and Erica understood this.
This was nature. And, Erica's second surprise was her bed for the
night. It wasn't a bed! It was nothing more than a cover on the
ground, and, her only defence against the cold and the wild prowling
animals of the night was a very simple shelter, a camp fire
and a blanket. And so with the cold and the wild, she lay down to
dream - in that her first night - under an African moon!
And,
the Massai are very interesting people. And, even though Erica's
visit was short, it was still long enough for her to witness
the Massai steps into the modern. In a village was a school, and its
simple strength was that which impressed her. Tomorrow, like
everywhere else is now, and the Massai have long since added the
colour of learning to their already very colourful lives.
But,
the real colours of Massai life are to be heard in the songs that the
herdsmen sing by the fire at night. These are the sounds of
African life. And, for Erica, these and the smells are the strongest
memories of all. And, even now, she can still hear the tunes whilst
walking in dreams through the Tanzanian nature with some of
the nicest people on earth.
This
was a trip that went deep, and it all began with a good nights
sleep in a brand new bed from GEA. And, Erica is going back again!
Selected
Vocabulary
at
least – mindestens
herdsmen
– Hirten
prowling
- durchstreifen
shelter
– Obdach
trip –
Reise
Diarikom
is sponsored by Mag. Karl Brieber
Wirtschaftstreuhänder
– Steuerberater – Unternehmensberater
