Bike Ride and WMA

Yesterday was a non-program day, so we took a bike tour of Lake Manyara. The tour started in town and then went into the park. We rode mountain bikes, but they were a little worse for wear and the padding on the bike seats was almost nonexistent. It was a rough ride since only the main street was paved, but it was a little smoother when we got onto a dirt path in the park. After going through some forest, we emerged onto the grassy plain and spotted a herd of zebra. We kept biking closer to them and  a bunch of us sped up and got about fifteen feet away from the zebra. They all started to run in every direction. It was crazy but an amazing experience! We then continued to the lake and got to see some the of the local fisherman catching tilapia. We then headed back into town and went to a local tribe's carving shop. The guides explained the carving process and how you can tell how old the ebony was that they used by looking at the coloring. After the carving shop, we went to a local painter's shop. Since the school curriculum is based on Germany and Britain's, there are no art classes in school so the painters often have to find a mentor to teach them different painting techniques. After we were all thoroughly sore, we went to a pizza place for lunch. After lunch we went to a market and I picked up a couple things of fabric to bring to the tailor. My bargaining is still pretty bad, but I've gotten to the point that I don't really care. Today we had a traveling lecture at the local wildlife management area (WMA). We first stop at the newly constructed visitor's center which was funded by the US. After the visitor's center, we went to the local head office and had a discussion with a few of the local board members. They explained how the WMA is different than a national park and what benefits the local villages get for being a part of the WMA. The WMA functions as a corridor between parks, allowing wildlife to migrate without threat to their lives or habitats. In exchange for conserving the wildlife, the villagers receive half of the profits of the lodges. In the afternoon, we got a chance to relax at the lodge and just hang out by the pool. Tomorrow we get to visit Ngorongoro and I am super excited!