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7    Follow the birdwatchers


                On O.A.T.’s African safaris, the Trip Leader will o en ask, “Who is a bird-

          watcher?” You should get in the vehicle with the birders, if you can. They are
          used to seeing movement in the trees, which might lead to a leopard flicking
          its tail. They look for patterns that break, indicating a flock of something
          feeding. Between the birders and your eagle-eyed driver-guides, it will be
          like having extra eyes.





                                  What to Eat




             Pap is a mainstay on most tables in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a starchy
             porridge (similar to grits or polenta) made from white corn maize. In Kenya
             and Tanzania it is called ugali, and in Zimbabwe it goes by sadze.
             Pap will o en it will be the base for chakalaka, a (usually cold) vegetable

             stew made with tomatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, beans and spices.
             Zimbabweans like their sadze with a tasty pumpkin leaf relish that is cooked
             with peanut butter. In Botswana, try your pap with the national dish, seswaa,
             a savory meat stew.

             Also popular throughout the region is biltong, air-dried strips of beef or
             other meat that have been cured in salt and marinated in vinegar.  The
             resulting jerky is high in protein and a great portable snack during those
             long game drives.
             If you’re invited to a South African braai (barbecue), chances are you will
             be treated to boerewors, a savory grilled sausage made from beef, pork,
             or lamb with spices.
             In East Africa, sambusas are savory fried triangles of pastry filed with spiced
             ground beef and/or vegetables such as lentils, potatoes, and onions. Got
             a sweet tooth? Try mandazi, a fried yeast dough dusted with sugar and
             cinnamon, and served with fruit dip.
             Tanzanians and Kenyans love mchuzi wa samaki, a Swahili fish specialty
             that uses any white fish (red snapper, cod bass) simmered with onions, oil,
             garlic, curry powder, tomatoes, water, coriander and lemon juice. Try it with
             some flu y coconut rice.




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