[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Well, holy East Africa coincidences, Batman! I actually stayed at that exact same hotel in the early 80's as well. The air conditioning DID NOT WORK. In January....you were soaked from sweat before you could even get into a cab outside the hotel.

I remember walking around and seeing eye-popping poverty, beggars with all sorts of deformities on the streets -- it really was a cesspool.

On the other hand, spent a lot of time in Arusha, which is an absolutely fantastic place that I'm going to take my wife to someday. Even closer to the equator, but a very nice climate because of the altitude.

[Gay State Conservative]

Yup,Arusha was much better,stifling heat-wise.Can I assume you got to one,or more, of the parks? We did Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.And as for poverty...as we were on our way to Ngorongoro (a *long* drive on a dusty,empty road) we stopped at a saleswoman who was selling corn on the side of the road.With her was a young child...couldn't tell the age or gender...who had red/orange hair,extended belly and little stick legs...the classic signs of chronic,serious malnutrition.I wish it had occurred to me to give them some money...I had around $150 (US) in my pocket that I certainly could have spared.