Quickies: The Lodge

Linda Lou Burton posting from Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania– 6:15 PM luggage in; 6:15 AM luggage out. Minus out the sleeping time, and the shower time and the poolside time and the dinner time, there was no time left for a sit on our veranda, gazing out across the lake in the valley; breathing in the fresh morning air; listening to the birds. That’s assuming, of course, that the air was fresh and the birds were singing. I was stuffing (not packing) the few things back into my fancy-schmancy palm-tree-brown suitcase that I had bothered to take out; my toothbrush, my morning meds. Passport attached to body; green mosquito-repellent scarf around my neck; hat on head. Rick was stuffing his stuff in the other corner of the room; conversation nil. Both of us were tired, stunned might be a better word; too rushed, the reason why. We needed a break! Alas, Tuesday, September 20, 2022 was not the day we got one. Variety, however, spiced up our lives; surprises at every curve of the road. I guess that’s what happens when your day is crammed so full you think you’re gonna die. But, you probably won’t. Die, that is. You’ll just have lots of stuff to think about when you get home.

The Lodge, first; Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. Some of my photos, and some of theirs. Those round thatch-roofed rondavels were the most unique sleeping accommodations I’ve ever had, and I didn’t get one good picture in our short time there. The dining room, the pool, totally cool! We had three meals with Serena Lodge – dinner, breakfast, and a Bush Lunch, with table under tent cover at the edge of the escarpment, chef’s outdoor grilling station, and patrol guard.

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, https://www.serenahotels.com/lake-manyara

Tanzania’s towering Mto wa Mbu escarpment provides a remarkable backdrop for Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge; a peaceful location amidst the rich wildlife of Lake Manyara National Park. The lake is home to over 300 migratory birds; the Lodge’s architectural motif features swooping avian curves and vibrantly colored wall frescoes depicting bird migratory patterns. Spread along the edge of the cliff for incredible views, accommodations consist of circular, double-story, whitewashed “rondavels” (traditional circular buildings with conical thatched roofs), which include their own small veranda.

Flamingo Restaurant is designed to replicate a Maasai boma, with swirling primary colors on textured white walls and traditional beadwork, gourds and leatherwork, and includes a veranda with picturesque views. The scenic outdoor terrace and infinity pool offer awe-inspiring lake views; it’s also the venue for cultural dance and music performances, usually held in the evenings. A variety of activities are offered by the Lodge, from village visits and nature walks to biking, jogging, archery, painting, and language and cooking lessons.

Infinity, And Beyond

Linda Lou Burton posting from Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania– It was 4:40 when our lead vehicle left the pavement. The sign said Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge – that way. We got wiggly; energy sprouted out of our weariness; we were almost THERE, just a dusty road away. Two boys waved, we waved back; then just past that, our leader turned again; and stopped. Willy pulled beside. A small white building there, surely not our Lodge? What in the world? “This is a museum,” Willy said. “Ben wants you to learn about tanzanite. It’s a gem found in Tanzania.” WHAT? Everyone but me got out; grumbling about this No Warning stop. I was thinking of our Lodge, the infinity pool overlooking the lake, on the very tip edge of the escarpment a thousand feet above the Rift. I was thinking of lions that sleep in trees, and tuk-tuk rides on a banana farm; of lunch in a Swahili canteen. So many things to do in this unique and lovely place; just one night here; so little time. Ben walked to my window, in line with the glare in my eyes. “Lois and Mike have a reservation for a bike ride around the lake this afternoon,” I said in Mama Bear tone. “Oh, I canceled that,” was his reply. “You should go inside, there’s lots of pretty jewelry you can buy.”

It was 5:40 when we reached the Lodge, down the steps past the lily pool, into reception, the complimentary juice, the room assignments. “There’s entertainment by the pool at 6,” we were told. I looked at my watch. 6:05. Ben was handing off the keys. “Cottage 1 for you and Rick,” he said. “The closest! Downstairs!” Close, yes, but 16 rocky steps up hill, no rails. Our thatch-roofed rondavel was charming; twin beds-mosquito nets-a patio. Dark almost here; I changed my pants (remember why), grabbed my camera, headed for the pool. Cane got me down the 16 steps; I found a seat at the edge of the edge. Our entertainer was breathing fire. And so was I.

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, https://www.serenahotels.com/lake-manyara

About Tanzanite: The Blue Gem. The world’s only source of tanzanite is located on a small patch of land at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. The myth is that a local Maasai saw a bolt of lightning come down from the sky and strike the ground turning all the rocks to a shimmering blue. The geological story is that about 585 million years ago as continents shifted, and the Great Rift Valley was created, minerals morphed together to create (what is now known as) tanzanite. The commercial story is that in 1967, when the first stone was “discovered” and determined not to be sapphire, Tiffany & Co christened it “tanzanite” and launched a marketing campaign proclaiming it “the new must-have.” Reasons: it is a thousand times rarer than diamonds, and it is a “single-generation” gemstone due to its limited supply – with the current mining rate, there are only 20 more years of tanzanite in the ground. Hurry up and invest! Tiffany says: Tanzanite can be found on only two places on earth – Tanzania, and Tiffany’s. The Tanzanian places to buy: The Tanzanite Experience, with stores all over – from Arusha to Serengeti to Zanzibar. And Lake Manyara.

The Tanzanite Experience https://www.tanzaniteexperience.com/tanzanite-knowledge/

A great Tanzanian MINING story, in 2020 a Tanzanian subsistence miner was awarded a government check for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings ($3.35 million) for the two largest tanzanite gemstones ever found. Each stone was about the size of a forearm; they were discovered by Saniniu Laizer in one of the tanzanite mines in the north of the country; the mines are surrounded by a wall to control cross-border smuggling of the gemstones.

Getting Our Bearings

Linda Lou Burton posting from Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania– I’ll call him Ben. That’s not his name, but a way of protecting the guilty, you see. “Ben” was our new guide, and “Ben” seems a fitting name because he never seemed to be where he should have been; nor was he able to get US to where we should have been, when we should have been there. Like this afternoon. There we sat, among the calla lilies and elegant service of the Arusha Coffee Lodge Garden Terrace, wondering what would happen next. ”Your new guide will be here soon,” was message one. “Someone will come to take you on a tour of the coffee plantation,” was message two, fifteen minutes later. What? “Someone will come to take you on a tour of Shanga” was the third message. I was so annoyed by then I asked “What is Shanga? And when does our guide arrive?” We were done with dessert by now, just sitting, and yawning. “Shanga is a workshop,” was the answer; no reference to our guide at all, or mention of what work went on in the workshop. And then, “Please come to the meeting room, just follow me.” Comfortable sofas, a fireplace, a huge map on the wall. But no guide. “Your guide will be here soon.” Eventually, he actually showed. He talked so long we began nodding off, as he quoted facts and figures about the geology ahead, pointing to the map; describing the Great Migration and the Great Serengeti and the greatness of Tanzania. Finally (finally!) we were escorted outside; our luggage now stashed in two new Globus 4x4s; our new drivers ready. Now into a GREEN 4×4; now with driver Willy. That’s his real name by the way; Willy was a gem.

Willy drove the last leg of our journey today; 75 miles from Arusha to our Lake Manyara Lodge. We traveled west on A104, through the Aidai Plains, in the basin of the Great Rift Valley. We turned northwest at Makuyuni, where we slowed to view a colorful, bustling market. Then through the village of Mto Wa Mbu, and the lush banana plantation, before climbing a thousand feet out of the valley to the edge of the escarpment, and our lodge.

Attention getters this afternoon – good paved highways, properly striped and maintained; hillsides covered with heavy duty power lines and communications towers; large black water tanks; brightly painted Jesus vans; and trucks, trucks, trucks. Oh yes, a baboon hiking down the highway to grab a banana, according to Willy. Tanzania has a very different vibe.

Next Post: Infinity, and Beyond

It Wasn’t Exactly A Bus

Linda Lou Burton posting from Arusha, Tanzania– Confusion. Inside Namanga’s Border Control Office, confusion reigned in signs and lines; blurred. Somebody pushed me out of one line into another, pulled me maybe. I had everything in hand: passport, Tanzanian visa, Yellow Fever Card, COVID documents. Cane in the other hand, leaning, wobbly. At the first window a man took my passport and simply walked away with it! Another push, someone grabbed my arm, another line. The gang was split, everyone confused, different lines; I was pushed again, to the front of a line, the counter. Another man, smiling at me. “You look confused,” he said. “Are you enjoying your visit?” “And you look very handsome,” I replied, “and not confused at all. So maybe you can tell me what is going on.” This made him laugh. I can’t tell you what happened next, but somehow everything I needed was stamped, signed, recorded, and my passport back in my possession. I staggered out of the room, a young man took my arm, oh yes, our driver, the one taking us to Arusha, on the big bus. “I need a restroom first,” I said. He led me around the corner to a room with open door;  three stalls, one stall with a hole-in-the-floor design; the next with a toilet but no door; the third with a door but a toilet with no seat. No paper anywhere. I chose the stall with the door; walked out with a wet spot on the back side of my pants. The driver led me towards our new vehicle; not a spacious bus, but a minivan! While we were inside our luggage was moved from the 4x4s; luggage for nine people now in a van, barely space for nine to sit! Mike and Lois were standing there; we scrambled into the front seats. “First come!” we said, unwilling to politely stuff ourselves in the back row. Mike took the front seat and busied himself on his phone. Lois and I crowded together; our luggage and backpacks squashed between our knees and the driver’s seatback. “My pants are wet” I whispered. We started laughing then; the restroom, the crowd, the confusion; the Hukana Matata sign across the dash. “No worries!” we laughed. The door of the van was open; two laughing women visible; a crowd gathered; arms reached inside with beaded goods, “Ten Dollar! Ten Dollar! Ten Dollar!” We stopped laughing; shook our heads, NO, please NO. NO. NO. Otis and Venita arrived; Otis attempted to negotiate a trade as Venita urged him to get in the van, NOW! Ed and Maureen and Judy arrived; slipped past the insistent vendoring crowd. Where was Rick? Where was Abdi? Still inside. Rick had his visa on his phone, but he didn’t take the paper copy in. Abdi helped; persuading the stick-by-the-rules governmental staff to print it from the phone; persuading them not to charge Rick $6 per page for the six pages it took, slowly, slowly (pole, pole). Then finally, everyone inside; goodbye to Abdi; the door of our “not exactly a bus” was closed. We headed for Arusha.

Arusha, Tanzania has a population of more than 400,000; another 300,000+ in the area surrounding. On the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, it is near Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Meru in the Arusha National Park. At an elevation of 4,600 feet, Arusha’s climate is relatively cool and dry. Colleges and universities located here include the National College of Tourism, about which we will hear more this week. We reached our lunch stop and driver-vehicle switching place at noon; the Arusha Coffee Lodge, on a working coffee plantation. Here’s this 70-mile leg of today’s journey.

Next Post: Getting Our Bearings

Garden Luncheon, Arusha Coffee Lodge https://www.elewanacollection.com/arusha-coffee-lodge/dining

Going to Namanga

Linda Lou Burton posting from Namanga, Kenya– ”You’ll have a nice big bus from the border to Arusha,” Abdi informed us at breakfast. “You all get to ride together.” We cheered, and headed out, past the Simba lion that guarded the door of the dining room, across the timbered bridge and past the sign that warned of monkey bites; ready to ride. The Lodge at Lake Manyara was our destination today, Tanzania! To a person we were glad to be leaving Amboseli’s dust for the promise of the beautiful blue waters of a lake. That, however was almost 200 miles away, 5 hours as the crow flies, but we were not flying. We had many hurtles ahead; many stops; many waits. Many changes of vehicle, and personnel. From our Amboseli Lodge our two Globus drivers, Amos, and the one I’d never even met, would take us to Namanga, the last leg of our journey in Kenya.

Namanga is a border town, split between Kenya and Tanzania; about 100 miles south of Nairobi and 70 miles north of Arusha; its population is somewhere upwards of 10,000. Tourism supports the town – anyone from Nairobi going to Mt Kilimanjaro passes through the Namanga border crossing. Hills and mountains surround the town – Mt Kili is visible from there; so is Ol Doinyo Orok mountain, also called the Black Mountain, sacred to the Maasai; stretching to the north are the Maparasha Hills. The economy of Namanga also includes the import-export business; trucks haul goods back and forth non-stop between the two countries. Namanga’s main population is Maasai, Kikuyu second; other ethnicity groups include Kama, Somali, Borana, a mixed population.

So how did it go? What did we see between our 7:15 departure and 9:30 when we walked into the Namanga One Stop Border Post? Our route was C103 west after departing Amboseli NP, unpaved and dusty red for 50 miles. Take a look.

Next Post: It Wasn’t Exactly A Bus

The Dimming Of The Day

Linda Lou Burton posting from Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Amboseli National Park, Kenya–  It was our last night in Kenya, our last night with Abdi. Tomorrow we crossed the border into Tanzania; tomorrow we got new drivers; a new guide. The gang of us was seated semi-circle, our chairs in perfect position on the lawn of the Lodge to watch the sun set on mighty Kilimanjaro in a blaze of orange and red, relaxing at the end of our safari day with G&T in hand. Sundowners: a British tradition. Tonight however, the sunset was missing.

The mountain was socked in, invisible. The colors tonight, beyond the blaze of the campfire, beyond the green of the swamp and the brown dust of the fields beyond that, was gray; a gloomy look.  Abdi spoke of new friendships, new insights gained; urging us to tell others, back home, about Kenya. Amos spoke, reminding us of realities we’d witnessed for ourselves in Amboseli; the images of the day flashed through my mind, the contrasts.

So much to think about, so much to remember. The gang of us on safari, plus our guide Abdi standing, driver Amos 3rd from right. 

A Brief History of Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is 97,117 acres in size at the core of a 1,976,843-acre ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border.  The park protects two of  five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semiarid vegetation. The local people are mainly Maasai.

It was 1883 when European Jeremy Thompson first penetrated the Maasai region known as Empusel (meaning ‘salty, dusty place’ in Maa); he was astonished by the fantastic array of wildlife and the contrast between the arid areas of the dry lake bed and the oasis of the swamps, a contrast that persists today. Amboseli was set aside as the Southern Reserve for the Maasai in 1906, but returned to local control as a game reserve in 1948. Gazetted a national park in 1974 to protect the core of this unique ecosystem, it was declared a UNESCO site in 1991. In 2005, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared that control of the park should pass from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai tribe; legal challenges are currently in court. The degazetting would divert park admission fees directly to the county council with shared benefits to the Maasai immediately surrounding the park.

Olasiti Village

Linda Lou Burton posting from Olasiti Village, Amboseli National Park, Kenya– I met a Maasai chief today. His name is Benson Meoli. Our visit to his village was one of the perks, or experiences, offered through Serena Amboseli Lodge, for a fee; an opportunity to learn more about Maasai culture. The Village was barely a 15-minute drive across the dusty landscape (once we exited the swampy lushness of the Lodge); Abdi had directed, ahead of time, that a chair awaited me. It was hot, and dusty there, one lone tree offering a bit of shade; after introductions Benson quickly dispatched others to bring more chairs, till everyone was comfortably seated in the meager shade. “You can ask him anything,” Abdi said, as Benson stood, a splendid man, patient and composed, awaiting his turn to speak.

Before our visit ended, he had talked about the Maasai spirit; the belief in community. He gave examples of responsibility, bravery, health. There were demonstrations (how to build a fire, together, each person playing a significant part). There were others who spoke (the village doctor; the purity of their diet; no arthritis, lean physiques). We were shown how the round straw-roofed houses are built (sticks for the frame, plastered with cow dung, no windows); we were invited to go inside.

And we were invited to join the dance. Of course they danced for us; the men the famous Maasai jumping dance, as tourists expect; the women paraded in their colorful garb, singing strong. Lois joined them, I stepped forward too, with cane of course; someone quickly took my hand. Mike and Otis joined the jumping dance; Venita and Judy admired the baby, Benson’s son, we were told, a beautiful boy. Rick was given an honorary Maasai name; Ed and Maureen got photos, all around.

And then, the sell. The women spread their wares across the dust; blankets covered in beads, elaborate decorations for the neck, the arms; bookmarks designed as birds, giraffes; magnets for the fridge. A visit to the school; the children came today, a holiday, especially to sing for us. The pressure push was strong, but underneath, the message clear.

Olasiti Village is in trouble. Their cattle are dying, like the zebras we saw the day before. Their cattle, their livelihood, are dying of thirst. There is no life without water, and the water is disappearing, fast. For four years now, the rains have failed to come. The village well, their one and only water source, connects to the aquifer that connects to the mountain that looms above, and the glaciers on that mountain are disappearing, fast. Behind all the niceties, and smiles, and beaded charms, these people need help.

Benson Meoli, the Maasai chief I met today, asks that we do what we can.

Olasiti Village, Kenya https://www.olasitimaasai.com/

Painted Birds

Linda Lou Burton posting from Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Amboseli National Park, Kenya– It was 6 PM when we arrived, walking zombie-like into our stopping place for the next two nights. Fourteen hours gone since we set our luggage out for pickup at Sarova. Years had passed, it seemed, since our breakfast on that Maasai Mara hill; since we laughed our way through two airport stops, two crowded flights from there to here, this different dusty world with contradictions everywhere.

There were familiars; our gang, assembled once again in a greeting room; Abdi busy at the desk checking us in. The welcome by the staff; new keys; new rooms. Brilliant colors, the Maasai red; lush palms and bright green ferns; vines for real and painted vines; and birds, flying, fluttering; painted on the walls.

Dinner at 7:30 in the dining room, Abdi had advised. Safari cookies at the airport was all I’d had since breakfast, but I could not go. Bone weary, but more than that. I didn’t want to hear another word of gloom. “You go ahead,” I said to Rick; as we dumped belongings in our new room; tiny; twin beds in the corner, mosquito-netted; the corner desk, two bottles of glassed-in water; glass doors to the porch. We’d been instructed about those doors. They must be kept closed or the monkeys will come in and steal our stuff. And never leave anything outside.

Rick washed up, readying for dinner. “Can I bring you anything?” he asked, when he got to the door. “Some soup, and a roll,” I replied. “Doesn’t matter what kind.” Our porch looked out over a swampy spot. I sat there in the quiet till it was dark. Doors closed. 

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge https://www.serenahotels.com/amboseli

From their website.

Surrounded by the vast and beautiful landscape of Amboseli National Park, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge provides a full immersion into life in the untamed bush. Each room is housed in a single-story building opening directly onto the grounds, and each reflects a Maasai Manyatta theme with hand-painted wildlife murals, locally inspired furnishings, and the brilliant primary colors symbolic of these fabled warriors. 92 rooms and one suite feature complimentary wireless Internet, 24-hour room service and private balconies.

Our central dining area is reached by a timbered bridge spanning a mountain-fed stream and is flanked by water gardens. The walls feature hand-painted wildlife murals and the décor reflects the culture and heritage of the Maasai people. The spacious lounge and bar feature a broad terrace and a blazing fire-pit where evening cocktails can be enjoyed.

Future Shock

Linda Lou Burton posting from Amboseli National Park, Kenya– Is this bird a Greater or Lesser Flamingo? Flamingo clues — the Lesser Flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo (not the fewest in number). Its plumage is pinkish white; its legs are pink; its beak is black. It stands about 33 inches tall. The Greater Flamingo, it follows, is the largest species of flamingo. Its plumage is pinkish white; its legs are pink; and its beak is pink with a black tip. It stands about 50 inches tall. Since it’s difficult to judge flamingo height when they are knee-deep in lake water and a great distance away from you, I’m focusing on the BEAK. Black, or pink with black tip? I dub this beautiful black-billed bird a member of the Lesser Flamingo species, and a fine specimen at that. We’d finally reached the shallow alkaline lake Amos had promised; it was teeming with birdlife, and dazzlingly colorful, a welcome relief from the brown dust and desolation of the previous hour. The Greater Flamingos (below, note the pink beak with black tip) we found feeding in very different areas of the lake; one which supports grasses, and one a swirl of milky orange, higher in alkalinity.

Different areas, different tasty bites? Though both species feed with their heads down, and both eat spirulina, algae which grow in alkaline lakes, their overall food intake is somewhat different due to their beaks. The Lesser Flamingos have such dense filters they can sift out tiny single-celled plants; the Greater Flamingos are able to trap crustaceans and insects with theirs. Does that account, I wondered, for why the Lessers tend to crowd so closely together?

We were parked by the solemn Undertaker Bird when the clouds began to break over Mt Kilimanjaro. Our vision shifted as Amos directed our attention beyond the birds; the few wildebeests grazing; the cluster of trees. Was there enough food, and water, after all? “Some of those trees are fenced to protect them from elephants,” Amos told us. “It’s a reforestation program; too many trees were cut over too many years. These need time to grow. But now we’re in our fourth year of serious drought. The long rains haven’t come to replenish the water in the shallow lakes. Or the snow on Mt Kili. Without fresh snow on the mountain, there is no water flowing to the underground springs, and the swamps will eventually dry up. The trees will die. The animals will die. The flamingos will leave. All of this will be gone.”

Scientists predict all glaciers on East Africa’s 19,341-foot Mt Kilimanjaro will be gone by the year 2030. Climate change has brought about more rapid glacier melt and also impacted rain and snowfall patterns.  Note evidence of glacier disappearance in the last ten years: the photo below was taken in 2012; the one above was taken by me on the afternoon of September 17, 2022.

Amboseli National Park https://amboseli.com/

A Strange Land

Linda Lou Burton posting from Amboseli National Park, Kenya– “An elephant can eat 600 pounds of food a day,” Amos told us. We’d just passed a splintered tree, damaged by elephants, we were told, as Amos turned the 4×4 to go further into the park. Another zebra carcass there; our companion 4×4 was turning too. Amos explained more about Amboseli as we continued on the drive; a place famous for its elephants. I remembered the sign plastered on our plane today “Hands Off Our Elephants.” “Are the elephants dying of thirst too?” I asked. “No” was his answer; “that sign refers to poachers. But a serious crackdown on poaching has greatly reduced the numbers killed by human hands. So the elephant population is increasing here. More elephants means the food supply is more in demand, and now, due to the drought, that is fast being depleted. And since the snow cap on the mountain is disappearing, the water supply is disappearing too.” Just then, a rumbling sound; elephants, moving fast. We stopped to watch; the dust, the thundering intensity. Serious in purpose, mothers and children, looking for food, for daily sustenance. They passed us by, were gone, no need to stop, nothing here.

The road ahead stretched long, the dust as far as I could see. “Where is water?” I asked, wondering about the mountain top, the melting ice. Wondering about the dust surrounding me. “The swamps,” was the reply, “the fresh-water swamps, created from the springs. The snow melt sinks into the ground on the mountain, emerges on the plain as swamps.” I’d only known Amos an hour. He was thoughtful, and intelligent, I could tell. But could we believe this man who was a stranger to us, here in this strange land? I pressed for more. “Swamps in all this dust? How can that be?” “You’ll see,” he said, and suddenly, there they were. Water holes, filled with marshy greens, and hippos, and birds. And elephants, eyeball deep in water. Just feet away, more dust.  Like crazy mirrors in an amusement park, distorting everything, illusion, or reality?  The day would get stranger still, we were soon to see.

Factoids about Amboseli: The word “Amboseli” is an English corruption of the Maasai Maa word “Empusel” meaning “salty dust.” The area is classified as semi-arid savanna. Melting snows and rainfall on Mt Kilimanjaro percolate through the porous soil into an extensive subterranean aquifer reemerging in the basin as permanent swamps. Two large swamps, Longinye and Enkongo Narok, transect the basin and numerous smaller swamps surface in the central and western parts of the park, home to a myriad of species of animals. During the long rains between March and April, the dry plain can become a shallow lake, filled with wading birds (there are 400 species here alone).

Next post: The strange shallow lake and the wading birds.

Amboseli National Park https://amboseli.com/