the wanderer
Friday, February 24, 2006
My first trip to the Maasai
Well, what can I say about the Maasai?
I can say that yesterday was one of the happiest days of my life.
We left Moshi in the late morning and started the drive to Arusha. About 20 minutes in a police officer waved us over and hassled our driver for a license and registration, which he quickly gave her. She wanted money from him – it’s the end of the month and cops are corrupt here. Anyway, with my mom watching her from the backseat she didn’t press the issue. I suppose they don’t want us foreigners to see how corrupt they really are.
We moved along, with giant dirt devils swirling around in the distance. Tanzania is experiencing rather severe drought right now and there’s dust everywhere. People are hungry, the maize is taking too long to grow.
We stopped in Arusha for lunch. It’s a busy city, much more hectic than Moshi. We passed the United Nations International Tribunal for Rwanda. I was glad to see the place where Hutu leaders are being prosecuted for their crimes. Say what you will about the UN, these tribunals are a good thing.
When we left the city the scenery started getting much greener, though Anthony and John said it’s not as green as it should be. Stopped in Monduli to see Anthony’s mother and walk around the vibrant Monduli market.
I bought a few lovely pieces of fabric for about 13 bucks, a decent deal. When I’m quoted 4000 shillings and they don’t want to give it to me for any less than 3800, I can’t complain much. That’s a 20 cent difference for me! I’ll gladly give them the extra 20 cents.
After the market, I started getting butterflies in my stomach. The bumpy dirt road we were on had the occasional Maasai walking alongside it. I can’t help but be happy when I see them. They’re always so stoic and wise looking. It took about 10 minutes to get to the village. We pulled up to the “boma” (a Maasai village has many bomas, each of which belong to a different clan) and immediately the children ran up to the car, yelling “Bibi!” (pronounced bee-bee) to my mother. Bibi is Swahili for grandmother, it’s a very respectful term used for older women – they gave her this name last time she was here.
To the right you can see our view of the village as we were driving up.
We unloaded our duffel bags from the car, with children everywhere around us. They were between my legs, pulling on my arms to see me, inspecting every inch of the car, and looking at themselves in the rearview mirrors.
The chief’s second wife, Mama Paolo (it’s customary here to call a mother by her child’s name, in this case her eldest son is Paolo) had a baby a month ago, so we went into her home to see her and meet the new child, Edward. She and my mother get along very well – they quickly became friends after meeting back in September.
Her daughter also had a baby just 5 days ago. Here Mama Paolo is holding her grandchild and I’m with little Edward.
We unpacked the bags, full of clothes, sneakers, and the sandals I received from Ocean Minded. The women loved the sandals! Mama Paolo spotted a pair of blue ones and took them for herself. I was happy for them – the women often get whatever’s left after everyone else has taken what they want.
The clothes and sneakers will be divided between the children, those from this boma and probably from neighboring bomas as well. Here are the women posing with their new sandals – I only got photos of 4 of them because the other three women slipped them on and ran off. They were overjoyed.
My mother was then honored with a priceless gift. About a month ago the guys paid a visit to the Maasai and the women asked them for my mother’s full name. Yesterday they offered her a beaded bracelet that they had made with her name on it. It’s meticulously well done, and the thought that went into that, well, made her cry. That they had been thinking about her all this time and offered her something so incredibly special… I think it made her desire to move her even stronger. There’s so much love.
While I was taking a picture of my mom receiving the bracelet a young girl, maybe 10 years old, touched the tattoo on my ear. As she did, she noticed my earring and got a very curious look on her face. She flipped it around and saw that I did, indeed, have a large hole in my earlobe. I smiled at her and took my earring out, and she squealed! She yelled at the others and they all turned toward me, amazed. I took out my other earring and everyone started chattering loudly. John explained to them that I had been fascinated with Maasai culture since childhood, and that meeting them was a very special occasion for me. Mama Paolo’s daughter, whose name I didn’t catch, lifted her hands up as if to say “WAIT!” and ran into the house.
She emerged moments later with earrings for me, and slipped them onto my ears. The women clapped, the men laughed and smiled, the children all watched in amazement. I think right then and there I floated up off the earth. The women said I was now a “mzungu Maasai”, or white Maasai. I don’t think I’ve made it back onto solid ground yet. As I write this I’m still blown away by what an incredible day it was.
The next picture is me with Mama Paolo's daughter. You can see my beautiful new earrings. After that I'm with Mama Paolo and a neighbor.
Nevermind that there was no power when we got home so we had to eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, and nevermind that today we barely have any running water in the house (they’re fixing it)… Yesterday was a day I will never forget.
This weekend we’re going back to the village with a group of volunteers from CCS. The guys’ tour company, Maasai Moja Tours, takes people to the village to spend a weekend with the Maasai and see how they live. I’m excited to spend more time with them, but I’m glad I got to go once beforehand. This will be a very special weekend.
¶ 2/24/2006 01:33:00 AM 4 comments
I can say that yesterday was one of the happiest days of my life.
We left Moshi in the late morning and started the drive to Arusha. About 20 minutes in a police officer waved us over and hassled our driver for a license and registration, which he quickly gave her. She wanted money from him – it’s the end of the month and cops are corrupt here. Anyway, with my mom watching her from the backseat she didn’t press the issue. I suppose they don’t want us foreigners to see how corrupt they really are.
We moved along, with giant dirt devils swirling around in the distance. Tanzania is experiencing rather severe drought right now and there’s dust everywhere. People are hungry, the maize is taking too long to grow.
We stopped in Arusha for lunch. It’s a busy city, much more hectic than Moshi. We passed the United Nations International Tribunal for Rwanda. I was glad to see the place where Hutu leaders are being prosecuted for their crimes. Say what you will about the UN, these tribunals are a good thing.
When we left the city the scenery started getting much greener, though Anthony and John said it’s not as green as it should be. Stopped in Monduli to see Anthony’s mother and walk around the vibrant Monduli market.
I bought a few lovely pieces of fabric for about 13 bucks, a decent deal. When I’m quoted 4000 shillings and they don’t want to give it to me for any less than 3800, I can’t complain much. That’s a 20 cent difference for me! I’ll gladly give them the extra 20 cents.
After the market, I started getting butterflies in my stomach. The bumpy dirt road we were on had the occasional Maasai walking alongside it. I can’t help but be happy when I see them. They’re always so stoic and wise looking. It took about 10 minutes to get to the village. We pulled up to the “boma” (a Maasai village has many bomas, each of which belong to a different clan) and immediately the children ran up to the car, yelling “Bibi!” (pronounced bee-bee) to my mother. Bibi is Swahili for grandmother, it’s a very respectful term used for older women – they gave her this name last time she was here.
To the right you can see our view of the village as we were driving up.
We unloaded our duffel bags from the car, with children everywhere around us. They were between my legs, pulling on my arms to see me, inspecting every inch of the car, and looking at themselves in the rearview mirrors.
The chief’s second wife, Mama Paolo (it’s customary here to call a mother by her child’s name, in this case her eldest son is Paolo) had a baby a month ago, so we went into her home to see her and meet the new child, Edward. She and my mother get along very well – they quickly became friends after meeting back in September.
Her daughter also had a baby just 5 days ago. Here Mama Paolo is holding her grandchild and I’m with little Edward.
We unpacked the bags, full of clothes, sneakers, and the sandals I received from Ocean Minded. The women loved the sandals! Mama Paolo spotted a pair of blue ones and took them for herself. I was happy for them – the women often get whatever’s left after everyone else has taken what they want.
The clothes and sneakers will be divided between the children, those from this boma and probably from neighboring bomas as well. Here are the women posing with their new sandals – I only got photos of 4 of them because the other three women slipped them on and ran off. They were overjoyed.
My mother was then honored with a priceless gift. About a month ago the guys paid a visit to the Maasai and the women asked them for my mother’s full name. Yesterday they offered her a beaded bracelet that they had made with her name on it. It’s meticulously well done, and the thought that went into that, well, made her cry. That they had been thinking about her all this time and offered her something so incredibly special… I think it made her desire to move her even stronger. There’s so much love.
While I was taking a picture of my mom receiving the bracelet a young girl, maybe 10 years old, touched the tattoo on my ear. As she did, she noticed my earring and got a very curious look on her face. She flipped it around and saw that I did, indeed, have a large hole in my earlobe. I smiled at her and took my earring out, and she squealed! She yelled at the others and they all turned toward me, amazed. I took out my other earring and everyone started chattering loudly. John explained to them that I had been fascinated with Maasai culture since childhood, and that meeting them was a very special occasion for me. Mama Paolo’s daughter, whose name I didn’t catch, lifted her hands up as if to say “WAIT!” and ran into the house.
She emerged moments later with earrings for me, and slipped them onto my ears. The women clapped, the men laughed and smiled, the children all watched in amazement. I think right then and there I floated up off the earth. The women said I was now a “mzungu Maasai”, or white Maasai. I don’t think I’ve made it back onto solid ground yet. As I write this I’m still blown away by what an incredible day it was.
The next picture is me with Mama Paolo's daughter. You can see my beautiful new earrings. After that I'm with Mama Paolo and a neighbor.
Nevermind that there was no power when we got home so we had to eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, and nevermind that today we barely have any running water in the house (they’re fixing it)… Yesterday was a day I will never forget.
This weekend we’re going back to the village with a group of volunteers from CCS. The guys’ tour company, Maasai Moja Tours, takes people to the village to spend a weekend with the Maasai and see how they live. I’m excited to spend more time with them, but I’m glad I got to go once beforehand. This will be a very special weekend.
¶ 2/24/2006 01:33:00 AM 4 comments
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Neema's house
Went to Neema’s house last night for dinner and had a great time. Everyone we’ve met so far has been so hospitable. When you’re a guest in someone’s home they give you nothing but the very best they have to offer. I suppose it’s usually the same at home, but it seems like even more of an important custom here.
We ate, we drank some beers, talked with a CCS volunteer from Bermuda who’s teaching English here for 3 months, danced, joked around, and laughed until our stomachs and cheeks hurt. Quite a contrast from yesterday afternoon…
We ate, we drank some beers, talked with a CCS volunteer from Bermuda who’s teaching English here for 3 months, danced, joked around, and laughed until our stomachs and cheeks hurt. Quite a contrast from yesterday afternoon…
I forgot to mention yesterday that Neema lives with 3 girls she's taken under her wing. They are all around 20 years of age. Two of them lost their father to AIDS and their mother couldn't take care of them and her 8 other children. I'm not sure about the other girl but I know she had a hard life. Neema is using the money she earns to help them pay their school fees. They work a bit as well, but without her they would have a very, very hard life.
When we got back to the house I wrote a letter home and cried. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and really wished I had my husband next to me for comfort. I had a terrible night’s sleep. The malaria pills I’m taking, Malarone, have been giving me incredible dreams and vivid nightmares as well. I’m slowly getting used to it but it’s very frightening to wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, under a mosquito net, not knowing where the hell you are.
Well, I have to get back in time for dinner. Tonight’s menu is pumpkin soup and then spaghetti, or as Solomon calls it, macaroni. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. Anthony is letting us join him on a day trip to the Maasai village – he always goes a day or two before taking a group to let them know we’re coming and to make final preparations. My mom asked if we could go with him, since she’s gone before and we have a LOT of things for them, and he agreed. It would be a bit strange to donate all this stuff in front of the other 12 people who are coming this weekend.
Maasai tomorrow. Finally.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Amani
We’ve just returned from visiting the Amani Home for Street Children after moving into our new house. They guys have a friend named Neema (pronounced nay-ma) who’s a great girl we’ve been hanging out with. She was part of the “other friends” I mentioned in my last post. She’s a secretary at Amani and offered to show us around today before we go to her place for dinner tonight.
After getting the grand tour, giving them one of the books that Jim's mom gave me before leaving, and meeting several of the children, who were so glad to see us and so incredibly polite, I’m at a loss for words. Part of me feels that it’s a wonderful place, a sanctuary where 80 kids ranging in age from 3 to 15 or so can at least have a bed, food, and a handful of dedicated social workers and volunteers to care for them. The other part of me, well… it’s hard to verbalize just how I feel.
The boys’ room has 10 single bunk beds, so 20 total. They’re all crammed together because the boys sleep at least 3 to a bed. There are 65 of them in a room of about 250 square feet. The mattresses are old, worn and filthy, and they share one giant cupboard where they all have part of a shelf to put their few clothes on. The girls’ room is smaller, with 7 beds. There are 12 girls at the home, but the few mentally disabled kids and the younger boys stay with the girls. Otherwise, in the boys’ room, the older boys take advantage of them. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that any further.
There’s one other room with 8 beds (4 bunks) for the exemplary kids. On a rotating basis, the children who are best behaved get to stay in this room. It’s not much nicer than the other two.
The kids help make the food, and they wash all of their own clothes. Their playground is dry dirt, their “classroom” is an outdoor patio. The kids do get sent to school but for new arrivals, some prep work is required before they can attend class and this happens within the makeshift classroom. They have some swings, balls to play with, and some organized activities, but overall I’d say that any children’s home in America would be like Disneyland to them.
It took a lot of willpower for me not to cry, there and once we were in the car on the way back into town. My mother had some shopping to do with Solomon for the house. Solomon will be living with us, to take care of us and make our meals. I feel safer with him around. So when Anthony said he would go to the internet café while we shopped I decided to opt out of shopping and get online as well. I need a break. I need to write this all down immediately.
I wish I could upload my pictures from Amani right away. The youngest child there was only 2 when they found him on the street. He had no name, so he was baptized Amani. He is three and a half now and has the eyes of an angel.
Amani is Swahili for “peace”. ¶ 2/21/2006 05:25:00 AM 4 comments
After getting the grand tour, giving them one of the books that Jim's mom gave me before leaving, and meeting several of the children, who were so glad to see us and so incredibly polite, I’m at a loss for words. Part of me feels that it’s a wonderful place, a sanctuary where 80 kids ranging in age from 3 to 15 or so can at least have a bed, food, and a handful of dedicated social workers and volunteers to care for them. The other part of me, well… it’s hard to verbalize just how I feel.
The boys’ room has 10 single bunk beds, so 20 total. They’re all crammed together because the boys sleep at least 3 to a bed. There are 65 of them in a room of about 250 square feet. The mattresses are old, worn and filthy, and they share one giant cupboard where they all have part of a shelf to put their few clothes on. The girls’ room is smaller, with 7 beds. There are 12 girls at the home, but the few mentally disabled kids and the younger boys stay with the girls. Otherwise, in the boys’ room, the older boys take advantage of them. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that any further.
There’s one other room with 8 beds (4 bunks) for the exemplary kids. On a rotating basis, the children who are best behaved get to stay in this room. It’s not much nicer than the other two.
The kids help make the food, and they wash all of their own clothes. Their playground is dry dirt, their “classroom” is an outdoor patio. The kids do get sent to school but for new arrivals, some prep work is required before they can attend class and this happens within the makeshift classroom. They have some swings, balls to play with, and some organized activities, but overall I’d say that any children’s home in America would be like Disneyland to them.
It took a lot of willpower for me not to cry, there and once we were in the car on the way back into town. My mother had some shopping to do with Solomon for the house. Solomon will be living with us, to take care of us and make our meals. I feel safer with him around. So when Anthony said he would go to the internet café while we shopped I decided to opt out of shopping and get online as well. I need a break. I need to write this all down immediately.
I wish I could upload my pictures from Amani right away. The youngest child there was only 2 when they found him on the street. He had no name, so he was baptized Amani. He is three and a half now and has the eyes of an angel.
Amani is Swahili for “peace”. ¶ 2/21/2006 05:25:00 AM 4 comments
February 20th
Well, I realize now that my last post was filled with typos and unclear sentences. I was in a big rush, and had to e-mail the post to Jim for him to post because blogger wasn't working for me. I also posted it on Saturday the 18 th, I forgot to adjust the time zone I was posting in. Anyway… It's February 20th here, and it's noon right now.
We spent the last few days at Anthony, John, Solomon and Gabi's house. They run Maasai Moja Tours, the safari company I mentioned in my last post. They live out of town a little bit, a 40 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride, but it's a very nice, very quiet area. Lots more mosquitoes than in town so we've had to be diligent about our mosquito repellent applications (on top of the Malaria pills we're already taking) and making sure the net we sleep under is securely closed so they can't sneak up on us in our sleep. I have one huge bite on my thigh, but it's the only one so far.
We got to see some nice critters at their place too – birds, a weird little porcupine creature we haven't yet found the English name for, and a beautiful Praying Mantis that we played with for a while last night. I have a great video of it dancing and trying to fight with a small stick that I'm sure everyone back home will enjoy very much! Last night we were out on the porch when it was dinnertime for the bats. I didn't enjoy that so much, though I do appreciate their diligence at trying to rid us of mosquitoes.
After posting on Saturday we went shopping for a hotplate, a fridge, and some food for Solomon to make our meals. It was a hot, hot day and we had 5 shops to visit so we could compare prices on appliances. We found what we needed except for a fridge and some fans, but we got that this morning so now we're all set. When we went to the market to get some food, we had to leave Solomon and Anthony so they could do the shopping for us. Our mere presence doubled the price on just about every item. We gave Solomon a shopping list and he got good prices on everything. It's all still pretty cheap despite the price gouging. One vendor told us the huge pineapple we wanted would cost 1500 shillings, a buck fifty. I've paid 4 or 5 bucks for those at home. When we left, Solomon got one for 1000 shillings. I wish I could bargain like that at Trader Joe's!
After shopping we met up with some more friends and sat in a large bar for a while. The terrace up top was packed with men watching Manchester United and Liverpool duke it out. I don't care much for soccer but it's infinitely more exciting when people are yelling at the TV. By the time we were getting ready to leave, a fight broke out even. It was quickly broken up, but I'm tickled by the fact that wherever I go, there are always avid soccer fans. I know I should be calling it football but for the sake of clarity, and the Americans reading this, I'll stick to soccer.
Later that night we met up with those friends again at a small bar with a pool table across the street from the house. I would have won the one game I played but on my last shot I accidentally sunk the 8 ball. Oh well, they have different rules here anyway (like if you miss the shot your're going for, your opponent gets two shots) and I was just happy to play a game.
Sunday the guys scrubbed their house from top to bottom. And I mean top to bottom. I've never in my life seen North American men clean like this. Floors, windows, windowsills, walls, the front porch, all the laundry, and more. They do this every 3 or 4 days because otherwise the dust in the house is unbearable. I got to cook with Solomon for the first time yesterday too. I was so thrilled that he finally let me set foot in his kitchen! We made a veggie stew of sorts that included plantains (my favorite!). It was scrumptious and I wrote down the recipe so I can make it when I get home. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from him, not the least of which are his soups – they're the best I've ever had. AND he makes this all in a kitchen the size of a closet, with tools and appliances that we might consider camping equipment. I feel spoiled now with the large kitchen I get to cook in at home.
So, today we were supposed to move into our house but they're not quite done cleaning it out yet. We brought over our fridge and the fans (which we bought this morning from a mean old man) and they said we can move in tomorrow. I enjoy staying with the guys but it'll be nice to have our own space. Not to mention the 4 of them have been sharing a room on account of us being in one of theirs.
The big house on the same lot as theirs is for rent though, and my mom's pretty sure she's going to take it when she comes back in September. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with mzungu toilets (white people toilets), a big kitchen, and a spacious front made up of two sunny sitting rooms. The lot is at least 1.5 acres, gated. The owner is a friendly Tanzanite miner who showed up drunk, but harmless, and the guys vouched for him so we both feel ok with him dropping by once a month to collect 500 bucks. Rent in California for a house like this would easily be 5000. Easily. And like I said, it's a 5 minute drive to town, and the view of Kilimanjaro from the lot is breathtaking.
Well, the rest of today will be spent helping Anthony, John, Solomon and Gabi prepare a presentation for a group of newly arrived volunteers who want to go on Safari with them. They have a nice package to show them already, but it can use some fine tuning and I'm more than happy to help them impress.
This weekend we're going to visit with the Maasai. The guys said that they've never brought anyone with stretched ears like mine to visit them, so they're sure that I'll be a big hit, especially since I explained to them that I was inspired to do this early on, at 5 or 6 years old, when I first saw images of the Maasai and thought they were so beautiful. I'm looking forward to finally meeting these people after 17 years of admiring them from afar.
I'm getting used to the weather – the days are in the 95 degree range, with a very hot sun, but it cools off significantly in the nighttime so I can sleep quite well. The good thing about this heat is that I'm barely hungry so I just may shed the few extra pounds I've been carrying before I get back. I'm walking more than I do at home, even though everything here is done at a relaxing pace, and I can feel my pants getting bigger already.
So many benefits to Africa! ¶ 2/21/2006 05:19:00 AM 0 comments
We spent the last few days at Anthony, John, Solomon and Gabi's house. They run Maasai Moja Tours, the safari company I mentioned in my last post. They live out of town a little bit, a 40 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride, but it's a very nice, very quiet area. Lots more mosquitoes than in town so we've had to be diligent about our mosquito repellent applications (on top of the Malaria pills we're already taking) and making sure the net we sleep under is securely closed so they can't sneak up on us in our sleep. I have one huge bite on my thigh, but it's the only one so far.
We got to see some nice critters at their place too – birds, a weird little porcupine creature we haven't yet found the English name for, and a beautiful Praying Mantis that we played with for a while last night. I have a great video of it dancing and trying to fight with a small stick that I'm sure everyone back home will enjoy very much! Last night we were out on the porch when it was dinnertime for the bats. I didn't enjoy that so much, though I do appreciate their diligence at trying to rid us of mosquitoes.
After posting on Saturday we went shopping for a hotplate, a fridge, and some food for Solomon to make our meals. It was a hot, hot day and we had 5 shops to visit so we could compare prices on appliances. We found what we needed except for a fridge and some fans, but we got that this morning so now we're all set. When we went to the market to get some food, we had to leave Solomon and Anthony so they could do the shopping for us. Our mere presence doubled the price on just about every item. We gave Solomon a shopping list and he got good prices on everything. It's all still pretty cheap despite the price gouging. One vendor told us the huge pineapple we wanted would cost 1500 shillings, a buck fifty. I've paid 4 or 5 bucks for those at home. When we left, Solomon got one for 1000 shillings. I wish I could bargain like that at Trader Joe's!
After shopping we met up with some more friends and sat in a large bar for a while. The terrace up top was packed with men watching Manchester United and Liverpool duke it out. I don't care much for soccer but it's infinitely more exciting when people are yelling at the TV. By the time we were getting ready to leave, a fight broke out even. It was quickly broken up, but I'm tickled by the fact that wherever I go, there are always avid soccer fans. I know I should be calling it football but for the sake of clarity, and the Americans reading this, I'll stick to soccer.
Later that night we met up with those friends again at a small bar with a pool table across the street from the house. I would have won the one game I played but on my last shot I accidentally sunk the 8 ball. Oh well, they have different rules here anyway (like if you miss the shot your're going for, your opponent gets two shots) and I was just happy to play a game.
Sunday the guys scrubbed their house from top to bottom. And I mean top to bottom. I've never in my life seen North American men clean like this. Floors, windows, windowsills, walls, the front porch, all the laundry, and more. They do this every 3 or 4 days because otherwise the dust in the house is unbearable. I got to cook with Solomon for the first time yesterday too. I was so thrilled that he finally let me set foot in his kitchen! We made a veggie stew of sorts that included plantains (my favorite!). It was scrumptious and I wrote down the recipe so I can make it when I get home. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from him, not the least of which are his soups – they're the best I've ever had. AND he makes this all in a kitchen the size of a closet, with tools and appliances that we might consider camping equipment. I feel spoiled now with the large kitchen I get to cook in at home.
So, today we were supposed to move into our house but they're not quite done cleaning it out yet. We brought over our fridge and the fans (which we bought this morning from a mean old man) and they said we can move in tomorrow. I enjoy staying with the guys but it'll be nice to have our own space. Not to mention the 4 of them have been sharing a room on account of us being in one of theirs.
The big house on the same lot as theirs is for rent though, and my mom's pretty sure she's going to take it when she comes back in September. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with mzungu toilets (white people toilets), a big kitchen, and a spacious front made up of two sunny sitting rooms. The lot is at least 1.5 acres, gated. The owner is a friendly Tanzanite miner who showed up drunk, but harmless, and the guys vouched for him so we both feel ok with him dropping by once a month to collect 500 bucks. Rent in California for a house like this would easily be 5000. Easily. And like I said, it's a 5 minute drive to town, and the view of Kilimanjaro from the lot is breathtaking.
Well, the rest of today will be spent helping Anthony, John, Solomon and Gabi prepare a presentation for a group of newly arrived volunteers who want to go on Safari with them. They have a nice package to show them already, but it can use some fine tuning and I'm more than happy to help them impress.
This weekend we're going to visit with the Maasai. The guys said that they've never brought anyone with stretched ears like mine to visit them, so they're sure that I'll be a big hit, especially since I explained to them that I was inspired to do this early on, at 5 or 6 years old, when I first saw images of the Maasai and thought they were so beautiful. I'm looking forward to finally meeting these people after 17 years of admiring them from afar.
I'm getting used to the weather – the days are in the 95 degree range, with a very hot sun, but it cools off significantly in the nighttime so I can sleep quite well. The good thing about this heat is that I'm barely hungry so I just may shed the few extra pounds I've been carrying before I get back. I'm walking more than I do at home, even though everything here is done at a relaxing pace, and I can feel my pants getting bigger already.
So many benefits to Africa! ¶ 2/21/2006 05:19:00 AM 0 comments
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Moshi
As expected, the internet café in Moshi is painfully slow. But at least there is an internet café so I suppose I don't have much to complain about!
Our arrival here was lovely, despite the stifling heat of Kilimanjaro airport. We were picked up by two staff members of our hotel who tried to pack our large bags into they Toyota sedan. One of my suitcases wound up on a girls' lap. She was an airport employee and needed a ride into town, so she picked up my heavy suitcase and kept it on her lap the whole way. They refused to let me do so instead.
The ride into Moshi took an hour, so we got settled into our room around 11pm. Minutes later the manager knocked on our door to inform us that Anthony and Solomon, friends of my mother's who run a small tour company here, were waiting for us at the bar. What a great surprise it was to see them right away! We were exhausted so it was a short visit, but I immediately felt comfortable with them, which is good because it looks like we'll be seeing an awful lot of them and their friend John.
Yesterday we were up at the crack of dawn, were fed a luscious and HUGE breakfast by the hotel clerk Maria. Apparently we were their only guests, which is a shame because it's a very nice hotel ( http://www.amanspardise.com). After a nap, the guys picked us and our bags up 2 hours late (they decided to let us sleep in when instead we were up earlier than most of this town!). We went over to the house my mother was going to rent for a quick visit with the owners. They have some things to move out of there, and want to straighten it out a little bit, so we are staying with our friends in their nice new house until Monday, when we can move into our own place right in town.
We went out for some drinks after at a bar close to CCS, the volunteer org that my mom worked for last fall. I had my first taste of Ugali and rather enjoyed it, it's a corn based staple, kind of like solid cream of wheat, or grits. You roll it up into a little ball in your right hand and pick up some chicken or whatever you're eating with it. Takes some dexterity but it didn't take me too long to pick it up.
Back at the house last night, we talked about the guys' business and what they want to do to make it grow bigger, and we brainstormed some ideas about my mom's bookshop as well. Everything seems filled with promise, but difficult to put into action because of painstakingly slow and corrupt bureaucracy here. We will go to Dar Es Salaam in a couple of weeks to speak to some lawyers and also consult with the Canadian Embassy.
Today we had lunch at a nice local place, and I'm really happy chapatti and samosas are available everywhere. Breakfast for 5 cost 4000 shillings, so US$4.00. Yesterday we ate at an expensive touristy place and it was still only 13000 shillings for 5, so 13 bucks! To think dinner for two back home can easily top the sixty dollar mark…
Well, we're off to find a refrigerator and stove for our house. Then we're going to go to the market to pick up some food, Solomon is a cook and will be making us some delicious meals over the next little while. He's going to help me learn to cook some local food, and I'm going to teach him a few things about Italian and Mexican food and whatever else he wants to learn.
Ok, time to run, internet time's up! More news soon! ¶ 2/19/2006 12:26:00 AM 5 comments
Our arrival here was lovely, despite the stifling heat of Kilimanjaro airport. We were picked up by two staff members of our hotel who tried to pack our large bags into they Toyota sedan. One of my suitcases wound up on a girls' lap. She was an airport employee and needed a ride into town, so she picked up my heavy suitcase and kept it on her lap the whole way. They refused to let me do so instead.
The ride into Moshi took an hour, so we got settled into our room around 11pm. Minutes later the manager knocked on our door to inform us that Anthony and Solomon, friends of my mother's who run a small tour company here, were waiting for us at the bar. What a great surprise it was to see them right away! We were exhausted so it was a short visit, but I immediately felt comfortable with them, which is good because it looks like we'll be seeing an awful lot of them and their friend John.
Yesterday we were up at the crack of dawn, were fed a luscious and HUGE breakfast by the hotel clerk Maria. Apparently we were their only guests, which is a shame because it's a very nice hotel ( http://www.amanspardise.com). After a nap, the guys picked us and our bags up 2 hours late (they decided to let us sleep in when instead we were up earlier than most of this town!). We went over to the house my mother was going to rent for a quick visit with the owners. They have some things to move out of there, and want to straighten it out a little bit, so we are staying with our friends in their nice new house until Monday, when we can move into our own place right in town.
We went out for some drinks after at a bar close to CCS, the volunteer org that my mom worked for last fall. I had my first taste of Ugali and rather enjoyed it, it's a corn based staple, kind of like solid cream of wheat, or grits. You roll it up into a little ball in your right hand and pick up some chicken or whatever you're eating with it. Takes some dexterity but it didn't take me too long to pick it up.
Back at the house last night, we talked about the guys' business and what they want to do to make it grow bigger, and we brainstormed some ideas about my mom's bookshop as well. Everything seems filled with promise, but difficult to put into action because of painstakingly slow and corrupt bureaucracy here. We will go to Dar Es Salaam in a couple of weeks to speak to some lawyers and also consult with the Canadian Embassy.
Today we had lunch at a nice local place, and I'm really happy chapatti and samosas are available everywhere. Breakfast for 5 cost 4000 shillings, so US$4.00. Yesterday we ate at an expensive touristy place and it was still only 13000 shillings for 5, so 13 bucks! To think dinner for two back home can easily top the sixty dollar mark…
Well, we're off to find a refrigerator and stove for our house. Then we're going to go to the market to pick up some food, Solomon is a cook and will be making us some delicious meals over the next little while. He's going to help me learn to cook some local food, and I'm going to teach him a few things about Italian and Mexican food and whatever else he wants to learn.
Ok, time to run, internet time's up! More news soon! ¶ 2/19/2006 12:26:00 AM 5 comments
