Narudi

Wednesday marks one month back in the U.S., it kind of feels like I never left. This past week I've been teaching English at Olin College, but it's just for one week. So I'm still looking for a job. I do have an interview at the end of August that I'm pretty excited about. I'm also looking for a car since my sister got in an accident while I was away and my car was totaled. So, the usual, just trying to make some money.

I don't miss the cockroaches, nairobi flies, and giant poisonous centipedes, but I do miss the lizards running around on the walls, and the hedgehogs scuttling through the grass. I actually do miss walking everywhere, but I don't miss tripping everywhere I go on rocks and "sidewalks." Of course I miss the kids, but I most definitely do not miss their misbehaving and not listening! I miss the fact that in Tanzania you say hi to every single person you see, even just walking down the street. I do not miss the ridiculous amount of greetings there are in Swahili and how impossible it is to ever learn all of them! I do really miss speaking Swahili, but I don't miss not being able to understand everything that's going on. I miss random kids saying hi and holding my hand and giving me hugs, but I don't miss babies crying at the sight of me because they've never seen white skin before. I miss makande (local bean and maize dish), mandazi (kind of like a doughnut), chapati, and rice and beans, but I don't miss ugali, pilau, or eating rice every.single.day. The cheap prices were great, but probably my least favorite thing about Tanzania is having to haggle down the price of everything because everyone charges mzungu (white person) price. I miss that I spent almost all of my time outside, but I don't miss the ensuing bug bites (which have left scars of my legs). I don't miss being stared at absolutely everywhere I go, but I do miss having random people start up conversations with me. I miss the tropical plants and animals and the fresh fruit.
I miss Moshi town, swimming at Lake Chala, and the hot springs. I miss the people at the hostel, my local friends, my coworkers, and of course, the kids! All things considered, I'm doing pretty well, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe because I've been through it before after living in London for nine months. I think really though, that I know no matter what happens I'll be happy. Right now I'm just keeping it simple, enjoying the small moments and trying to find a job and just save up for the next adventure. I do want to go back to Tanzania and am hoping to be back there in January, but I also know that there are so many other things I want to do with my life that no matter where I end up, I'll continue to challenge myself and to enjoy every experience.

I have been keeping busy since I came back...

Playing fetch with my cousin's dog on Cape Cod.

Lady bug on Queen Anne's Lace; while walking in a nearby state park.

Hiking Mt. Greylock and camping in western Mass with my mum!

Zambia

I went down to Victoria Falls in southern Zambia. The trip took 11 days, but only 3.5 of those were spent in Livingstone. The commute was a bit insane. Despite the insanity it was an absolutely amazing trip. Usually when I travel I think I'll never return to that place, there are so many other places to go and things to see. But Livingstone was different, I know I'm going back there someday.

Jumatatu
Monday started at 7:30 with an 8 hour bus ride from Moshi to Dar es Salaam. I was pretty daunted with the length of the ride, little did I know what would occur later on in the trip. There was one stop the whole way, and my chair seat wasn't actually attached to the bus. The music videos ranged from Michael Jackson to MC Hammer, Sly and the Family Stone, and to 90s boy bands. I arrived in Dar and was proposed to the second I got off the bus, by a guy from Uganda (the first of many, pretty much every 10ft). Then was met by a friend (I've heard pretty bad things about Dar so it was nice to feel safe) who escorted me to my hotel, he left and I wandered across the road to have dinner and ended up chatting over dinner with a nice guy from Nairobi. It was amazing to have salad that included lettuce (most "salad" is just cut up vegetables) and to have real cheese. I watched a bit of football (soccer) and had an otherwise uneventful night.

Jumanne

The "first class lounge."

I checked out of the hotel around 10am on Tuesday and spent most of the day just sitting waiting for some friends. I didn't really have time to wander around and don't know the city at all. I did see a blind man walking down the road and that was absolutely amazing and a bit horrifying. It's hard enough walking there when you can see. The "road" was dirt and may have been wide enough at one point for two lanes of traffic, but with cars parked on either side it was just wide enough for one, so both directions had to kind of play chicken with each other. The man did walk into a parked car at one point, but was otherwise unscathed. I met up with some friends who I live with in Moshi, but were coming from Zanzibar at the time. We had lunch and got onto the TAZARA train, an overnight train where we had our own cabin with beds and a table. And of course the Harry Potter references began almost immediately. We fell asleep before figuring out how to close then window and the night was absolutely freezing. In the morning you could see your breath. I haven't been that cold in half a year.


Jumatano
The train was great while it lasted, the scenery was gorgeous, we stopped in villages and could buy fruit out the windows from the locals, and all of the children ran after the train waving. We even arrived in Mbeya almost on time which is great for Tanzanian standards. And then it began. We sat for awhile and eventually got to wondering what was going on. First they said there was an accident in front of us and we'd have to wait there a couple hours. As it turned out a train had derailed (I think it was the same train as ours but the opposite direction) and it would take two days to clear up. So we decided we'd spend the night in the parked train and start off by bus the next day. At first there were rumors of the train company supplying the bus, then rumors of us getting a bit of money back but being on our own. We met a street kid who was selling food in the station, and I'd heard there was good kitimoto (pork) in Mbeya so I asked him where we could find some. He ended up becoming "Commander Victor" and leading us to the middle of freakin nowhere to this little cement room with a dirt floor where some guys were cooking some of the best kitimoto I've ever had. It was a bit sketchy, and a group of white people being led around by a little street kid attracts a bit of attention. There were some guys in the room as well that were clearly talking about us, so to make it less creepy I decided to go over and talk to them. There were a bit shy but really nice (they spoke about as much English as I do Swahili). One of them was in school but had been a street kid. The other was wearing an amazing Christmas sweater (which of course I complimented). Back at the station, there was another train stranded there, their engine had to go assist after the accident. So the people were pretty angry and there was a heck of a lot of yelling. So our conductor went around making sure all of the windows and doors were locked and we fell asleep to the sound of riots.

Alhamisi
By this point we'd realized that pretty much our entire car was headed to Livingstone, so we ended up being quite a large travel group. Two guys were actually going to the same exact hostel that we were. In the morning we (eventually) got a bit of a refund, then we took a short daladala (minibus) ride to the bus stand, where we got on a bus that would take about two hours to get to the border of Tanzania and Zambia. The bus conductor was a nut job and tried to charge us for our luggage (only tried to charge the white people, as usual) and then wanted to sit five people in four seats, which he did manage to do, and then when we were stopped for a police check he got fined for it. He still insisted on us paying for luggage but we intercepted someone else's fare and a couple of us didn't pay, so in the end the group of us only lost about 1500Tsh (about one dollar). So we got to the border, got through the craziness of immigration then you just walk in right down the middle of the road, trying not to get hit by a car. We stopped for some food and got on a bus to Lusaka, which would be overnight, about 17 hours.

Ijumaa
The bus was by far the worst I've ever been on. There were little metal things sticking into your leg, I was sat on about half the seat and every time someone walked down the aisle (which was about every 5 seconds) I got hit in the head. It was completely overpacked, people had brought the most ridiculous items with them. A bundle of bicycle tires, loads of string, two boxes of juice, a box of aloe vera, a bucket containing god knows what (I swear I heard it move). It was strewn all about the aisles, and in a lumped in a huge pile in the back. Every time we got to a weigh station nearly the entire bus had to get off, the bus got through, and then went back to get the people. It has nothing to do with safely, it's all about the money. But we got to Lusaka, and immediately got a bus to Livingstone, which I think was about 7hrs. The backpackers was within walking distance and we finally made it sometime in the afternoon on Friday. We all needed showers desperately and called it an early night.

Jumamosi
Saturday started with white water rafting on the Zambezi River! I'd never done it before and these went up to class 5 rapids. I fell out on the first one. I was the last one to be pulled into the boat and at one point the water sucked me under the boat, I managed to hold on but everything except my arm from the elbow up was submerged. I was just being dragged alongside the boat like a toy, wondering to myself when it would end. It felt like ages but I'm sure it was only seconds. Out boat capsized at least twice and I fell out maybe five times. At one point the guide said "We can go this way where there's a 99% chance we'll capsize, or we can go the safe way." By this time I was sick of being in the water and wanted to go the safe way, but of course the boys chose the other and I had no say in the matter. We accidently hit the wave backwards and went over like a piece of toast butter side down. I was underneath the raft and heard our guide laughing maniacally, apparently he was having a great time! It was terrifying, and awesome! We then went up out of the gorge in a cable car and went back to have lunch. After that we got on a sunset cruise on the upper river, with unlimited drinks. We stayed at a great backpackers and a bunch of people went out that night, but I was just too exhausted.

Jumapili
Sunday we went to see Victoria Falls from the bridge, myself, the two people I started out with who I live with in Moshi, and two guys we met on the train. All three boys did the zipline, bungee jump, and gorge swing. I only did the zipline, the rest looked absolutely terrifying! I had seriously debated doing it before, but once I saw it there was no freakin way. So most of Sunday was spent sitting around waiting for them to finish. Later we went into town to some curio shops. There was this rasta guy called Boyd selling drums and I asked if he could teach me something, but he said he charges 20,000 Kwache (about $4). So we talked a bit and I told him I'm also a music teacher, but I teach for free! I said this as I walked away and while I was in the next shop he started playing his djembe. So of course I listened, walked back over, sat down with another drum and played it back to him. As Boyd was talking to a friend of mine I started playing, and of course we ended up playing together for a bit, gathered a bit of an audience, and had people dancing down the sidewalk. And he showed me a new kind of stroke I'd never seen. I really wanted to go back and play with him and maybe buy a drum (he makes them himself) but I never had time. Then we went out to dinner with a bunch of people from the backpackers. For my main I had bream, a fish from the Zambezi (yes, complete with eyes, spikes and teeth on the plate). And for starters we shared caterpillars and crocodile. The caterpillar wasn't great, but the crocodile was amazing! It was kind of a mix of pork and fish, great with some chili sauce.

Jumatatu

Joost, who we met on the train, myself, Patrick, and Jessica (who I live with in Moshi).

Monday morning we went to see the falls close up. It was just gorgeous, and we got completely soaked, it's like it's raining all the time, and there are constant rainbows everywhere. It's an experience that's hard to describe, but I recommend it to everyone. We walked around the falls for three or four hours. Afterwards myself and one of the guys from the train went to a lion walk. We literally got to interact with lions and take them for a walk. It was a bit daunting at first, there were many rules. Only approach them from the back. If they're laying you crouch, if they stand you stand. Only touch their back and upper leg. Don't touch their paws, head, or ears. Touch them firmly, if you touch too soft you'll just tickle them. If they turn around to see who it is behind them use this stick to distract them (as he shows us a stick that has clearly been chewed upon time and time again). I was the first one to go touch them, it was of course a bit scary but really cool to get up so close with such a powerful animal. We all went for a walk as if in their pride. After the lions we went into a pen to see the African linx, which is much smaller. One of them was quite friendly and rubbed up against my legs just like a house cat. Then we took three cheetahs for a walk. The cheetahs were much more personable (if that makes any sense), you could get right up close to them and give them a hug. They even purr just like house cats (of course much louder than house cats, so at first you think it's a growl). They were on leashes because they are such skittish animals and could run off at any moment, from the slightest noise. I felt more of a connection with the cheetahs, they actually returned the affection, the lions were pretty much indifferent to our presence.

Jumanne
Tuesday it was back on the road. We caught an 8:45 bus from Livingstone to Lusaka. We accidently got the business class bus, so it was a fairly comfortable seven hours. Then we got on another bus around 4pm that would go overnight to the border of Zambia and Tanzania. We started out with 5 adults, 1 baby and 2 children in the back row of the bus, but one person was able to move so we ended up with 4 adults and 2 kids. Of course then later another person came to our row. So, I ended up with a kid on my lap, which of course I was really happy about! His name was Kenan and he's 3 years old. His brother is Kevin and is 4, I had him asleep on my lap for awhile as well. But Kenan spent the entire night on my lap, I was very surprised I didn't get peed on! It was the two boys and their mother, and they were traveling from Johannesburg, South Africa to Uganda, where they had some land and were hoping to farm. Their bag with the boys papers had been stolen and the three of them had been held in prison for two weeks. Of course there's no one to help get papers, so they had to make their way up to Uganda bribing the police the whole way. At one check they paid 200,000 Kwache (about $40), and then had nothing left. The boys were really excited at the biscuits we gave them, and practically inhaled  some bananas. Their mother took my email so hopefully I hear from her someday that they arrived safe.

Jumatano
We arrived in Nakonde (the Zambian side) around 8:15am. Recovered for a bit, changed, brushed our teeth etc. then went through immigration to Tunduma (the Tanzanian side). We then got on a small bus that was only supposed to be two hours but turned into at least 2, then arrived back at Mbeya. There were no buses available to Dar or Moshi that night so we ended up staying at a hotel.

Alhamisi
We got the next bus at 6am Thursday morning. We took it from Mbeya to Chalinze, ten hours. We were told that the conductor had arranged a bus to Moshi for us from there, but in reality we were just dropped on the sidewalk and left to our own devices. We eventually sorted out a bus to Moshi, and probably paid a little too much, but at this point we all just wanted to be home. The bus came, and was full. So, we sat and waited for the next, which would probably be full too, but we didn't really have any other options. It wasn't even a bus stand, just a stop. Eventually these guys who worked for the bus company found a random guy who happened to be driving to Moshi, so the three of us piled into the back of his minivan around 6pm. At one point we stopped for a stretch (and smoke on their part) and I dropped my iPod. iPod number three lost in Tanzania. I knew exactly where and we went all the way back but it was already gone.

We finally got home around 1am Friday morning, after three days of buses.

Harusi

One of my local friends came and visited Amani this week, it was pretty cute seeing him playing with all the kids. He played football with them for at least an hour, and only stopped because the office was going to close and he wanted to find out about being a monthly sponsor. It’s nice to get more locals involved, and for him to be able to come play with them and be a role model for them. He came back again the next day, I wasn’t even there, he just wanted to play football with them again.

On Thursday the kids and I listened to music on my iPod and Daudi (the special needs boy) and his teacher came over, they’d been gone all day. Daudi sat next to me and put out his hand, and we sat there with him holding on to my arm with both hands, so adorable! If someone came over and wanted a high five he’d use his elbow, he wouldn’t let go. That is until one of the kids volunteered to write on his hand anyway. He has a new teacher so I don’t really get to spend time with him anymore, it’s good to know he still loves me! I really like his new teacher though, Daudi is already really close with him, and he has high expectations of Daudi and is really engaging him.

I wanted to make sure the kids knew I’d be gone for a couple weeks, just so it’s not a surprise. Well, I told Alex and begged me not to go and cried on my lap for a half an hour. I cannot handle making kids cry, saying goodbye for good is going to be absolutely awful. I’d like to visit in January, but that all depends on getting the money, and getting time off (of a job I don’t even have yet), so I can’t promise them anything. Even if I knew I was coming back for a visit, so many get reunified or run away it won’t be the same group of kids if I came back.

On Friday I brought some candy in for the kids, there’s only 25 of them (compared to the usual 90) so I can get some for everyone. I handed it out and caused mayhem, and they were all looking pathetic and saying they didn’t get any and surrounding me. They’re pretty good liars, enough to make you really question it, but I knew they all got it and didn’t give in. Then with an angry mob surrounding me I said “Now should we listen to some music?” and they all screamed and started cheering.

I went to a Tanzanian wedding yesterday! My friend’s brother was getting married. It was really interesting, completely 100% different than anything in America. The church service was pretty confusing for me. My friend didn’t realize that it’s completely different and I would have no idea what to do and was up taking pictures. It’s a lot more participatory than American weddings. At one point everyone got up and was walking to the front but I couldn’t tell what they were doing. I got up and followed looking unbelievably confused. Turns out you gift money to the couple…yea, I didn’t have anything with me. So that was super embarrassing. Then later everyone gets up and shakes hands with everyone else in the church, then get in a line and shake hands with the wedding party. There is only one bridesmaid and one best man. The whole ceremony was interspersed with loud music from a big sound system, yea the wedding had a DJ. Towards the end they signed the wedding certificate and everyone posed for pictures with it. First the priest, then the groom, then the bride. There was loud music as the couple walked out of the church, and everyone followed them out dancing. Once outside the live band kicked in, three trumpets, two trombones, a bass drum and a snare drum. Then everyone just stood there and danced for quite awhile, as the line of cars prepared. The couple got into the front car that was decorated with ribbons, and the band got in the next car, and played from the back of the pick-up truck. Everyone else loaded into their own cars or rented daladalas (mini buses). Then the whole procession went to another place, just like a little bar with a field, to do the photoshoot (which took ages, and it was raining). There is a picture of the whole party so I’m in their wedding photos! The group that attended the wedding was pretty small, just people who were invited by the family. After that the whole procession again went through town to the reception venue. This is when everyone comes, a couple hundred people. Once everyone was in and seated the bride and groom made their entrance, to bongo fleva (Tanzanian hip hop music). There were a lot of speeches, I’m not actually sure what was going on but the DJ was talking for ages and the poor bride had to stand for over an hour (the groom could handle it he was in the army). Then the special guests were introduced, and apparently I was one of them. I had to stand up in the spotlight and wave to everyone, I wasn’t’ really paying attention to how they introduced me but I did hear something about speaking English. After that was the buffet, which took ages for everyone to go up and get food. Luckily I was first, by the time I finished people still hadn’t even started. Then it was time for presents. Groups of people go out to the dance floor and dance around with their gifts while everyone else watches. I brought a set of hand carved candlestick holders. Other gifts were a piece of fabric, a Maasai blanket, a stove, a blender, a pot, etc. So everyone danced around holding their presents up, this took over an hour at the very least. By the time that was finished it was midnight. I’m pretty sure the celebration continued, and I really wanted to go dance but was just too tired. I’d gone out the night before then got up to catch a bus to Arusha at 8am, then another bus to a little town called Monduli, I think about 50km outside of Arusha.

The next day on the way home there were a lot of Maasai on the daladala. There was a young couple that looked like they’d just been married. They were covered in white beads, it was really strange seeing them on a daladala. I also saw some boys who had just had the circumcision ceremony, the wear black robes with white face paint for about a week after the ceremony. Then later on the ride they put an entire bed in the back of the daladala. I mean the sideboards, headboard, footboard, and two planks. The space between the back seat and the door is about a foot, not even. The two long ones were laid on the floor under our feet and the rest were somehow shoved in the back with the door tied shut with a bit of string (once we got to Arusha they kept falling out. They put an entire bed, and a goat, back there.

It was a good weekend, tomorrow morning I’m headed to Dar es Salaam, an 8-10 hour bus ride. I’ll spend the night there then catch the TAZARA train (Tanzania Zambia Railway), which takes two days and goes all the way through Tanzania and Zambia. After that I catch a two hour bus to Lusaka then a six hour bus to Livingstone, and will spend four days at Victoria Falls! I’m going with three friends, we’ve booked first class on the train so we get our own room with four beds and a table. I’d planned to do this all alone so I’m really glad they’ve decided to join. Will definitely blog about it when I get back. I’ll be gone two weeks, then one more week in Moshi town, and back to America!

Tanzania is Your Country

We had the Amani picnic on May 26^th, we went with the entire kids and staff to a nearby Lake. We had sack races, tug of war, eating contest, etc. It was a good, tiring day. It’s really strange at Amani now, we only have 26 kids! A lot of the staff members are on vacation as well, it’s so quiet. It’s break so a lot of the kids are back with their family for a couple of weeks. This week we’re making jingles out of soda caps, a bit challenging since most of them can’t tie knots, but there’s so few of them I can just take four or five at a time.

This is one of the new kids, really annoying, and annoyingly cute.

I’m going to a wedding this Saturday! Really excited, I’ve heard they’re completely different than western weddings. I always see wedding parties in the roundabout near where I live, I have no idea why they go there. They dance and take pictures and videos, then get in a car decorated with ribbons and drive through town, followed by a band playing from the back of a pick-up truck. I hear the wedding bands every weekend from where I live, and pretty often during the week as well.

I start traveling on Monday, I’m going to Victoria Falls and will be traveling for two weeks. I head to Dar es Salaam on Monday, an eight hour bus ride. I’ll stay there one night then catch the TAZARA train. It’s a two day train all the way through Tanzania and Zambia. I’m traveling with three friends, so we were able to book all four beds so we have a room to ourselves. First class has four beds and a table, and food delivered if you like. I’ve never been on a train for two days at a time before, not sure how it will be. The train goes to Kapiri Mposhi, where we catch a two hour bus to Lusaka, then a six hour bus to Livingstone. At Vic falls I’m hoping to white water raft, river board, zipline, and fly over the falls in a microlight. I don’t think I’m brave enough to bungee jump or gorge swing, but we’ll see. I’ll cross the border into Zimbabwe as well, probably just for a day. I really won’t have much time there, it takes so freakin long to get there and back and I only have two weeks. And the train only leaves twice a week, so I have to catch it back on Tuesday. Only the weekend at the falls really, and hopefully, if the train isn’t delayed, I’ll be back in Moshi on Friday.

Then I only have one week left in Moshi! Really, really sad about it. I love Moshi, and the kids, and my friends here. Walking around town today (souvenir shopping for family) I kept running into people I know, literally every ten minutes or so, I love it! The kids know I’m leaving soon, I’m definitely going to cry when I say goodbye to them, and I think some of them will as well.

Michael: When do you leave?

Me: July

Michael: No no no, August.

Bakari: No no no, October.

Michael: No no no, December. America is not your country, Tanzania is your country.

The iPod Saga

I came here with an old 80gb iPod, lost that one on a daladala, I don't think it was stolen, I think I just missed my bag when I went to put it away. So, my family mailed me an old 4gb that was lying around. Not the greatest, the screen light was broken, but it worked, and that's all I need. So then that one was stolen right out of my bedroom at the hostel. I've just received iPod #3 in a package from home. Now to a 2gb shuffle. It is kind of annoying that you can't choose what to listen to, but it is forcing me to listen to something other than Bongo Flava (Tanzanian pop) and Ray Lamontagne, so I'm actually liking it. I changed my schedule at Amani so that I teach Tues/Weds/Thurs (Monday is meeting day) and now on Friday I have designated time to listen to music with the kids. They were so happy to have an iPod back, more were dancing last Friday than I've ever seen. There are some crazy dancers at Amani, it's always hilarious.

Next week I'm taking a couple kids on a field trip into town! They're being rewarded for specific things in music club like recorder, dancing, and reading rhythm. We're going to a local church where they'll be able to try out an electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drum set. Then I think we're going to a park in town to have lunch and play on the playground, I'm thinking of getting ice cream as well. So this is where some of the donation money is going to (the rest went to buying instruments).

We had some kids return to Amani this week! Michael, who was here for two weeks about a month ago then ran away. He's very smart and speaks a bit of English. I hope he stays because he's friends with a little guy at Amani who has HIV, who gets teased and beat up a lot. He told me last Monday that he wants to run away because the other kids hit him, but then his friend Michael came back so hopefully that helps him. He's become very clingy towards me and is always by my side when he's not in class. His new medicine has had some side effects lately and he's been sick and feverish, sad to see.

This is Michael on a study tour in Arusha, before he ran away.

Next Saturday is the Amani picnic! We're all going to a lake near Arusha. I was put on the committee to plan the day, so that part is a bit stressful. It also happens that we're having a big party at the Hostel the night before, really bad timing. I'm just hoping to get through the picnic, with the help of red bull, and lots of water.

This weekend I went to Lake Chala, I've been there many times but this was the first time I used public transportation to get there...it was interesting, to say the least. The way there wasn't bad, I got in a minivan at the bus stand, packed full, non-stop to where I needed to go, which was an intersection about 15km from Chala. There I was supposed to meet my friend Tulo. I tried to call him but my phone for some reason wouldn't call and wouldn't allow me to answer calls. Eventually I was able to answer, but I was waiting there for a little bit. And it was super awkward. I was probably the only white person around for miles. I went to stand in the shade, someone brought me a stool over. So I'm sat there, and about 10ft away, too afraid to come any closer, were at least 20 kids, staring and giggling. One of them knew a little English and kept asking me for money. There was also a drunk guy, who was either mad at me or attempting to keep watch over me, I'm not really sure. Every single other person was staring at me from afar. Every once in awhile someone would come over and ask if I needed a ride, I at least know enough Swahili to say that my friend is coming. The way back to Moshi was even more interesting. I couldn't get a ride from Tulo this time, so we called a bodaboda (motorcycle taxi), who took a "short cut" on a foot path through a forest of thorn trees. They're not bushes here, they're trees. So that was terrifying, the whole time spent trying to see around his head so I knew when to dodge the thorns, did not like that at all. It was insane, I felt like I was in a movie. Once we got through the trees though we were on a wider path (a car with 4 wheel drive could take) going through fields, it's a very beautiful area of hills, and there were whole fields of sunflowers in bloom. Next was a really bad dirt road with everyone we drove past staring at me and/or yelling. This all took at least a half hour, until we got to the junction and the bus was right there, no wait at all. Unfortunately the bus was also packed, so I had to stand up for most of the ride, at least a half an hour. And by stand up I mean leaning awkwardly over a person in the seat beside me, standing more diagonally than perpendicular, leaning on a chair and holding on to the luggage rack, hoping not to fall on the child beside me. They pack more people in one bus than would ever be legal back home, and more than I would have thought physically possible, it's actually quite impressive. But I did get back just fine, with a couple scratches on my legs to show for it, but with enough daylight to walk back to the hostel, where a delicious dinner of makande (maize and beans) awaited me.

Hospital!

So now that I’m better I figure it’s OK to tell everyone what’s been going on recently. Starting Monday April 30^th I had a headache, body ache, and extreme fatigue. It lasted all week, the headache being the worst, and I missed a lot of work. If I wasn’t better by the following Monday I was going to the hospital.

Then, Saturday morning I woke up and thought I had a bruise on my right shin, but it was just a small red patch that felt like a bruise. It got a bit bigger throughout the day.

Sunday morning I woke up and it was huge, read and swollen, it looked like I had a second kneecap halfway down my shin. There were more red spots on my legs but at this point I couldn’t tell if they were just bug bites or not. They got worse very quickly and it soon became clear that there was something very wrong.

Everyone was going out for lunch but it hurt to walk so I took a bodaboda and met them there. By the end of lunch it was much worse. The spots were all over my legs and extremely painful. I could barely walk, when I stood up it was unbearably painful, but if I could get by that first step it was OK. I decided I’d see a doctor first thing in the morning. I couldn’t sleep that night because of the pain, so I got up to get a glass of water so I could take melatonin to help me sleep. Trying to stand up was horrendous. Next to the pain I felt when I woke up in the middle of surgery, this was the worst pain I’ve felt in my life. I tried to walk through it but I couldn’t balance on my right foot long enough to get my sandals on. Eventually I did, got my water, and got back to bed. Through the night I could feel that they were a little better, I could move around a bit more.

When I woke up on Monday my legs looked a lot better, and I wasn’t even sure if I needed a doctor. That is until I moved; the pain was still there, not nearly as bad though. The swelling seemed to go up the instant I started walking. I could walk much easier than the previous night, but I could not stand still without a lot of pain. The manager of the hostel took me to a local clinic, complete with a couple drops of blood on the floor in the waiting room. I’m not sure how long we were there, maybe 9am to at least 1pm. First I had to check in. sit and wait. get  weighed. sit and wait. see the doctor, place the order for blood work. sit and wait. have blood taken. sit and wait. see the doctor again. sit and wait. Then finally got my medicine and an injection.

First off they confused the two white people there and almost labled my blood as hers. You know, we all look the same. Then when they went to take blood they dropped the needle on the muddy floor. And still used it. Then they couldn’t find a good vein so they tied a rubber glove around my wrist and drew blood from the back of my hand. The first time I saw the doctor she was dumbfounded, didn’t seem to have a clue what was wrong with me.  I didn’t really get many details after she got the blood work, but pretty much everything in my blood was way too high, white blood cell count etc. The doctor said it’s cellulitis and the infection has spread to my blood. My guess is bacteria got under my skin from one of my very many mosquito bites, or I got it from a bug bite of some sort. The pain and swelling is localized to my legs so that’s a good sign, mostly my shins but it seems to be spreading. She gave me tablets to take for 10 days, cream to apply, and an injection.  I would have to come back the next two days for a check-up and more injections.

Tuesday I went back for a check-up and second injection. My legs felt a lot better in the morning so I just met with the doctor briefly, she said she’d do blood work tomorrow to see if there was any improvement. Then had the second injection. Then of course throughout the day they got worse and went right back to how they felt the day before, no improvement whatsoever.

So Wednesday I went back, the doctor saw me for all of two seconds, I didn’t even sit down and her office was filled with other people. I told her how they’d gotten worse the day before, and that it seemed to be spreading up one of my legs, and possibly on an arm (they look like mosquito bites in the beginning so you can’t tell). She told me to get my injection then come back later to see the dermatologist. She said in Swahili speaking to someone else that the dermatologist would be here “saa tisa” which would mean 3pm, but then she told me in English 2pm…so I waited around 5 hours and when I went back the doctor wasn’t there, turns out he/she comes every other week. They told me to see if the medicine works and come back next Wednesday. Awesome, so what do I do in the meantime? It looks like I’ve been hit in the legs over and over again by someone with a hockey stick.

By Thursday/Friday things were much better. I had been given some Azithromisen to take for three days, but a doctor friend of mine told me to take it longer. Here in Tanzania you just go to the “pharmacy” and say hey I need some antibiotics, OK, here you go. No prescription, no questions asked, so I got three more.

All that's left now, about a week later, is some reddish purple spots. I'm still taking antibiotics and using a cream, but pretty much back to normal!

This is Wednesday, but the picture doesn't do it justice at all.

Moshi

So I’ve decided to compile a list of strange things that I've seen here in Moshi...I'm not even surprised when I see things like this anymore.

• The usual daladala, which is a public bus about the size of a VW microbus, but crammed with at least 40 people. A friend of mine was on one once with a random little boy on her lap, and the boy had a bag in his lap. Then she noticed the bag was moving. It was a live chicken.

• A pikipiki (motorcycle) with at least 20 of those big 5 gallon buckets strapped to the back, like a bunch of balloons. 

• Pick-up trucks full of men with guns.

• Big cargo trucks packed with 100 people standing in the back.

• Two pikipikis, each with a wooden crate strapped to the back, with live pigs in them.

• Cows standing up in the bed of an old pick-up.

• A goat skull on the ground on the way to work.

• A cargo truck full of home goods, with a man strapped to the back. Just hanging there off the back, tied on with a rope, completely at ease.

• Walking down the street and having some guy ask me if I wanted the live bird he was holding in his hand, “just as a gift” (pronounced jift).

• A friend of mine saw a wheel barrow full of half-alive chickens.

• Women walking around with one shoe balanced on their head.

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And here's some more Swahili for your thoughts...

Kesho kutwa   -   Day after tomorrow.

bafu   -   bathroom

tabasamu   -   smile

maharage   -   beans

wali   -   rice

Hii ni nini?   -   What is this? (literally speaking "here is what?")

dakika   -   minute

ahidi   -   to promise

kwapua   -   to steal

tayari?   -   ready?