January 25th
Since my return to Kafule I haven’t had the opportunity to write. Life has resorted back to no electricity and thus not much computer time for me. Lindsay and I were some of the first teachers to return to school. I was the only teacher that began teaching in the first week. This is week three and I have been at school every single day. I am there during the week well after the students have left and on Saturdays and Sundays you can find me marking more assignments as well. The school added 143 form 1 student’s so I now teach over 600 students. The headmaster informed me that we should have three mathematics teachers…so much for that. The most challenging aspect of teaching is that not everyone has a chair and/or desk. If I made the class sizes smaller (and thus everyone would have a desk) then I risk the chance of not seeing some students in a given week which also doesn’t work out. Instead, I am stuck with massive classes of students where three or more students share desks making it extremely difficult to maneuver around the room. Luckily, the students are pretty well behaved so I don’t have to worry too much on classroom management.
Besides being busy teaching we have had very exciting weather in Kafule. Each day we get a nice downpour of rain with serious winds. The winds scare Lindsay and I. The bricks of the house next to us came out of the wall (two of the four walls are now damaged). The roof of the pastors’ house blew off one night. The house on the other side of us is teetering on a sky roof as well. And we had an earthquake on Friday to top everything off. I feel safe in our house since our bricks are covered with concrete and the roof doesn’t seem to move too much in the wind. Lindsay, on the other hand, has packed her bags in case of a quick exit. I am actually a little surprised she is still in Kafule; she has had a rough three weeks and is counting down the days until she leaves. Last Monday, she woke to swollen lips. I thought something just bit her in her sleep and kind of forgot about it. For the rest of the week the swelling continued and on Friday she ventured down to the hospital. She came back with anti-fungal cream. All day Saturday she stayed in bed as her face continued to distort and swell. Her face has gotten worse and she can now barely open her eyes. The mouse/rat that visited her room one evening was almost the topping to the cake but she remains at Kafule (more because I think she is too scared to venture out of here on the awful roads). With the bad weather we are stuck in Kafule because the cars that travel end up in a ditch or even flipped over so we refuse to leave. I will probably remain here for the next three months.
To keep my mind off of the weather and the work, I have started a small farm and have returned to my old running routine. The running just started this week and hopefully I will continue for the rest of my time here in Tanzania. The farm has been progressively strengthening since October. I started trying to grow eggplant, carrot, and pineapple. While I was travelling I had a neighbor keep up my garden by watering every day. When I returned for Christmas I noticed the carrots died but the eggplants were sprouting (just without any eggplants) and the pineapple was looking strong (but again without any pineapple). This past Saturday my friend, Umbege, helped me with the eggplants. We uprooted each sprout and dug holes filled with manure and placed each sprout inside. Along with the eggplants I planted seeds of beans, zucchini, tomato, basil, and onion. So far I have sprouting on the beans, zucchini, and onion so my bustani (garden) is quickly growing! Every day I water the garden and yell at the primary school children to stay out of my yard. This morning they came with their hoes hacking away at everything until I scared them off. :-)
Today, I am in Isoko charging up my laptop while Lindsay works on repairing all the computers in the hospital. The scan came back that there were 2000 infected files! I am just enjoying the free ride to Isoko and the electricity that comes with it.
When Umbege was helping on Saturday he asked if I could preach this Sunday in Isoko. This week I need to figure out what I am going to say. Hopefully something comes to me because right now I am going blank…not a good start!
Have a great week!
Love,
Gretchen
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
traveling all around
January 8th (part three)
Transportation from Kigoma (western border) to Mbeya (southwest) was a lot more difficult than one would hope. There is a road that runs from city to city but it is unpaved and during the rainy season it is not recommended. Then there is another road from Kahama (after traveling 11 hours east of Kigoma) that will take you to Mbeya, but again you run into the same problem of it being a dirt road. Instead of what would be short cuts, Ben and I had to take the bus back to Dar es Salaam. We stopped in Morogoro (the city before Dar) which gave us an extra six hours rest (if you count the drive to Dar and then back to Morogoro). After two days of travel we reached Morogoro where we were able to connect to the Internet and have a nice dinner before the morning departure. All buses traveling to Mbeya begin in Dar es Salaam. Instead of the usual 7 AM departure we could sleep in until 7:30 and then head to the bus station. At 8:30/9 the buses were supposed to start arriving. At 8 AM we headed to the bus stand where we waited for six hours!!! I was extremely frustrated. I asked what was going on and the responses were in Swahili. All I got out of the responses was that there was a lot of rain. Since it wasn’t raining in Morogoro I didn’t really understand why rain could hold up the bus. It was also my first time traveling on that bus line and I didn’t trust them and thought they were just taking my money. At 2 o’clock we were escorted (with a few Tanzanians joining us on the trip) to a gas station where we sat for twenty minutes before the bus finally appeared. I was so confused but gave up on questioning and just sat in the bus. Eventually, I spoke with someone who speaks English to find out that overnight there was a heavy downpour and a bridge was washed away in Dar; no cars or buses were able to pass. For the rest of the trip I stayed awake looking at all the flooding off the road. Our driver was very cautious throughout the trip and I felt completely safe. In Mbeya, Ben and I decided to make two short trips to my village instead of one long one. For one night we stayed in Itumba and watched the weather. The weather seemed to hold off so on the 23rd we went via Dr. Kitta’s car to Kafule. After five days I finally made it home!
Ben was very surprised with the landscape in my village. Me describing it obviously did not do justice. There are pine trees and banana trees and orchids and lilacs all in the same setting. I guess it is one of those you have to see it to believe it type situations. He saw and loved it. Of course he got to see a lot of the village life with people inviting us left and right into their homes. Ben saw Mr. Mbughi dance with the photo I gave him as a gift. Ben’s stomach was able to withstand only one meal in Kafule before getting upset! On his first night Mr. Mbughi made him take a bucket shower at his house (we were just going over to socialize and eat dinner!) while I sat laughing in the house. He also witnessed a four hour church service while sitting on a wooden pew. His perspective of my life changed a bit from his trip. On Christmas Day we traveled from house to house celebrating with families from Isoko and Kafule. Everyone wanted us to celebrate with their families. The time spent in the village was nice but went way too fast, I never even had the opportunity to show off my charcoal grill to Ben! On Tuesday the 27th we started the journey back to Dar es Salaam and then Zanzibar for my midterm conference.
While on my drive to Mbeya I realized I left my passport in Kafule which started a whole train of reaction. Wednesday afternoon my passport was delivered to my hotel. Don’t ask how or why because I really don’t know exactly how it happened. I hope that the secretary that went into my house didn’t do too much snooping while she was there though! On Thursday, we took the bus to Dar and then Friday morning Ben and I took a ferry to Zanzibar.
In Zanzibar, I had a midterm conference with the other WorldTeach volunteers from the 30th to the 1st. Stone Town is a pretty dirty city full of rats and piles of trash on the side of the road yet it is quite exciting and thrilling. On the first night we celebrated with a big group dinner, on the 31st we had a full day conference, and then to finish out the meeting we spent Sunday traveling to a sand bar where we laid out and swam in the Indian Ocean. The food was probably one of the highlights of Zanzibar. The Indian cuisine is some of the best I have ever eaten. Every night we would search for a new eatery to test out. Staying in the city you don’t get a feel for how big the island truly is. On Monday we decided to do some traveling. On Monday morning I received a phone call from my friend Lisa. Her family was staying in a ritzy part of the island in the north. They were at one of the nicest hotels on a gorgeous white sand beach. One of the couples in her party headed home early and they had an extra room for Ben and I! I was a little hesitant because I wasn’t feeling well but then decided I should go for it. Ben and I took a shared taxi on an hour and a half ride up to the north coast. We stayed in luxury at the Double Tree hotel for a night. We swam in the pool, ate amazing food, and walked the beach. For the first time in a year and a half I had a shower hot enough that the mirror steamed up! So happy! :-)
After the northern beach, we spent one more night in Stone Town before travelling to Dar. In Dar, I was checked out by the International Clinic one last time before my trip back to the village. On Saturday, I started the first leg of the journey back to Kafule. Yesterday, I watched the rain seize and the flooded side roads dry up a bit and then decided it would be okay to return to Kafule. Today, Dr. Kitta, Lindsay, and I are traveling back to Kafule where I don’t foresee a departure for about five months! Back to the grind of teaching!
Love,
Gretchen
Transportation from Kigoma (western border) to Mbeya (southwest) was a lot more difficult than one would hope. There is a road that runs from city to city but it is unpaved and during the rainy season it is not recommended. Then there is another road from Kahama (after traveling 11 hours east of Kigoma) that will take you to Mbeya, but again you run into the same problem of it being a dirt road. Instead of what would be short cuts, Ben and I had to take the bus back to Dar es Salaam. We stopped in Morogoro (the city before Dar) which gave us an extra six hours rest (if you count the drive to Dar and then back to Morogoro). After two days of travel we reached Morogoro where we were able to connect to the Internet and have a nice dinner before the morning departure. All buses traveling to Mbeya begin in Dar es Salaam. Instead of the usual 7 AM departure we could sleep in until 7:30 and then head to the bus station. At 8:30/9 the buses were supposed to start arriving. At 8 AM we headed to the bus stand where we waited for six hours!!! I was extremely frustrated. I asked what was going on and the responses were in Swahili. All I got out of the responses was that there was a lot of rain. Since it wasn’t raining in Morogoro I didn’t really understand why rain could hold up the bus. It was also my first time traveling on that bus line and I didn’t trust them and thought they were just taking my money. At 2 o’clock we were escorted (with a few Tanzanians joining us on the trip) to a gas station where we sat for twenty minutes before the bus finally appeared. I was so confused but gave up on questioning and just sat in the bus. Eventually, I spoke with someone who speaks English to find out that overnight there was a heavy downpour and a bridge was washed away in Dar; no cars or buses were able to pass. For the rest of the trip I stayed awake looking at all the flooding off the road. Our driver was very cautious throughout the trip and I felt completely safe. In Mbeya, Ben and I decided to make two short trips to my village instead of one long one. For one night we stayed in Itumba and watched the weather. The weather seemed to hold off so on the 23rd we went via Dr. Kitta’s car to Kafule. After five days I finally made it home!
Ben was very surprised with the landscape in my village. Me describing it obviously did not do justice. There are pine trees and banana trees and orchids and lilacs all in the same setting. I guess it is one of those you have to see it to believe it type situations. He saw and loved it. Of course he got to see a lot of the village life with people inviting us left and right into their homes. Ben saw Mr. Mbughi dance with the photo I gave him as a gift. Ben’s stomach was able to withstand only one meal in Kafule before getting upset! On his first night Mr. Mbughi made him take a bucket shower at his house (we were just going over to socialize and eat dinner!) while I sat laughing in the house. He also witnessed a four hour church service while sitting on a wooden pew. His perspective of my life changed a bit from his trip. On Christmas Day we traveled from house to house celebrating with families from Isoko and Kafule. Everyone wanted us to celebrate with their families. The time spent in the village was nice but went way too fast, I never even had the opportunity to show off my charcoal grill to Ben! On Tuesday the 27th we started the journey back to Dar es Salaam and then Zanzibar for my midterm conference.
While on my drive to Mbeya I realized I left my passport in Kafule which started a whole train of reaction. Wednesday afternoon my passport was delivered to my hotel. Don’t ask how or why because I really don’t know exactly how it happened. I hope that the secretary that went into my house didn’t do too much snooping while she was there though! On Thursday, we took the bus to Dar and then Friday morning Ben and I took a ferry to Zanzibar.
In Zanzibar, I had a midterm conference with the other WorldTeach volunteers from the 30th to the 1st. Stone Town is a pretty dirty city full of rats and piles of trash on the side of the road yet it is quite exciting and thrilling. On the first night we celebrated with a big group dinner, on the 31st we had a full day conference, and then to finish out the meeting we spent Sunday traveling to a sand bar where we laid out and swam in the Indian Ocean. The food was probably one of the highlights of Zanzibar. The Indian cuisine is some of the best I have ever eaten. Every night we would search for a new eatery to test out. Staying in the city you don’t get a feel for how big the island truly is. On Monday we decided to do some traveling. On Monday morning I received a phone call from my friend Lisa. Her family was staying in a ritzy part of the island in the north. They were at one of the nicest hotels on a gorgeous white sand beach. One of the couples in her party headed home early and they had an extra room for Ben and I! I was a little hesitant because I wasn’t feeling well but then decided I should go for it. Ben and I took a shared taxi on an hour and a half ride up to the north coast. We stayed in luxury at the Double Tree hotel for a night. We swam in the pool, ate amazing food, and walked the beach. For the first time in a year and a half I had a shower hot enough that the mirror steamed up! So happy! :-)
After the northern beach, we spent one more night in Stone Town before travelling to Dar. In Dar, I was checked out by the International Clinic one last time before my trip back to the village. On Saturday, I started the first leg of the journey back to Kafule. Yesterday, I watched the rain seize and the flooded side roads dry up a bit and then decided it would be okay to return to Kafule. Today, Dr. Kitta, Lindsay, and I are traveling back to Kafule where I don’t foresee a departure for about five months! Back to the grind of teaching!
Love,
Gretchen
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January 8th (part two)
Once we reached Kigoma on the 14th we headed to the other ferry port to purchase our tickets to go to Mahale NP. After waiting twenty minutes someone finally comes to the office to inform us the MV Liemba is not running that day nor will it be running the following week because it is Christmas. So much for the boat running every Wednesday! The gentleman wasn’t very helpful on advice for reaching Mahale except to tell us to go to the tourism office in town. The guard at the tourism office informed us that there is a daily local boat from Ujiji (the next town about ten kilometers away) that leaves at 5 PM. He didn’t recommend that we travel on it since it is a local boat but we were too excited to let that dissuade us. At 3 PM we reached Ujiji were we sat and waited until 6 PM. At around 6 PM we took a canoe to the boat that was being loaded up. When we loaded in we tried to find what would be the most comfortable place to sit. This proved to be a very difficult task in a wooden boat without seats. The options were on the side of the boat or below deck where it smelled like piss. We opted for the side of the deck. Inevitably we chose the wrong spot and moved three times before the boat actually took off at 7 PM.
The journey was very long and uncomfortable. We didn’t sleep, eat, or use a bathroom much. The twelve hour boat ride we were expecting turned into twenty. When we finally reached our destination we didn’t even know it. It was the last stop, but no one told us so we continued to sit and wait. And it wasn’t like there was a sign to help guide the way. As we sat and the rain began someone walked over to us asked if we were afraid to get off the boat because of the rain. The boat couldn’t go the extra 3 kilometers to drop us off at the park so we had to walk 25 minutes from a village to the park. Normally this wouldn’t bother me too much, but I hadn’t eaten or drank much of anything in a day, was completely sun burnt, and felt like I was still swaying with the boat. The first thing we did at the office was discuss alternative transportation to return to Kigoma. Luckily, for a price of course, there was other means of transportation.
My first impression of Mahale was a bit of frustration. The staff was a little stricter about the 24 hour pass. I only had to pay $40 for the pass but Ben had to pay $80 for each day which adds up with all the other costs you must pay each day. We had arrived Thursday night and wanted to leave first thing Sunday morning but didn’t want to pay for three days in the park. We figured it would be more challenging to travel back Saturday night in the dark and maybe a little dangerous. After much persuasion the man at the main office let us pay for two days. Along with the 24 hour pass you must pay for each night you spend in the park. Because we only paid for two days he said he could only charge us for two nights. No complaint from our end but not exactly what we were expecting. Before we left the office we were devoid of all the money we brought with us. There were so many hidden costs that we were not aware of that made the welcoming not quite as inviting as at Gombe Stream.
To reach our camp sight we took a speed boat for twenty minutes further down the coast where we met our tour guide Peter. Peter showed us the kitchen facilities and then our cabin. He also introduced us to the man in charge of the grounds who kept asking me to pay his wife to cook for us. For $15 a meal I wasn’t persuaded too easily. Very soon after explaining how much we like to cook he saw our permit and that we were only paying for two nights and started making a stink about it. I explained (all in Kiswahili mind you) as best I could but he wouldn’t stop. He even brought it to our guides’ attention and the next morning that was the first thing out of his mouth. He told us he would need to talk with someone in the office about it. I tried as best I could to just enjoy the time and not think about it but it kind of got me in a slump. All day Friday we trekked in the rain tracking down more chimps. Luckily, Mahale was a more desolate area and the chimps were not quite as familiar to humans as at Gombe Stream. The experience on the trek was so much more enjoyable. The chimps were completely free and didn’t seem to care one way or the other about us watching them. On the first day we didn’t manage to take any photos. The rain was too rough so everything we saw we left imprinted on our minds. The sounds and movements of the chimps were sensational and something I won’t ever forget. After two hours we returned to the campsite for lunch.
After lunch hours started passing and Peter didn’t come around. We saw the chimps, yes, but we paid for a guide for the entire day. We were interested on going on hikes through the mountains as we explain on the previous night, but it somehow didn’t register in his mind. Eventually we found him and he was utterly confused as to why we would want to go walking around in the jungle for another two hours. At 4 PM we headed out for an intense but really enjoyable hike. That evening Peter informed us that we would now have to leave Saturday night because our permit was an official government document and we couldn’t lie on it. After our second trek to see the chimps we would need to depart. I was a little frustrated with the whole thing but at that point just went with it. What could I really say or do to change things?
On Saturday morning we began the trek to see the chimps. Luckily, the sun was shining. It took all morning to see the chimps. We did come across two very old looking warthogs early that morning which was very unexpected. As one walked up to me I moved to the other side of the guide a little freaked out. The other warthog saw this as his opportunity to come up to me and kind of raised his head as though he were going to charge me. I was ready to continue walking. I started getting a little nervous that we wouldn’t see any before we left. At one point we stopped for ten minutes and started hearing the chimpanzees making noise in the distance and then we were off to find them. We found a family of chimps just hanging out and for almost two hours we walked around watching the chimps. Our guide seemed just as fascinated with viewing the chimps which made it a cool experience. We were fortunate to see the alpha male and the number two interact with each other as well as numbers of females, other males, and babies. At one point Ben and I stopped and watched a chimp sitting in the bush and the chimp stood up and started running at us. I froze as it grabbed a tree, tore it out of the ground and continued towards us. He ran right by us and I almost fell over I was so frightened. At the same time, it was very exciting and thrilling to be that close to the chimps. I felt as though it was a great way to end our day at the national park. After lunch we began to pack when Peter came back to inform us that we could stay until the next morning. So much for packing! Instead of bothering Peter about bringing us on another hike (it’s not like he offered or came back to the tent that afternoon to ask!) we swam in Lake Tanganika and cooked a big pasta dinner to finish out our days in Mahale.
Sunday morning we took a speed boat to a tiny village along the coast and then a three hour car ride to Kigoma. Instead of a 20 hour trip we were able to return to Kigoma after 5 hours. The cost definitely outweighed the luxury in this instance. I still prefer to travel via bus over plane though!
On the 18th of December we found ourselves back in Kigoma planning how to return to Kafule for Christmas. In the end it took us five days of awful traveling but we eventually made it to Kafule on the 23rd, just in time for the holiday! Please continue reading part three to hear about Christmas in Kafule and New Year’s in Zanzibar!
Love,
Gretchen
Once we reached Kigoma on the 14th we headed to the other ferry port to purchase our tickets to go to Mahale NP. After waiting twenty minutes someone finally comes to the office to inform us the MV Liemba is not running that day nor will it be running the following week because it is Christmas. So much for the boat running every Wednesday! The gentleman wasn’t very helpful on advice for reaching Mahale except to tell us to go to the tourism office in town. The guard at the tourism office informed us that there is a daily local boat from Ujiji (the next town about ten kilometers away) that leaves at 5 PM. He didn’t recommend that we travel on it since it is a local boat but we were too excited to let that dissuade us. At 3 PM we reached Ujiji were we sat and waited until 6 PM. At around 6 PM we took a canoe to the boat that was being loaded up. When we loaded in we tried to find what would be the most comfortable place to sit. This proved to be a very difficult task in a wooden boat without seats. The options were on the side of the boat or below deck where it smelled like piss. We opted for the side of the deck. Inevitably we chose the wrong spot and moved three times before the boat actually took off at 7 PM.
The journey was very long and uncomfortable. We didn’t sleep, eat, or use a bathroom much. The twelve hour boat ride we were expecting turned into twenty. When we finally reached our destination we didn’t even know it. It was the last stop, but no one told us so we continued to sit and wait. And it wasn’t like there was a sign to help guide the way. As we sat and the rain began someone walked over to us asked if we were afraid to get off the boat because of the rain. The boat couldn’t go the extra 3 kilometers to drop us off at the park so we had to walk 25 minutes from a village to the park. Normally this wouldn’t bother me too much, but I hadn’t eaten or drank much of anything in a day, was completely sun burnt, and felt like I was still swaying with the boat. The first thing we did at the office was discuss alternative transportation to return to Kigoma. Luckily, for a price of course, there was other means of transportation.
My first impression of Mahale was a bit of frustration. The staff was a little stricter about the 24 hour pass. I only had to pay $40 for the pass but Ben had to pay $80 for each day which adds up with all the other costs you must pay each day. We had arrived Thursday night and wanted to leave first thing Sunday morning but didn’t want to pay for three days in the park. We figured it would be more challenging to travel back Saturday night in the dark and maybe a little dangerous. After much persuasion the man at the main office let us pay for two days. Along with the 24 hour pass you must pay for each night you spend in the park. Because we only paid for two days he said he could only charge us for two nights. No complaint from our end but not exactly what we were expecting. Before we left the office we were devoid of all the money we brought with us. There were so many hidden costs that we were not aware of that made the welcoming not quite as inviting as at Gombe Stream.
To reach our camp sight we took a speed boat for twenty minutes further down the coast where we met our tour guide Peter. Peter showed us the kitchen facilities and then our cabin. He also introduced us to the man in charge of the grounds who kept asking me to pay his wife to cook for us. For $15 a meal I wasn’t persuaded too easily. Very soon after explaining how much we like to cook he saw our permit and that we were only paying for two nights and started making a stink about it. I explained (all in Kiswahili mind you) as best I could but he wouldn’t stop. He even brought it to our guides’ attention and the next morning that was the first thing out of his mouth. He told us he would need to talk with someone in the office about it. I tried as best I could to just enjoy the time and not think about it but it kind of got me in a slump. All day Friday we trekked in the rain tracking down more chimps. Luckily, Mahale was a more desolate area and the chimps were not quite as familiar to humans as at Gombe Stream. The experience on the trek was so much more enjoyable. The chimps were completely free and didn’t seem to care one way or the other about us watching them. On the first day we didn’t manage to take any photos. The rain was too rough so everything we saw we left imprinted on our minds. The sounds and movements of the chimps were sensational and something I won’t ever forget. After two hours we returned to the campsite for lunch.
After lunch hours started passing and Peter didn’t come around. We saw the chimps, yes, but we paid for a guide for the entire day. We were interested on going on hikes through the mountains as we explain on the previous night, but it somehow didn’t register in his mind. Eventually we found him and he was utterly confused as to why we would want to go walking around in the jungle for another two hours. At 4 PM we headed out for an intense but really enjoyable hike. That evening Peter informed us that we would now have to leave Saturday night because our permit was an official government document and we couldn’t lie on it. After our second trek to see the chimps we would need to depart. I was a little frustrated with the whole thing but at that point just went with it. What could I really say or do to change things?
On Saturday morning we began the trek to see the chimps. Luckily, the sun was shining. It took all morning to see the chimps. We did come across two very old looking warthogs early that morning which was very unexpected. As one walked up to me I moved to the other side of the guide a little freaked out. The other warthog saw this as his opportunity to come up to me and kind of raised his head as though he were going to charge me. I was ready to continue walking. I started getting a little nervous that we wouldn’t see any before we left. At one point we stopped for ten minutes and started hearing the chimpanzees making noise in the distance and then we were off to find them. We found a family of chimps just hanging out and for almost two hours we walked around watching the chimps. Our guide seemed just as fascinated with viewing the chimps which made it a cool experience. We were fortunate to see the alpha male and the number two interact with each other as well as numbers of females, other males, and babies. At one point Ben and I stopped and watched a chimp sitting in the bush and the chimp stood up and started running at us. I froze as it grabbed a tree, tore it out of the ground and continued towards us. He ran right by us and I almost fell over I was so frightened. At the same time, it was very exciting and thrilling to be that close to the chimps. I felt as though it was a great way to end our day at the national park. After lunch we began to pack when Peter came back to inform us that we could stay until the next morning. So much for packing! Instead of bothering Peter about bringing us on another hike (it’s not like he offered or came back to the tent that afternoon to ask!) we swam in Lake Tanganika and cooked a big pasta dinner to finish out our days in Mahale.
Sunday morning we took a speed boat to a tiny village along the coast and then a three hour car ride to Kigoma. Instead of a 20 hour trip we were able to return to Kigoma after 5 hours. The cost definitely outweighed the luxury in this instance. I still prefer to travel via bus over plane though!
On the 18th of December we found ourselves back in Kigoma planning how to return to Kafule for Christmas. In the end it took us five days of awful traveling but we eventually made it to Kafule on the 23rd, just in time for the holiday! Please continue reading part three to hear about Christmas in Kafule and New Year’s in Zanzibar!
Love,
Gretchen
monkeys and bananas
January 8th
Once Ben arrived in Dar we stayed for three more nights while he adjusted to the time zone and I made sure my new medicines went down fine. On Friday, December 9th we purchased a ticket to Kigoma and prepared as much as possible for the 24 hour bus ride we had ahead of us. The “luxury” bus we bought a ticket with was not very luxurious. We were seated in the last seats of the bus that weren’t quite bolted down. Every time (and this is very often on a Tanzanian road) we hit a speed bump or a pot hole our bodies and our seats would go flying in the air. A few times I hit my head. We were also informed that the bus would take us straight to Kigoma. As we continued on the most uncomfortable bus ride we (or maybe it was just me they were talking to) made friends with some local men sitting near us. They informed us that the bus actually stops in some random town overnight. At 10:30 PM we stop in Kahama: a little town that is in my Lonely Planet map. Unfortunately, Lonely Planet does not have a description of this little town. Because we were completely lost and confused a man working with the bus company helped up pick up our ticket for the next day and then set us up in a hotel for the night. The next morning we were given tickets on a different bus company for the eleven hour bus ride to Kigoma. I didn’t imagine the bus could get worse yet it did.
After a 16 and a half hour bus ride you can’t really look forward to another day on a bus but we tried to be optimistic. We were luckily closer to the front of the bus and didn’t feel each bump nearly as bad but there were three seats to a row. And the road was full of potholes. And my luggage fell out of the overhead every thirty minutes. At one point I had to hold my two bags (one weighed close to forty pounds) on my lap because there was nowhere to put them. The luxury part of the bus really went missing on this ride and we stopped every twenty minutes to add more people on the bus. When we reached Kigoma we were completely exhausted and ready for a hotel. We luckily did not have much trouble finding a hotel and were able to sleep in the next morning.
Our goal for Monday was to reach Gombe Stream National Park. We read in the Lonely Planet guidebook that there was a taxi ferry that leaves every day for the park. After we woke up and ate breakfast we began the walk to the boat port. We arrived at the port at 11 AM to find that at noon each day two boats leave for a ride up the coast. For 4000 TSH (or a little over 2 USD) we took a two and a half hour boat ride up the coast. If it didn’t rain (and it wasn’t crowded with about sixty people) I think it would have been very enjoyable. It started raining as soon as we were loaded up and then settled down as we approached Gombe Stream but never came to a stop. As soon as the rain started the crew pulled out a tarp. We sat under the tarp breathing in gas fumes for two and a half hours. I luckily did not get sick on the ride but was very thrilled to finally reach the park. Gombe Stream was a very relaxed place. The atmosphere was very conducive to a vacation and I enjoyed it. Luckily, the staff weren’t too particular about costs. They allowed us to pay for a day (or 24 hour) permit when were at the park for about 36 hours. While in the boat we met two Germans traveling to Gombe Stream. We were on the same wavelength in terms of what we wanted to do at the park so we stayed with them for the two nights. We stayed at a self-catered lodge and went out with the same tour guide on Tuesday. They were volunteers from the Arusha area and were pretty cool to talk to and hang out with. On Monday night we all sat on the beach talking over a bon fire. Tuesday morning we started an early trek to find the chimps.
On Tuesday we woke to a heavy downpour. We unfortunately got hit with a lot of rain for most of the morning. I really enjoyed the long trek but was desperately hoping the rain would stop. Around 1 PM the rains finally seized and we were able to pick up the pace a little more. Around 3 PM the chimpanzees were spotted and we basically started a bit of a jog through the jungle to reach them. We finally reached the chimps and watched them in the trees for about an hour before they climbed to the ground. For the next half an hour we ran around the bush with them. It was a really cool experience. At the end of the day I was completely exhausted. After a night swim Ben and I enjoyed a nice three course meal back at the campsite. On Wednesday we were headed back to Kigoma and then attempting to travel to Mahale National Park. We definitely needed a good night’s sleep before the next journey.
Mahale Mountains National Park had many similarities and many differences from Gombe Stream but I seemed to enjoy the excitement of it a little more. In part two you can read about the journey and the adventure it had to offer!
Love,
Gretchen
Once Ben arrived in Dar we stayed for three more nights while he adjusted to the time zone and I made sure my new medicines went down fine. On Friday, December 9th we purchased a ticket to Kigoma and prepared as much as possible for the 24 hour bus ride we had ahead of us. The “luxury” bus we bought a ticket with was not very luxurious. We were seated in the last seats of the bus that weren’t quite bolted down. Every time (and this is very often on a Tanzanian road) we hit a speed bump or a pot hole our bodies and our seats would go flying in the air. A few times I hit my head. We were also informed that the bus would take us straight to Kigoma. As we continued on the most uncomfortable bus ride we (or maybe it was just me they were talking to) made friends with some local men sitting near us. They informed us that the bus actually stops in some random town overnight. At 10:30 PM we stop in Kahama: a little town that is in my Lonely Planet map. Unfortunately, Lonely Planet does not have a description of this little town. Because we were completely lost and confused a man working with the bus company helped up pick up our ticket for the next day and then set us up in a hotel for the night. The next morning we were given tickets on a different bus company for the eleven hour bus ride to Kigoma. I didn’t imagine the bus could get worse yet it did.
After a 16 and a half hour bus ride you can’t really look forward to another day on a bus but we tried to be optimistic. We were luckily closer to the front of the bus and didn’t feel each bump nearly as bad but there were three seats to a row. And the road was full of potholes. And my luggage fell out of the overhead every thirty minutes. At one point I had to hold my two bags (one weighed close to forty pounds) on my lap because there was nowhere to put them. The luxury part of the bus really went missing on this ride and we stopped every twenty minutes to add more people on the bus. When we reached Kigoma we were completely exhausted and ready for a hotel. We luckily did not have much trouble finding a hotel and were able to sleep in the next morning.
Our goal for Monday was to reach Gombe Stream National Park. We read in the Lonely Planet guidebook that there was a taxi ferry that leaves every day for the park. After we woke up and ate breakfast we began the walk to the boat port. We arrived at the port at 11 AM to find that at noon each day two boats leave for a ride up the coast. For 4000 TSH (or a little over 2 USD) we took a two and a half hour boat ride up the coast. If it didn’t rain (and it wasn’t crowded with about sixty people) I think it would have been very enjoyable. It started raining as soon as we were loaded up and then settled down as we approached Gombe Stream but never came to a stop. As soon as the rain started the crew pulled out a tarp. We sat under the tarp breathing in gas fumes for two and a half hours. I luckily did not get sick on the ride but was very thrilled to finally reach the park. Gombe Stream was a very relaxed place. The atmosphere was very conducive to a vacation and I enjoyed it. Luckily, the staff weren’t too particular about costs. They allowed us to pay for a day (or 24 hour) permit when were at the park for about 36 hours. While in the boat we met two Germans traveling to Gombe Stream. We were on the same wavelength in terms of what we wanted to do at the park so we stayed with them for the two nights. We stayed at a self-catered lodge and went out with the same tour guide on Tuesday. They were volunteers from the Arusha area and were pretty cool to talk to and hang out with. On Monday night we all sat on the beach talking over a bon fire. Tuesday morning we started an early trek to find the chimps.
On Tuesday we woke to a heavy downpour. We unfortunately got hit with a lot of rain for most of the morning. I really enjoyed the long trek but was desperately hoping the rain would stop. Around 1 PM the rains finally seized and we were able to pick up the pace a little more. Around 3 PM the chimpanzees were spotted and we basically started a bit of a jog through the jungle to reach them. We finally reached the chimps and watched them in the trees for about an hour before they climbed to the ground. For the next half an hour we ran around the bush with them. It was a really cool experience. At the end of the day I was completely exhausted. After a night swim Ben and I enjoyed a nice three course meal back at the campsite. On Wednesday we were headed back to Kigoma and then attempting to travel to Mahale National Park. We definitely needed a good night’s sleep before the next journey.
Mahale Mountains National Park had many similarities and many differences from Gombe Stream but I seemed to enjoy the excitement of it a little more. In part two you can read about the journey and the adventure it had to offer!
Love,
Gretchen
Safari Adventure
December 7th
Two weeks ago I began the two day journey to Dar es Salaam. The traveling was quite unexciting. After arriving in Dar I first took a taxi to the hotel then to the airport to pick up my mom and Jenn. The hotel couldn’t find our reservations nor did they remember about an airport pickup. Luckily, I arrived first to help them remember. I arrived at the airport and waited for Jenn and my mom to emerge. The greetings weren’t quite as expected. Jenn’s luggage did not arrive and she was quite upset. For three days we waited around Dar hoping and praying Jenn’s luggage would turn up. Luckily, we only waited 24 hours. After her luggage arrived we headed on a ferry the next day to Zanzibar and spent one night in Stone Town. Zanzibar was their favorite part of the trip (at that point there wasn’t much to like in the scum of Dar es Salaam). Dar was a city and wasn’t thrilling to be in but Zanzibar definitely catered to tourists and we relaxed for the first time all trip.
After returning from Zanzibar we spent the night in Dar before departing for Kilimanjaro. Our flight was on an early Thursday morning. Our bad luck in Dar es Salaam continued. We arrived at the airport to find they do not accept credit. Eventually, we made it on the second flight. We paid for a one way ticket hoping that the return flight would not be an issue and that maybe we could pay with credit. We were wrong and after ten days in Moshi, we returned to Dar via public transportation.
In Moshi, we spent the night at Honey Badger Lodge before departing for our safari. The safari was fantastic. We spent our first night at Lake Eliyad, then three nights in the Serengeti, and our last night was spent at Ngorongoro Crater before returning to Honey Badger Lodge. Lake Eliyad was very interesting. The trip was geared to a more cultural experience. The drive from Moshi was very long. On our first night we visited the home of one tribe in the region. The household specialized in making tips for spears, medal bracelets, and beaded bracelets. After the visit we went back to the campsite where our personal chef cooked up a three course meal for dinner. The next morning Jenn and I ran in the bush chasing a banded muskrat with the boys from a bush tribe. My mom stayed back with the women collecting roots out of the ground. It was a very different and interesting start to the safari. After practicing shooting with the bows and arrows we departed for the Serengeti.
The first night we just did a drive up to our campsite and didn’t stop too often for the wildlife. I was very excited to see all the wildebeests as soon as we entered the park. My mom was quickly able to distinguish leopards and cheetahs after the first day of driving. Our guide, Dawson, was surprised with how many leopards and cheetahs we saw. We saw every animal we wanted to see but there are definitely a few moments which I won’t forget. On our first night in the Serengeti Jenn comes running back to the tent after a bathroom break in the middle of the night. She was screeching that she saw an elephant outside. I look out to see bush and possibly a glint of an eye but it was too dark to see anything. The next morning Dawson told us it was a buffalo. As long as it doesn’t stampede the tent I have no problems with the animal. Each morning we woke to fresh pile of dung so maybe they thought we smelled good. Besides Jenn’s excitement, we came across some pretty awesome animals. On our last day in the Serengeti we found two female lions and three cubs munching on a zebra. On the second day in the Serengeti we saw a giraffe stuck in one of the streams. For about twenty minutes we watched as it struggled across the river until finally reaching the bank and running free. For the first time all trip we didn’t feel rushed and on a schedule which was a nice change for a vacation and is so completely Tanzanian.
After the Serengeti, we spent our last night of the safari at Ngorongoro Crater. The animal life at our campsite was a bit more dangerous. An armed guard was positioned 24/7 walking the camp grounds. At night my mother had a zebra licking her tent. Jenn and I yelled at her to wake up but she ignored us! The next morning she said she was awake and heard the animals but was too scared to open the flap of her tent! She would have had a mouth full if she did. During breakfast we overheard a group discussing an elephant that made its way onto the camp grounds in the middle of the night. The group that was talking about it sounded a bit ridiculous. The one girl said she was crying because of how lifelike the elephant was! And I am pretty sure she went over and touched it. That’s why tourists die while on safaris. Ngorongoro had the most spectacular landscape than any other place on the safari. The lake settled in the middle of the crater was home to thousands of flamingoes and varies other animals. The highlights for me were when we saw a pride of lions (with mother, father, and two cubs) very close to the end of our trip. We also saw, from a distance, the very rare black rhino with her baby. There was also a great abundance of hyena’s roaming around the crater. I really enjoyed being able to see what a hyena looks like. Their body shapes are just so rough looking. After we spent the afternoon at the crater we started our long drive back to Moshi. For three more nights we relaxed in the Honey Badger Lodge.
On Thursday we went on a “relaxing walk to the waterfalls” at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. The start of the trip consisted of a “nature hike.” We walked through a mountain village looking at different plants for about two hours. Our guide stopped at one point, offered me a piece of grass, and asked me to fish the bug out of his eye! After my great assistance of capturing the bug we became best buds. He offered to take me up to the peak of Kilimanjaro in June/July for a “discounted” rate of course. He also informed me he has the world record for the fastest climb up kili on the Machame Route. . . I don’t think I am too keen on climbing at a pace like that! In between the waterfall and the nature hike we explored an “underground cave.” In terms of my definition of a cave this was not a cave. We explored a dugout tunnel. My mama was not too fond of this cave either. We did not explore for too long. The “relaxing” waterfalls were the next stop on the day’s events before returning to Honey Badger. There was nothing relaxing about the waterfalls and we couldn’t even swim after we made the kilometer descent down the side of a mountain. We rested for maybe ten minutes before ascending straight up the mountain which didn’t make the experience too enjoyable.
On Friday we spent the day shopping in Moshi. My mom and Jenn needed to stock up on gifts before returning to the US. We spent an exhausting day in the streets of Moshi buying enough gifts for all of Delaware. The next morning we took an eight hour bus ride to the congestive metropolis of Dar es Salaam. Since their departure Saturday night I have been hanging out at my field director, Ashley’s, house. I’ve been walking around making many friends with the locals. As I was walking around looking for an Internet café I made friends with a girl Veronica. Veronica and I went back to her house where she let me use her laptop and then we watched two movies before I returned to Ashley’s house. I also got a nice checkout at the international clinic while I was in the area. I am starting my medicine for Lyme disease today!! Ben is arriving on an afternoon flight today and then we begin a more localized exploration of Tanzania over the next few weeks.
Love,
Gretchen
Two weeks ago I began the two day journey to Dar es Salaam. The traveling was quite unexciting. After arriving in Dar I first took a taxi to the hotel then to the airport to pick up my mom and Jenn. The hotel couldn’t find our reservations nor did they remember about an airport pickup. Luckily, I arrived first to help them remember. I arrived at the airport and waited for Jenn and my mom to emerge. The greetings weren’t quite as expected. Jenn’s luggage did not arrive and she was quite upset. For three days we waited around Dar hoping and praying Jenn’s luggage would turn up. Luckily, we only waited 24 hours. After her luggage arrived we headed on a ferry the next day to Zanzibar and spent one night in Stone Town. Zanzibar was their favorite part of the trip (at that point there wasn’t much to like in the scum of Dar es Salaam). Dar was a city and wasn’t thrilling to be in but Zanzibar definitely catered to tourists and we relaxed for the first time all trip.
After returning from Zanzibar we spent the night in Dar before departing for Kilimanjaro. Our flight was on an early Thursday morning. Our bad luck in Dar es Salaam continued. We arrived at the airport to find they do not accept credit. Eventually, we made it on the second flight. We paid for a one way ticket hoping that the return flight would not be an issue and that maybe we could pay with credit. We were wrong and after ten days in Moshi, we returned to Dar via public transportation.
In Moshi, we spent the night at Honey Badger Lodge before departing for our safari. The safari was fantastic. We spent our first night at Lake Eliyad, then three nights in the Serengeti, and our last night was spent at Ngorongoro Crater before returning to Honey Badger Lodge. Lake Eliyad was very interesting. The trip was geared to a more cultural experience. The drive from Moshi was very long. On our first night we visited the home of one tribe in the region. The household specialized in making tips for spears, medal bracelets, and beaded bracelets. After the visit we went back to the campsite where our personal chef cooked up a three course meal for dinner. The next morning Jenn and I ran in the bush chasing a banded muskrat with the boys from a bush tribe. My mom stayed back with the women collecting roots out of the ground. It was a very different and interesting start to the safari. After practicing shooting with the bows and arrows we departed for the Serengeti.
The first night we just did a drive up to our campsite and didn’t stop too often for the wildlife. I was very excited to see all the wildebeests as soon as we entered the park. My mom was quickly able to distinguish leopards and cheetahs after the first day of driving. Our guide, Dawson, was surprised with how many leopards and cheetahs we saw. We saw every animal we wanted to see but there are definitely a few moments which I won’t forget. On our first night in the Serengeti Jenn comes running back to the tent after a bathroom break in the middle of the night. She was screeching that she saw an elephant outside. I look out to see bush and possibly a glint of an eye but it was too dark to see anything. The next morning Dawson told us it was a buffalo. As long as it doesn’t stampede the tent I have no problems with the animal. Each morning we woke to fresh pile of dung so maybe they thought we smelled good. Besides Jenn’s excitement, we came across some pretty awesome animals. On our last day in the Serengeti we found two female lions and three cubs munching on a zebra. On the second day in the Serengeti we saw a giraffe stuck in one of the streams. For about twenty minutes we watched as it struggled across the river until finally reaching the bank and running free. For the first time all trip we didn’t feel rushed and on a schedule which was a nice change for a vacation and is so completely Tanzanian.
After the Serengeti, we spent our last night of the safari at Ngorongoro Crater. The animal life at our campsite was a bit more dangerous. An armed guard was positioned 24/7 walking the camp grounds. At night my mother had a zebra licking her tent. Jenn and I yelled at her to wake up but she ignored us! The next morning she said she was awake and heard the animals but was too scared to open the flap of her tent! She would have had a mouth full if she did. During breakfast we overheard a group discussing an elephant that made its way onto the camp grounds in the middle of the night. The group that was talking about it sounded a bit ridiculous. The one girl said she was crying because of how lifelike the elephant was! And I am pretty sure she went over and touched it. That’s why tourists die while on safaris. Ngorongoro had the most spectacular landscape than any other place on the safari. The lake settled in the middle of the crater was home to thousands of flamingoes and varies other animals. The highlights for me were when we saw a pride of lions (with mother, father, and two cubs) very close to the end of our trip. We also saw, from a distance, the very rare black rhino with her baby. There was also a great abundance of hyena’s roaming around the crater. I really enjoyed being able to see what a hyena looks like. Their body shapes are just so rough looking. After we spent the afternoon at the crater we started our long drive back to Moshi. For three more nights we relaxed in the Honey Badger Lodge.
On Thursday we went on a “relaxing walk to the waterfalls” at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. The start of the trip consisted of a “nature hike.” We walked through a mountain village looking at different plants for about two hours. Our guide stopped at one point, offered me a piece of grass, and asked me to fish the bug out of his eye! After my great assistance of capturing the bug we became best buds. He offered to take me up to the peak of Kilimanjaro in June/July for a “discounted” rate of course. He also informed me he has the world record for the fastest climb up kili on the Machame Route. . . I don’t think I am too keen on climbing at a pace like that! In between the waterfall and the nature hike we explored an “underground cave.” In terms of my definition of a cave this was not a cave. We explored a dugout tunnel. My mama was not too fond of this cave either. We did not explore for too long. The “relaxing” waterfalls were the next stop on the day’s events before returning to Honey Badger. There was nothing relaxing about the waterfalls and we couldn’t even swim after we made the kilometer descent down the side of a mountain. We rested for maybe ten minutes before ascending straight up the mountain which didn’t make the experience too enjoyable.
On Friday we spent the day shopping in Moshi. My mom and Jenn needed to stock up on gifts before returning to the US. We spent an exhausting day in the streets of Moshi buying enough gifts for all of Delaware. The next morning we took an eight hour bus ride to the congestive metropolis of Dar es Salaam. Since their departure Saturday night I have been hanging out at my field director, Ashley’s, house. I’ve been walking around making many friends with the locals. As I was walking around looking for an Internet café I made friends with a girl Veronica. Veronica and I went back to her house where she let me use her laptop and then we watched two movies before I returned to Ashley’s house. I also got a nice checkout at the international clinic while I was in the area. I am starting my medicine for Lyme disease today!! Ben is arriving on an afternoon flight today and then we begin a more localized exploration of Tanzania over the next few weeks.
Love,
Gretchen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)