Today is my last day in Tanzania. I can’t believe my time here is up already. I feel like the last 6 months went by so fast. My flight leaves at 11:30 tonight, and I get into Minnesota around 4:30pm on Monday.
Thanks for taking the time to ‘follow’ my blog everyone. I am looking forward to seeing all of you soon! I’ll leave you with the top 3 things I’m going to miss about living in Tanzania.
#3: The scenery: As much of a ‘hindrance’ as it is to live in a small, remote town, it is still absolutely amazing to be able to walk 5 minutes out of town and see nothing but beautiful landscape. I love being able to hike in the mountains around Sumbawanga. Within 2 hours you feel like you are on top of the world … and Sumbawanga is all you can see for miles and miles. The landscape and scenery is just breathtaking here in Sumbawanga – and everywhere in Tanzania.
#2: “Hanging-out:” I recently taught my friend from Iringia the American term “hanging out.” I described it as being able to just be with friends, sharing stories, eating and drinking …etc. During my time here I was able to spend a lot of time just hanging out (with students, other teachers, priests/monks, sisters, and friends). People here spend a lot for time just talking – no need to turn on the TV, no need to go out to dinner or go to a movie. They are perfectly content just sitting and talking. I love that. Why do we always feel like we have to be busy all the time? We’re either busy or we’re bored. Why is it so bad to just “be?” For example, the other day in Imiliwaha we started lunch at 1:00pm. We finished eating after 30 minutes, but ended up sitting at the table with a few sisters for over 2 hours just talking and drinking cup after cup of tea. We were in no rush – we just enjoyed each others company. It was wonderful. I am really going to miss just sitting and talking with all the people here.
#1: The people: This is such a broad topic, but it may be the most important. I could probably talk for hours about all the wonderful people I’ve met here. I could write pages and pages alone about the students. I am going to miss all the inside just I’ve made with the monks. I am going to miss being there for my students. I am going to miss the hospitality of the sisters of Imiliwaha. I am going to miss joking around with the teachers at my school. I am going to miss eating with 4-6 old priests at every meal. I get a horrible feeling when I think about how I don’t know when I’ll see these people next. But, as many Tanzanians say, I will be back someday “if God wishes.”
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye to Sumbawanga was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a long time. As excited as I am to get home, I was not ready to say goodbye at all. I have been a crying mess for the last week (just ask James). The past week has been full of going-away parties and eating out at restaurants. The really hard goodbyes for me started with the students. I had to say goodbye to them Thursday morning. We were in James’s classes, and I was sitting next to one of my favorite girls (her name is Immaculate), and I told her how sad I was to leave on Friday. Apparently she didn’t know that I was leaving so soon because she just put her head down and started crying in the middle of class. Adrophina was crying a little too when we had to say goodbye. I am really going to miss being a part of the students (specifically those girls’) lives.
Saying goodbye to the Bishop and the priests I eat with was difficult. The bishop told me if I don’t find a job in the US that I should come back and he would employ me, haha. Saying goodbye to Marianna and the orphans was difficult as well. The final goodbye was on Thursday night when we had to say goodbye to the monks at James’s place. Here’s a bit of my journal entry about it:
“The party on Thursday night was fantastic. A few of the monks gave speeches to say thank you and goodbye. It was after Br. Mwanjoka talked, when Br. Kan’gombe was talking, that I lost it and started to cry. I just can’t believe it’s over. I’ll never sit down with those monks for dinner again. I’ll miss seeing Br. Bundu’s smiling face. I’ll miss the joy Br. Kan’gombe’s brings whenever he’s around. I’ll miss Br. Nicholas’s stories. And of course I’ll miss every conversation with Fr. Mindi, who always ends up saying something hysterical in English. It was so hard just looking around the dinner table and thinking ‘this is my last meal with them.’ I was crying the entire time I tried to give my thank you speech.”
I am now on my way to Dar es Salaam. I’ll be traveling for 2 weeks with Paul Conroy before I leave here on the 4th. I am excited to travel a bit before I head home. Thanks for all the comments and emails ... Can’t wait to see everyone soon!
Here's a picture of me, James, Fr. Mindi, and a few of the students at a going away party at school.
Saying goodbye to the Bishop and the priests I eat with was difficult. The bishop told me if I don’t find a job in the US that I should come back and he would employ me, haha. Saying goodbye to Marianna and the orphans was difficult as well. The final goodbye was on Thursday night when we had to say goodbye to the monks at James’s place. Here’s a bit of my journal entry about it:
“The party on Thursday night was fantastic. A few of the monks gave speeches to say thank you and goodbye. It was after Br. Mwanjoka talked, when Br. Kan’gombe was talking, that I lost it and started to cry. I just can’t believe it’s over. I’ll never sit down with those monks for dinner again. I’ll miss seeing Br. Bundu’s smiling face. I’ll miss the joy Br. Kan’gombe’s brings whenever he’s around. I’ll miss Br. Nicholas’s stories. And of course I’ll miss every conversation with Fr. Mindi, who always ends up saying something hysterical in English. It was so hard just looking around the dinner table and thinking ‘this is my last meal with them.’ I was crying the entire time I tried to give my thank you speech.”
I am now on my way to Dar es Salaam. I’ll be traveling for 2 weeks with Paul Conroy before I leave here on the 4th. I am excited to travel a bit before I head home. Thanks for all the comments and emails ... Can’t wait to see everyone soon!
Here's a picture of me, James, Fr. Mindi, and a few of the students at a going away party at school.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Imiliwaha and Udzungwa!
Two years ago I came to Tanzania for one month on a service/immersion trip with St. Bens/St. Johns. Well, last week I was able to spend some time traveling with the current group of Bennies and Johnnies volunteering on that exact same trip. Without a doubt last week was one of the best weeks I’ve spend here in Tanzania. I’ll talk about 3 reasons why:
1) The group: First of all, one of my good friends (Paul) is leading the trip. It was fantastic to be able to spend time with him here and catch up on life for the last several months. Second, it was really neat to be able to get to know / spend time with a group of students from my school. I didn’t know any of them, but we all had an instant connection (CSB/SJU), so I almost left like I was hanging out with old friends. It was nice to spend time with so many people who come from the same place as me.
2) Imiliwaha: I met up with the group in Imiliwaha, the convent of 100+ Benediction sisters were I spent time 2 years ago. It was such a neat thing to go ‘back to where it started,’ in a way. It was cool to see the CSB/SJU group experiencing the same things I experienced 2 years ago, and it was such a blessing to be able to spend time with the kids at the orphanage there again. Our group got really close to some of the orphans. I remembered so many of them, and it was crazy to see how much they’ve changed in 2 years. There were some new children, but overall the feeling I experienced when I was there this time was the exact same as the last time. The entire time we were in Imiliwaha memories from my trip and my group just came flooding back – it was fantastic.
3) Udzungwa National Park: I was going to return to Sumbawanga after Imiliwaha but Paul and the group convinced me to travel with them to Mikumi and Udzungwa National Park instead. I had never been to Udzungwa before, and I might have to go out on a limb and say it is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen / experienced in the last 5 months (and I’ve seen some pretty beautiful things). Udzungwa is located in these beautiful mountains, complete with forests, waterfalls and monkeys. The group and I took a 3 hour hike to the top of the mountain / top of this huge waterfall. The overlook was absolutely unbelievable, and the waterfall was gigantic. After hiking back down we were able to jump in and swim at the base of the waterfall. It was probably the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen. The water was freezing, but we got used to it after a few seconds. It was such a spectacular thing to be swimming and look up to see this gigantic, 800+ foot waterfall pounding down.
Here are 3 pictures from my trip: The first one is of me and one of the orphans I was reunited with in Imiliwaha. The second is of the group of girls from St. Bens at the top of the waterfall. The third one looking up from the base of the waterfall (the little pool of water at the bottom is where we were able to swim).
My time here is winding down already. I have less than 2 weeks left in Sumbawanga, then I’ll be traveling to DAR to drop off James (who leaves before me). After that, I’ll meet up with Paul again and do a little traveling with him. I think we’re going to try to go to Zanzibar, and then maybe head down to Hanga where Paul lived as a volunteer for 3 years.
I am really excited to get back home and see everyone again … but I start to get a little panicky when I think about saying goodbye to the people here. I can’t believe my time is almost up.
Hope all is well at home! Keep the comments/emails coming!
1) The group: First of all, one of my good friends (Paul) is leading the trip. It was fantastic to be able to spend time with him here and catch up on life for the last several months. Second, it was really neat to be able to get to know / spend time with a group of students from my school. I didn’t know any of them, but we all had an instant connection (CSB/SJU), so I almost left like I was hanging out with old friends. It was nice to spend time with so many people who come from the same place as me.
2) Imiliwaha: I met up with the group in Imiliwaha, the convent of 100+ Benediction sisters were I spent time 2 years ago. It was such a neat thing to go ‘back to where it started,’ in a way. It was cool to see the CSB/SJU group experiencing the same things I experienced 2 years ago, and it was such a blessing to be able to spend time with the kids at the orphanage there again. Our group got really close to some of the orphans. I remembered so many of them, and it was crazy to see how much they’ve changed in 2 years. There were some new children, but overall the feeling I experienced when I was there this time was the exact same as the last time. The entire time we were in Imiliwaha memories from my trip and my group just came flooding back – it was fantastic.
3) Udzungwa National Park: I was going to return to Sumbawanga after Imiliwaha but Paul and the group convinced me to travel with them to Mikumi and Udzungwa National Park instead. I had never been to Udzungwa before, and I might have to go out on a limb and say it is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen / experienced in the last 5 months (and I’ve seen some pretty beautiful things). Udzungwa is located in these beautiful mountains, complete with forests, waterfalls and monkeys. The group and I took a 3 hour hike to the top of the mountain / top of this huge waterfall. The overlook was absolutely unbelievable, and the waterfall was gigantic. After hiking back down we were able to jump in and swim at the base of the waterfall. It was probably the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen. The water was freezing, but we got used to it after a few seconds. It was such a spectacular thing to be swimming and look up to see this gigantic, 800+ foot waterfall pounding down.
Here are 3 pictures from my trip: The first one is of me and one of the orphans I was reunited with in Imiliwaha. The second is of the group of girls from St. Bens at the top of the waterfall. The third one looking up from the base of the waterfall (the little pool of water at the bottom is where we were able to swim).
My time here is winding down already. I have less than 2 weeks left in Sumbawanga, then I’ll be traveling to DAR to drop off James (who leaves before me). After that, I’ll meet up with Paul again and do a little traveling with him. I think we’re going to try to go to Zanzibar, and then maybe head down to Hanga where Paul lived as a volunteer for 3 years.
I am really excited to get back home and see everyone again … but I start to get a little panicky when I think about saying goodbye to the people here. I can’t believe my time is almost up.
Hope all is well at home! Keep the comments/emails coming!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
School!
So, my dad gave me the idea to blog about what school is like here in Tanzania. It is VERY different from school at home. Here are a few questions my dad asked me, and my answers. Enjoy!
-- Do you do a lot of oral exercises? What are they like? I am assuming you don't have much in the line of books and paper.
A typical class period usually consists of the teacher (me or whoever) giving direct instruction. AKA: the teacher will talk and write on the chalkboard while the students take notes. For some reason the students love taking notes. (My guess is that a lot of that has to do with the fact that all instruction is in English, and it’s easier to understand when you are able to see it written down).
Personally, I like to actually make my students physically do something during the lesson (along with the taking notes part). For example: standing up to demonstrate something, or working together on an activity in groups. Today I made my students act out a sentence from the book we are reading. (I made this poor student stand up and demonstrate “She started cultivating the land. Her hoe went up and down, up and down, up and down”) Haha!
There really aren’t many “school supplies” that are available in the classroom. There are chairs, desks and a chalkboard … that’s it. The students have notebooks for each subject, and pens. If a teacher wants to read a book for class, there usually aren’t enough copies for everyone. For example, right now we’re reading a simple, 6-chapter book called “Mabala the Farmer” in my Form II classes. There are only 11 copies for the entire class (about 25-30 students) – so, they have to share.
-- What kind of things are you studying? Is it basic grammar like tenses and pronouns, or maybe everyday conversion like hello and how are you? Or maybe topics like colors or numbers? Current events? Books like A Prayer for Owen Meany?
Because I’m teaching the younger students (Form I and Form II), they started off with the introduction stuff (hello … how are you), and are studying mostly grammar … tenses, pronouns, articles, etc. My job is to focus on “spoken English” with my students … so we try to work on our speaking skills using the grammar they’re learning.
Because I haven’t done anything with English grammar since high school, I’m learning probably just as much as the students are! Haha … ok maybe not … but a lot of the “grammar” stuff I’ve forgotten, so it’s nice to get a little refresher.
-- How well do the kids know English already? Do most speak at a 5 year old level or high school level or at a PhD level like dear old Dad? Are they very varied in their abilities?
The ability of my student’s English really varies. Some speak English really well, and understand a lot. Some, however, don’t understand anything and really struggle. I’d say on average they speak better than a 5 year old … maybe 10 ish? I’m not sure, it’s hard to gage because it varies so much from person to person.
-- What do you do for fun in the class? Do you teach outside or play games or sing English songs?
Like I said, most of the teachers just give direct instruction in the class, but I’d rather have the students do something. I haven’t taught outside (but I’ve thought of it)! I haven’t sung songs (yet), but James has! I have played games, though!
One of my first lessons we played Simon Says with the basic classroom instructions we learned that day. (i.e., Simon Says sit down, Simon Says close the door, Simon Says write this down … etc). The students LOVED this game once they got the hang of it. It was a little difficult communicating instructions in my horrible Swahili, but the caught on. Not all my lessons have been that fun, though. Haha, we don’t play Simon says every day.
-- Do you ever explain things to them in Swahili?
Yes. I usually start explaining something in English, and then just to make sure they understand it try to say it in Swahili as well. Most of the students are still shocked when I start saying something in Swahili, or using the Swahili word instead of the English word. Haha, so that’s fun.
-- Is there homework? Report cards?
Homework and grades are very different here. Yes, the students have homework. For example, sometimes they might be required to write a paragraph, or memorize a passage, but most of the time they are just supposed to study what they learn in class. Teachers often collect the student’s notebooks to go through and mark them, making sure they are taking notes and doing their assignments.
To be honest, I haven’t quite gotten used to the grading here. There are National tests at the end of the school year for Form II and Form IV students. These tests are really difficult, and many students struggle. Because of this (I believe), the grading here is very hard (to prepare them for the hard National tests). On average, only one or 2 students per grade get “A’s” on the tests, a handful get “B’s”, and most get “C’s” or “D’s.” I’ve kind of had to switch my thinking to the idea that getting a B for most students is an accomplishment.
So, there ya have it! Obviously I’m not an expert on these things (I’ve only been here 5 months), but those are just my opinions on what I’ve noticed/picked up on during my time here. There are some things I will miss about school here, but overall it’ll be nice to get back to teaching in America where I understand everything completely!
-- Do you do a lot of oral exercises? What are they like? I am assuming you don't have much in the line of books and paper.
A typical class period usually consists of the teacher (me or whoever) giving direct instruction. AKA: the teacher will talk and write on the chalkboard while the students take notes. For some reason the students love taking notes. (My guess is that a lot of that has to do with the fact that all instruction is in English, and it’s easier to understand when you are able to see it written down).
Personally, I like to actually make my students physically do something during the lesson (along with the taking notes part). For example: standing up to demonstrate something, or working together on an activity in groups. Today I made my students act out a sentence from the book we are reading. (I made this poor student stand up and demonstrate “She started cultivating the land. Her hoe went up and down, up and down, up and down”) Haha!
There really aren’t many “school supplies” that are available in the classroom. There are chairs, desks and a chalkboard … that’s it. The students have notebooks for each subject, and pens. If a teacher wants to read a book for class, there usually aren’t enough copies for everyone. For example, right now we’re reading a simple, 6-chapter book called “Mabala the Farmer” in my Form II classes. There are only 11 copies for the entire class (about 25-30 students) – so, they have to share.
-- What kind of things are you studying? Is it basic grammar like tenses and pronouns, or maybe everyday conversion like hello and how are you? Or maybe topics like colors or numbers? Current events? Books like A Prayer for Owen Meany?
Because I’m teaching the younger students (Form I and Form II), they started off with the introduction stuff (hello … how are you), and are studying mostly grammar … tenses, pronouns, articles, etc. My job is to focus on “spoken English” with my students … so we try to work on our speaking skills using the grammar they’re learning.
Because I haven’t done anything with English grammar since high school, I’m learning probably just as much as the students are! Haha … ok maybe not … but a lot of the “grammar” stuff I’ve forgotten, so it’s nice to get a little refresher.
-- How well do the kids know English already? Do most speak at a 5 year old level or high school level or at a PhD level like dear old Dad? Are they very varied in their abilities?
The ability of my student’s English really varies. Some speak English really well, and understand a lot. Some, however, don’t understand anything and really struggle. I’d say on average they speak better than a 5 year old … maybe 10 ish? I’m not sure, it’s hard to gage because it varies so much from person to person.
-- What do you do for fun in the class? Do you teach outside or play games or sing English songs?
Like I said, most of the teachers just give direct instruction in the class, but I’d rather have the students do something. I haven’t taught outside (but I’ve thought of it)! I haven’t sung songs (yet), but James has! I have played games, though!
One of my first lessons we played Simon Says with the basic classroom instructions we learned that day. (i.e., Simon Says sit down, Simon Says close the door, Simon Says write this down … etc). The students LOVED this game once they got the hang of it. It was a little difficult communicating instructions in my horrible Swahili, but the caught on. Not all my lessons have been that fun, though. Haha, we don’t play Simon says every day.
-- Do you ever explain things to them in Swahili?
Yes. I usually start explaining something in English, and then just to make sure they understand it try to say it in Swahili as well. Most of the students are still shocked when I start saying something in Swahili, or using the Swahili word instead of the English word. Haha, so that’s fun.
-- Is there homework? Report cards?
Homework and grades are very different here. Yes, the students have homework. For example, sometimes they might be required to write a paragraph, or memorize a passage, but most of the time they are just supposed to study what they learn in class. Teachers often collect the student’s notebooks to go through and mark them, making sure they are taking notes and doing their assignments.
To be honest, I haven’t quite gotten used to the grading here. There are National tests at the end of the school year for Form II and Form IV students. These tests are really difficult, and many students struggle. Because of this (I believe), the grading here is very hard (to prepare them for the hard National tests). On average, only one or 2 students per grade get “A’s” on the tests, a handful get “B’s”, and most get “C’s” or “D’s.” I’ve kind of had to switch my thinking to the idea that getting a B for most students is an accomplishment.
So, there ya have it! Obviously I’m not an expert on these things (I’ve only been here 5 months), but those are just my opinions on what I’ve noticed/picked up on during my time here. There are some things I will miss about school here, but overall it’ll be nice to get back to teaching in America where I understand everything completely!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Back in Sumba
Last Saturday I was reminded yet again why I am here in Tanzania. The past few weeks, since my parents and Allison have been here, I have been feeling more and more ready to go home and be with family and friends again. Having my parents and Allison here made me realize how much I miss home. Part of me wanted to jump on a plane and be back with everyone again. On Saturday, however, God once again reminded me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and it’s not my time to leave yet.
On our way from my place to his place, James and I stopped outside the girl’s hostel to say hello to some of the students. Beth, Adrophina, Maggie, and Kaboga were all there. We sat outside on the grass in the sunshine for over an hour, just enjoying each other’s company and enjoying life. While we were sitting there, and I was looking at James and Adrophina, I got that feeling again that “life is so good here.” Then I started to think about leaving, and saying goodbye to the students. I am really going to miss some of the students, and I am going to miss being a part of their lives.
Saturday, when Maggie saw me, she came running around the fence and hugged me, not letting go for a long time. She was just longing for that love and attention you feel from someone you can look up to. I was happy to give it to her. So many of the students here (especially the girls) have a small support system, if any at all. Many girls are lacking the positive, strong, confident female role model that they can confide in a really open up to and trust. I am going to miss trying to be that friend for them.
I got that sad feeling again when I was looking at Adrophina. She is so beautiful and strong, and so intelligent. When she comes up to me and hugs me for a long time, I wonder if she gets the attention and encouragement and praise she deserves. I try to tell her and all the girls “umependeza” as often as I can (which basically means “you look beautiful”). They look at me (and Allison when she was here), and play with my hair, and say it to me all the time. I hope they realize that they are beautiful, strong women as well. It will be really sad and hard to leave some of these students.
In other news, it’s good to be back here in Sumbawanga. After pretty much being on the go for the last 5 weeks, it’s nice to feel settled again. Tomorrow I’ll start teaching again. They moved me from Form I to Form II (I don’t know why). I will only be teaching a few periods a week because the students are preparing for national exams. I only have about 2-3 weeks left before the end of the term, so I am sure it’s going to go by fast.
Hope things are going well at home!
Here's a picture of me and Adrophina taken a few weeks ago!
On our way from my place to his place, James and I stopped outside the girl’s hostel to say hello to some of the students. Beth, Adrophina, Maggie, and Kaboga were all there. We sat outside on the grass in the sunshine for over an hour, just enjoying each other’s company and enjoying life. While we were sitting there, and I was looking at James and Adrophina, I got that feeling again that “life is so good here.” Then I started to think about leaving, and saying goodbye to the students. I am really going to miss some of the students, and I am going to miss being a part of their lives.
Saturday, when Maggie saw me, she came running around the fence and hugged me, not letting go for a long time. She was just longing for that love and attention you feel from someone you can look up to. I was happy to give it to her. So many of the students here (especially the girls) have a small support system, if any at all. Many girls are lacking the positive, strong, confident female role model that they can confide in a really open up to and trust. I am going to miss trying to be that friend for them.
I got that sad feeling again when I was looking at Adrophina. She is so beautiful and strong, and so intelligent. When she comes up to me and hugs me for a long time, I wonder if she gets the attention and encouragement and praise she deserves. I try to tell her and all the girls “umependeza” as often as I can (which basically means “you look beautiful”). They look at me (and Allison when she was here), and play with my hair, and say it to me all the time. I hope they realize that they are beautiful, strong women as well. It will be really sad and hard to leave some of these students.
In other news, it’s good to be back here in Sumbawanga. After pretty much being on the go for the last 5 weeks, it’s nice to feel settled again. Tomorrow I’ll start teaching again. They moved me from Form I to Form II (I don’t know why). I will only be teaching a few periods a week because the students are preparing for national exams. I only have about 2-3 weeks left before the end of the term, so I am sure it’s going to go by fast.
Hope things are going well at home!
Here's a picture of me and Adrophina taken a few weeks ago!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Glogging for Sarah
WHAT'S UP SARAH'S BLOG SPOT... THIS IS A GLOG (Guest-blog) brought to you by Allison Wenino and James Slagle.
You may be asking yourselves, why would Sarah post a glog today? The answer...She is taking a day off for birthday tidings and we have the honors of glogging for her. So, without further adooooo, enjoy the glog!
We left Sumbawanga a week ago in tears and fear of lions because we knew that Al was leaving Sumbawangan soil for good and we were about to encounter the kings of the jungle. To Mikumi National Park we went, bouncing along by way of a bus that unbenownest to us was broken (HEY O). We parked in a small village and some people got to fixin' her "real quick" (aka, not quick at all). 7 hours later we were back on the road...but not for long.
SCREAMING CHILDREN AND ADULTS EVERYWHERE ALONG THE ROAD!!!! "Oh no," thought Sarah as tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh snap," thought James as he saw all the crying onlookers. "Is it a riot?" questioned Allison as we rolled up to the site of a rolled over school bus. "ALL the men get off the bus to help the injured," shouted the bus conductor. James rolled up his sleeves, took off his watch and prepared himself for the worst. Little did he know that this was just a group of overdramatic people and there was not one scratch or bruise in sight. The bus did bring the students to the nearest hospital and we all did appreciate the help that people were instantly ready to give the people involved in the accident.
After a brief jaunt in Mbeya, we made it to Mikumi National Park for a little animal gazing. We left early in the morning with our guide Benson and spent the entire day driving around the park and seeing all that the Tanzanian National Park had to offer. Some of the highlights were; giraffes intermingling with zebras, elephants charging our car, lions attempting to reproduce, and a pride of lions enjoying a impala feast. All in all it was quite the safari and we enjoyed the animals, God's creation, and the time spent together. After the safari we checked in to a new, 5000 shilling a night hotel ($3.20) and attempted to get some sleep in the waterless, ant infested, holey mosquito net room. It really wasn't that bad, but it was bad.
ON TO ZANZIBAR...yes that is a real place and an awfully fun and relaxing island to travel to for a couple of days. We started with a rainy spice tour and ended on the sunny north beaches. There are two parts of our Zanzibar trip that should be noted. First, our time spent in Stone Town, the southern port city of Zanzibar that is home to quite a large amount of Arabic influence, history and spices. We went on a tour of a spice farm jungle, wandered around the windy streets of the town and slept restfully in a brand new hotel with an amiable owner. We scooted up north to the beaches of Kendwa, Zanzibar on the third day. After James negotiated prices at four different hotels (and at the hospital the night before) we picked a bungalow at White Sands Beach Hotel ("it was the cutest thing ever," says Allison). A little rain for the first couple of hours was the only thing over the course of the next 2 days that could keep us away from the white sands and turquoise water of the Indian Ocean. We were incredibly blessed by the weather and spent most of each day sitting at the beach, swimming around, and hammocking (tough life, huh?). It was quite the relaxing adventure and, once again, the time spent together was a major highlight!
Now, we are here...it is us...do you see us? We're back in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and enjoying Sarah's birthday at the Dar Es Salaam Guest House. We woke up, ate breakfast, spent an hour shopping for touristy gifts, took a nap, ate lunch, went back for a relaxing lounge time, and are preparing for dinner. Oh, what a day! Happy Birthday Sarah, we love you. Mwalela!
Keep it real all of you back home and around the world. We're peacin' out.
Al and James
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Quick Update
Hello everyone!! Sorry it’s been a long time since I’ve written. I’ve been very busy these last few weeks visitors, so I haven’t spent much time at the internet lately. I’ll do a quick update on life since my parents left.
My friend Allison (from St. Ben’s) is here! She arrived a few days after my parents left, so it was perfect timing. Allison, James and I have been having an absolute blast so far. We have gone on 2 hikes to the top of mountains, went to have dinner with some of the girl students at James’s school, walked around town quite a bit, and now we are at Mvimwa Abbey. Mwimwa Abbey is the Benediction Monastery about 2 hours away from Sumbawanga. It is located in the middle of nowhere (literally), and is surrounded by plains and mountains in the background. This morning Allison, James and I went on a 4 hour hike to the top of the mountain. It was a steep climb, but once we got to the top it felt like we were literally on top of the world.
So exciting news: ALLSION is staying here for an extra week! She changed her flight because she is having such a great time (and because of the giant ash cloud over Europe right now).
We will hang out in this area until this weekend. Then, we will go on our safari through Mikumi National Park. Then next week we will spend the entire week in Zanzibar (the island off the cost of Tanzania). Zanzibar activites on the list so far are:
-take a spice tour, where we get to go to farms and taste different spices
-relax on the beaches (with the turquoise-blue water and the straw huts)
-possibly go snorkeling
-possibly swim with DOLPHINS!! (Apparently you can hire a boat to take you out a ways from shore where there are a ton of dolphins … hopefully we’ll be able to figure this one out)!
So, needless to say, I’ve got a busy (but amazing) few weeks ahead of me! Sorry if I don’t communicate with everyone as well these next few weeks … but I should be back to Sumbawanga on May 5th, and I’m guessing life will return back to “normal” then.
My friend Allison (from St. Ben’s) is here! She arrived a few days after my parents left, so it was perfect timing. Allison, James and I have been having an absolute blast so far. We have gone on 2 hikes to the top of mountains, went to have dinner with some of the girl students at James’s school, walked around town quite a bit, and now we are at Mvimwa Abbey. Mwimwa Abbey is the Benediction Monastery about 2 hours away from Sumbawanga. It is located in the middle of nowhere (literally), and is surrounded by plains and mountains in the background. This morning Allison, James and I went on a 4 hour hike to the top of the mountain. It was a steep climb, but once we got to the top it felt like we were literally on top of the world.
So exciting news: ALLSION is staying here for an extra week! She changed her flight because she is having such a great time (and because of the giant ash cloud over Europe right now).
We will hang out in this area until this weekend. Then, we will go on our safari through Mikumi National Park. Then next week we will spend the entire week in Zanzibar (the island off the cost of Tanzania). Zanzibar activites on the list so far are:
-take a spice tour, where we get to go to farms and taste different spices
-relax on the beaches (with the turquoise-blue water and the straw huts)
-possibly go snorkeling
-possibly swim with DOLPHINS!! (Apparently you can hire a boat to take you out a ways from shore where there are a ton of dolphins … hopefully we’ll be able to figure this one out)!
So, needless to say, I’ve got a busy (but amazing) few weeks ahead of me! Sorry if I don’t communicate with everyone as well these next few weeks … but I should be back to Sumbawanga on May 5th, and I’m guessing life will return back to “normal” then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
