Hujambo!

(THESE POSTS HAVE BEEN SAVED UP ON MY COMPUTER FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS WHILE WE SORTED OUT OUR INTERNET ISSUES HERE.  THE CONNECTION ISN'T MUCH BETTER THAN TWO TIN CANS AND A STRING SO I WON'T PUT UP MANY PICTURES AND THOSE I DO WILL BE LOW QUALITY UNTIL I GET A BETTER CONNECTION).

Hujambo!

That’s How are you? (one of about 10 different variations) in Swahili - or more correctly Kiswahili as they would say here.  Greetings are very important and we have been doing our best to try to pick up a few words although the French lessons the kids and Jen have been working on have thrown a real monkey wrench into their ability to retain anything! 

We arrived pretty much on schedule after a long but uneventful flight to Amsterdam and then Kilimanjaro.  For some reason, although it was a smooth flight, both Rachel and Shawn were looking particularly green as we touched down.   I figured that because we were second row from the back in the cheap seats, we’d be last off the plane but after the first class/business class cabin disembarked, they opened up the rear doors and we were able to jump the rush.  Nancy had told us that there would be a big line up to buy our visa’s so we raced over there and got to the head of the line (which had several hundred passengers in it by the time we were finished.  No real issues there and our bags all arrived eventually in good shape.  We were picked up by Abi and a van driver and taken to our “house” for our stay in Moshi. 

                                   Our little "guest house".  We have the whole wing on the right.

We had expected that this house would be out in the boonies from Jen’s dealings with the great folks handling our safari/volunteer work… but we were very surprised to find it really was more of an estate!  We had also thought we’d have it for ourselves but it turns out that they have full time security guards, gardeners, three ladies to do cooking/beds and it had two Canadian doctors and an Aussie one to boot!  So much for worrying about medical care in Tanzania!  The doctors are here volunteering at a local medical clinic/shelter for women (many of the women here are beaten and abused not to mention mutilated due to religious beliefs) so we are in very good hands.

The next morning we met Simbo, our safari operator and Abi took us for a tour of the Tulane Children’s Orphanage where we were planning on volunteering as well as of “downtown” Moshi.  The Orphanage is only a 10 minute walk from here through “subdivision” streets.  It was every bit as sad as we thought it would be.  It is run by a former orphan lady who donates all her money into supporting 40 some odd kids ranging from 2-18.  The teenagers stay with her in her home and the young ones are at the orphanage with her former orphans who look after them.  They bunk about 3 to a room (normal bedroom size for home) but the conditions are very primitive to say the least.  Chickens have free run of the place and sometimes also sleep with the kids. 

When we got there, most of the kids were in school but about 5 young ones were sitting at a table just hanging around.  Big smiles on all of them.  The young girls that were running the place didn’t speak much English but made us feel welcome.  They spend their days making meals, cleaning up and making dresses for sale in the local market.  I think it was a real eye opener for everyone.

As you may know, Jen and I have been really bothered by the recent change in Tanzanian visa charges.  On top of the normal tourist visa, they want another $550 US each for us to volunteer (even for a day) so have been thinking we’d rather just donate the money to the orphanage rather than sending it to some fat cat in Dar es Salam.  Even the locals have been telling us that its all a scam.  Luckily the lead doctor here (who also doubles as the house manager) told us that we could do some volunteering under the covers on a casual basis so we plan to do that. 

After the visit to the Orphanage, we walked into town (about 20 minutes) to get some supplies and a SIM card for the BlackBerry so we could get a decent internet connection.  Moshi is a typical third world village with a daily population of around 2M we were told (although I find that impossible to believe).  I suspect they added 3-4 extra zero’s to that.  Lots of street vendors selling locally made goods/clothes (often sewing them right there in front of you!) and doing things like using a bike to drive a string powered grinding wheel (mounted on the handlebars) to sharpen knives and machetes.  We felt quite safe.  Costa Rica was a good training ground.  We had lunch in the local farmer’s union restaurant formed by 65 local coffee growers.  It is a bit of a tourist hangout so we’ll likely spend most of our time either cooking for ourselves here (breakfasts are included) or dining at a local shop.

The kids are in heaven because they have 2 female dogs much like red versions of Simba/Gabby – one of them with 5 puppies!  The youngest puppy is called Simba and looks just like him to boot.  Of  course they are covered in fleas but the kids enjoyed helping wash them in the special shampoo the doctor got for them.   We have trees in the garden that have everything from Pomagranites to Mangos, Bananna’s, Oranges, and others.  We’re in behind a gate and with the security guard and the dogs, we feel very safe.  As they say… Hakuna Matata!

Today (November 4th), we spent the day at the Orphanage.  One of the nurses here on a volunteer mission had been working to paint the kids rooms and had one left to do so we offered to go do that.  First we had to wash down the walls which were pretty disgusting, clear out the cockroaches (or “beatle’s as Rachel calls them without correction from Jen/I).  We had to do it with old brushes as anything not nailed down disappears and with the watery paint (definitely not Benjamin Moore!), it was a bit of a challenge but we got it done.  Pink on top and beige on the bottom (it’s a room for 3 girls).  They each had their own single bed (one was a bunk) and a TV/dvd player…  but its clear that they don’t take a lot of care with their stuff.  I guess they have volunteers come in and paint/clean up so they don’t focus on that too much – they don’t sweat the stuff that would drive us nuts… but I did notice one of the girls sweeping the large enclosed dirt yard with a hand whisk broom.    It took us about 4 hours to get it done to our satisfaction and we were met with smiles all over which made it all worthwhile.

Tomorrow morning first thing, we head out on safari.  Not sure how good the internet connection will be out there but we’re told it will be just fine – although on the landline computer here at the house, I suspect there are tin cans and string in the connection somewhere.  Jen booked the tickets to South Africa and our first safari there as well.  We fly out of Tanzania (Dar es Salam on the coast) to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwae (through Jo’burg) on December 18^th to start a 20 day camping overland safari through Zimbabwae, Botswana, Nambia, Swaiziland and then down to Cape Town.  We’re sure it’s going to be tough but we’ll be looking forward to that.  After spending a few days in Cape Town, we’ll drive the “Garden Route” ourselves back up towards Johannesburg before flying out to Singapore in mid-Jan.

Wish us good luck on this Safari.  I’ve waited 44 years to do this (ever since Mom/Dad took us to see Born Free in Germany).  I’m very excited about this and have been LOVING Africa so far.  I’m up at dawn every morning and just sit out and listen to the sounds of the locals singing in their “choirs”… it may be on radio as I haven’t seen them, but I love the music.  The sounds of Africa!   Next stop, the Serengeti!