The Rains Down in Africa

We awoke too early based on how tired we were, but depending upon where someone's room was, we got a lovely view of Kilimanjaro around 6:15am or so.  Even better, there was a little school on the grounds of the hotel and we got to hear the lovely sounds of children singing songs in Swahili.

Breakfast was served from 6:30am to 10am, so different pairs and individuals from our group wandered down at different times and enjoyed pretty familiar looking breakfast foods, including eggs, fruit and bread.  We were asked for individual egg orders and also got some great juice that was a combination of mango and passion fruit.

We all had awakened and eaten by about 10, so we headed into town to take a quick walking tour.  We went to the open air market and saw beautiful piles of fruits and vegetables, and somewhat less beautiful sides of beef hanging on butcher's hooks.  People constantly greeted us with a hearty "Jambo!" (or some variation thereof). Many of the people wanted to sell us something (mostly food) so we each were careful to NOT be the "slow gazelle" who got caught by the friendly but aggressive vendors who wanted to show off their wares. We then moved into the more commercial district and got to see craftspeople sewing clothing in the open air and a whole range of bustling small businesses doing their work.  We stopped at a shop that is primarily about souvenirs but decided not to pursue those purchases just yet.

From there, we got all of our things together and headed out toward our real camp, which will be our home until we leave for our safari.  We bought all new tents of the same kind that we used the last time we were here (in 2012).  We had practiced setting the old tents up during our retreats but we learned that we had some iffy poles, some missing stakes, and some unappealing smells in those old tent bags.  Of course, we already knew that one tent had not one but TWO arrow holes in it, put there by two different people in 2012.  Knowing all of this, we invested in new tents.

By the time we started heading up the mountain to establish our camp, the rain had started.  We knew that the rain would complicate our set-up, but it also complicated our arrival to get things started due to a stalled truck blocking a road that we needed to get to our destination.  So, we pivoted.  We drove by the road that leads to our camp, parked somewhere farther away than we intended to go, and walked in the rain to find our way to our new home.

Because we didn't know that our afternoon would unfold this way, we weren't quite ready in terms of our footwear, jackets, and other things.  Also, we have a LOT of luggage.  So our bags got transferred into safari vehicles and we all walked.  We went uphill, uphill, and uphill some more (everything in Tanzania is uphill from everything else) and finally got to a slippery path that led down, then up another hill to our camp.  We were clumsy uncoordinated (and soggy!) oafs who could barely walk a straight line.  But we were laughing and having fun all the way.

Even though it was cloudy and misty when we got to our camp, we could tell that the area is BEAUTIFUL.  There's a large grassy area that holds all six of our oversized tents with ease. There's a huge shelter area that is clearly going to be our dining hall and meeting area. There is a shower house and then little tents that function as our toilets.  They are composting toilets, which means they are sort of little self-contained latrines that include organic materials other than our  -- um -- "deposits" that help to break things down and turn the mixture into usable compost.  No one is using the compost for agriculture or anything; it just gets turned back into the landscape.

Speaking of toilets, some of us had our first experiences with squat toilets at the airport, though they were not the only option for use.  Squat toilets are essentially ceramic-lined holes in the ground that you literally squat over to use.  We were a bit more inclined to hover than squat, but in any case we figured it out.  The whole toilet situation is going to be our biggest adjustment in this context.  We'll get there.

Setting up our tents in a steady (but not heavy) rain was a good challenge for us to face on our first "real" day.  We had practiced setting up the tents (as we said above) but we hadn't practiced under these circumstances.  We got really good really fast.  The tents are huge (10' x 18') and we have three people in five of them and four people in the sixth one.  We have air mattresses and our personal bags in the tents with us, but with such a big footprint, we all have plenty of room.

We had chicken and soup and rice and tea for dinner, supplemented by really sweet pineapple.  Our cooks are the same ones we had in 2012: Kenja and Juma. The kitchen crew from our group had to figure out what the dishwashing practice will look like, as each team takes up that job every four days.  The other chores through which teams rotate are filtering water for our use, managing and organizing the camp, and producing the daily videos that will eventually land on these pages.

We have lots of photos to share, but we have to get organized first.  And we are sure that the best photos (and videos) are yet to come. Keep checking back as we figure out the ways to get new items posted.  More soon!

While exploring downtown Moshi, we noticed unfinished construction. We weren’t sure if they were currently being constructed on or if they had been abandoned.

We had to walk to our campsite from the road.  We took several trips to get our 80 bags to camp down in the rain down a makeshift path that had turned to mud.  These used to be white.

While unpacking, we realized we had 85 pounds of Tapatio and Ritz.  Guarantee: we will have an extra empty suitcase on the way back

When we first arrived in Mweka (the village that we are staying in), we found meat hanging and laying out in the open. We immediately thought of Aidan, who is vegan (but currently on a dietary sabbatical).

We made a quick stop at a gift shop in Moshi and found these beautiful bowls on display.

First full day in Tanzania! Driving to Moshi to explore the city and buy some gifts for family and friends. The ride was bumpy and felt like a rollercoaster in the back of the bus.

 A group of boys coming back from school and asked for their picture to be taken!

Walking through the market at Moshi where food and vegetables were sold and abundant. Everyone was kind and wanted to say hi and talk to us.

 While we were in Moshi we came across a lot of spices. There was different sorts of spices and colors in bags.

 Marlina, Lindsay and Aiden looking at the different fruit being sold in Moshi. We walked around for hours exploring the city and interacting with the locals.

Yes, another picture of fruits and vegetables. The city is filled with color with the fruits, vegetables, and the different clothing patterns people wore.

 The streets of Moshi were busy with running children, racing motor cycles, and vibrant colors found of street walls, clothes, buildings, and foods.

We had the privilege to tour the city of Moshi before we set up camp in Mweka. Many of the streets were filled with vendors who sold fresh fruits and vegetables like you see in this picture.

 While walking through Moshi, children in brightly colored uniforms sprinted in between our group screaming “Jambo! Jambo!” which means hi in Swahili.

 A few of the school children asked us to take a picture of them while we were passing them in the streets.

 In Moshi, we walked down a street designated for tailors. Locals with sewing machines lined the sidewalks and sewed clothes on the spot. Intricate clothes were draped everywhere, creating a kaleidoscope of colors painting the walls as seen in this image.