The hours are quickly draining away and we are very aware of our impending departure from our Tanzania home. We got up early and climbed the hill to catch the sunrise on Kilimanjaro one last time, then had pancakes for breakfast and headed to the school. There we found Barnabas and Ferdinand bricking in the end of the roof (the point above the wall) and Remy adding a cap to the roof seam.
We decided to clean the kitchen area as well as we could, even though we didn't have any brooms or other cleaning items. We have watched the kids clean using bundles of sticks, so we did our best to replicate their work. We moved bricks and brick parts, scraped at the floor to remove dirt and debris, and removed three wheelbarrows full of dirt from just the kitchen area itself. We then started filling in the floors of the other two rooms, which involved getting fill dirt from a nearby field that may or may not have been fertilized not too long ago. We weathered the smell and filled the space, then broke up more rocks that will serve as fill when the contractors pour the concrete either Saturday or Monday.
Olivia and Anthony taught the English class for the last time, this time playing Hangman to help them remember their prepositions. The students loved it. At the end, both Olivia and Anthony spoke to the students in Swahili, telling them that they were grateful to have been welcomed into the class, that their teaching was a highlight of their trip to Tanzania, and that they hoped they would keep studying English. The students applauded them. Then mobbed them with hugs, high fives, and handshakes. Lots of us joined in on the lovefest.
It was difficult to accomplish much more today, so right at 12:30 we decided to gather in the kitchen and have a little closing ceremony led by Aidan and Matt. We talked about why we came here, what we found when we got here, what we have experienced here, the contributions we have made here, and our hopes for that kitchen, that school, those kids, this community, this region, "the hill," and this beautiful country that we have come to love so deeply. We laid our hands on the walls of the building to feel the reality of what we have accomplished and then turned to make our last walk up that steep hill.
Thunder was sounding and the clouds were gathering, and just as we arrived at camp, the rain began to fall. We all got safely under the dining shelter before it actually began to hail. Little balls of ice were bouncing up all around us and we just put on our jackets and waited it out. It reminded us of our first day here at camp, where we set up in the rain and just did our best from that point on. Now we can roll with the rain, predict its end, and keep on going once it's done. The rain/hail/storm was a nice little bookend to our adventure here.
Our safari drivers arrived just as we finished lunch to help us get a feel for the experience we are about to have. We are going to Tarangire tomorrow, doing one game drive before lunch and one after, then on to Lake Manyara, then to Ngorongoro Crater, which we know is the ultimate safari destination. We expect to encounter elephants, zebras, monkeys, and giraffes pretty quickly, with the possibility of big cats (lions and leopards), flamingos (by the thousands), and hippos. We're excited. We leave at 7:30am to begin the 3.5 hour drive to the first park.
After hearing from our drivers, we went into packing frenzy, trying to get our things reduced down to carry-on bag size for the next four days. We will leave our big bags behind and reconnect with them at the airport, so we need to be ready to get on the plane with what we have with us on the safari. We'll get it.
As you know, we also have tons of "school bags" full of tools and camping equipment. So getting our own stuff together wasn't even half the job. The DIRT vets knew what was involved in packing out, so they took the lead. But the newcomers kept their eyes peeled and picked up jobs wherever they could.
We're finishing some videos and photos tonight and will try to post everything before we sleep. We will need to say goodbye to our camp and our friends here, which is going to be more painful than we can imagine. We have some SMC swag for our main friends, but it isn't enough to thank them for all we've experienced here. We gave t-shirts to Barnabas and Ferdinand, and they immediately put them on. We have some for Kenja, Juma, Samuel, Jackson, and other camp staffers whose names you might not have heard yet. Kenja and Juma will stay with us through the safari but the others will stay here when we leave. We are used to seeing them every day and leaning on them for help, smiles and laughs.
Our compatriot Ali has decided to stay. She is an alumna from 2014 and she is going to spend some time here before heading off to grad school. She will join us on the safari, but we have changed her return flight and look forward to hearing about her continuing adventures.
There are probably tears ahead but we're ready to let them roll. We will remember this sky and this slope for the rest of our lives. Lucky us.
Barnabas is finishing up the last layer of bricks for the
kitchen. He was standing on a ladder that seemed too dangerous for the students
to climb on.
Simon, our host, shows the group his Guinness World Record for the fastest unsupported climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The DIRTies enjoy a much-needed break after working in the morning sun.
The last sunset overlooking
Mweka camp and Scott
Watching all of you explore and build as a team has really been great! All of you are richer for this experience and I guess we are too, since I knew nothing about the area or the people prior. The big smiles, colorful buildings and vegetables at the market, the kitchen coming together and Kili!!!. Way to go Dirties! Can't wait to "debrief" Lindsay in person!
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