I did wake up 3 times, but got back to sleep. It was a not good-not bad night. (Wasi wasi in Kiswahili). But I was able to take a shower (after getting the faucet knob back on) with enough warmth in the water to make it good enough. I got downstairs just as Steve Friberg was arriving. He lives out in the bush, serving as a medical doctor. (Anya and I camped with their family last year on Mount Ketumbeini, See post from July 25). I am bringing back some beads for the Napok beading women’s micro-enterprise project. Steve invited me to join him at the Arusha Community Church weekly discussion group that meets at this hotel. We’ll if I can be invited to eat goat neck with the Maasai elders (read male elders), then I suppose joining the men for a morning breakfast would be OK. Nathan Simonson was there, so it was great to see him. It was his dad, the late David Simonson, who started the MaaSAE Girls Lutheran Secondary School, and Nate served in the general contractor role for the building of the campus. So, we had many connections with him when were teaching at the school.
Just as that session was finishing, Knut came down for breakfast. I was able to introduce Knut to Nathan and Steve. There is something meaningful but indescribable for me about the goodness of making connections from different parts of my life.
As I finished up a second cup of tea as Knut had breakfast and we discussed plans for the day, I then connected with Pastor Saning’o. He is the new District Pastor.
If you read the post from July 19 about the amazing retirement celebration for Pastor Nangole, now you know of Nangole’s successor. My church’s mission teams are arriving July 16 and one group will be going into the rural areas. I wanted to go over our agenda and talk through the details of meals and other logistics. There isn’t much in restaurants or guest houses in some areas, so we have to plan carefully. Then we have to be flexible, because life is always an adventure in Africa and things never go as you have planned.
The morning was amazingly productive! That is unusual for Africa!
Meanwhile, Knut met with the staff and was able to arrange a switch of rooms. He’s writing a paper these two days, so a conducive environment would be helpful. His room is down the hall and overlooks the grassy courtyard. Mine overlooks the parking lot, with an angle view of the courtyard. However, I have no WIFI in my room now. At least it is free and available in the lobby.
We went on a few errands. I wanted to try to get Tanzanian shillings out of an ATM as the airport ATM didn’t let me do that last night. In the meantime, I stopped by Shabir’s curio shop to introduce Knut. Shabir is a good one to know if we need to get some cash exchanged.
However, I ended up buying a painting!
I loved the vibrant colors and the mama motif. I have found that buying a work of art by a local artist is one of the joys of my travels. Anya would be surprised that I made a spontaneous purchase, but over the years, I realized that I wished that I had purchased this one painting of Nepali women in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1992, so perhaps that was in the back of my head when I spontaneously bought this painting.
However, none of the ATMs would take my Master Card Debit Card, so then I started wondering if I should have paid US cash for the painting. Well, after lunch and an online chat with my CapitalOne bank, I tried the ATM again. It still did not work. So, I went with my VISA card that has a 3% international transaction fee.
Tanzania is the opposite of Norway in many regards, but one that is so clear is the pedestrian right of way (Norway) and the biggest-one right of way (Tanzania). In Norway, you just have to get close to a curb to have the car stop for you. In Tanzania, you have to take your life in your hands when crossing the road. The one official crosswalk by the post office is gone! So, I try to take the route that will have me crossing on calmer streets. Knut is an experienced international and especially African traveler, so he’s not fazed at all.
We had pizza for lunch and discussed a bit more about my PhD project, especially with regard to publishing it afterwards. So, through Knut, I’ve been extended an offer to publish my dissertation after some revisions that take into account the critiques from the defense committee. (They are officially called “opponents!”)
Knut went to work on his paper, and I took my shillings to get Malarone, the best malaria prophylaxis. It is available over the counter here for only $2.10 a pill, so cheaper than in the USA.
Hawkers are pretty prevalent in the clock tower area and some can be relentless in trying to sell stuff. My basic Kiswahili sometimes helps. And it helps to not look like a tourist. I have my modest dirt-skirt on (yes, with REI cargo shorts underneath for my passport), and I don’t wear white. It is most often tourists who wear white in Africa. But on the way back to the hotel from the pharmacy, this guy started walking next to me and talking. He started asking many questions, too many questions, keeping up with my brisk (non-tourist) pace. Eventually, I abruptly stopped and walked into the Kase bookstore. I bought a nice handmade card with a Maasai warrior on it.
While walking along, the sights, sounds, and smells are very different. I know that I’m “not in Kansas anymore,” when I see four dead chickens strapped to the small rack behind the seat on a bicycle. I wish I could have taken a picture, but the speed of the bicycle is only one issue. I also pretty conscientious of being a respectful picture taker. See the travel tips below. The other image was a woman bent over at the waste and cutting the grass with a hedge clipper.
I’m getting settled in my new room. I hand washed my travel shirt from yesterday with camp soap and hung it in the window to get a breeze.
The WIFI was out in the evening, so I’m posting these the day afterwards. However, I was able to stay up until 9:30 pm the first full day (amazing!), talking over geeky biblical interpretation things with Knut at dinner.
Lala salaama. (Sleep peacefully.)
Travel photo tip: Ask permission before taking pictures.
Travel photo tip: If you want a picture of a market or something public, take a picture of your friend. If your friend is barely in the corner of the photo and there is a huge area of the market, mission accomplished!
Travel photo tip: If you will be in a community for several days, keep cameras out of site or just take a few photos of friends. After 3 days, then you have more of a relationship. Still ask to take pictures, but now the people are friends not strangers in a human zoo. Finally, if in a group, designate 1 or 2 people to take photos for the whole group. Then, you will be mostly interacting relationally.
Travel photo top: Don’t get a new camera just before going on a trip. Make sure you have plenty of time to get to know your camera and use it effectively.
Travel money tip: Get a credit/debit card that has a 0% international transaction fee. If you’re in the Seattle Area, BECU has one, but Capital One has one too.
Travel money tip: Bring more than one card in case the first one doesn’t work. Debit cards have less fees on this side at Tanzanian ATMs!
Travel money tip: Make sure you have previously registered your international travel on each card you take out of the country with travel dates and countries. Some cards let you do this online. Some require that you call the number on the back of the card.
Travel money tip: Make 2 photocopies—front and back—of the cards you are taking along. Take one with you, so you have the customer service number if you card is lost or stolen and leave one with a contact back home. Do this for your passport too!
Travel gear tip: ScottEVest. Mine has 17 hidden pockets. Safari vests scream tourist and the pockets on the outside say “target” to pick pockets.
Travel gear tip: Connect things of value to your body by a lanyard or chain.
Travel gear tip—for places with sketchy water: Water filters. I have two with me.
With blessings,
Beth
Marvin also endorses ScottEvests (it should be singular, I only have one). We’re praying you through this adventure, too! Jeannmarv