Travel Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Stopped at the Gate

I will try to summarize a really long and tragic (at least from my perspective) story so as not to bore you! And, to make sure you are interested, I'll tell you the punch line FIRST – we got to the gate to the Ngorongoro National Park and were kicked off the bus because we refused/couldn't pay the park fees. OK, if you are still interested, read on.

Immediately after climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, we wanted to go to Musoma (near Lake Victoria). We knew we wouldn't have time to buy a ticket, so a friend of ours purchased them for us. There are two ways to Musoma – one through two national parks and one around them. Obviously, the one through the national parks is much faster and with a much nicer road. However, there is a $50/person fee for each of the two parks; or $200 for Lisa and I (on top of the bus fare). We were told by some folks that we would not have to pay that fee because we have Tanzania resident's permits. So, we got the tickets going through the park – should have been about an 8 hour ride.

The day of the trip, we arose at 4:30 AM (after just coming down from Kili the day before!) and got on the bus. We rode along in peace - even saw some giraffes! Then, when we arrived at the gate to Ngorongoro, there was a park ranger telling us about the fees – and that we DID have to pay. I, of course, thought he was lying to me. So, I called my friend and tried to have him explain to the park ranger why I should not have to pay. That didn't get me very far! My friend told me he was "going to call someone to get this figured out" and hung up. Of course, the network went down right after we hung up, so there went that lifeline! I argued and argued with the park ranger. In the mean time, there is a bus full of angry Tanzanian folks wanting to get going! The biggest issue was that we had not brought enough money (and I still didn't trust the man to be telling me the truth). So, finally I conceded to get off of the bus with our stuff with the idea that the bus company would arrange our transportation back to Arusha and give us a partial refund. Long story short, both were lies!

We finally returned to Arusha at around 1 PM and were told to return at 4 PM to the bus company and they would get it straightened out. When we returned, we were told they would not give us a refund and they didn't even go to Musoma on the day we needed. So, finally we conceded (yet again) to purchase a new ticket to Mwanza going the long way (again departing at 6 AM the next day).

Let's just say, after all that, my feelings toward Africa were not very good! I'm not a confrontational person by nature. I was spent, wiped out and angry. We went back to our hotel and just sat in a semi-vegetative state for the remainder of the day!

The Longest Bus Ride EVER

If at this point, you are bored with travel stories, skip down to Veronica. If not, read on!

So, the next day, we began our journey to Mwanza. We had a better attitude from the beginning of the day. We again wake up at 4:30 AM for our 6 AM bus. About 3 hours in to the trip we start driving on these unpaved, bumpy and dusty roads. I mean REALLY bumpy and dusty. Soon, everyone is covered in a thick layer of road dust. About 6 hours in to the trip, the bus breaks down (reference bumpy roads). About 10 hours into the trip the dust turns to mud on us as we start to sweat. About 14 hours into the trip we arrive in Mwanza. Unfortunately, we still need to go to Musoma (about 4 hours away).

Thankfully, we had made friends on the bus with a man (Nickerson) who lived in Mwanza and he helped us get to the proper bus station to get to Musoma. Unfortunately, they were closed. Yet, somehow in the midst of things, we found another friend (Deo) who was also going to Musoma. He said we should wait by the secondary lot of the bus company and they would come by there and pick us up (I'm thinking "yeah right"). Anyway, it's about 8:30 by now and Deo said they would be there by 10 PM.

Around 10:30, the Musoma bus pulls up. Unfortunately, so did about 20 men – yelling and shoving. Evidently, there were not enough seats for everyone! Deo said, if we just go down to "this other place" we could get on there. So, we once again hop in a cab and drive "to this other place". We are told not to worry because the driver of our taxi is the young brother of the Musoma bus driver. I love Tanzania! So, we get to the "other place" and hop out of the Taxi. Deo tells us to hurry. The bus pulls up, but again 20 or so yelling and shoving men do to! Deo is not a tall man – maybe 5 foot 4 inches or so. Yet, somehow in all of the yelling and shoving he talked the conductor into letting us on! So, we literally had to shove our way on to the bus!

Once on the bus, there are exactly enough seats for all of us (thank you God!). Lisa finds a seat with her little back pack in between two slender college girls who are very happy to have her join them. I, on the other hand, have our honkin' big pack with all of the clothes! And, my seat is next to, let's just say, a rather large lady who is, no lie, taking up about ½ of my seat! Since we didn't have time to put our bags under the bus, I'm holding it in my lap! But, I had to sit sideways in my seat to accommodate for the extra ½ of a person. It's now 11:00 PM and my nerves are DONE! So, I tried to get as comfortable as possible – which already is very challenging. Unfortunately, the stress of the running and the shoving and then just general body heat, you know what happened. Yep, we started to sweat. And, the mud flowed once again.

So, to make a long story even longer, my seat mama and I sweated it out until 2:30 AM when we finally arrived in Musoma! After nearly 20 hours of travel time (that day alone) we were ready for bed!

Visiting Veronica

We sponsor a girl through Compassion International. Finally, after all of the fiascos of the past two days, we were able to meet her. After some brief introductions and a tour of the Musoma Compassion facilities, we were taken to Veronica's house. She lives there with her grandmother and siblings. I can't remember how long we have been sponsoring her, but over a year. She has been writing letters to us and they sent a picture too. It was so great to be able to meet her and spend the day with her. We took her to lunch. Lisa spoke all of the Swahili she knew with her! Veronica, like many other children in Tanzania, need financial help to pay for school fees, medicine and food. We were very impressed by the work that Compassion is doing.

Skyping with Family

We finally had fast enough internet to Skype with family. It's been great to see their faces! I especially enjoy watching my niece and nephew do back –flips while mom tries to keep the microphone from falling off of the computer. Lisa's family was kind enough to hold up the cheesecake they were eating just so she could see what she was missing! Thank goodness for technologies that keep us all together (when they work).

Christmas in Mwanza

We said good-bye to Veronica and her family and headed back to Mwanza. During our language training we met a couple, Rich and Carli, who are missionaries here in Mwanza. They run an orphanage called Starehe. Rich and Carli and their daughter Elise are from Canada. We struck up a friendship at training and decided it would be great to spend Christmas with them. So, for the past week we have been here in Mwanza! We have tried to help as best we can at the orphanage. It has been so relaxing to be here with them. Their house overlooks Lake Victoria which makes for some beautiful views. We miss our families a lot (as do Rich and Carli). But, if there was a place to spend this holiday, it was definitely here with them. A few highlights here have been on Christmas Eve we ate a feast prepared by Rich and Carli and then opened gifts. We were also introduced to the game Wizard (a card game) which Lisa promptly won. We also have really enjoyed their daughter Elise who just started walking. Thank you for a wonderful week!

Coming up Next – Uganda

Tonight (hopefully) we'll head to Bukoba and then on to Uganda. Hopefully our bus adventures are a little less harrowing!

Kilimanjaro - Failure to Summit

Failure to Summit

It hurts to write that. But, I thought I would begin by telling everyone we did not summit Kilimanjaro - the tallest free standing mountain in the world. I'll be honest, it was a real blow to get within 1/2 hour of the peak and decide to turn around. But, eg0 now thoroughly in check, I'll try to describe what was, without a doubt, one of the best things I have ever been a part of in my entire life. The fact that Lisa and I did not make it all the way to the top (we turned around with about 1/2 hour to go to Stella Point and another 1/2 hour to Uhuru - the actual highest peak) pales in comparison to the beauty of the scenery, the friendships formed, and the personal challenges we all faced. Not to sound too contrived, but this has been some of the greatest days of my life. So, I do not take shame in not reaching the summit in light of everything else that has happpened in the past few days.

Mitigating Factors

Not to make excuses, but here are a few of the realities of Kili -

1. Cold - it's freakin' cold that high up. We were blessed with clear weather all but the first day. Nevertheless, it is just cold at night. Especially the summit day was very cold.
2. Altitude - I underestimated just what an effect altitude would have on everything. It is just difficult to move! Most of the time, especially toward the end, our group looked like we were walking some sort of a death processional - hunched over and placing one foot barely in front of the other. One of our group members actually became very ill with altitude sickness and had to be sent back down. Scary stuff.
3. Dark - we attempted the summit in the dark. It was way more mentally challenging than I could have imagined. Not being able to see the end point makes a difficult task that much more difficult. As soon as the sun started poking it's head up I felt rejuvenated. But, of course, we were already descending.
4. Appetite - as you climb, you lose appetite and consequently energy. I was fine with appetite (go figure) but Lisa started losing hers and had not eaten well for a few days prior to the summit attempt.
5. Headaches - I did not get headaches, but everyone else in our group did. Lisa especially suffered two nights from migraine headaches. The change in altitude really takes a toll.

OK - now that all of my "excuses" are out of the way, I'll try to briefly describe how AMAZING this experience really was.

The Food

We ate like kings. Hands down. We had warm soup every night along with some great pastas, meats and vegetables. Mornings were eggs, coffee, toast and porridge. To climb up an enormous hill and have fried chicken and french fries waiting for you is a real treat! Let's just say, I did not go hungry!

The Terrain

This was my favorite part. Kilimanjaro has at least five distinct ecosystems. We hiked through them all. I just cannot describe how beautiful it is to be above the clouds and watch the sun setting while the peak of Kili is in the distance. I saw plants I swear were out of a Dr. Seuss book. It is also a fairly easy hike. If not for the mitigating factors (see above), hiking Kili is just like any other hike. We went up the Macheme Route, which is a bit more arduous than some of the others. But, even that was not terribly challenging. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in this adventure to do it!

The Company

Lisa and I were joined by fellow teachers Scott, Ben and Victor. Scott's cousin JJ and two of his fellow pilot buddies Brian and Will joined us. Let's just say everyone clicked well. Poor Lisa had to spend six days on the mountain with all guys though!

The Crew

We went through Tembea Africa for the climb. They were so good. Imagine being a porter and having to carry a basket of stuff on your head, a backpack on your back and trudge up a hill past people to get camp set up before they get there. These porters, guides and cooks redefine tough to me. Plus they did all their hard work with a smile on their face.

Final Thoughts

This was easily one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. I feel so blessed to have experienced the country we did in the way we did with the people we did. It is a humbling thing to be out of breath because there is no air and also because the scenery around you is so phenomenal. So, not making it to the summit, even if only by a little bit, quite pales in comparison to the teeming treasures that were gained along the way.

Last Day Celebration – A Rainy Success

Rain and second thoughts

We are in the "little rainy season". However, there was nothing little about the rain this week! It rained nearly every day. One day it gushed water from the sky. It was difficult to see more than 2-3 yards. We were ready to drive home and I walked to the car with my umbrella. A girl asked me to use my umbrella to walk home. She had a jacket on with the hood up, but she was still getting poured on. I said no primarily because there were other students there. How can I be fair and only give it to one student? Then, a little while later a boy came up and asked to borrow my umbrella. He did not have a rain jacket or anything. He looked truly pathetic with rain dribbling down his face. I gave the umbrella to him, asking that he share it on the walk back. Why did I give the umbrella to him and not to her? Was my decision fair? I know it's not a huge thing, but my decision really troubled me. Who knows what the right answer is in this, or any similar situation.

Last Day Celebration

Friday was our last day with the students for this term. It was also the last day for several volunteer teachers who will return home now. Even though it rained most of the day, many parents and siblings came out to for the day. We showed them the science fair, the pre-form woodworking projects, a skit and some music. It was a great last day!

Snake Park

Jane and Lisa took the pre-form students on a field trip to snake park. There they say many local snakes – most of which will kill you! They also saw crocodiles and turtles. These Maasai students are strong and tough but put them on the back of a camel for a ride and they are terrified!

Lisa's Birthday Party

We celebrated Lisa's birthday last night by having a party at our house with the staff. My personal favorite event of the evening was watching Scott and Michael (local guy) doing Indian leg wrestling on our living room floor!

Heading out for Kilimanjaro

Tomorrow we begin our 6 day ascent up Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is the tallest peak in Africa. I'm pretty excited. After we return we will travel to western Tanzania to visit friends and then up in to Uganda. We will try to journal about the experience. Your prayers for a safe journey would be appreciated!

They ate the kidneys...raw

They ate the kidneys...raw

We had our staff party on Saturday. Wahoo! We killed two goats and cooked them in traditional Maasai fashion - chunks skewered on wood stakes. While one of the men ( men only get to slaughter the animals), one of them cut out the kidney, split it in half, handed one half to his slaughtering partner, and both of them popped the raw kidneys in their mouth. Later they made a drink out of blood and fat. We drank it. Not a fan.

Fluffy #2

Bad news - Fluffy the land tortoise went missing after only one day in the school garden. However, miraculously he returned - only a little smaller and with a different attitude. Not sure where Fluffy, the sequel came from. But, who am I to ask those sorts of questions?

You danced like you didn't have a spine - The Conformation Party

We went to a conformation party for a family member from one of our friends who works at the school. These Tanzanians know how to throw a party! It's not enough to give a gift. No, you have to dance it up to the person! So, we danced our way up to the front of the room and placed our money in a little hat. We danced pretty "stiffly" because we were all nervous. Then we got asked to come up again. So, we dug deep in the pockets, found more money, and danced our way up there again. This time I decided that I would cut loose with my dancing. Maybe not the best idea! But, I wiggled and I jiggled up in front of a whole family I didn't know. However, it seemed they liked it. They were clapping and cheering. Afterwards, a family member said to me "Oh, you did a good job when you were dancing. You moved like you didn't have a spine." I have been waiting my whole LIFE to have someone tell me that!

Climbing Kilimanjaro

We probably won't write next week because we'll be climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro. We're pretty excited about it, but I hope we don't die.

Egg Man and Little Rabies

Two staples of our house are the man who delivers eggs (Egg Man) and the dogs who dig through our trash (Little Rabies). Actually, there is one dog who runs around with a chain around is neck. He's DLR - Domesticated Little Rabies. Egg Man sells us eggs in broken English. He always demands a cup or two of water. He usually comes on Mondays. One time, he was at a staff party with us! He just shows up in random places. Just wanted everyone who reads this to know what we have to look forward to for excitement around here!

Good-Bye Jane, Scott, Lisa, Quinn

This is our last week of school. So, after this Friday, we say good-bye to new friends as they end their volunteer time at Orkeeswa. We've really been blessed by these guys. But, I guess transient volunteers are just part of the nature of this place. That... and transient egg salesmen.