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The man, the myth, the legend
Unfortunately this is the only picture I have of just the two of us. A brief insight into my travel partner for the second half of my travels in Tanzania:
During my week in Mwanza I met a man named Gudlak (pronounced “Good Luck”) who was assisting with the acute care clinic. Gudlak is the man. He is 32 years old and was born and raised in Arusha, Tanzania. He supports his daughter, parents, and various nieces and nephews by doing seasonal survey work in the bush for Rutgers University. He traveled to Mwanza with a friend of his who had studied anthropology at said university and was associated with Lighthouse Medical Missions. Seeking to improve my Swahili and learn more about this intriguing guy I started chatting him up whenever I got the chance and soon found that he used to lead climbs up Kilimanjaro as well. I shared with him my plans of climbing the mountain and he counseled me that this would be unwise as the odds of summiting during the rainy season are poor. After just a few conversations I was convinced to no show my flight to Kilimanjaro and instead take a 16 hour bus ride to Arusha with Gudlak. From there we would rent a car and improvise a Safari through the Serengeti and the surrounding national parks.
I really can’t stress enough how strong this man’s character is. He is one of the most genuine people I have ever had pleasure of meeting. He made it his job to make sure I had the time of my life in Tanzania and he executed this job extremely well. I fully expected to pay the Mzungu price during the latter half of my time in Tanzania as I would be traveling alone. Gudlak ensured that not only did I not overpay, but that I saved money wherever I could. In total I would estimate that he saved me 7-800 USD during our week and a half of travels, possibly more. He did more than just saved me money, however. He provided me with access to opportunities that I never would have been able to discover on my own and friendship instead of taking advantage of me, which he could have quite easily done. I am forever grateful for his care.
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