dodoma

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greetings from dodoma where i access the internet in two consecutive days! i only have some minutes so i will just write a little from the journal i carry:
I love cheap hotels with verandas. It feels like a very noble place for only 6,000 shillings ($5.50) and now im settling in for a few days. my morning walk yestyerday was nice though most everything was closed except for the fabulous fabric shops none of which even tried to overchardge me. I had run out of shillings so I went to a fancier hotel to do some exchange since banks arent open. I saw 1 mzungu there and then a big group of them on the street, but i realize now i havent said more than hi to a white person in over a week. i walked past a road by the train station with 2 church congregations singinging so loudly. reminded me of the dalladalla/minibus ride leaving malawi. i couldnt have dreamed up a better way to leave malawi. i started to play my marimba a little to pass the time and soon the mpigedebe/conductor? started a call and response and the entire dalla dalla with 20 people packed inside a minibus sang at once. everyone we passed on the street smiled and waved and i was in the front seat playing marimba. they even had two drums they started up. for an hour and a half i listened and watched the the mountains rise--driving away from the lake and towards the border---songs in different tribal languages about rejecting satan and that type of thing.
so the churches were stimulating...like the strong coffee and wonderful hot ginger tea i just drank from the street vendor.
ok, im out of time, promise to write again today or tomorrow.

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