Watching for Wildebeests—Further Adventures of a Texan in Tanzania - 13

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 -

I was sorry to be leaving Tanzania. What an unbelievable experience. Bill would stay until Sunday, while Lennard and Dan would be there a few more weeks.

I went down to breakfast, converted my Tanzanian shillings to US dollars and was greeted by Sheiba in the lobby. James was there, too. We weren't sure who was going to the airport with me, so said our farewells just in case they wouldn't be coming back to the hotel. There wasn't a sense of finality, because deep in my heart I felt I'd return to Tanzania sooner rather than later.

Our US team met in a hotel conference room and brainstormed about additional highlights of we might feature. The Serengeti is only one of many wonders Tanzania has to offer. The country is rich in history—whether going back 3.6 million years to early man or to the slave trade several centuries ago; Stanley and Livingstone, or modern advances which make it a shining example for other nations. The country has geological features such as craters and volcanos; artists, craftsmen and fashion designers; nomads, tribes, nomads, villagers, city folks and wonderful people trying to bring improvements in education and governance. The list goes on much longer.

Glancing at my watch, I realized it was almost time to leave for the airport. I went to the desk to get help in bringing down my luggage and was pleasantly surprised to see Caroline and her children sitting there waiting to say goodbye.

I told them I would be back after making one last stop to my room. In those brief minutes, Joseph had drawn a wonderful picture of a Hummer for me. He had no photograph to copy; it was all from his memory. Even the tires had ridges. The steering wheel, like on all cars driven in Tanzania, was on the right. What talent! It's in my office at home, along with the seashells he gave me at Jagwani Beach.

Hudson came and was the one who would accompany me to the airport. There were hugs all around for Lennard, Bill, Dan and others I met in Tanzania. Even the hotel staff said they were sorry to see me go. I would miss them, too.

We got in the car and fought traffic much of the way to the airport. The rain had slowed considerably, but streets were wet and cars moved cautiously. Throughout my time in Dar, whenever stopped for red lights, a parade of vendors would walk by the car trying to sell their wares. There were comic books, magazines, food, toys—anything you could imagine. Hudson bought some shelled round nuts and gave me a bag to take on the plane—another example of how he always thinks of others. He's been a good friend.

We finally reached the terminal. I was able to handle my suitcase, carry on and backpack, so didn't get a porter. Because we booked our tickets from Houston only a week before we left, I couldn't get the return flight through Amsterdam. That was all right, because I had a new experience—flying on Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa, transferring to Paris and back on Continental, our “home grown” airline, to Houston.

As the plane took off, I glanced out the window for one last look at Tanzania. A flood of memories came rushing in. From the moment it was confirmed that Lennard, Dan, Bill and I would be coming for the project, our Tanzanian partners worked hard to help make our joint efforts a success. They selected the proper experts in government, business, the media and education, all of whom gave us information valuable for our assessment. They made arrangements for transportation, lodgings, food and other necessities, travelling with us to make sure everything went smoothly.

We had support from officials in all levels of government, including Chief Secretary Luhanjo at the State House. After I left, the group had the honor of meeting with President Kikwete who was very interested in the project. I'm sorry I wasn't there. The International Year of Planet Earth leaders, represented by Hudson also played a big part.

Our Tanzanian colleagues performed their duties well, but even more, they bonded with us as friends.

Before last year, I never imagined I would someday visit Tanzania. Now I've been twice—and I can't wait to get there again!

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