Hi !! This is part 2 of Joy and Vanessa's trip - a little late but we have had lots happening here recently - stay posted for the next blog!! After arriving back from the big safari with Joy and Vanessa on the Friday night we had planned to have a semi-relaxing weekend in Arusha before doing many of the day trip options available around Arusha. There are great African craft markets in Arusha and we went and bought loads of things which kept the locals happy as it’s the low season, so not many tourist dollars around. African shopping, [View Full Entry]

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Update: 27th May 2007. Yes thats right one month after I wrote this I finally got all the photos on to the site. God I miss REAL broadband and not what they think passes for broadband in Africa...they think that internet speed that registers over 1kb per second is fast. So after taking hours on culling the over 1000 photos taken on safari, and then getting them uploaded to the blog at snail pace, yes a month has past. Pole Sana (very sorry)...but hope you like!!! Original Message We had always planned to go on a big safari when Rachel’s [View Full Entry]

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Ok we know it’s been 6 weeks since out last entry and people want to know what has been happening since our half term break in Zanzibar, but we never seem to have much time to sit down and write, so sorry it has been a while. We are both well, and we are now on 2 weeks school holidays as the first term has finished. Rachel is a bit drained from a very full on term; she has been sick again, this time with an ‘amoeba’ (severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea) so has now totally sworn off meat. Report [View Full Entry]

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Easter provided us with the opportunity to get away for the 4 day break, but with distance and travel time here a big consideration we were never going to travel that far. We decided to go with 2 other teachers, Louise and Lauren, to the Usambara Mountains which are about half way between Arusha and Dar Es Salaam which is on the coast. We planned to do some hiking and relaxing in the mountains which by all accounts were a really beautiful region of Tanzania. The only way to get there is by bus and you have many options to [View Full Entry]

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Now where was I? Oh yes that’s right we had just been on safari in one of the local national parks and had enjoyed our first taste of African animals. Well what followed after that was the last week of school before the 1 week half term break - and we were heading of on our first African holiday - yippee! The last week of school saw all the kids do exams for the first half term which I reckon is a bit harsh considering some of these kids have only been in school for 6 weeks - oh well, glad [View Full Entry]

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Although we have been in Africa now for 6 weeks, and whilst we certainly know we are in another continent, we weren’t going to really feel like we were here until we had been on Safari. So needing a break from the school and time to recharge the batteries after what has already been a long 6 weeks, we decided to head off to the local Arusha National Park to do a safari and spend the rest of the weekend relaxing in one of the lodges. Arusha is actually quite close to most of Tanzania’s big game parks with Ngorongoro Crater [View Full Entry]

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As you may recall in our last episode, Rachel had a run in with the toilet all night after a dodgy pizza at Stiggy's. Well she was very delicate for a few days after that, eating only very plain food to ensure that she didn't upset her stomach again. Well by the Wednesday night she was feeling a bit more adventurous and after a plain dinner decided to have some Indian snack mix which we have had a few times. Well the 2am stomach alarm went of again, and poor Rachel was sick again, although at least this time it was [View Full Entry]

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I wrote this last week but never got round to posting it as the internet is SO slow that it took another week to get the photos on, so sorry this is a little out of date already. Mambo everyone, and Shikamoo for the oldies out there (mambo is hi to people your own age, and Shikamoo is a respectful greeting for those older than you that literally means I will wash your feet). Based on the state of most peoples feet out here due to the dust when its dry, or the mud when its wet, there's no chance of [View Full Entry]

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We arrived into Mount Kilimanjaro airport late on the evening of Wednesday 3rd January. We were able to see the school and surrounding area the next day when we did a tour of the school and went into the town of Arusha to get some basics. We are about 7kms out of the town of Arusha, in the very small ‘village’ of Moshono. The tarred road ends a couple of kms before the school, so it is a bumpy ride! The area and city is really how we imagined - dusty, dirty, lots of people, basic shops if you exclude ‘shoprite’ [View Full Entry]

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After 4 months of living and working in London, Christmas had arrived. We spent Christmas with Rachel's family, followed by a few days back in London before heading off to my family for New Year. We had a good time and ate and drank way too much. For quite a while now I have been 'eating for Africa' and making the most of hearty winter and Christmas food. We leave for Africa in the morning (Wed 3rd) and we are both excited and nervous at the same time. It's the big unknown that is most daunting, but whatever happens it is [View Full Entry]

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