Blogs from Dar es Salaam, East, Tanzania, Africa - page 45

Countdown to Holidays is officially at ONE!!! Here's my itinerary: Saturday, May 7 - Leave on bus for Arusha (yucky washrooms thus will not be drinking any fluids until arrival). Let’s all hope that the bus will have a/c this time Sunday, May 8 - Relax in Arusha, visit with old roommate, enjoy COOLER weather! Monday, May 9 - FIVE day safari in Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorogoro Crater... hopefully including some chasing of giraffes and/or flamingos (no, not outside of the car, there are lions you know...) Friday, May 13 - End of safari… sigh…... (hear animals rejoicing in background) Saturday/Sunday, May 14/15 - More relaxation in Arusha (safari-ing is tough work). Maybe check out that BBQ place that masquerades as an auto-shop by day? Sunday/Monday, May 15/16 - Leave for Lushoto, a picturesque little ... read more

For those of you who have not had the distinct (dis)pleasure of hearing me rant about accommodation, it is my biggest source of stress here in Africa. I spent the first month with a very nice Tanzanian family and because I ate with them, was able to experience local food at its best. After deciding that I needed to have a little more living space (and light), I have since embarked on a long process of trying to find a new place to live. Trust me, it is not easy to do here - I have a new appreciation for the phrases “Hakuna matata” and “there is no hurry in Africa.” No kidding on the latter… At any rate, I have since moved in with another intern at the LHRC, Evelyn from Kenya, who kindly invited ... read more

Hi Everyone! Well, to be precise, I have been here for 2 weeks and 2 days. I must say that all the ups and downs of daily life, which normally wouldn't affect me too much in Canada, are magnified by 100, so I constantly feel like I'm on an emotional rollarcoaster! As you are constantly out of your comfort zone, I am learning so much about myself in the process... and thank you very much, I have discovered that I am rather LOW maintenance!!! I have now experienced the beach... ahhh... the beach. Then, owww... the beach. Yes, I do like to suntan - I'll admit to having spent a good amount of time reading books in the sun. But here in TZ, I am not so silly as to expose my bare flesh to the ... read more

Saturday 12th February Even though it must have been a late night for Harriet and Jon-Erik, they were up bright and early - how do they do it? ‘Knock, knock’ came the wake-up call on our door and we had to leave those soft beds. Today was Jon-Erik’s birthday, so we had a present prepared for him to open at the breakfast table. We all trouped downstairs and sang Happy Birthday for him, and luckily our teen-agers did not have to cringe with embarrassment as we were the only ones in the restaurant. He had quite a few presents and we gave him a pedometer to measure how far he walks and how many steps he takes. After a shower we were ready for our beach day. I had always gone north of the Msasani Peninsula ... read more

Hello again, I have finally arrived after only 5 days of traveling and is it ever hot here! I don't have a/c at my place so am quite hot, even with the fan on. Apart from the heat, it's been quite an adventure so far. Due to freezing rain, my plane from Calgary was delayed, thus causing me to miss all my connections to Dar. So, I was delayed by two days in Toronto - thank you again so much to my family, the Palis', for taking such great care of me! I was taken to the office on the afternoon of my first day here and met all the staff. I am now currently reading some information brochures on my organization and trying to figure out my responsibilities. I'm not sure what to expect regarding ... read more