I'm Here!!!!!

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Hi Everybody!

I have arrived safe and sound in Dar es Salaam, the "Haven of Peace", which may be overstating it a little but so far so good. The flight was absolute madness in the sense that no human being was ever meant to spend sixteen hours in the air, but I survived it. Although it will take three months before I'm ready to board another aircraft, I do think I'll be able to get back on without being drugged and dragged. Which is good news for those of you who were concerned about my never coming home, and bad news for those of you who picked "BA Baracus" in the pool. Sorry if you lost money. That's an A Team reference for those of you who missed it, and I promise the only one I will ever make.

I am staying at a hostel run by Catholic nuns which is clean and comfortable and gives me a chance to talk to people anytime I want, which is proving to be a good thing. My contact from FOGOTA met me at the airport as he promised he would and has been showing me the city for the last couple of days. For the most part we go by daladala, which is the public transportation here, consisting of crazy little vans that cram themselves full of people and take off at top speed amongst pedestrians and bicycles, honking and swerving to avoid whatever is in the path. It's quite the belly lurch, but apparently the only genuine way to get around the city if you want to experience life like the locals do. It also costs about twenty cents. The people are very friendly, and very tolerant when you fall off your seat or fall into a stranger's lap (I've heard...). Today a woman started a conversation with a shy "How do you like our country?" (gee, how did she know I'm not from here?) and ended by taking my email address. Very nice. Everyone I meet says "Jambo! Karibuni!" (Hello, welcome) and they are delighted when I can respond with "Asante sana!" (Thank you very much). Unfortunately this is the extent of my Swahili so far but I'm hoping that will change.

Yesterday was my first day and I was exhausted and overwhelmed and nauseated. I slept very little last night, finding that I am tired and blah during the day, and wide awake and starving at night. I'm thinking this might be the jet leg you all told me so much about. I'm assuming it will turn around somewhere. I figured I would feel like crap again today and sort of prepared myself mentally for that, reminding myself that it doesn't matter in the long run and that it's okay to take some time to adjust. But it was all for nothing because this morning I felt great. We were off again exploring the city and I bought a mobile phone because this is what everyone uses here. It cost 25 000 Tanzanian shillings which is somewhere around thirty dollars Canadian, then I buy pay and talk cards and I'm all set. A very good system. I also went to a beach (can't remember the name -- don't tell Thomas my FOGOTA guy) and PUT MY FEET IN THE INDIAN OCEAN!. How cool is that? That alone was worth traveling to the other side of the world. Then to bring it all back down to size, I also bought some laundry soap because there are no machines and I'll be washing out everything I own by hand on a regular basis. Just in case you were worried about my getting a swelled head.

I am being extremely careful about what I eat and drink -- on the first day I found a lovely bottle of water in my room but realized it had a broken seal -- meaning it was refilled with probably tap water. I used my water purification potion (okay, it's probably more scientific than that, but it feels like a potion) on it, and now I'm using it to brush my teeth. Last night we went out for an authentic meal ("real African food for you tonight, not European food") and I was a little nervous but ordered only things that I knew would be very hot. A very spicy chicken, cooked banana, rice, and chapati, my new favourite thing, which is something like a deep friend flat bread that you can dip in a variety of sauces. Yum. We also had chai tea which is standard here, which for those of you who don't know is made with tons of milk, so very creamy, and nicely spiced. Yum yum.

Thanks everybody for all the emails I'm finding in my inbox. This computer is one we have discovered right beside the hostel, which also goes faster than the one I was on the other night. "We" is an Austrian girl and I who have hit it off. So I'm hoping to actually be able to reply to some email. In the meantime I love you all. Don't worry if you don't hear from me in spite of what I've just said -- the internet is still quite unreliable here. But I will try to write more soon.

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Comments

[mama]

you are safe!!!!
Hello My Darling Child, I am, needless to say, sooooooooo happy to find that your new world is treating you so well. It sounds absolutely thrilling and already you have made a friend which also makes me happy :-). I shant be long on this... just thought u prob check your blog before personal email and wanted to send greetings from home. I love you tons and am bursting with pride at what you are doing, mama xxoo

[Rudy Ruttimann]

And so it begins..
Hey friend! I am so proud of you! You did it, the big flight and all..and you are already making friends...figures. It sounds wonderful and full of potential..keep safe, healthy and I look forward to all the 'blogging' ....love to you, Rudy

[Rudy Ruttimann]

So it begins
I am new to this ''blogging'', I hope this works. I am so very proud of you and this amazing journey you are on....You did it! You made the flight there...it is possible to fly! I can't wait to hear the future 'blogs'...my love and thoughts are with you... rudy

[Gillian H]

Hey jackie. That's great! Wasn't 'Asante Sana' what the monkey in lion king sang??