making the rounds

Several of my most recent entries have been incredibly verbose. So here is a brief description of my trip over the past week to the Southern Highlands to participate in a training for a newer group of volunteers, and a stop in Morogoro to visit my homestay family from 2004.

Dar. Infection on my ankle hurts like hell, luckily I had a physical with Jean-Luc the doctor. Very in-depth physical. Now know my urine acidity and blood sugar-level.

Iringa. Rain. Bus ride. 10 minute dash to scarf down nasty fried food before the bus leaves you, which it will without hesitation. 2 minute dash for it to then leave your system, about an hour after the food stop. More rain. Nuns = bread meat cheese jam yum. Passed on a small bit of my experience and knowledge to the new group, very rewarding. Cold! Car ride back = every stop my bosses buy something else. First potatoes, then tomatoes, then onions, then bananas….

Morogoro. Mountains! See picture. See short homestay parents. They are healthy and doing well. More rain. Two turkeys, 3 cows, goat died, but otherwise livestock well and roaming the neighborhood. Host brother John not there, Herman there, little Japhet has grown up, and still remembers me! Hike with Herman through jungle to waterfalls. Mama Derrick – John tried to hook me up with her during first stay, she remembers but now has cute kid and big husband. Went up mountain, hidden beautiful neighborhoods, listened to 10 hail marys on the radio before going to the bar to have ‘a few for the road.’ All major flashbacks to my first week in TZ.

japhet in 2004

japhet in 2006

He's grown up quite a bit, but if you needed another indicator, check out the shirt. Ironically, it's the same one, just very very worn.

And a few pictures of the dense vegetation up in the mountain, on a hike with Herman.

Dar. Annoying salesman selling Chinese shit on the bus. Annoying passenger dropped bag of bricks on my head while disembarking the bus. Tanzanians in a rush to get on/off any form of public transport but then just stand around and get in my way on the street. Back to YMCA for final few days - but i'm not the only one looking for a place to stay.