Mambo!

Two days of sitting in airports, twenty hours of sleep, three Swahili phrases, and five movies later, I finally arrived in Tanzania. Amy, Lindsay and I got off the plane and were greeted by the warm night breeze and strange scent that reminded us that we were no longer in comforts of our home. Dr. Lee met us at the Kilimanjaro airport and brought us to the Centre House hostel in Arusha, where we are sharing a one bedroom. It’s quite small and rustic, but it keeps the mosquitoes and bugs out. I feel very lucky to be in a place that has electricity, (somewhat) warm running water and a flushing toilet.

We spent the first few days roaming around and getting acquainted with the city. Our checklist:

1. Hunt for drinking water
2. Visit Mount Meru Hospital
3. Obtain a map
4. Buy SIMS card
5. Exchange currency
6. Find an internet café
7. Learn Swahili phrases
8. Bargain for used running shoes
9. Craft market for souvenirs
10. Search for a new place to live

Notable events:

1. Went to bed at 7pm and woke up at 5am, voluntarily and without an alarm
2. Found banana trees and a river in the backyard
3. The Blue Heron restaurant—saw monkeys and met a bunch of Brits who thought we are idiots for spending summer break volunteering in Tanzania
4. Mini si daktari = I am not a doctor
5. Started marathon training and exercised on the balcony while watching the sunset
6. Korean food for dinner with new friends from Korea and Canada
7. The Greek Club bar—USA vs. Ghana world cup game and obnoxious/drunk Americans singing and dancing to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA”
8. Ran into two Canadian men at the hostel who left their jobs in Europe to go on a year-long expedition around the world
9. Hiked to a nearby village, heard beautiful church choir, and trudged along the river to find waterfalls
10. Orthopedic clinic with Dr. Lee at Mt Meru Hospital—man lost four fingers from accident, young girl with congenital finger malformation, baby with sixth digit foot surgery

Tanzania here I come!

Done with packing! Will be leaving on a jet plane in T-10 hours.

Itinerary:

Wednesday, June 23

Departs:	6:05 am from Portland, Oregon
Arrives:	2:29 pm at New York - Kennedy, New York

Departs:	3:55 pm from New York - Kennedy, New York
Arrives:	6:00 am (June 24) at Amsterdam, Netherlands

Thursday, June 24

Departs:	11:00 am from Amsterdam, Netherlands
Arrives:	8:25 pm at Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

T-12 Days

Only 12 more days until I am on my way to Tanzania! I've booked my flight, found a place to live, completed all my vaccinations, and bought a sleeping bag. Not quite ready to go.

To Do List:

1. Search for a safari hat

2. Costco trip

3. Study for my final exam

I'm all about prioritizing.