Kilimanjaro: 36 hours and counting

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  Moshi, Tanzania
Saturday, April 11, 2009

April 11, 2009
Habari Gani, Mambo?
(What's the news, what's up?)

It was an epic journey first acoss the Atlantic and then cross-continent to a little African vilage outside of Moshi, the main town at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, but I made it.  I smell extremely bad, I haven't slept for well over the 36 hour mark and I am as happy as a pig in.... mud.

After an overnight flight from Toronto to London (ie: no sleep), two full days in London (complete with a night of pub fare and pints and tour of Camden Market) and then another over night flight to Kilimanjaro with lay-overs in Ethiopia and Kenya (ie: another sleepless night) - I made it.  I am sandal clad, deodorant-less and am in desparate need of running a brush through my hair, but this is Africa, in all of its glory. 

Myself and another voluteer (Andy) with Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS) arrived in Kilimanjaro from London early this afternoon and were met at the airport by Peter, the boisterous and perma-happy driver for the CCS Karanga homebase.  He promptly wisked away our bags, loaded the van and within 10 minutes of landing were off to our volunteer placement outside of Moshi.  Exiting the airport we passed women carrying baskets and bags on their heads, Massai children herding goats and cattle, happening fruit markets, rogue bike-riders and smiling, happy faces aplenty.  I was instantly speechless, which may be hard for some of you to imagine as I usually have a knack for chattering away in any situation however as soon as I set foot on this continent I felt an instant calm come over me and quiet any verbal outbursts that were bubbling up inside of me.  I just wanted to take it all in.

On our final leg from Ethiopia to Kili, I started chatting with a non-government organization (NGO) volunteer named Rainer - who very conveinently happens to hail from the bustling metropolis of BURLINGTON, ONTARIO (go figure).  He's a 23 year old aspiring medical student (or Masters student in public health relations in undeveloped countries....) who is volunteering with an NGO that organizes medical mission trips all over Africa - uh, yeah, I got his card.  This was great because Rainer hitched a ride with us to Moshi and was able to give me the inside scoop on all the markets, places to frequent in the evenings and we even went over some classic, and mandatory swahili words : Poa! (cool!) Mambo, vipi (what's up), asante sana (thank you very much) hapana asante sana (no, thank you very much - an IMPORTANT one), Shikamoo (greeting for an elder), Kariboo sana (Welcome, or you're welcome very much).  I plan on getting in touch with him again for some more lessons and a few beers at the local joints in town - which by the way are totally accepting of us volunteers and are completely safe to frequent.  (even our country director was reccommending places to us)  

Presently, I am full from the meal we just had cooked for us at the Cross Cultural Solutions homebase. BBQ chicken, avacado salad and the tastiest cooked carrots I've ever had.  Our homebase is super swanky as per East African standards (pictures to follow) with an out door eating area, surrounding gardens and two huge mansion-like houses.  I am currently sharing a room with only one other girl (who is arriving in a few hours).  We sleep in bunk beds and have our own bathroom and shower.  I just had a quick hair-wash with laundry detergent (a replacement for the shampoo I forgot to pack) and feverishly brushed my teeth and now I feel like a million bucks, aside from the lack of sleep of course.

Two volunteers just left as we arrived and we got to spend the afternoon with them.  Nina and Denise (both American) were raving about how much fun they've been having here and what a wonderful experience it has been.  A third volunteer, Brody is off tomorrow on a 6 day hike up Mount Kilimanjaro and will return next weekend for a few days before he flies home.  Once the other volunteers arrive in a few hours he's going to sit us down and let us know the lay of the land.  (translation - where to go for cheap Kilimanjaro homemade distilled delicacies and some excellent market picks, also tips on trips to the dessert oasis, hikes up to a nearby waterfall, safari tours and the like).

I must keep this short and picture-less and join Andy and Brody outside to watch my first African sunset. 

Hope all is well at home and I am thinking of you all,

- Erin

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My flight friend	Karanga House (Home)	Kili Kids	Road into town

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