tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30387589827161734102024-03-06T00:37:27.659-08:00TanzaniaAgneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-60821516113528233122012-04-01T05:48:00.000-07:002012-04-01T05:48:34.976-07:00Spring Break Tanzania Style – Climbing Kilimanjaro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Before the Climb</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">So two weeks ago was our spring break and my friend Marion
and I decided to climb Kilimanjaro!</span><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;">Completely unprepared about what we were getting ourselves into, we
booked a trip just a couple days before our break started and after a hectic
trip to get our bus tickets, we were ready to head out.</span></div>
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We left on Friday for an 8 hour bus ride to Moshi and were
picked up from the bus stop by the tour company. Then, we went to the “office” which was
really just this guy’s house at the end of a dirt road to go over some
logistics before the trip. We had to pay for the trip in cash so on the way to
the hotel we were staying we had to get money from the ATM. Climbing Kilimanjaro is ridiculously
expensive so when we were just counting out all the money on the beds, it kind
of looked like a scene from a drug deal. </div>
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We decided to have a day to relax in between getting into
Moshi and the climb so the next day we just went to town and explored. Moshi is
a lot smaller, more relaxed and a lot less stressful than Dar so it was a good
day just walking around and buying a couple last minute things before we set
out for Kili. At the hotel, we also met some Peace Corps volunteers from
Botswana that just finished the climb and a French guy working in South Sudan
also about to head out to climb Kili the next day. </div>
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<b>Starting the Climb – Day 1</b></div>
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The people from the tour company all came in the morning to
pick us up. Since we had basically no gear, we were told that everything would
be provided and the day we came in we even went through a check list of
everything we needed. However, when they
came by my friend Marion and I wanted to double check if we had everything so
we requested to see what they brought us. They brought out a garbage bag with
only a couple of things that were either ridiculously too small or too
big. We started to stress out a bit and
made a little bit of a scene so then the guys took us around to a couple rental
shops until we got everything we needed. Afterwards, we drove straight to
Machame gate where we started our hike. The car ride there we got to know all
our porters and guides that would be helping us out on our trip. </div>
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Hiking up Kilimanjaro, you go through four extremely
different vegetation zones. Our first day started off in the rainforest. The
moss growing on the trees made it seem like we were walking through Dr. Seuss
land at points and we got to see some monkeys along the way. Coming into this
completely unprepared, the first day mentally shocked me that I’m here, I’m
actually climbing Kili and it wasn’t going to be easy. I also realized that the
most intense hike I’ve ever been on was maybe 2 hours. Not the great
realization to have when I’m on my way to climb the highest mountain in Africa.
By the time we got to our camping site,
I was thoroughly exhausted and sore and if I had only paid $20 to hike Kili, I
would’ve probably given up after the first day. </div>
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That night we ate a big dinner and hung out with the porters
just talking and they were trying to teach us a song in Swahili. </div>
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Starting our climb at the Machame Gate</div>
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Crazy trees in the rainforest</div>
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<o:p>Made it to the first camp!</o:p></div>
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<b>Day 2</b></div>
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After we went to bed the night before, my stomach really
started to hurt. By the time we got up
in the morning it was not feeling better and I couldn’t even eat anything which
I knew was bad since we had a long day ahead of us. This day was a lot steeper than the day
before but a little shorter. We were mainly walking through a vegetation zone
called the moorland. The first hour and a half, I was doing fine but later my
energy levels just crashed since I had no food in me. Since we had 2 guides, Marion went ahead of
me with one and I slowly made my way along with the other. We got to the camp
pretty early that day so we had time to rest and then visit the Shira Caves
close by the camp. That night, I still
couldn’t eat. Even though my stomach stopped hurting for the most part, it was
really hard for me to get any food down and eating became just as big of a
battle as the hiking on this trip. I was able to get a couple spoonfuls of rice
down after having to sing Eye of the Tiger in between bites. </div>
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Cavemen in Shira Caves</div>
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The campsite</div>
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<b>Day 3</b></div>
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This day was a lot longer hike but it was a lot flatter than
the day before. We started walking through the alpine desert which is mostly
just big rocks everywhere. Then we
continued our climb to the Lava Towers where we ate our lunch. </div>
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Alpine desert with Kili in the back</div>
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<b>Day 4</b></div>
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We started this day off by climbing up the Barranco wall. I
had to whip out those rock climbing skills I never had because for an hour and
half we were literally climbing vertically up. At one point we got to this
beautiful lookout point of Kilimanjaro where Marion and I spend way too much
time perfecting our jumping pictures. This was the first time I started to feel
the lack of oxygen because with every jump I was gasping for breath. At times,
this day was a bit frustrating. We’d
have a long steep uphill and when we got to the top we would have a steep
downhill. All that work just to go back down. By the time we got to our
campsite I was pretty beat. I still didn’t get my appetite back since the
second day but I knew that in a couple hours we would be starting our summit so
I just needed something flavorless to fill my stomach so for the first time in
Tanzania, I was craving ugali. </div>
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Getting some help up the Barranco Wall</div>
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Kili jumping picture win</div>
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<b>Day 5 </b></div>
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Summit Day. Also known as the most painful day of my life. So
after about 2 hours of sleep, we were waken up at 11:30 to start our climb at
midnight. Still sore from the night before, we put on a ridiculous amount of
layers and after a bit of tea, we were ready to head out. We made our way
through the dark with our headlamps to lead the way. It was freezing and
ridiculously steep. For hours, we were
slowly making progress. It was probably for the best we summitted in the dark
since I lost track of time completely and all my energy was focused on my next
step. I think we were one of the last people to leave the camp since there was
no one behind us. At one point, we
caught up with this one other group. I was sort of jealous since their guides
were keeping them motivated and singing to them but I guess that’s what we miss
out by not paying more. As the sun
started rising, we were still not even that close to the top. However, the view
was absolutely beautiful. Seeing the sun
rise above the other peak of Kilimanjaro and the fact we were above it was
breathtaking. Speaking of breathtaking, the lack of oxygen at that altitude
made breathing very difficult. Marion
and I were walking at possible the slowest speed possible. We were started to
see some people on their way back down, which gave us a little bit more
motivation. Finally, we made it past the steepest part and were at the Stella
Point. We continued on another hour and a half to the highest point, Uhuru
Peak, past snow and glaciers. When we made it to the peak, I just couldn’t
believe I made it. I was so exhausted though, I just wanted to take some
pictures as fast as possible and go back down. </div>
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The way back down may have just been as painful as up. I was
exhausted and the way down was very steep. We sort of had to slide our way down
because the ground was sort of like sand. I was just so delirious by that times
that our guide had to help me down. My toes were aching like crazy since I had
three pairs of socks on making my shoes really tight. Every step downhill hurt.
After the 9 hours it took to get up and the 5 it took to get back down, we were
finally at the campsite. We were given a couple hours to rest and eat a bit (we
hadn’t had food this whole time) which I couldn’t even do. Initially, we were
supposed to go another 4 hours to our last camp but since we were so tired our
guide thankfully let us go to a camp that was closer. It was only supposed to
take an hour and a half but it ended up being nearly three for us. We were
walking through the dark, and being so exhausted, I started to hallucinate a
bit. When we finally got to the campsite, I was just so happy that the day was
over and was ready to go straight to sleep. </div>
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On the way up to the summit</div>
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Exhausted - pretty much the definition of our trip</div>
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Sunrise on the way to the top</div>
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Beautiful views from the peak</div>
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You know, just saw some glaciers no big deal</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh569NKD7kQF2YhUlgwr42RaJ1JWxyFRVfuQ3nhCjuwHj7QU5VhIO6VwKd9nkEvS4slmiNGfvSDctRjGUj4y3pBjh4XTzWbIfCHKw-PE7AqAOElc3Am-VM6zMACZolD8f1ZGa7yucE1MXN0/s1600/IMG_2174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh569NKD7kQF2YhUlgwr42RaJ1JWxyFRVfuQ3nhCjuwHj7QU5VhIO6VwKd9nkEvS4slmiNGfvSDctRjGUj4y3pBjh4XTzWbIfCHKw-PE7AqAOElc3Am-VM6zMACZolD8f1ZGa7yucE1MXN0/s320/IMG_2174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Uhuru Peak - We made it!</div>
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<b>Day 6</b></div>
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It was the last day and we were finishing our descent. We
packed up our camps for the last time and headed back down. We made our way
back through the moorland and rainforest now with a little more time to
appreciate it all since we were going downhill. By the end my toes were aching
like crazy again from going downhill. We got a little bit of a shortcut because
what would have been the last 45 minutes of hiking, we managed to hitch a ride
on an emergency vehicle. At the end, we got our certificates and headed back to
the hotel. Our first shower in six days and there was no hot water. Somehow my
most looked forward to showers have all been cold but at that point I was just
happy to feel clean again. The rest of
the day started our slow road back to recovery where we just spent the day at
the hotel in awe that we were just at the top just a day ago. </div>
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Overall, Kilimanjaro was by far the hardest thing I’ve
physically and mentally went through. It was long and it was painful. I got
windburned so bad my skin off my entire face peeled off. My lips felt like they
were cut with mini-razor blades and eating anything citrusy or spicy after the
climb burned my entire mouth. Altitude sickness affects people in a lot of ways
and for me I completely lost my appetite. It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve
felt but even when my stomach wasn’t hurting, it was almost like I was
incapable of eating which definitely effecting my energy levels on the way up. At
the end of the climb, my feet were two big blisters. Two weeks later and I
still haven’t gotten full feeling back into my toes (here’s to hoping I’ll
eventually get feeling back).</div>
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But despite all this,
am I glad I did it? For sure. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, even surreal
at times. It felt like I was walking in between different mysterious worlds. The absolute feeling of joy you get when you
get to the top is awesome. What’s more awesome is the feeling you have when get
down and actually have the energy to be excited. It’s things like these that
show you where you limits are and give you no choice but to push way past them.
It leaves you a sense of being invincible because whenever I’m about to do
something difficult, I just have to think it can’t be as bad as Kili. </div>
</div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-72931668070759075512012-03-05T08:18:00.000-08:002012-03-05T08:18:04.406-08:00Daily Life in Dar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s almost our spring break here (time is going by really
fast now) and I feel like I’ve gotten into a pretty regular rhythm here so I
thought I’d put up a post of just some aspects of daily life here. </div>
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I’m staying at the university in Dar which is kind of a
different world from the rest of the city.
It’s a lot less hectic, really green, spacious and pretty safe, at least
during the day. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have classes and on Tuesday
and Thursday everyone goes to their internships. The classes I’m taking are Development
Perspectives, African International Relations and Foreign Policy, Swahili,
History of East Africa and Internship class. It took about 3 weeks from when
classes were supposed to start to when they actually did. Now, classes are
going on pretty normally. However, we
sometimes do get the situation where professors just won’t show up and you have
to call them to ask them if they are coming or if we should reschedule
class. </div>
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As terrible as this might sound, it’s almost halfway through
the semester but I still don’t exactly feel like I’m in school mode and for the
few times we’ve had assignments so far, it’s been quite a battle to try and get
them done. All of our finals here are 60% of the grade and the other 40% is
usually a paper, presentation and maybe a smaller test. Apart from the other
CIEE students, we’re taking classes with some other students from the US, and
also students from Finland and Korea. There are also other international
students on campus but most of them are either on separate programs or taking
classes with the Tanzanian students here. The semester for the university here
is pretty different than ours and for the past 3 weeks they had their equivalent
of winter break. Because of this, the campus has been really empty since most
people went home. This week though most everyone is back. </div>
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On Tuesdays and Thursdays everyone in the program has their
own individual internships. For mine, I’m doing a research project for the
engineering school here. My project is on water quality of community water
supplies in areas in the outer perimeter of the city. So far, the main part of
my internship has been trying to jump a bunch of administrative hurdles just to
even do this project. I won’t get too
into it in this post but for the most part I think I have most of that behind
and I’ve gotten to the point where I’m actually taking samples and testing them
which is pretty exciting. </div>
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So I’m also living in the dorms on campus with a Tanzanian
roommate. I’ve had the room to myself the past couple weeks because she went
home for the break. The first couple weeks in the dorms were interesting. There
were constant water shortages and we always had to get water from the tank
outside and carry it up to our rooms for showers. There was a time when there was a huge
shortage of water on the entire campus for about a week. Even the tanks ran out of water. When the water runs out the worst thing probably
is the toilets get absolutely disgusting since there is nothing to flush
them. In the dorms, we have normal
toilets and on campus there are mainly squat toilets. When water runs out in the dorms, it’s
usually actually more sanitary to go to the squat toilets. However, when there
was no water on campus, even the squat toilets became disgusting and you always
seemed to get a nice whiff of sewage wherever you went. When most of the campus left for break, we’ve
had water the whole time so it’s been quite a luxury. Now, most students are coming back so we’ll
see how the water if we start getting shortages again or not. </div>
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Power is also another thing that’s quite unreliable here. It’s
gone out a couple of times on campus.
And now, since we’re going into the rainy season, it seems to be going
out more from the storms. </div>
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During the week, I don’t really venture out to explore the
city or anything, besides going to collect samples for my internship, mostly
because it’s such a hassle to get anywhere here. Getting anywhere usually takes about an hour
to an hour and a half. The thing is most places aren’t even that far away. Traffic
is just so bad here that most of the time we’re not even moving for 20 minutes
at a time. </div>
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So during class days, I guess here’s what a typical day for
me is. On MWF, my classes start at
8am. Getting up early here isn’t that
big of a deal since I feel like I get a good amount of sleep. Also, usually since about 6:30am the dorms
are already filled with sounds of crying babies, cleaning ladies yelling and
people blasting club music and I’m usually already awake by the time my alarm
goes off. On Monday and Wednesday, we gather around in a circle on the floor at
Jenny’s and learn some Swahili with our awesome teacher Paulo. We were told that we couldn’t hold our lessons
on campus because our teacher isn’t part of the university so we have to have
it at Jenny’s. Then we have a small break and I usually go to the café on
campus to get my daily hot milk with coffee and donut. After that, we go to where the rest of our
classes are, Room 15 to sweat (and maybe do a little bit of learning). For lunch
we usually go to one of the cafeterias and usually just get rice and beans (with
veggies and cabbage if I’m lucky). When
I go back to the dorms, I don’t really do too much, mostly just do some reading
and occasionally go for a run or attempt to hand wash some of my clothes. After it’s dark there’s really no where to go
on campus and it’s also not that smart to be walking around alone then so it
occasionally gets a bit boring at night. </div>
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During the weekend, though I try and get off campus as much
as possible since it’s almost impossible to do so during the week. A lot of our weekends so far have been
planned trips through CIEE. The weekends
we have off though are usually a combination of going to one of the beaches
here and trying to explore the city. Dar
is pretty massive or at least it seems like it since it takes so long to get
anywhere. Most of my adventuring about the city revolves around trying to find
a good place to get food and exploring the area around that. In general, Dar is
filled with amazing restaurants and full of good vegetarian options too. So far, I’ve tried a couple really good
Indian places, an Ethiopian restaurant, a couple surprisingly good Italian
places and this past weekend a Turkish place. </div>
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Anyways, this next week is spring break and I’m going to
attempt to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (6 more days)! I’m starting to psyche myself
out right now since it’s so close so wish me luck!</div>
</div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-77229126735752885182012-02-24T05:29:00.000-08:002012-02-24T05:29:44.772-08:00Zanzibar Pictues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_QldzfR5KgUAgC9CCwaPKrAnET5CQrHu_uS3zzsLjLW05ddNmj6lP5H4SAebtZfD4MYVJ4FHqjeJMMgt8mOsgqHTg6Wr6-c3LtQIFeoqDrrg9Ohwnp1D7n9cddIh0pqeoSicUvl2XIIO/s1600/P1000826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_QldzfR5KgUAgC9CCwaPKrAnET5CQrHu_uS3zzsLjLW05ddNmj6lP5H4SAebtZfD4MYVJ4FHqjeJMMgt8mOsgqHTg6Wr6-c3LtQIFeoqDrrg9Ohwnp1D7n9cddIh0pqeoSicUvl2XIIO/s320/P1000826.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Monument at the site of the former slave market</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg0SfotZvewvaqgN4IAgIJBcoBpfq6Mppnr7Vf_cdp3tUHKEP1q7_5WztD0Mx0mCN3hjCStGMTlrDZurCoiDRapa0Zy0HHlhwtuLfKBTW2efgeXdxU47LG8eIIQezRUwXpmlHVWY6xeJ6/s1600/P1000839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg0SfotZvewvaqgN4IAgIJBcoBpfq6Mppnr7Vf_cdp3tUHKEP1q7_5WztD0Mx0mCN3hjCStGMTlrDZurCoiDRapa0Zy0HHlhwtuLfKBTW2efgeXdxU47LG8eIIQezRUwXpmlHVWY6xeJ6/s320/P1000839.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Spice Market</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNY60IvofEBaYZcvv74jVcMMA9PuMmAzA6OmrMDCtvzEwV4B_lS569Jo2W4lYv2bpPE9NHU4Bb6TOtYpgM8DbDhbMI0RxrT1pjtz7pGiLefOFIjVVDmkDa-3LnSJiYdKzd_T73zuG6ToV/s1600/P1000847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNY60IvofEBaYZcvv74jVcMMA9PuMmAzA6OmrMDCtvzEwV4B_lS569Jo2W4lYv2bpPE9NHU4Bb6TOtYpgM8DbDhbMI0RxrT1pjtz7pGiLefOFIjVVDmkDa-3LnSJiYdKzd_T73zuG6ToV/s320/P1000847.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Narrow Streets of Stone Town</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtOodS0yHCBuy4767HVC0I9Z9jhoHboYXirT5oYjESb94ln180PLr_QY8mHRWFTMX2PPVD6OwXv9DXn2J2o_qJQS2XiFgRwAPy7QA4PgeKiy9PaEHAanUQk633bm-t1UAKYiOnP55h0Yi/s1600/P1000855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtOodS0yHCBuy4767HVC0I9Z9jhoHboYXirT5oYjESb94ln180PLr_QY8mHRWFTMX2PPVD6OwXv9DXn2J2o_qJQS2XiFgRwAPy7QA4PgeKiy9PaEHAanUQk633bm-t1UAKYiOnP55h0Yi/s320/P1000855.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyEWbbsZxjganBzUrMw1T2FL72uFlsMDdFAUeANwjCKzndIqWZo3YUvN1QDVr0YYbxLpYEtlzNPt77WYRpm6BRzI6pga0Zvzj6bYy84RpxIJDEdKz3iZVsd-gMhcgu_YdMrHcwPD-Uara/s1600/P1000861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyEWbbsZxjganBzUrMw1T2FL72uFlsMDdFAUeANwjCKzndIqWZo3YUvN1QDVr0YYbxLpYEtlzNPt77WYRpm6BRzI6pga0Zvzj6bYy84RpxIJDEdKz3iZVsd-gMhcgu_YdMrHcwPD-Uara/s320/P1000861.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arabic Influence</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jyUo42qCUFZj-2FneO7o1gSS2BL6dgg-F9FXqbbQLK-LbFGX9w-nFPnz5lQCEHZKPhsxdmei8JwBbEt1KeNARSOwIRxJ5wCmACNJdzh4yrzsl4hf9XqGQlrH7jNUNcHKrhZ6nATdR3lH/s1600/P1000859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jyUo42qCUFZj-2FneO7o1gSS2BL6dgg-F9FXqbbQLK-LbFGX9w-nFPnz5lQCEHZKPhsxdmei8JwBbEt1KeNARSOwIRxJ5wCmACNJdzh4yrzsl4hf9XqGQlrH7jNUNcHKrhZ6nATdR3lH/s320/P1000859.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6-S4ypIusQvKdD9aJdVElSbTlcB4WYB81xDk9v0YcKpywolPkP7EubGE1icjfxYB3lzWp_pFPK-Y0FePvIviIFltGzgXPwFSj0hA13M4OWDpvbLmhpyTE4i4v6qlTUGLomi2gtz1X_Xu/s1600/P1000869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6-S4ypIusQvKdD9aJdVElSbTlcB4WYB81xDk9v0YcKpywolPkP7EubGE1icjfxYB3lzWp_pFPK-Y0FePvIviIFltGzgXPwFSj0hA13M4OWDpvbLmhpyTE4i4v6qlTUGLomi2gtz1X_Xu/s320/P1000869.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tanzanian Wheelchair </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDPRV3s20f6C7wzvJpVjTgvw-XRIBrkzAgCN6u_eMsQfyEL2RosooxdGvjOQnkzbQQSOV0OkvdAIlSqA46hhzCv8h-b-Wo9aNRst9AJkvnzQ8ZEPODS_-X_VCeHs2l9d0g0lyAsxByKLa/s1600/P1000878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDPRV3s20f6C7wzvJpVjTgvw-XRIBrkzAgCN6u_eMsQfyEL2RosooxdGvjOQnkzbQQSOV0OkvdAIlSqA46hhzCv8h-b-Wo9aNRst9AJkvnzQ8ZEPODS_-X_VCeHs2l9d0g0lyAsxByKLa/s320/P1000878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Old Fort</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3lu-ad9-JNu5XqW3NFMzRms-M_IH1roa67tbqFVgw8FZh00nCd9ffi8_NMZD8xLEd8B6R4rKXQxNhL8qjkkSG8RYnvWFbulnhV4cEKqAFM5NPFYzWW8lKiQblFpEnxGATfAUm3TsSTEG/s1600/P1000884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3lu-ad9-JNu5XqW3NFMzRms-M_IH1roa67tbqFVgw8FZh00nCd9ffi8_NMZD8xLEd8B6R4rKXQxNhL8qjkkSG8RYnvWFbulnhV4cEKqAFM5NPFYzWW8lKiQblFpEnxGATfAUm3TsSTEG/s320/P1000884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Inside the Old Fort before the Music Festival</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5oO9Braz8Ed7_HjLjEUXjnlNnKMMBJZhQz1JgvJQxpkNEKzoJdyoOXeVpa_PmAJxmqJmWFYmvgm3KnDYYUDGTzfZcLXNhTOXajbkqflq2mJKerkpgbIhJc14-Ma65sPirA-8DahUzU0B/s1600/P1000916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5oO9Braz8Ed7_HjLjEUXjnlNnKMMBJZhQz1JgvJQxpkNEKzoJdyoOXeVpa_PmAJxmqJmWFYmvgm3KnDYYUDGTzfZcLXNhTOXajbkqflq2mJKerkpgbIhJc14-Ma65sPirA-8DahUzU0B/s320/P1000916.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaWKeP_VrM_zq_rKdNjnAnocbRcjAycuez8x7JgkqofV_WsEGhwbKToavrzXpmkT4zZT4uBniXNuhDsFM4fvOnmi5DOI9dtyala2-DnLck8sOqtmE-BIWCiguYMifJ7OhT1uLgHM2I_W4/s1600/P1000924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaWKeP_VrM_zq_rKdNjnAnocbRcjAycuez8x7JgkqofV_WsEGhwbKToavrzXpmkT4zZT4uBniXNuhDsFM4fvOnmi5DOI9dtyala2-DnLck8sOqtmE-BIWCiguYMifJ7OhT1uLgHM2I_W4/s320/P1000924.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Parade before the Music Festival</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EevAqoeC11k-m8K9-cq7AQ67fD_6myWc2OaLdQtSUwk8livB-ueix1Ue-17msESgmQh1ZlDuRHNQ-z44nvw52yBtfdPAAga-yRFO8enSJ5_6sS9PD_0B-RuRAqmnC5vQCtEwLL_SW0m-/s1600/P1000938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EevAqoeC11k-m8K9-cq7AQ67fD_6myWc2OaLdQtSUwk8livB-ueix1Ue-17msESgmQh1ZlDuRHNQ-z44nvw52yBtfdPAAga-yRFO8enSJ5_6sS9PD_0B-RuRAqmnC5vQCtEwLL_SW0m-/s320/P1000938.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> At the Spice Farm</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4i-KcjZKEreXqdSbdCI4gl8RkjSdNbnbiUGMxTDIW43uSJW6sxajp8kLCjLQ4czXh0tURvpt_3Xg-bJdfMlR96-zVuyw88D8poJ3LvWuURAkX2Jieu7zL7e0GDzDU9FvZNmn5B8piQfJ/s1600/P1000966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4i-KcjZKEreXqdSbdCI4gl8RkjSdNbnbiUGMxTDIW43uSJW6sxajp8kLCjLQ4czXh0tURvpt_3Xg-bJdfMlR96-zVuyw88D8poJ3LvWuURAkX2Jieu7zL7e0GDzDU9FvZNmn5B8piQfJ/s320/P1000966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> If you smear the seeds it looks like lipstick</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkfJepVw00VnWQfRcGCoaC7ZfZjwpgaqgdRXgNosBh6041xiCv77diYcQZZv4-g726feFF9WqusU52pwl_WP6STAqGMSXKzVbOYIsGam3x746vFNJscnvjcwOYVfiwRVnDMKzy62bGjXK/s1600/P1000983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkfJepVw00VnWQfRcGCoaC7ZfZjwpgaqgdRXgNosBh6041xiCv77diYcQZZv4-g726feFF9WqusU52pwl_WP6STAqGMSXKzVbOYIsGam3x746vFNJscnvjcwOYVfiwRVnDMKzy62bGjXK/s320/P1000983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rockin the hats we got after the Spice Tour </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLhJ9Wc0iYWG2EbnPZrwYMalkhzfofq_J7c7ReGxpxgdrKkKsq6u-azL8K5J37qKYyLOPR1PTx430h6ASLrqnXx5ZBNfwMvxuLiR3GBe0zXesIb05-6PAGoIbjPvjI_fv7e9ropZXc9JN/s1600/P1000991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLhJ9Wc0iYWG2EbnPZrwYMalkhzfofq_J7c7ReGxpxgdrKkKsq6u-azL8K5J37qKYyLOPR1PTx430h6ASLrqnXx5ZBNfwMvxuLiR3GBe0zXesIb05-6PAGoIbjPvjI_fv7e9ropZXc9JN/s320/P1000991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> House in Jambiani Village made of coral and limestone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY7vlf0sGYKKSSkwApWNXXTWs7vy6-3G9vLwnwKfMEyLntH1JMhed_MZXIB9wRZFHM7BHIrQPYY_YgoJdM3-faHWs1jnofX2OERZLrpUQuhCvck18g7mm7k2SjhSXI5KYg9QZGvfK4p-8/s1600/P1010001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY7vlf0sGYKKSSkwApWNXXTWs7vy6-3G9vLwnwKfMEyLntH1JMhed_MZXIB9wRZFHM7BHIrQPYY_YgoJdM3-faHWs1jnofX2OERZLrpUQuhCvck18g7mm7k2SjhSXI5KYg9QZGvfK4p-8/s320/P1010001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Kids collecting leftover seaweed on the beach</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk0ZXmEMYWo9WSK2QhQqqjJ1cMo9rgonVfCASKfFt_-Ipj39bq6skrt4lA31xtLR4wlrDTCf7e0vacPrJLJB-ovv10QD1likDZg_sT_fH4_dTIqXoQqQEPIAP1eYehFbSflu5LKja4KdK/s1600/P1010018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk0ZXmEMYWo9WSK2QhQqqjJ1cMo9rgonVfCASKfFt_-Ipj39bq6skrt4lA31xtLR4wlrDTCf7e0vacPrJLJB-ovv10QD1likDZg_sT_fH4_dTIqXoQqQEPIAP1eYehFbSflu5LKja4KdK/s320/P1010018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Medicine Man</div><br />
</div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-74888235549525709632012-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:02:19.106-08:00Zanzibar!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We had our first big trip this past weekend and one I had been looking forward to for a while. We went to the island of Zanzibar which is right off the coast of Tanzania. Typically people take a ferry there but because a ferry recently sunk, we took a short 20 minute flight instead.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">We left Thursday morning and spent the day exploring Stone Town which is absolutely beautiful. We visited a bunch of historical sites including slave chambers, museums, the Old Fort and the markets. The music festival was also happening this weekend so after a stop for ice cream we went to see the parade. At night we went to the first night of the festival which was actually in the Old Fort. We also went to get sweet Zanzibar pizza. I got nutella and coconut pizza. Delicious. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Friday we had a Spice Tour. It was a lot of fun and probably my favorite thing from our trip there. We were taken around a spice farm and we were guessing and sampling different spices. There was also this one fruit? ( or flower? I don’t exactly know what it was) that when you crack it open and smash the seeds, it’s pretty much like red lipstick so we had a lot of fun just smearing our faces with it. We also got to see one of the guys climb a coconut tree barefoot. I gave it a try and epically failed ( I think I got like 3 inches off the ground). From some of the leaves there, they made us these awesome hats and little canteen bags too. Then we had a wonderful lunch there made with many of the spices on the farm. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the spice tour, we headed to our destination for the next couple days, Jambiani village. The hostel we stayed at was owned by Jenny’s friend and was right by the ocean. We got in late afternoon so we just relaxed on the beach for the rest of the day. Some people went swimming which I’m glad I didn’t because everyone that did got some pretty bad side effects. The tide was very high and there was something in the water that was even carried in the wind. That night we all had a weird feeling in our nose even just by sitting by the beach. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day was pretty interesting. We all woke up with our eyes completely swollen and our faces feeling scaly. Today even (5 days later) my face still feels like a snake and I got some sort of rash on my chin. Anyways, Christina (the one that owns the hostel) got us some natural remedy after breakfast. We had the put these boiling hot tea leaves on our eyes. I don’t think it helped too much but it was an interesting experience. The rest of the day, we went on a tour of the village itself. We were walking around for hours and it was long, hot and uncomfortable with barely any shade. The houses in the village were very interesting though especially since they make them out of a combination of coral and limestone. We also learned about seaweed farming there. So the ladies in the village have these farms in the ocean where they grow seaweed and sell it to high end cosmetic companies and to the Asian food market. You can see the farms when the tide is far out. When we first heard of this, it seemed like it would be a very good thing for the community, especially in terms of having women get income. However, we met some NGO workers from Norway in the community and they told us about how little the women actually get from this work, how malnourished they are, the health effects and how their work is comparable to slave labor. After we learned more about the Norwegian NGO’s initiatives there, we walked around some more and then went to see the local medicine man. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After that, we walked back and since the tide was still pretty far out we figured it was safe to go swimming. How much the tide goes in and out is pretty incredible. It’s probably at least half a mile. While we were walking to get to the water we had to watch out for the sea urchins and got to see a whole bunch of starfish and the ladies working on their seaweed farms. Unlike the water at high tide, the water when we got to it was perfectly clear, beautiful and definitely refreshing. By the time we started to walk back, the tide had come in a bit and some of the seaweed farms were now underwater. That night after dinner, we sat by the ocean, had a drum circle by a bonfire and watched the moon rise over the ocean horizon. The hostel workers were all very nice and tried to speak Swahili with us, which was definitely very helpful. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Sunday morning, some of us woke up to see the sunrise. Unfortunately though, the sky was very cloudy and we didn’t actually see much. After breakfast, we packed up and left to go back to Stone Town. We did some pretty touristy shopping (gypsy pants was a must for most of us) and headed back to the airport. The airplanes we took there and back were very tiny, maybe 15 people max. On the way back, I sat next to the pilot up front and even got the fly the plane for a bit which was pretty exciting. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All in all, I would say it was a pretty amazing weekend. Pictures to follow!</div></div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-85858645060201682512012-02-15T06:58:00.000-08:002012-02-15T06:58:17.713-08:00Cooking with Bibi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I’m getting pretty behind on updating this. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyways two weeks ago we had cooking lessons as part of our cultural excursion program. We went to a Bibi’s (grandma) house and learned how many traditional Tanzanian dishes were made. Spicy tea, coconut rice, chapati, pilau (unfortunately not vegetarian), fish, mango-ginger juice and these delicious peanut bars were all part of the ridiculous feast that day. It was definitely nice to have a homemade Tanzanian meal rather than the typical cafeteria beans and rice. As we were waiting for everything to cook, we also had a great time playing with all the kids there. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnefQJijRuQVsKxjSri6qOsPBZjXZssSQgC4SQZBGsznmDG-zDykwHrhS-5BkFFMhC9ocrqFIdwvuZ-cfm3GCeumpK_D-q_9sQznOxkOgmKywwJ4o8FrZDkfAMlgPwbSr1VwsUCxyuB1E/s1600/P1000802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnefQJijRuQVsKxjSri6qOsPBZjXZssSQgC4SQZBGsznmDG-zDykwHrhS-5BkFFMhC9ocrqFIdwvuZ-cfm3GCeumpK_D-q_9sQznOxkOgmKywwJ4o8FrZDkfAMlgPwbSr1VwsUCxyuB1E/s320/P1000802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Bibi rolling out some chapati</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4hS1YBwi-rN6TxnKQ8Lbu5o3-hdUGleTPgWUsStR21XV3Ym0P8oF8WcvNJwU-WJ82FCBxDOFZob4uSoptdGOoKn4CicGT69Tru712CffL8kvUtRrRio4bamRoxdx0QDUM2v1YEQAgkPk/s1600/430151_3324435633151_1336170919_3341705_1286604981_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4hS1YBwi-rN6TxnKQ8Lbu5o3-hdUGleTPgWUsStR21XV3Ym0P8oF8WcvNJwU-WJ82FCBxDOFZob4uSoptdGOoKn4CicGT69Tru712CffL8kvUtRrRio4bamRoxdx0QDUM2v1YEQAgkPk/s320/430151_3324435633151_1336170919_3341705_1286604981_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Trying to shred coconut on this very interesting contraption</div></div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-44731457132673238462012-02-07T01:37:00.000-08:002012-02-07T01:37:56.456-08:00Taking Justice Into Their Own Hands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Petty theft is probably the most common crime in Tanzania and being a “mzungu” here makes you especially a target. During our orientation, it was drilled into our heads just how rampant theft is. From the typical purse snatching or pickpocketing at crowded markets and daladalas, to taxi cab scams, to getting shoved into a car, beaten up a bit and driven around town emptying your bank account and finally to the alleged machete guy on campus who cuts off people’s hands. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The university had their own orientation for us and one of the sessions about safety went something like this:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Mzungus: Is there anything we can do if we’re getting robbed?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Tanzanian police officer: You either let them take what they want or you shout Mwizi (thief). </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Mzungus: Well what happens when you say that?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Tanzanian police officer: One of two things can happen. If there is a police officer nearby, they will take him and arrest him. If not, people might get angry and you might see him die in front of you. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So basically, according to the officer if someone is accused of being a thief, people nearby will get really angry and start beating the thief until they die. After hearing this I wasn’t sure what to think. The officer said this so casually but I was skeptical just how true this was. In the end I assured myself that maybe this was an instance that happened once or twice in the past. At the same time though I wasn’t going to shout mwizi at the next guy who looks at me funny.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">However, the other day my friend Marion and I were at lunch with Polycarp, one of the Tanzanian students working in CIEE. We started talking about this topic again and we asked if this type of street justice actually happens. Shockingly enough, yes it does. And it’s happened 5 times just on the UDSM campus. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Polycarp then began to tell us his experience with this. He was walking to class and saw a group of people. They were crowded around, beating a man. Some were striking him metal rods, others stomped in his face with their boots. Apparently, the man was caught stealing a bike nearby the campus. He was then chased into campus, caught and beaten. Polycarp said when he got there he saw the man bloody and unconscious. He then broke up the beating and there was an officer nearby who helped. The man was then rushed to the hospital but by the time he got there, he was already dead. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So there it is. Tanzanian street justice. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around this concept but at this point I just hope it’s one of those experiences I don’t encounter during my time here. </div></div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-92043503775191415372012-01-28T00:47:00.000-08:002012-01-28T00:55:46.108-08:00First Impressions and Trip to Bagamoyo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Last Friday we took an all day tour of downtown Dar es Salaam (which also consisted of trespassing every luxury hotel here). It’s really interesting to see all the different influences in the downtown of Dar like Islam, Christianity, Indian and German just to name a few. There, we also went to a fish market and Kariakoo which is a huge market with just about everything imaginable.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbmLMA7W_oYq73VTaXsmQm9U2SC5WAv6RyrNiTw_B_pj92UhV4OBtjRAH0DvmX_c6kuDJiZubKUBjDDP1UB9tYLvLAeVBHeNOOyvHP-Piq6k8WwcjUKYu1WKZgqWAn7cs4nbBn1YFmSK3/s1600/P1000646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbmLMA7W_oYq73VTaXsmQm9U2SC5WAv6RyrNiTw_B_pj92UhV4OBtjRAH0DvmX_c6kuDJiZubKUBjDDP1UB9tYLvLAeVBHeNOOyvHP-Piq6k8WwcjUKYu1WKZgqWAn7cs4nbBn1YFmSK3/s320/P1000646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Street Vendors Downtown</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XNLD_J7D6uc6avWpq7MMkhAlkReI8QuCvi-8oMfN_C0l8Q2EYeR-awSfb0JJye7m2EDhZZw376u3vvmTzpaVC0SmWAShzgIZ5shFlT8ciof7Uhu0b8aKV8NYLbUPW4H5kRzvzn8Bupv8/s1600/P1000686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XNLD_J7D6uc6avWpq7MMkhAlkReI8QuCvi-8oMfN_C0l8Q2EYeR-awSfb0JJye7m2EDhZZw376u3vvmTzpaVC0SmWAShzgIZ5shFlT8ciof7Uhu0b8aKV8NYLbUPW4H5kRzvzn8Bupv8/s320/P1000686.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Fishermen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjvg5qSUFNpLbQRPGg9-f1L5HVIAemASbx46eVMpSaX-DrU-ANo-tjb5Gl5PbuzFLWnsDnlhmCoNxP_fhPg1qd7KSzkFwi75IXXkXVW6FTOm9aF8Qrwgs6gBZWmtMIu8DkPAf7AIOswVY/s1600/P1000698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjvg5qSUFNpLbQRPGg9-f1L5HVIAemASbx46eVMpSaX-DrU-ANo-tjb5Gl5PbuzFLWnsDnlhmCoNxP_fhPg1qd7KSzkFwi75IXXkXVW6FTOm9aF8Qrwgs6gBZWmtMIu8DkPAf7AIOswVY/s320/P1000698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Kariakoo Market</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then there’s the peninsula which is completely different from other parts of the city. It’s filled with really nice hotels, shopping malls and restaurants and it’s mainly where most of the expats live. Also most of the embassy houses are pretty close by there as well. Going in there almost feels like I’m back in the US and in general, it’s been really interesting going in between what seems like two different worlds here. One day we’re walking through a traditional area of Tanzania and lugging buckets of water into our room and the next we go to hang out at the beach on a resort or out to dinner at a nice restaurant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past weekend we went to Bagamoyo which is an old historical town. We saw ruins of an old mosque, visited the first church in Tanzania and learned about the slave trade here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Learning about the slave trade in East Africa was really interesting. Typically whenever I’ve learned about slavery it has always been about West Africa and the Americas and so slavery here is not something I would have ever thought about. The most interesting thing was how the effects of slavery still impact life on the coast. For example, there’s still a stigma against marrying someone that is a descendent of slavery. Also, even though the soil by the coast is very good, most people refuse to farm here because it’s associated with slave work. So aid agencies and programs to promote agriculture in the area have mostly failed because of this. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqiPQYeZi1w2XEp6t0DOs7-hU03fl4Mecir7mOlpfCou9giO1BQimikn0zkGN9S2GfFBBEG5jOpGrAV11gPh6nNgzb2XT7D5UBpfQXo0FbuLalhiO3keM2ZKp0dyhlF5rDxG_vFrIMXSR/s1600/P1000726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqiPQYeZi1w2XEp6t0DOs7-hU03fl4Mecir7mOlpfCou9giO1BQimikn0zkGN9S2GfFBBEG5jOpGrAV11gPh6nNgzb2XT7D5UBpfQXo0FbuLalhiO3keM2ZKp0dyhlF5rDxG_vFrIMXSR/s320/P1000726.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI5-WSWQlL87cJBwmrS6AGAuEByCfCN7kotOucC9xoFLivPyIcXxVfvASEGEgRdTE9dt8osc-3yhMU-bVp0Gnt3i698He0lXSOd23nJzd1DlQtwgXgEFGxBVatZy9DRqH2RKhR1lRVpcB/s1600/P1000735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI5-WSWQlL87cJBwmrS6AGAuEByCfCN7kotOucC9xoFLivPyIcXxVfvASEGEgRdTE9dt8osc-3yhMU-bVp0Gnt3i698He0lXSOd23nJzd1DlQtwgXgEFGxBVatZy9DRqH2RKhR1lRVpcB/s320/P1000735.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Ruins from an old mosque</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZz_YtATDL0fnFjP6IkwkbSy0WzCJEqLFebG2x2aPGNUhghdvPILGCLi9rqBP7B6D8NPGXWeQho3g3mlnGMkI-KAZjQyTzCgz5qb63Au6TqTuPEyrIx_GWkLdCHOEFrCqBkskTgCMs7Vb/s1600/P1000747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZz_YtATDL0fnFjP6IkwkbSy0WzCJEqLFebG2x2aPGNUhghdvPILGCLi9rqBP7B6D8NPGXWeQho3g3mlnGMkI-KAZjQyTzCgz5qb63Au6TqTuPEyrIx_GWkLdCHOEFrCqBkskTgCMs7Vb/s320/P1000747.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Camel sighting driving around Bagamoyo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This week we were supposed to start our classes. However, unlike the US, the schedule for classes isn’t as set and stone right from the beginning. First off, the schedule changed about 4 times this week. Also, most of the professors didn’t show up probably due to the scheduling confusion. In general though we’ve been told that professors might just not show up to class and when this happens we need to call them and ask if they’re coming. When we meet our professors (which hopefully they’ll show up next week) we can aslo negotiate when we’ll have classes so we can change the schedule around. So far, we’ve had Swahili, African International Relations and Foreign Policy and most people have started their internships. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I’m actually pretty stoked about my internship although it has been quite an effort to get to where I am now. I’m really starting to get a sense of Africa time now. Anyways, I’m going to be working for the Water Quality department and my project is going to be about drinking water. Basically what I’m going to be doing is going to different parts of the city which will mostly be in the outskirts of town, collecting water samples from these kiosks that sell drinking water from the tap, assessing the quality of the water and comparing them to Tanzanian and WHO standards. I need to write a proposal for the project this weekend probably so I can start working as soon as possible. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On another positive note, we finally have running water in the dorms! It’s not uncommon for the water to be shut off here but it typically only happens for 1-3 days. However since we got here, the pump for our dorm has been broken so we’ve gotten water maybe twice for a few hours. But the water has been working for more than a day now which has really been exciting. </div></div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-53886113056855470152012-01-18T10:29:00.000-08:002012-01-18T10:29:32.684-08:00The Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Alright so I’ve been here for almost a week now and a lot has happened. I arrived to Dar on the 12<sup>th</sup> and so far we’ve just been in orientation this whole time. Orientation has mostly been 2-3 hours of Swahili everyday along with some other activity afterwards. The first three days here we were put into a really nice hotel right by the ocean to sort of ease us into life here. The first day was mostly logistics, expectations and safety here. The day after we had our first Swahili lesson on the beach on an island so not too bad of a start. The ocean here is absolutely beautiful and the clearest and bluest water I’ve ever seen. It’s been really hot and humid here (this is the hottest time of year in Tanzania). To give an example, when we were on the beach my sandals fell apart/ melted because of the heat. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day we had our Swahili lesson in the morning again and spent the rest of the afternoon moving into the dorms. It was really hot and we helped each other move our luggage up to all the floors. Then we had lunch and did a walking tour of the campus after which everyone was ridiculously tired. The campus is pretty big and really green. It essentially looks like a jungle botanical garden with some buildings scattered around. Most of the buildings are pretty simple although one of the campus buildings is national landmark. Another awesome thing about campus: MONKEYS! They’re pretty much everywhere. However I’ve learned they are not very friendly when you approach then. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The dorms on campus are pretty basic. We all got mosquito nets for sleeping and buckets and cups to do laundry and to shower when there’s no water. The first two nights there was no water so what we do is go outside to the big storage tanks of water, fill our bucket up, bring it up to your floor (I live on the 4<sup>th</sup> which is actually the 5<sup>th</sup>) and enjoy your bucket shower, which is actually really refreshing after you’re all sweaty from carrying the bucket up. Yesterday the water was on so we had the luxury of a real shower. Today there’s no water again so it’s back to the bucket. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Monday we had our first 3 hour Swahili session in the actual classroom on campus and afterwards we went to Mwenge which is one of the markets. A couple other girls and I got a text saying to come back right afterwards so we can meet with people from our internship. My internship is going to be at the engineering school here in the Construction Department so I guess I won’t be escaping engineering this semester after all. We took a tour of the engineering buildings and labs and I also met with the head of the department. I don’t exactly know what I’m going to be doing though but I am pretty excited. It will be interesting to be interning at the engineering campus because there’s very few females in engineering here. Polycarp (one of the Tanzanian CIEE staff) was telling me that in a normal engineering class there’s maybe 1 girl. Anyways I need to go back to meet with some other professor to set up my schedule. I guess he was sick with malaria when we first went on Monday.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday I wasn’t feeling so good. It worked out though because after Swahili, I had the rest of the day off since most of the people were going to meet their internships. I just ended up sleeping and hanging out in my room for the rest of the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And that brings us to today. We had Swahili in the morning as usual and afterwards we went to the US Embassy here. We met with some of the people there and they talked to us more about safety, health and cultural differences here. Then we heard about USAID programs here and about being a Foreign Service Officer. It was pretty interesting especially since I’ve definitely thought about being a Foreign Service Officer before. However, it seems like one of those things that once you’re in it there’s not much turning back. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I just had dinner with my roommate now. She’s from Tanzania and goes to school here. She’s really nice but super busy now as most people here are. The semester for the university is ending soon so people are studying like crazy for finals now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyways this was a super long post but I think that’s it for now.</div></div>Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038758982716173410.post-16188156643610619052012-01-09T22:42:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:42:52.609-08:00Let the Adventure BeginFirst blog post!<br />
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I guess to start off and say I'm Agnes and I'm going to be spending the 2012 spring semester studying abroad in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania through the CIEE program. I'm going to be living on the University of Dar es Salaam campus and will mostly be taking political science type courses along with some Swahili (we'll see how that one goes). Other than that, I excited just to be in a completely different culture and setting than what I'm used to and plan on taking advantage of taking in as much as possible while I'm there. And it also helps that I'll be taking a bit of a break from engineering for a while.<br />
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So I'm leaving the country to start my trip to Tanzania in about 14 hours (it's going to be another 2 days until I actually get there though). Basically, here's a breakdown of how I'm getting there: My flight from Chicago transfers in DC, then goes to Qatar. In Qatar, I have about a 6 hour transfer overnight (just enough time to get a good nights sleep on one of those oh so comfy airport chairs). From Qatar, I get on a flight to Kenya and make make my final transfer to get to Dar es Salaam. So quite a long trip and I expect I'll be pretty sick of airports for a while after it. Needless to say though, I'm getting pretty pumped. It's taking a while for it to sink in that I'm leaving tomorrow (I guess now it's today) to study abroad in Tanzania for 4 months! Quite honestly, I don't exactly know what to expect but I guess that's all part of the adventure!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">As you can see, packing was a bit of a complication.</div><br />
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Til next time in Tanzania!Agneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904957752320950516noreply@blogger.com0