It's still the rainy season in Mbeya. We don't get rain every day but some days, such as yesterday, we get deluges! And when we do, the pot holes and drainage ditches fill up with so much water that the roads are hard to maneuver.
Yesterday eve, Sharmala, Jan, and I ventured off to a friend's house for dinner out into the dark and rainy night. It was so hard to see the people on foot and on bikes as they too were challenged by the floods. It's really a wonder more people are hit and injured -- and I'm glad I'm not the one behind the wheel of the truck.
We shared a wonderful home cooked Indian-Tanzanian meal of chicken curry, rice, spicy peas, yummy little appies called bajia made with grounded up lentils and cilantro , then deep fried and served with a light chutney. . . . hmmmm. For dessert, we had a dish made with roasted vermicelli cooked with water and sugar than served with a spot of cream and gulab jamum (deliciously sweet balls of ??) and washed down with passion juice - a favorite around here. I'm now inspired to try my hand at some Asian cooking when I get home (Indian? Thai?).
Our hostess also provided us with many insights into what it's like to live & work in Tanzania. . . the politics of running a business. She was saying that at her factory (where she is in management), they spend more time meeting & talking than getting things done and it drives her crazy. They wonder why the minutes of each meeting look like the ones from the day before!
In general, people don't worry about time and seem to do things later rather than earlier. For example the new Mbeya airport was started at least 5 years ago and still is not ready to be opened (the runways have barely been started). I guess a person needs to develop a lot of patience.
Sharmala's friend made so much food for us that we had to bring home so left-overs . . . and they are "calling to me" right now! Must go off for few munchies.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Weekend at Mufindi
After spending almost an hour writing a blog on Wed and then losing it, I’ve decided to start on Word and do the old cut and paste thing.... so I’ll once again try to relate some of our experiences from last weekend (w/o being too wordy!)
Jan, Sharmala and I piled into S’s 1991 4x4 Toyota PU last Sat AM and headed up the highway for a weekend at one of the Foxes lodges hidden away in the Mufindi Highlands of SW Tanzania. What we thought was going to be a 3 hour trip took almost 6 hours! We were stopped numerous times by the police along the paved highway (the tarmac) at the police check points --- this is not unusual!
Once off the tarmac and onto the red clay secondary roads, we were plagued by rough washboard roads, washed out low areas, and potholes that would easily beat any found in Moncton! We had intermittent showers to insure that the roads were kept slippery for us but S’s Toyota was up to the challenge. We passed through reforested areas, villages, and lime-green tea plantations. Unfortunately, about half way along the 30km distance to the lodge, we made a wrong turn and ended up going about 14 km before realizing that we were on the wrong track. Backtracking over these bumpy roads was not appealing but we had no choice. Finally, signs to the Foxes’ lodge appeared.... letting us know we were going to arrive soon . . . but not so. Within about 5 km of our destination we were waylaid for another 30 minutes or so because of a large transit truck loaded with lumber which was stuck and blocking our way on this narrow lane-like road.
We did arrive of course, and were blessed with a gorgeous pastoral setting high in the hills of Mufindi. The final approach to the lodge was along a road lined on both sides with Jacaranda trees arching over our heads! If you want pictures, check out Foxes Safari Camps on-line (www.tanzaniasafaris.info) and you’ll see some of the log cabins we stayed in (we stayed in two, each with 2 single beds and full bath --- the hot water was provided by a gravity-fed line heated with charcoal fire just up the slope from each cabin). We ate our meals in the main lodge, meeting a few of the other visitors (it’s low season so the place was not full). Two young people from Finland were here to write articles/photos for magazines back home and the other ‘visitor’ was a Dr. Leena (a Finnish) paediatrican who lives & provides a medical clinic mid-way between Mbeya and Mufindi. She comes to this highland area every month to visit the villagers in their homes and give them care. Geoff and Vicki Fox, one of their four sons and his young son joined us for our first meal and we learned a bit about this operation.
G. Fox has been in this area for over 50 years, working for tea plantations and then developing his own place. The local people gave him much land and he now owns 2000 acres of land which is used for a variety of things : tea, forestry, cattle, sheep, and horses and the lodge, of course. His wife has trained the shepherds to work the 3 border collies who work hard keeping those sheep in order! We got to see them going through their paces. Most recently though, this family has put their energies into an NGO –Foxes Community and Wildlife Trust and they’re working with a number of other organizations to help this area “towards a brighter future”. Tanzania has been hit very hard by the HIV-AID epidemic and this is one of the hardest hit areas in the country (this area includes Mbeya). Large numbers of children are orphaned because their parents succumb to the disease (or else are too weak to care for their families). It has devastated whole villages and areas of the countryside.
So here we were, in one of the most beautiful settings, surrounded by gardens over flowing with flowers (cosmos, lilies, roses, orchids, petunias, begonias of all sorts, etc); a view of lush rolling hills; sheep and cattle grazing in the distance and then the contrast . . . the poverty and deprivation of the local people. We were invited to visit the 4 orphan houses built since 2005 just over the hills from the lodge and our cabins. Sharmala went by horseback and Jan & I trudged along the road/trail down into a valley and up to the newly built homes. At 6000 ft, we noticed we needed to use a bit more effort on the hills (and the heat of the day was upon us – although not at all oppressive). We had to stop and admire the numerous ground orchids, proteus, and songbirds along the way (the sunbird is a frequent visitor as well as the long-tailed whydah . . . both so different than any Canadian birds).
Once at the homes, we were greeted by Americans Jen, her husband Jeff, and their new 3 month-old daughter. Jen first came to this area a number of years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer and has now committed herself to helping these people get on their feet so that they can help themselves. She and Jeff explained to us in detail all the work that has gone on these past 4 – 5 years --- their aims are “to provided shelter, sustenance, education, and medical care for orphans and foster families in the Mufindi District of Tan., to curtail the spread of HIV-AIDS, to teach life skills (language, fiscal, vocational, self-sufficiency), and to create hope and opportunities for future generations.” You can read in more detail about them at www.wildorphans.org and see pictures of what has gone on. We were so impressed by the work done here and how the main focus is to help these people become self-sufficient in time. We met several of the house mothers and some of the children. Medical care as been the key to helping these people and families. They’ve also been working with other organizations such as Equip Canada, Solar Aid, African Children’s Book Box Society (this was started by two woman from Victoria , BC --- to provide African books for children in African countries & to help African authors and publishers.... more at www.africanbookbox.org. )I said I’d keep this short . . . . and am near the end of page two! We thoroughly enjoyed this break away from the routine of life in Mbeya and we did get safely home with a few more adventures along the way. I will post more later.... (hey, I never mentioned the food! So unlike me!)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mid-week in Mbeya
Wednesday morning and time to try to send another Blog! It is wonderful to be connected with friends and family from so very far away via computers but the system is not without glitches. Patience is a key attribute in this part of the world and certainly when dealing with anything that requires power.
It seems that the neighborhood that we are in is more prone to power outages or "brown outs" than other areas of the city. Last night there was an outage for a few hours just after dark which allowed us to appreciate a spectacular "light show" off in the distance. Huge bursts of lightening (we use to call it "dry" or "heat lightning" in Philadelphia) lit up the towering cumulus clouds a few kilometers from here. No thunder to be heard at all. Sitting on the age of my bed, a lit candle on the bed stand, trying to write a few words in my journal had me recalling my days in the cabin in Mayo, YT. . . such darkness with only a candle to light the words.
Yesterday we drove into the inner city area of Mbeya over roads that made the pothole-filled roads of Moncton look pretty tame. The main roads are paved but w/0 shoulders. Sharmala not only deftly dodged hefleump-sized holes but had to send horn-blasts round blind corners to warn the numerous pedestrians. . . .many of these being school children in their various school uniforms (bright red or green sweaters with dark shorts or skirts). We made several stops before reaching the inner city program for children. First was an open-air market with vendors selling an assortment of veggies (potatoes, onions, leeks, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, carrots, squash and more) and others preparing and selling "fast food" lunches of fried potatoes and other interesting looking things (not sure what). We did notice that there were far more vendors than shoppers even though it was nearly noon. We made brief stops at a stationary shop, DVD shop (yes, there are lots of fairly current CDs and DVDs available for sale), and a small grocery store where we bought some frozen chicken.
I was wondering how I could describe the city of Mbeya which sprawls like a large quilt over such so much of the area. There are small homes and shops, most with metal roofs, many others with tile and very few are more than two stories high. I'd say that most of the mid-sized homes and larger ones are surrounded by stone or brick walls. It's much more like a small town that goes on and on. If you want a really good idea of what it looks like, my sister in NB found that you can see Mbeya on Google Earth . . . even the footpaths across the airfield which is right next to our place . . . so give that a try! (thanks, JEM, for that bit of info)
At the inner city program for children we arrived in time to see the children receive their breakfast --- today it was a mug of chai (tea) and a large chunk of whole wheat bread. Later in the day, two women would cook up a lunch of roasted potatoes for them. These must be some of the neediest children of the city and so these meals might be all they get to eat. Words are hard to find to describe the children -- they are at once needy and yet still have a sparkle about them (not all, of course). They were so pleased to welcome us each coming up to shake our hands and to greet us in the traditional Tanzanian manner.
Once they had eaten, the children came into a room furnished with one table, two benches, and a large cupboard. A collection of games (mainly wooden puzzles) and toys were brought out and bamboo mats set out for all to sit on. The treat yesterday were the coloured pencils and copies of pictures from coloring books for them to colour themselves. Such excitement, pushing and shoving to make sure they got a pencil and paper. One of the young men who help out at the centre, patiently wrote the names of each child on a page before handing them out which was a real benefit to me because now I could see their names. . . Vestor, Richard, Olivine, Frank, Beatrice . . . probably 50 kids altogether. The youngest were about 2.5 - 3 with wide - wide dark eyes . . . . easily able to break hearts with their beauty. They were so pleased to show what they could do or draw or build and wanted/needed our acknowledgment. As we were ready to go, some of the smaller ones were reluctant to let us go. Sharmala has been providing this simple sparse haven for these children for about 7 years now. The building that she rents is extremely rustic -- a dusty yard (with a resident pig and chicken), a meagre kitchen for clean-up and the main room about 14 x 20 feet (I'm not that great at estimating). There is no ceiling over this room, just a corrugated roof that leaks on rainy days. And the wall have huge chunks of plaster falling off giving a sense that you've been transported to some dark neighborhood of 1700 London. These images will never leave me, of that I am sure.
Sharmala has been off doing errands while I write, and Jan has been busily creating an eggplant dish (Iman fainting) that is sure to satisfy our mid-day hunger (large meals eaten early afternoon here with a smaller meal eaten in the early ever d7 - 9ish).
I could write so much more but must make myself useful!!
It seems that the neighborhood that we are in is more prone to power outages or "brown outs" than other areas of the city. Last night there was an outage for a few hours just after dark which allowed us to appreciate a spectacular "light show" off in the distance. Huge bursts of lightening (we use to call it "dry" or "heat lightning" in Philadelphia) lit up the towering cumulus clouds a few kilometers from here. No thunder to be heard at all. Sitting on the age of my bed, a lit candle on the bed stand, trying to write a few words in my journal had me recalling my days in the cabin in Mayo, YT. . . such darkness with only a candle to light the words.
Yesterday we drove into the inner city area of Mbeya over roads that made the pothole-filled roads of Moncton look pretty tame. The main roads are paved but w/0 shoulders. Sharmala not only deftly dodged hefleump-sized holes but had to send horn-blasts round blind corners to warn the numerous pedestrians. . . .many of these being school children in their various school uniforms (bright red or green sweaters with dark shorts or skirts). We made several stops before reaching the inner city program for children. First was an open-air market with vendors selling an assortment of veggies (potatoes, onions, leeks, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, carrots, squash and more) and others preparing and selling "fast food" lunches of fried potatoes and other interesting looking things (not sure what). We did notice that there were far more vendors than shoppers even though it was nearly noon. We made brief stops at a stationary shop, DVD shop (yes, there are lots of fairly current CDs and DVDs available for sale), and a small grocery store where we bought some frozen chicken.
I was wondering how I could describe the city of Mbeya which sprawls like a large quilt over such so much of the area. There are small homes and shops, most with metal roofs, many others with tile and very few are more than two stories high. I'd say that most of the mid-sized homes and larger ones are surrounded by stone or brick walls. It's much more like a small town that goes on and on. If you want a really good idea of what it looks like, my sister in NB found that you can see Mbeya on Google Earth . . . even the footpaths across the airfield which is right next to our place . . . so give that a try! (thanks, JEM, for that bit of info)
At the inner city program for children we arrived in time to see the children receive their breakfast --- today it was a mug of chai (tea) and a large chunk of whole wheat bread. Later in the day, two women would cook up a lunch of roasted potatoes for them. These must be some of the neediest children of the city and so these meals might be all they get to eat. Words are hard to find to describe the children -- they are at once needy and yet still have a sparkle about them (not all, of course). They were so pleased to welcome us each coming up to shake our hands and to greet us in the traditional Tanzanian manner.
Once they had eaten, the children came into a room furnished with one table, two benches, and a large cupboard. A collection of games (mainly wooden puzzles) and toys were brought out and bamboo mats set out for all to sit on. The treat yesterday were the coloured pencils and copies of pictures from coloring books for them to colour themselves. Such excitement, pushing and shoving to make sure they got a pencil and paper. One of the young men who help out at the centre, patiently wrote the names of each child on a page before handing them out which was a real benefit to me because now I could see their names. . . Vestor, Richard, Olivine, Frank, Beatrice . . . probably 50 kids altogether. The youngest were about 2.5 - 3 with wide - wide dark eyes . . . . easily able to break hearts with their beauty. They were so pleased to show what they could do or draw or build and wanted/needed our acknowledgment. As we were ready to go, some of the smaller ones were reluctant to let us go. Sharmala has been providing this simple sparse haven for these children for about 7 years now. The building that she rents is extremely rustic -- a dusty yard (with a resident pig and chicken), a meagre kitchen for clean-up and the main room about 14 x 20 feet (I'm not that great at estimating). There is no ceiling over this room, just a corrugated roof that leaks on rainy days. And the wall have huge chunks of plaster falling off giving a sense that you've been transported to some dark neighborhood of 1700 London. These images will never leave me, of that I am sure.
Sharmala has been off doing errands while I write, and Jan has been busily creating an eggplant dish (Iman fainting) that is sure to satisfy our mid-day hunger (large meals eaten early afternoon here with a smaller meal eaten in the early ever d7 - 9ish).
I could write so much more but must make myself useful!!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Our last few days in Mbeya have found us involved in a number of activities. A household full of boys is always a busy place and this is no exception.
On our first day here, we celebrated Daudi's birthday with a beautifully decorated cake created by Sharmala and Jan. We had spent about an hour with the boys watching and "filming" (via our camera videos') them doing cartwheels, back flips and leaps all with amazing agility. There is a huge pile of rice husks not far from here where they are able to take off and land w/o injury. The most spectacular leap had Daudi and Dick each running, taking off and then sailing over not one or two but 5 little kids all lined up just past the take-off point. When we returned home, Jan sketched a drawing of these "gymnasts" which Sharmala then reproduced with icing on D's cake! A unique cake indeed.
It's been fun having the boys show us the various creatures that live within the compound's yard - lizards, mama frog and her little ones, 8cm long snails, moths with lovely symmetrical patterns, spiders, and dead wasps.
Jan, Sharmala and I share a keenness for birds and have spotted an iridescent backed sunbird feeding on a nearby "bottle brush" tree (with it's gorgeous scarlet bottle brush-shaped blooms); small groups of small red finch-like birds that might be African fire birds (we've got a Peterson's book of birds for Eastern Africa to help ID them); and just a short while ago I saw a medium sized bird flying to a tree across the yard and it had an enormously long tail. Jan thinks it might have been a widow bird. I couldn't detect any markings w/o binoculars ---- sure wish I had brought a small pair with me.
Last night guests came to share a tasty meal with us.... roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, stir-fry veggies, potato-leek soup, green salad & for dessert homemade chocolate chip ice-cream with scrumptious fudgie brownies. Sharmala's dear friend Minakshi, who lives and works here in Mbeya came with her friend Neeta who is visiting from Dar. We all enjoyed sharing stories and news across the candle-lit table in a combination of English and Swahili. M. told us about the textile factory where she works managing the inventory. We found out that the cotton is grown not far from here and processed completely here at this factory...from the spinning of the thread to the weaving of the material. Minakshi is also part of a group of local woman who are trying to start a local "cottage" industry which would create batiked fabrics.
As you can see, adjustment to Tanzania life has not been difficult!
I'll try to send pictures so that you can see the boys and some of the beautifull surrounding countryside!
Last night guests came to share a tasty meal with us.... roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, stir-fry veggies, potato-leek soup, green salad & for dessert homemade chocolate chip ice-cream with scrumptious fudgie brownies. Sharmala's dear friend Minakshi, who lives and works here in Mbeya came with her friend Neeta who is visiting from Dar. We all enjoyed sharing stories and news across the candle-lit table in a combination of English and Swahili. M. told us about the textile factory where she works managing the inventory. We found out that the cotton is grown not far from here and processed completely here at this factory...from the spinning of the thread to the weaving of the material. Minakshi is also part of a group of local woman who are trying to start a local "cottage" industry which would create batiked fabrics.
As you can see, adjustment to Tanzania life has not been difficult!
I'll try to send pictures so that you can see the boys and some of the beautifull surrounding countryside!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
We've arrived safely in Mbeya!! What an amazing trip from TO to Dar and then finally on to western Tanzania by bus. I have no idea what time zone I'm in physically but we are 3 hours ahead of London and seven ahead of NB and 11 head of Vancouver!
Jan & I met at Pearson Airport amidst the cheers of the gold medal men's hockey game on Sunday night (I was able to catch the nail-bitter of a game on the airport TVs). We were air-born by 9:15 PM on a "quick" flight to Heathrow. Our BA pilot made an amazing approach to the magnificent city of London, banking ever so slowly over the entire downtown area so that we could see the Parliament bldg., London Eye, Buckingham Palace, and the St.James Park. Because we landed by 9:00 AM and weren't due to leave again until after 5, we decided to take in a few sights in London. We were whisked into the city by train/tube and we emerged out of the underground into the early spring-cool morning. Not having much time, we hoofed it through St. James Park towards Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing of the guard --- no sign of the Queen, of course. Our time was short, so we only took in the street sights and a bowl of Italian soup (highly over-priced) before heading back to Heathrow.
By 5:40 we were in the air & on our way to the wonderful country of Tanzania! We landed at about 6:30 AM into the heat and humidity of Dar es Salaam. Jan's friend, Sharmala, had arranged for a driver to pick us up and deliver us to our rest spot for the night BUT before that we had to drive through the morning rush hour from the airport into the city. We were traveling at speeds a bit slower than a fast walk! I know, because I watched several people pass us on foot. Lots of cyclists (some with more than dozens of egg cartons balanced precariously on the rear fender), taxis, & mini-vans. . . Toyotas are the favorite vehicle by far! We had several stops to make before getting to our hostel ; picking up bus tickets, $$, and food for our long bus trip on Wed. Our driver delivered us safely in his AC car (whew...what a relief) and Jan communicated with him beautifully in a mixture of Swahili and English. We rested up in preparation for our long bus ride to Myeba.
Yes, the bus "ride" --- the fourth and final leg of our journey. We thought it could take as much as 12 or 13 hours but in fact took 14 -- from 6:15AM until 8:30PM. And what an amazing trip. We traveled away from the coast into the countryside and within 3 or 4 hours were passing through one of the National Parks - Mikumi National Park. Now, Jan has passed this way several times before and knew that there was a chance we might see some game animals but she wasn't sure if we'd be lucky this time because everything is so lush and green this time of the year compared to the dry of October (when she has been here before). But luck was with us and we spotted some animals; several groups of giraffes; baboons resting along the roadside; zebras (one group crossed right across the road in front of us); some beautiful impalas with their elegant horns; and way off in the distance some buffalo.
Eventually we climbed up into the highlands of central and western Tanzania and perhaps I'll describe them in more detail later - I'm feeling rather fatigued. You wouldn't think I'd be too tired after dozing on and off on the bus all day long yesterday and then sleeping soundly through the night, never hearing the Muslim's call to prayer in the early hours of the morning. Sharmala has treated us royally with fresh fruit, farm-fresh organic eggs, and yummy spaghetti & green salad with tomatoes.
I'll end this blog for now --- but will do my best to keep it up over these next few weeks. And I'll see if I can figure out how to send pics too!
Cheers to all!
Jan & I met at Pearson Airport amidst the cheers of the gold medal men's hockey game on Sunday night (I was able to catch the nail-bitter of a game on the airport TVs). We were air-born by 9:15 PM on a "quick" flight to Heathrow. Our BA pilot made an amazing approach to the magnificent city of London, banking ever so slowly over the entire downtown area so that we could see the Parliament bldg., London Eye, Buckingham Palace, and the St.James Park. Because we landed by 9:00 AM and weren't due to leave again until after 5, we decided to take in a few sights in London. We were whisked into the city by train/tube and we emerged out of the underground into the early spring-cool morning. Not having much time, we hoofed it through St. James Park towards Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing of the guard --- no sign of the Queen, of course. Our time was short, so we only took in the street sights and a bowl of Italian soup (highly over-priced) before heading back to Heathrow.
By 5:40 we were in the air & on our way to the wonderful country of Tanzania! We landed at about 6:30 AM into the heat and humidity of Dar es Salaam. Jan's friend, Sharmala, had arranged for a driver to pick us up and deliver us to our rest spot for the night BUT before that we had to drive through the morning rush hour from the airport into the city. We were traveling at speeds a bit slower than a fast walk! I know, because I watched several people pass us on foot. Lots of cyclists (some with more than dozens of egg cartons balanced precariously on the rear fender), taxis, & mini-vans. . . Toyotas are the favorite vehicle by far! We had several stops to make before getting to our hostel ; picking up bus tickets, $$, and food for our long bus trip on Wed. Our driver delivered us safely in his AC car (whew...what a relief) and Jan communicated with him beautifully in a mixture of Swahili and English. We rested up in preparation for our long bus ride to Myeba.
Yes, the bus "ride" --- the fourth and final leg of our journey. We thought it could take as much as 12 or 13 hours but in fact took 14 -- from 6:15AM until 8:30PM. And what an amazing trip. We traveled away from the coast into the countryside and within 3 or 4 hours were passing through one of the National Parks - Mikumi National Park. Now, Jan has passed this way several times before and knew that there was a chance we might see some game animals but she wasn't sure if we'd be lucky this time because everything is so lush and green this time of the year compared to the dry of October (when she has been here before). But luck was with us and we spotted some animals; several groups of giraffes; baboons resting along the roadside; zebras (one group crossed right across the road in front of us); some beautiful impalas with their elegant horns; and way off in the distance some buffalo.
Eventually we climbed up into the highlands of central and western Tanzania and perhaps I'll describe them in more detail later - I'm feeling rather fatigued. You wouldn't think I'd be too tired after dozing on and off on the bus all day long yesterday and then sleeping soundly through the night, never hearing the Muslim's call to prayer in the early hours of the morning. Sharmala has treated us royally with fresh fruit, farm-fresh organic eggs, and yummy spaghetti & green salad with tomatoes.
I'll end this blog for now --- but will do my best to keep it up over these next few weeks. And I'll see if I can figure out how to send pics too!
Cheers to all!
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