Hey all- sorry it's been so long since my last post. I just got back from a weekend trip to Zanzibar. This island is only an hour and a half flight off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar is a unique island as it has been influenced by so many different cultures that have competed for the island. The most predominant religion on the island is Islam with 98% of the population in practice. This predominent religion and culture projects itself on the over all feel of this beautiful place. The buildings in Stone Town are beautifully white and are built with Indian, Persian, and European architecture styles. The people are beautifully dressed in fabrics with magnificent colors and designs. I abaolutely love the island because it is something so different to experience.
After walking around Stone Town, we settled at a Sunset bar at The African House Hotel. We got drinks and met up with a friend Annie made in the Cairo airport during her journey to Tanzania. He is a student at Northwestern University Working for a NGO organization that helps schools in Zanzibar. After seeing the beautiful sunsets across the Indian Ocean, we went into the center of town to a place called the Forodhani Gardens for dinner. The garden area was packed with different venders making delicious variations of foods. There were over 50 different stands selling different parts of dinner. We first tried a traditional Znanzibarian style pizza that looked and tasted more like an omelette. We then tried the freshly juiced sugar cane drink while waiting for our seafood on a stick to be warmed up. Everything was so amazingly fresh and prepared right before us. We ate our meal sitting on the concrete ledge overlooking the harbor.
We walked a little ways on the edge of the beach to Freddy Mercury's Bar. We sat and enjoyed looking at all the pictures of his band Queen. Today was also a
Day that celebrated Nelson Mandela so we cheers to freedom.
On our way back from Mercury's Restaurant, we stopped at a stand to order banana and nutella chapate for dessert. Jere we ran into 2 volunteers from the states. One from Ohio and one from the Kansas City area (Leawood)!! Such a small world.
Saturday morning we got up early to get a taxi and drive about an hour to Nunguwi, a small town on the north part of the west coast. We checked into our little bungalow which was only a few steps off the white sandy beach. We grabbed lunch on the beach and then claimed our groups for the rest of the afternoon to bask in the sun. The day was perfect. The view of the water and the sailboats out at sea was surreal. We couldn't believe we were there.
Sunday morning we got up to head back to Stone Town to met up with Blair. He set up a boat cruise out to Priion Island. This day was also perfect. The island had giant tortoises and a prison that was used back in the days of the slave trade. The water and views were breath taking. We had the opportunity to snorkle off Prison Island. I was so supprised of all the colorful fish and coral we saw. I did not expect to see the exotic sea life.
For dinner, we went back to The African House to enjoy the sunset on our last night. We took many beautiful sunset pictures and sat on the cozy couches to enjoy our meal. The weekend was packed with so many fun events. We were so lucky to have the opportunity to travel here. I loved every second.
I have one more full day with Annie in Arusha, then I make the journey back home to Kansas.
I cannot wait to share my pictures for you all to see!
Love,
Kelley
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Getting Jigger with It
Aye aye aye. Well, I can cross of an African parasite from the bucket list. This morning I noticed an abnormal pain/cramping on the bottom of my foot and tried to ignore it because my feet are usually acting up in some way or another (my high arches and strange joints) but the pain presisted longer than usual. I tried to look at the site where the pain was coming from, but found it was at an odd place that is hard to view without a mirror. After some uncomfortable turning and bending, sure enough there it was, a jigger embeded in my skin. A jigger is a type of sand flea that is poor at jumping, so they are found commonly Taking residence on the feet and legs of humans and animals.
I won't go into the gory details of it's removal, but rest assured it is now gone. There is now a rather large open wound on the bottom of my foot that I need to be especially meticulous about keeping clean and free from infection.
That was the highlight of the day at the office. We didn't go to the school today because there were no after school programs planned for today.
I went to TGT, a restaurant to eat 1/2 price sushi with Annie, Sarah, and Ann. There was a beautiful sunset falling into the mountains in the distance. It was a nice evening.
Only one more week here :(
Love,
Kelley
I won't go into the gory details of it's removal, but rest assured it is now gone. There is now a rather large open wound on the bottom of my foot that I need to be especially meticulous about keeping clean and free from infection.
That was the highlight of the day at the office. We didn't go to the school today because there were no after school programs planned for today.
I went to TGT, a restaurant to eat 1/2 price sushi with Annie, Sarah, and Ann. There was a beautiful sunset falling into the mountains in the distance. It was a nice evening.
Only one more week here :(
Love,
Kelley
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Foundation For Tomorrow
Hello everyone!! Tuesday was a great day here in Tanzania. I went to work with Annie today to get more educated about the non profit organization she is interning with. We got to the office at 8:30 and Annie got some work done before we went to the local Maasai market. We were so overwhelmed with all the venders and the shouting in Swahili. After about 3 hours of bargaining and spending we made it out with some great buys. From the market we went to eat lunch at The Blue Heron restaurant. We all displayed out purchases and then enjoyed a delicious meal.
We made it back to the office just in time to get in the car and drive to Usa River Academy. Annie and I sat with some of the girls so that Annie could get some more information on them to update their profiles. They opened up to us and even performed a dance for us!
After the afternoon at school, we were dropped off at the apartment and we decoded to stay in and cook dinner. We had some noodles so we went out to the street to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables to add to our pasta sauce. We enjoyed our meal by the fire in the lodge. We were so tired from the long day, we were in bed with the lights out (technically they were always out because we didn't have power all day-lamps is more appropriate) by 8:30p. We were prepared for the much needed sleep after such a productive day.
Kelley
We made it back to the office just in time to get in the car and drive to Usa River Academy. Annie and I sat with some of the girls so that Annie could get some more information on them to update their profiles. They opened up to us and even performed a dance for us!
After the afternoon at school, we were dropped off at the apartment and we decoded to stay in and cook dinner. We had some noodles so we went out to the street to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables to add to our pasta sauce. We enjoyed our meal by the fire in the lodge. We were so tired from the long day, we were in bed with the lights out (technically they were always out because we didn't have power all day-lamps is more appropriate) by 8:30p. We were prepared for the much needed sleep after such a productive day.
Kelley
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tanzania: A New Adventure Begins
Hey everyone!! I decided that I should continue the blog throughout my stay here in Arusha, Tanzania. I miss Meg and Remi so much and I hope their travels went well. Writing on this won't be the same without them. Ok I'm going to tell you what I've been unto since the girls and I went our separate ways...
After I said my goodbyes to the girls in the Entebbe Airport, a new leaf was turned. I was on my own and on my way to Tanzania. Remi and Meg's flight was at 9:00am and mine wasn't until 1:30pm. I twiddled my thumbs in the cafe just outside security til they allowed me to go through border control and into the terminal. I shopped a little bit, checked out the overpriced shops, then waited until it wad my turn to get into the air.
The flight from Entebbe, Uganda to Kilamanjaro was only about an hour and a half. I could hardly sit back and relax because I was so excited. We were making our final descent when the pilot came over the intercom and told everyone to look out the left side of the plane to see Mount Kilamanjaro! The sky was so clear I could see the summit at eye level as we were just starting our descent, to describe how high this mountain is. Getting my visa ($100) and customs was a breeze. I had to get a cab for the 45 minute drive because the free shuttle service conveniently wasn't running. A part of me was a little skeptical of the idea, but when in Africa, take what you can get. I made contact with Annie and met up with her at her apartment. We were so excited to see each other. We grabbed a roadside roasted corn on the cob and tried to exchange some of our many stories. We then went with some other people Annie works with to grab dinner at a beautiful bar where a lot of mizungos (white people) hang out. We enjoyed a local beer with our pizza and we visited with everyone.
Saturday morning we woke up and prepared ourselves for a two day, one night safari!! Annie, her roommate, Sarah, Colleen (Annies friend from Chicago working here) and Karim(a guy Colleen knows from work) and I left at 9:00am for a two hour drive to a campsite we were to stay at for the night. Once we got there,we pitched our tents for tonight. We then headed out for our safari near Lake Manyara. The weather was so beautiful it made the day perfect. We saw so much wild life I couldn't believe it! We saw elephants, monkeys, baboons, wildebeests, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, and buffalo. All before luck time. Our lunch was set up on a cliff that overlooked the Lake and a grassland where elephants were grazing. The rest of the afternoon, we were able to get great up close pictures of the animals that got so close to our jeep.
Dinner was at 7:00 back at the campsite so we sat by the pool and drank wine to pass the time. Dinner was delicious. Cucumber soup, Fish and rice with fresh veggies and banana fritters for dessert.
Sunday morning came way too fast with my alarm going off at 5:00 to eat breakfast then we were to leave and go to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is one of the best places in Africa to find so many different animals all in one location. We saw many, many animals including two huge lions and a large pack of lionesses. The zebras were my favorite though. The weather was extremely chilly and windy, but it cleared up after our lunch by the hippo pool. I have been so lucky to have another safari experience during my time here in Africa.
We left the crater around 1:00 and went back to the campsite to gather up everything from camping. I bought a few souviners including a beautiful painting done by a local artist. We made our way back to Arusha by 5:00. After our much needed showers, Annie, Sarah, and I ate dinner in the lodge and discussed the highlights of one of my top 10 weekends.
Monday, (today) Annie and I woke up and went on a run through town. It is much different from the quiet, rural Kyarusozi as we had to dodge people and polluting vehicles on the busy road. It wasn't the same without Remi and the rest of the kids, but it was nice to have Annie. I then went with her to work. Annie is working at an organization called The Foundation For Tomorrow which finds sponsors for children in the different orphanages here in Arusha to help support them to go to school. I am excited to see the kids at the orphanages as well as the schools and see how different they are from Kyarusozi. Im sitting at work with her now finding out more about this foundation. I guess that's all for now!
Love,
Kelley
After I said my goodbyes to the girls in the Entebbe Airport, a new leaf was turned. I was on my own and on my way to Tanzania. Remi and Meg's flight was at 9:00am and mine wasn't until 1:30pm. I twiddled my thumbs in the cafe just outside security til they allowed me to go through border control and into the terminal. I shopped a little bit, checked out the overpriced shops, then waited until it wad my turn to get into the air.
The flight from Entebbe, Uganda to Kilamanjaro was only about an hour and a half. I could hardly sit back and relax because I was so excited. We were making our final descent when the pilot came over the intercom and told everyone to look out the left side of the plane to see Mount Kilamanjaro! The sky was so clear I could see the summit at eye level as we were just starting our descent, to describe how high this mountain is. Getting my visa ($100) and customs was a breeze. I had to get a cab for the 45 minute drive because the free shuttle service conveniently wasn't running. A part of me was a little skeptical of the idea, but when in Africa, take what you can get. I made contact with Annie and met up with her at her apartment. We were so excited to see each other. We grabbed a roadside roasted corn on the cob and tried to exchange some of our many stories. We then went with some other people Annie works with to grab dinner at a beautiful bar where a lot of mizungos (white people) hang out. We enjoyed a local beer with our pizza and we visited with everyone.
Saturday morning we woke up and prepared ourselves for a two day, one night safari!! Annie, her roommate, Sarah, Colleen (Annies friend from Chicago working here) and Karim(a guy Colleen knows from work) and I left at 9:00am for a two hour drive to a campsite we were to stay at for the night. Once we got there,we pitched our tents for tonight. We then headed out for our safari near Lake Manyara. The weather was so beautiful it made the day perfect. We saw so much wild life I couldn't believe it! We saw elephants, monkeys, baboons, wildebeests, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, and buffalo. All before luck time. Our lunch was set up on a cliff that overlooked the Lake and a grassland where elephants were grazing. The rest of the afternoon, we were able to get great up close pictures of the animals that got so close to our jeep.
Dinner was at 7:00 back at the campsite so we sat by the pool and drank wine to pass the time. Dinner was delicious. Cucumber soup, Fish and rice with fresh veggies and banana fritters for dessert.
Sunday morning came way too fast with my alarm going off at 5:00 to eat breakfast then we were to leave and go to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is one of the best places in Africa to find so many different animals all in one location. We saw many, many animals including two huge lions and a large pack of lionesses. The zebras were my favorite though. The weather was extremely chilly and windy, but it cleared up after our lunch by the hippo pool. I have been so lucky to have another safari experience during my time here in Africa.
We left the crater around 1:00 and went back to the campsite to gather up everything from camping. I bought a few souviners including a beautiful painting done by a local artist. We made our way back to Arusha by 5:00. After our much needed showers, Annie, Sarah, and I ate dinner in the lodge and discussed the highlights of one of my top 10 weekends.
Monday, (today) Annie and I woke up and went on a run through town. It is much different from the quiet, rural Kyarusozi as we had to dodge people and polluting vehicles on the busy road. It wasn't the same without Remi and the rest of the kids, but it was nice to have Annie. I then went with her to work. Annie is working at an organization called The Foundation For Tomorrow which finds sponsors for children in the different orphanages here in Arusha to help support them to go to school. I am excited to see the kids at the orphanages as well as the schools and see how different they are from Kyarusozi. Im sitting at work with her now finding out more about this foundation. I guess that's all for now!
Love,
Kelley
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Last Day in Kyarusozi
Today was a sad day for all of us. Last night we handed out our clothes and said our goodbyes to the kids from the neighborhood. We woke up this morning for our last 6:45am run with our CC team. We were prepared to say bye to them, but boy were we wrong. It turned out that all the kids that we have gotten to know the past 6 weeks had skipped school for the day in order to spend the rest of the morning with us before our ride came at 11:00. It was so hard to see their sad faces as we played with them. Once we started putting bags in the car, the tears for all of us started to flow. The one child who won our hearts with his mischievous ways and ornery behavior, Ricky (5) let down his gaurd and started sobbing. This made us all break down.
It is so sad that our time here has come to an end. We have learned so much in this short time in Uganda. Our experience here has broadended our minds and expanded our hearts to a different way of living that is not necessarily bad because it is different. We hope that our stories when we are home will paint the picture of the beautiful country and people we have come to know and love.
Kelley, Meg, and Remi
P.S Meg and Remi get back to the states on July 9th and Kelley will return after her trip to Tanzania to see her teammate Annie on July 20.
It is so sad that our time here has come to an end. We have learned so much in this short time in Uganda. Our experience here has broadended our minds and expanded our hearts to a different way of living that is not necessarily bad because it is different. We hope that our stories when we are home will paint the picture of the beautiful country and people we have come to know and love.
Kelley, Meg, and Remi
P.S Meg and Remi get back to the states on July 9th and Kelley will return after her trip to Tanzania to see her teammate Annie on July 20.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Day 37: Living HIV Positve-ly
Oliyo ota! Today was another great day at the clinic. Remi was in Pharmacy, Meg was in Maternity, and Kelley was in Admissions/Room 2. About half way through our day, Sister Edith asked us to attend an HIV+ support group meeting that is held monthly at the clinic. Edith wanted us to introduce ourselves and teach the group about healthy HIV+ lifestyles. We talked about having a positive attitude, physical and spiritual health, prevention of transmission, and answered questions that the group offered to us. The group introduced themselves to us and told us their mission and what they wanted to accomplish. Their main focus was all about having a positive attitude and helping each other with the various struggles that HIV/AIDS brings. We were all so touched to see everyone's positive attitude and sense of hope in spite of living with this terminal illness. They will all serve as a lifetime inspiration to us. The group also preformed a few songs for us and we couldn't help but join them in the clapping and dancing. It was so wonderful to share their love for life.
After work we took advantage of the weather and walked home one last time. The walk that used to take us an hour and a half, now takes us only one! We finished up the day with packing and playing with the kids. Tomorrow will be our last day at the clinic so we will have to say our goodbyes. We cannot believe how fast this trip has gone by. We can all say that our lives have been deeply touched by these past six weeks in more ways that you can imagine.
Magie, Cellen, and Rrrraymee (the phonetic pronunciation of our names according to the kids and pretty much everyone we meet)
After work we took advantage of the weather and walked home one last time. The walk that used to take us an hour and a half, now takes us only one! We finished up the day with packing and playing with the kids. Tomorrow will be our last day at the clinic so we will have to say our goodbyes. We cannot believe how fast this trip has gone by. We can all say that our lives have been deeply touched by these past six weeks in more ways that you can imagine.
Magie, Cellen, and Rrrraymee (the phonetic pronunciation of our names according to the kids and pretty much everyone we meet)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Day 36: Happy Fourth of July
Hello! Nothing really out of the ordinary happened today. We had a good day at the clinic. It was pretty busy today! When we got home we began the inevitable task of getting our things ready to go home. Then finished the day with playing with the kids. Before we had dinner Stella prepared a great meal and she insisted that we sing the national anthem. It was so great!
We hope all is well with everyone at home and that you are enjoying the holiday!
See you soon,
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
We hope all is well with everyone at home and that you are enjoying the holiday!
See you soon,
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
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