Post Weekend Report

So the internet has been down in all of Moshi for the past few days and is just now back up. I can not imagine how hectic it would be if that were to happen in an American city but here all of the internet cafes simply have a closed sign in their window and no one argues. However, because of the internet failure, a lot has happened since the last time i have written.

Last Friday, our guides from the Safari took us to a local spot called Glacier. We had been told it was a club but when we got there it was all outdoor seating with a live band and a small bar slash food area, which was much more preferable to me. The atmosphere was great and we were the only "mzungus" there which also made it a lot of fun. We ended up staying really late there and spent the time learning how people in Tanzania dance as well as singing with the band on stage, who were playing anything from Bob Marley covers to authentic Tanzanian music. It was a blast.

However, the next morning when we had to get up at 7 to climb Killi, i think we all wished we hadnt stayed out so late. Regardless, we were excited and were picked up by our guides around 8 to start our adventure. By 9 oclock we had arrived at our destination and we climbed out of the car to register and get all ready. We saw a few other groups there as well but there were many paths to take so everyone went their own way for the most part and we hiked by ourselves for the majority of the time. Before starting we took a before picture and then were on our way. We had been told by our two guides that this hike would be like a walk and also reminded that Killimanjaro was the most climbable mountain, so we all started expecting an easy day.

It took us over three hours to reach our summit for the day which was at a crater, whose name I forget. The hike was also MUCH more difficult than i had thought and by no means was a walk ha. It might have been a combination of none of us having worked out in weeks or having went out the night before, but even so it was a definite challenge. After reaching our summit, sadly we could not see the peak of the mountain because the day was so cloudy but we were just happy to be able to sit down and eat our lunch, which were burgers and fries from a local fast food restaurant. Not the normal hiking food but we were all starving and happy to eat whatever was in front of us.

After checking out the view (or what we could see through the clouds) we signed our names in a book at the top and began our trek down. The way down turned out to be, as expected, much easier and faster and we made it down in about 2 hours, not stopping. On our way down however we did notice that we had went up some pretty steep parts so were definitely proud of ourselves for that. We also passed many porters whose job it is to carry gear and equipment up to the top of the mountain. I could never imagine having to carry that much weight with me while hiking so far. I was very impressed. Oh and also 3 of the 6 of us, myself included, also managed to fall on the way down and all have scraps and bruises to prove it :) Anyway, once we reached the bottom we were all exhausted but I was very excited and felt great to have finished the hike. Also, despite it being harder than i thought, it definitely made me want to try to go back one day and climb to the peak. Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish that in the next 10 years or so.

On our ride back we were all pretty quiet and we asked our driver to drop us off directly at a local indian restaurant named "El Rancho" which we had heard was good. We felt bad that we were all so sweaty and dirty but did not want to have to stop home before and then have to find another ride back out so we just decided to go straight there, backpacks and all. Immediately, we sat down and ordered naan among a number of other indian dishes and began our feast. Our three friends, two of which had done CCS last year, joined us at dinner too so that was fun. They had all climbed to the top of Killi so they joke with us when we were saying how hard it was but also said they understood.

About an hour after we got there, the rest of our group from CCS happened to show up at the same restaurant which was fun because then we all got to be together and there was 2 huge tables of us. We were at the restaurant until about 10 o'clock just hanging out, playing pool, and watching the older people in our group consume too much wine which is also fun. Best part of the night though was definitely the banana splits we rewarded us selves with.

That night we went home, showered and all slept like babies. The next morning we were supposed to visit the hot springs but instead we cancelled and decided to sleep in, which was a great choice. We all woke up around 9:30, and after breakfast of cinnamon rolls and fruit, one group left to go on a coffee tour while the younger group of volunteers, myself included, spent the day lounging around the house and tanning in the backyard. We also were all pretty sore from the day before so it was nice to not have too move much. The rainy season just officially ended and it was one of the first sunny days we had gotten so were all excited. On Sunday, I also attempted to do my laundry for the first time while here. I had never hand washed so many clothes in my life and it took me 45 minutes to get everything as clean as i could get. Then it took a while also to hang everything on the clothesline but in the end i wound up with clean clothes, which I was desperate for at the point so that it was necessary.

Sunday afternoon we spent going to town and attempting to find an internet cafe which was open. However, this was a failed attempt so we went to a rooftop cafe and sat around and had drinks and hung out. Afterwards, we came home, had dinner and spent the night reading and relaxing. The other group members got home around 7 from the coffee tour/waterfall trip which they said was a must-do so hopefully we can go next weekend and do that. They all said they had never had such good coffee in their lives so I am thrilled to try it.

Monday, was pretty laid back and we were all still feeling sore from our hike. We went to work and the kids were great that day. We spent the day going over numbers and the alphabet with the younger class and then writing English words with the older one. The younger class was finally understanding their numbers in English and even 16! There was also an extra teacher that day so we were able to give the kids more individual attention. Then during recess, I played soccer with the few of the kids and got my hair braided. It was a really great day and I had so much energy which was nice after being sick all last week.

After work and lunch, a batik artist came to our house, like the one whose shop we went to last week. We were all given a piece of cloth and made our own batik pieces which was so much fun. I made a sun design, which i messed up a little at the end but am still really proud of. I am hoping to get to go to his shop and do more, but we'll see if that can happen. All together to make one piece of cloth it took 3 hours so it was definitely a long process. Then we walked to the market to buy snacks for our room and sweets which we had all been craving and went home for dinner and a relaxing evening at home.

Its Tuesday early afternoon now so thats really all thats new but this afternoon we are going to an orphanage to play with the kids and then all going out to dinner and "dancing" in Moshi. Not sure what the dancing will entail but thats how its written on the activity board so that should be interesting. Oh and also in school today we talk the younger class to say "Hello, my name is ____" and "I am ___ years old." They all had to fill in the blanks and then read from the paper. It was hard to help them spell all of their names but I think it was a good exercise and helped them practice English and writing. I only have a few my days with the class before break so im hoping to fill them with really fun and helpful activities.

Hopefully, the internet will stay working so I can write again soon!