Successful Last Weekend

So my last weekend turned out to be so much fun and i am so glad we decided to sign out and stay in a hotel. So much less stress than having to make it home for curfew. Friday night we started out the weekend with checking into our hotel and then walking over to our favorite hangout, Koolbar. We met a lot of our friends there and just spent the night having a good time there. We went back to the hotel, which turned out to be only about 10 dollars a night for a room so we each only had to pay about 3 dollars. It was also fairly clean so we were happy about that and all got a good nights rest there.
On Saturday morning we woke up early and had omelets and toast at the hotel. Then around 10 oclock we were picked up by our tour guides who have also become all of our friends and the rest of our group and drove to a small town in the mountains about an hour away. It had rained the night before and so our van got stuck at one point so we all had to get out and push. It was really cute because about 15 young children ran out of their houses and helped us push as well. Unfortunately the car started swirving down the hill but luckily we had all gotten out and it was able to stop so just the back tires were off the road. Either way we had to walk the rest of the way and the driver worked on getting the van back on the road with the help of the children and a few of our guides.

After that excitement we walked up to a house which belonged to a family who own a coffee business. We were met there by a young man named Oscar who was one of the sons of the family who lived there and also our guide for the day. For the next few hours he took us over the process of how his family makes their coffee and also let us make our own from start to finish. He was really funny and made the whole process really enjoyable. We picked the coffee beans, peeled and washed them, grinded them, roasted them, and then grinded again. In the end, our result was some of the best coffee i have ever tasten. It was so smooth and while at home I drench my coffee with milk, all I needed for my cup here was a small half spoonful of sugar.

After enjoying our coffee and the lunch that was served we began our hike to a waterfall. It was a much easier hike than the Kilimanjaro one and along the way Oscar stopped and total us interesting stories and facts about the plants and villages that we were passing through. Finally, after about an hour we arrived at this amazing looking waterfall. Then, although the water was freezing, about half of us dove in and began swimming towards the downpouring water. I was holding my friends hand the whole time but also struggling to breathe. I had never felt such a sensation close to drowning before. I was about to turn around when our guides yelled to us to swim backwards which we did until we made it to the other side of the waterfall. Once across we entered this little cave where we could stand and look out through the water. My heart was beating so fast and it was such a rush. I have swam through waterfalls in costa rica and Hawaii before but nothing has compared to this one. I wanted to stay longer but the cold was getting to me so after a few minutes my friend and i swam back, once again holding hands and struggling to breathe. Once I reached the shore area and had pulled myself back up, I was so thrilled and excited that I had decided not to turn back. I felt bad for the half of my group who decided to not go in.

After the waterfall we changed and hiked back all the way to where our van was. It was already almost 6 at that time and we were all tired from the exciting day. Once we got home, we showered and changed and then about 6 of us went out to dinner at a local chinese restaurant called Panda. I was skeptical about how chinese food in Africa would be, but it turned out to be fairly satisying asian cuisine. However, it was a lot more expensive than we had hoped so we probably wont be going back there.

After dinner, we rushed to the hotel to change for the night and drove to a club called La Liga. The evening event that day was Miss Kilimanjaro and we had all boughten tickets to go watch at it at the outside grass area of the club. We got there at like 10:30 and watched 11 contestants go through a a process of being judged on the bikini contest, formal wear, and a talent show. It was really interesting to watch and compare to the Miss contests in America and what plays into those competitions there. The whole town of Moshi seemed to be there, as well as every mzungu in town. In between each judging event there were dance performances and concerts. Although it was really enjoyable, the competition did not end until almost 2:30 and we were all ready for it to end. Luckily, my favorite girl one and she will be continuing on to compete for Miss Tanzania next week.

After the contest was over, we went inside where the club was just starting to get busy. The club was huge and looked like something ive seen in Europe with multiple floors and numerous places to hang out and dance. The whole club also was filled with neon and flashing lights. We ended up staying there until 5 that morning and spent the whole night dancing and having a blast. We also ran into our UK friends that we had met the weekend before so that was fun. When we were leaving, the club was barely dying down but we figured we should get some sleep. So finally we drove to the Buffalo Hotel and passed out until 10 when the maids knocked on our door and told us it was time for check out. I think at that point I could have slept forever and was hopign the knocking on our door was just a dream.

Sunday morning after having to leave the hotel, we went to breakfast in the city at one of the few places open. I had waffles, fruit, and syrup which is something I had been craving since I got here. Sadly, I just found out about this restaurant on my last weekend but still happy to have had that. The rest of the day, even though all I wanted to do was sleep, was spent getting my hair braided by a local girl who my friend knows. I arrived at my friends house at 2 and for the next 4 hours sat while extensions were braided into my hair. I felt so bad for the girl doing them because she must have been so bored. Luckily, I brought a book and so kept myself semi-occupied but still jumped up as soon as she was done. As for the braids, I love them, and wish I had done them sooner. It will be so nice to not have to worry about my hair for the next week here. That night, I got home and my roommates and I brought a tub of ice cream into our room and spent the evening relaxing and watching gossip girl. I could barely keep my eyes open though so ended up falling asleep at like 10.

And then finally this morning our computer classes started at KIWODEA. We got there around 8 and no one was there yet so I was a little nervous that no one was going to show but by 9 we had about 8 women eager to learn. At first I was nervous because only one of the computers were working and the internet still hadnt been fixed but one of the volunteers had brought there lap top so I worked on that one with 4 girls while the other volunteer took the other half. We ended up working with the women on typing our basic sentences and getting familiar with the key board, which none of them seemed to be. They were all using one finger to type and had no idea where puncutation marks were or the caps lock key etc. By the end though they were all using two hands and had learned the most basic keys. I would write a sentence on the screen using different fonts and switching between caps lock letters and not and then they would have to retype what I had written. This exercise proved to be really beneficial. We were finished by around 12, at which time I walked home for lunch. Im hoping tomorrow the internet will work so we can work on google searches and how to write an email but for now I am thrilled at how the program has turned out.

Also today, many kids showed up for the volunteer school so that was also a success. Mostly other volunteers were working with them who I had asked to come along but it was great that these children who normally couldnt afford to go to school, were now gaining an education. Oh and also my friend and I are thinking about going to the store this afternoon and buying sodas to bring back to our homebase to sell. Water and tea are our only beverages here so I think people would be happy if they could have a coke or fanta waiting for them in the fridge if theyd like. We want to sell them for 1000 shillings which is a little less than a dollar so very resonable but they are sold for 400 shillings at the store so we would still make some profit. We are still working out with the program managers if thats allowed but I think that will be a good way to raise money for the printer.

Ok thats all for now! Im going to go spend my afternoon taking pictures of the town and the house, etc. so I can remember everything. I also want to plan out everything I want to do before I leave this week so I can make the most of the time I have left :(