1.5 Degrees South of the Equator

Hello! Mambo! This is my first access to electricity and internet since I left for my trip. We just spent the last week camping in Ndarakwai, Tanzania, it is beautiful. I am currently in Arusha, which is the fourth largest city in the country, although it doesn't look anything like Chicago.

Shortly after arriving, our directors gave all of the girls kangas, they are a traditional Tanzanian piece of cloth that women use to cover up they are in town, we use them when we are around Tanzanians and it is also handy as a towel which never fit in my luggage. The boys got something different. The passage on mine says, "Jipe Moyo Utashinda" or "Take heart and you will succeed" which I hope comes true throughout my trip.

I would like to introduce two of our teachers:
Baba Jack: program director, retired dead head and very philosophical
Babu Liki: just like rafiki from the lion king, sounds like him and is equally as wise
And there are more I plan on introducing to you later

This past week as been:
-One week camping and very comfortable sleep
-3 meals a day and 3 tea times a day
-bird watching, hiking, looking at plants and tracking animals
- watching the sunset come up over Mt. Kilimanjaro and watching it set behind Mt. Meru.. it is incredible and I wish my camera did a better job capturing it
- meeting new people- all 27 I have found to be very friendly and I think we bring our own dynamic to the program
-trying to learn swahili and the culture

Some of the animals I've seen:
-giraffes
-elephants
-anteaters
-hyenas
-many birds
-spring hares
- wildebeest
-impalas
-water buffalo
-SO many zebras
- three types of monkeys
-and more that I must be forgetting and others I can't identify

Interesting Africa/Tanzania Facts:
-Tanzania has the highest and lowest points in all of Africa (highest: Mt Kili and lowest: the bottom of Lake Victoria)
-There are only two paved roads in Tanzania (and we haven't been driving on them)
-Africa has 8 out of the 10 most poisonous snakes (so be careful)
-zip your tent up at the top so that the scorpions and snakes and lizards don't get in (I've seen all of the above but I've kept them out of my tent)
- don't leave your shoes outside of your tent because monkeys will probably take them.. but they are also handy with zipper so it may not matter
-kilawakatiniwakatiwachai (everytime is tea time)
-There are only two things that the British Colonists got right 1. tea time and 2. land rovers (vehicles that won't tip over at 45 degree angles that we are usually standing in)
-you will always be dusty
- watch out for some of the trees because they have developed defense mechanisms that come in the form of giant thorns that will create festering wounds if you get them and try and pull them out

Anyway, it is obvious that I have already learned some things, some are facts and other things are harder to explain. Its hard to decide what to put in and what to leave out. Tanzania is beautiful, there is nothing like it... one week here is an eternity and I miss everyone but I know that I need to be here. I will keep you updated on Arusha.. which involves getting ripped off, driving in dala dalas (there is always room for one more) and trying to communicate with the locals.

Just know that I am happy and things are going well and I have a lot to tell you about! Talk to you soon!