Well, I made it. Apologies for not posting for the last few days since I’ve arrived, and I can’t even make the excuse that the internet is bad since I’ve been on a handful of times without much difficulty, but to be honest I’m having trouble gathering all of my thoughts and observations to sum it all up. Could it be that, for once, I am at a loss for words?
Too good to be true? Yeah. I may falter a bit, but I always have something to say. Here’s my attempt to describe my arrival…
Madison to Detroit to Amsterdam to Kilimajaro and I finally arrived to Tanzania. The flights were fine and only involved me running through an airport once, so I can’t complain too much minus the screaming child in front of me on the way to Amsterdam or the man who must have had an enlarged prostate or something because he had me get up at least ten times on the way to Kili… but really, I got there safe and sound so that’s all matters.
Nani and Chris (my new parents/bosses) were unable to pick me up at the airport the night I came in, but this ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was exhausted from the long journey and probably wouldn’t have been too pleasant to meet at that hour. They had a driver pick me up from the airport and take me to a nearby lodge. His name was Robson and was really nice and called Chris to let him know I had arrived, which made me much more calm with the crazy situation of being surrounded by a dozen Tanzanian men staring at me and speaking Swahili. And then all of a sudden a different man got in the driver’s seat and took me away without saying a word. Slightly panicked, and hoping the two drivers were friends, he turned down a completely dark and bumpy road along the side of the airport that appeared desolate. I was certain I was going to die. All of the jokes my friends had made about me being sold as a slave were becoming all too real. We turned into a gated driveway (probably the prison they’re taking me to) and the headlights revealed the most beautiful lodge in the middle of the savannah. Half asleep, but mostly relieved, I was greeted by two Masaai men who took me to my own bungalow. Great start; nothing like a little scare to get you ready for an adventure.
In the morning the same driver picked me up to drive about an hour to Arusha to meet the family at a cafe. This was the first time I was actually nervous. Afraid they wouldn’t like me, that I would be in over my head (especially with their oldest son who has a mild form of Autism), I waited for what seemed like an hour for Chris to greet me at the car (I think it was actually like 5 minutes) and was welcomed by a charming middle-aged German man. The rest of the family followed suit. Nani is a free-spirited BEAUTIFUL Argentinian woman and their kids Kian (11) and Dylan (9) are about as cute as they come. All I can say is what a wonderful and loving family. I could ramble on now, but I’m sure I’ll have much more to say about them in the next few months.
After some Tanzanian coffee (didn’t know this was a big industry but apparently Chris was born and raised here because his father owned a coffee plantation as was common of many Germans) we hit the road for our long journey back to their home. It’s not very far distance-wise, but it took about 6 hours due to various stops we made (for both shopping and sightseeing purposes) as well as the terrible “roads”, if you can even call them that. The last 30 miles took nearly two hours due to all the bumps and rocks. Thankfully their giant Land Cruiser handled it pretty well, but it still wasn’t much help since we are in the middle of nowhere (it’s over 5 miles to the nearest village). This is the most desolate/beautiful/peaceful place I have ever been, and probably will be for that matter.
HIGHLIGHTS: On our drive through the savannah Dylan spotted some giraffes along the road so we stopped to watch them for a bit. I think there were about ten or so and they were absolutely beautiful. Not long after that we reached an area that is known to have baboons so we pulled over, rolled up our windows, and Nani waved a banana out the window until a huge one came over and grabbed it. Crazy ugly little things.
But wait, didn’t I come here to teach? Well, Chris and Nani are extremely laid back and I’m gonna start in a day or so. Apparently I need time to get adjusted, which has consisted of sitting on my porch reading, walking around the camp, birdwatching, stargazing, watching the kids play, climbing rocks to watch the sunset, and hanging out with the family. Not too bad for the first few days work, eh?
I’ll be moving into my own house tomorrow. For now I’ve been staying in their guesthouse right next to theirs but where I’m going to be living is a few minutes walk and has my own bedroom, living room, kitchen, GIANT porch looking out at the lake and mountains (and flamingos!), as well as the classroom. What a set up.
Sorry for the somewhat boring post. I’m sure it’ll get interesting soon once I’m living more on my own and I’ve started teaching. Hopefully I can add some pictures in the next few weeks.
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