When is a Cheetah not a Cheetah??

...when it turns out, after many clarifications and translations, that the goats above our camp were not in fact killed by a cheetah, but rather by a roving pack of wild dogs. They are actually an endangered species here, and the last sighting in our area was 8 years ago, so it's really quite exciting that they passed through our neighborhood.

And while we're doing riddles...how do you fix the zipper on a safari tent when you're trapped inside and feeling a little claustrophobic about trying to get out through a one foot opening??? Candle wax and elbow grease...great combination. Ah the things I'm learning!

Of Mountains

Thursday...a beautiful cloudless morning with the mountains finally in full view after days of hiding, from the porch of my tent.

Kilimanjaro...the elusive beauty. Most days you can look in her direction and see no sign whatsoever that she even exists among the clouds. And on days like today when she stands so clearly visible, it is sad to see so readily how her fabled snows have continued to decline. It is difficult to realize that we have done this...with our foolhardy bickering over the reality of climate change and our endless contribution to it. I shudder to imagine what it will mean when those snows are gone...what the implications will be for this already thirsty, no, at times parched, country.

Perhaps Kili's role is to continue as the beautiful siren...the mermaid luring so many to come to Africa, hoping that they will look beyond the well-oiled tourism machinery and take the time to get to know and love a more real Tanzania far from the souvenir markets and multi-star hotels.

There is a tree that obstructs the Kili view from my porch. I must stroll around camp a little to see the summit. They have offered to remove or radically prune the offending tree and I continue to decline. I have more than adequate compensation in the fact that Mount Meru is at the very center of my porch view. It is Meru, a little less shy than her big sister, and graced with far more intriguing lines, that will be permanently etched in my dreams of Africa.

I have cooked the pups their daily pot of maize porridge and little dried stinky fish. They are contentedly curled up together for an after breakfast nap. My tent is swept, as are the kitchen and latrine. The dishes are washed and I'm as well showered as I get. Each day I seem to get through my necessary morning chores a little faster, as they become more and more routine. I am trying, by cellphone text messaging, to sort out logistics for a small building project we need to undertake at camp...to get confirmation about necessary materials, find out if there is a vehicle available to bring them to camp, when, how much...and while I know that as in most projects here it will all somehow come together, it is difficult to keep the frustration level down at this point.

Kathrijn and I were alone at camp last night and indulged ourselves with a wonderful vegetable (and vitamin) filled meal--A plateful of cucumber and tomato slices, and a side dish treat of boil-in-a-bag curried potatoes and peas that I brought from home. The wind came up strong by 8pm and Johana was late getting back to camp, so we decided to calm the little bit of anxiety we both felt, with steamy mugs of hot chocolate (something I must remember to bring more of next time as it's an expensive luxury item in Arusha) before hunkering down in our respective tents.

And now, off to the LOOCIP Centre to see what I might be able to contribute today. So far, this really has felt like the promised 'vacation' but I know that within the coming week I'll be begging for some concrete jobs to sink my teeth into this time around.

Friends and family...I miss you all and hope you're well. I hear the snow has already started to fall in Ottawa – I don't miss that!! Thank you Mike for my first phone call from home. Thanks to all of you who've taken time to write. Your emails never fail to make my day.

Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes

As I walked to the village yesterday, past our boma, one of the little fellas came out to greet me. He attends the Montessori pre-school in Oltepesi, and was very pleased to tell me, oh so clearly: "My name is Paolo". And then, he insisted that I join him in a few choruses of the English song he has learned, so.... started my morning with some rousing rounds of Head & Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Commuting at its best.

Montessori Pre-School in Oltepesi

Sunday evening. As a result of last minute changes of plans, I've been given another shot at spending a solo night at camp. It is 7pm as I write this and the light of my laptop screen is all there is between me and the blackness that's just arrived as quickly as it always does. Thank goodness for typing classes in high school...I can't see my keyboard! I have kerosene lanterns but it's windy and the wobbly light would probably be far more eerie than the darkness. Even Johana is gone for awhile. He didn't look too tempted by the thought of sharing my lazy dinner of ramen noodles (with a fresh tomato on the side) and has gone to his home for some REAL food. He'll be back by 8:30 as usual, and I know he'll pass by my tent to ensure I'm okay before he goes off to his puptent to read my Swahili/English phrasebook by the light of his hand-powered flashlight.

Miles away there are occasional lights that seem to descend from the sky. In reality they are the lights of cars entering this valley on the Arusha-Nairobi highway. On Friday there was a high speed collision involving a local car and a large truck, not too far from Longido. Tomorrow, sadly, I will attend my first burial ceremony here, as the young nephew of my dear friend Vickie (aka Mama Farrajah to readers from last trip) was killed. Three others were apparently seriously injured. Pole sana.

Many thanks to Matthew for loading up my computer with music pre-departure. Tonight, for the first time, it will serve as good company and be well worth the use of available battery powered time. Of course, if the boma singing starts, I'll revert to that in a heartbeat. Meantime, this is a delightful break from the ever-present cricket songs...who'd've thought I'd ever find myself sitting in a tent on an African hillside listening to the Wyrd Sisters? For that matter...who'd've thought any of this???

School shoes...outside the Oltepesi village Montessori school.















Johanna with Meru, our littlest pup.

A Greener Sunday

Sunday, October 26th....I know the Sunday part because I heard the singing coming from the Baptist church in the village early this morning. The 26th part? I only know that because my computer tells me so.

I woke to a new sound and then a wonderful fresh new smell. The rain has come!! How strange to feel chilly with just one blanket. How good to see the trees looking greener after just one little rain shower to dust them off a bit. And now, nearing noon, what a treat for this heat-weary mzungu...a day still cloudy and breezy and, for me, comfortable. I celebrated the rain by allowing myself a teensy bit of extra shower water and an inaugural go at shaving my legs in cold water...dodging around all the little puppy scratches that adorn them of course.

It was good to have Happyness staying with me last night. We came up to camp about 4pm and I couldn't figure out why there were so many young men in the immediate area. Johanna explained that earlier in the day it was discovered that a 'cheetah' had eaten 3 goats a little ways up the mountainside. Now, I must interject...Happy tried to explain to me that sometimes a cheetah isn't a cheetah. I didn't exactly end up understanding (when do I ever, totally??) but SOMETHING ate the goats and that certainly warranted a great deal of discussion and concern around here. We were, as always, assured of our safety down here at the camp though, so with the wind low I actually had the best sleep yet, helped along I'm sure, by the pleasure of hearing someone breathing in the bed beside mine.

This morning I learned to cook maize porridge for the dogs. They've had a few days of the extravagance of my oatmeal and powdered milk, but that's ridiculously expensive as dog food.

I feel good today. I'm looking forward to a visit soon, from my friend Abel who says he'll come to greet me after church. Then back to the internet centre which hopefully will be open as promised so I can post this and reply to some of the emails that came through last evening.

Tomorrow it may all change, but for today I think what I feel most (and what I came here most needing to relearn and truly internalize) is acceptance. A long catch-up conversation with Happyness last evening reminded me of why I generally feel less anxiety here in Longido. Here it is somehow easier to reconcile acceptance of the present, with the contagious faith and hope in fulfilled dreams tomorrow. Here, everything is possible so long as we continue to believe in that possibility. No need or even sense in trying to rationalize away the hopes and feelings that back home came with a boatload of obstacles. This is not a place conducive to falling out of even lopsided love.

Early to Bed and Early to Rise

Last night I fell asleep to the singing of the children living below our mountainside perch. It was such an incredibly beautiful lullaby, and, since I tend to retire early with the 7pm sunsets here, the music went on long after I'd climbed under my net. This morning I woke to crowing roosters and the echoes of the baboons arguing further up on the mountain. Rolled over to find the rising sun was a blazing red ball...tried to take a photo but the camera wasn't able to capture what I was seeing, and I still don't know enough about how to change settings and such. You'll just have to trust me...it was absolutely way better-than-postcard perfect!

Because the others have gone to Arusha for the weekend, I've invited my 'daughter' Happyness to come for a sleepover tonight. My first 'tent guest'! So, I spent the morning reorganizing my gear and making up the second bed in preparation for her visit.

The puppies are thriving! They have already learned where 'home' begins and ends, and they come running at the sound of their names. I'd forgotten how nasty little puppy teeth and claws can be though...they've got me well scratched up in their exuberance!

Must keep this short today. I'm off to the shops area to pick up some soda for tonight. I'd forgotten how much I love Bitter Lemon. Anyone looking for a cause can start petitioning Coca Cola Ltd. to make the stuff available in Canada!

3 Generations at Yesterday's Thank You Celebration

Settling In

This morning we visited the boma of the family who have graciously permitted us to establish camp on their land, delivering the gifts of flour, tea, sugar and oil to the mzee (male head of the household) for distribution to his wives. My tent, (now dubbed “Meruview” because Mount Meru is the prominent feature of the incredible panorama that greets me each time I pass from my tent to my porch), is situated such that I can look down the hillside to the boma...and my evenings are full of sounds of singing children, cowbells, and bleating goats.

Johana, our watchman and general helper here at the camp, arrived this morning with two puppies and as I write this, he's busy building a dog house made of bricks for the pair – Kili and Meru.

I wish I could explain how serene and beautiful our little camp is. I will try to upload lots of photos when I'm next in Arusha, but that likely won't capture the view of stars from the window beside my bed, nor the little bush beside my porch that comes alive with the songs of a gazillion wee birds every morning.

We (currently 'we' are Corey, Katrijn (a visiting student from Belgium), and me) were laughing yesterday as we hiked to LOOCIP to begin the workday...wondering if there could possibly be a more beautiful commute to work than ours!

As always the days are going by so quickly. Sunday I was fortunate that a visiting team from Rotary in Arusha was being given a tour of many of the LOOCIP projects, so I was able to join them and get myself updated on how much has being going on since last year. The Montessori classroom in Oltepesi is now housed in a marvelous traditional Maasai structure (still under the original tree), so now the school supplies are well stored and the children can attend irrespective of the weather. There have been so many positive changes to that and many other programs since I left in June 07.

Yesterday, I was treated to a surprise thank-you party. The first five girls taking part in our Girl-Mother project came to Longido, some with their parents, all with their babies, to greet me and to speak about the value of the program in their lives. How do I tell you how deeply that touched my heart? You'll be hearing more from me about this program because the time has come to seek out some financial assistance beyond what I and a few wonderfully supportive friends can provide, to see our current successes continue to expand and reach more and more girls.

Time to pack up my computer and walk down to the LOOCIP Centre and then to the village for a bit of shopping for basic provisions at the Wednesday market.

I'm again able to receive emails on my cellphone here at the camp (great reception on the mountain!). Given an uncharacteristic bout of insomnia, it's wonderful to be able to check my mail in the middle of the night and find friendly messages from home. Thank you to those who've been contributing to that antidote to the inevitable twinges of missing home. I will be staying solo at the camp for a few days starting Thursday evening (with Johana here to keep me company). Bit of a test for myself, I suppose. There truly is nothing to fear here, but the darkness and the sound of the wind pulling at my tent flaps, and the baboons chattering away higher up the mountain, will require a bit more courage than I'm usually called upon to display in Ottawa. Wish me luck!

Karibu (welcome)

Sunrise

Longido at last!

Forgive me if I sound distracted. There is a large noisy cow outside the window at the new internet center. It has taken an hour of juggling IP addresses, but I have unbelievably connected at a reasonable speed from the comfort of a new building on the LOOCIP compound.

Saturday, moving day, began with a bang. Well actually more of a screech. We were hit by a lorry as we made our way to our waiting transport from Arusha. The ugly metal on metal sound as small Suzuki met the side of large lorry was far worse than the ultimate superficial damage. In the end it only amounted to a frustration and a delay.

We got our gear piled into a hired Peugeot...a great one with no evident duct tape holding any necessary bits on, and a terrific driver to boot...and made our way to Longido through the familiar but dusty landscape. Arriving at the complex was a regular hugfest. My wee Arnold has grown so much and came running for hugs from Mama Jotu. So many welcoming faces.

Our tent camp is difficult to describe..hopefully I can upload photos soon. The panorama from my tent porch includes Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru., and miles and miles of big African sky. The trees are full of birds especially in the early morning.

The only downside so far, is the night wind which begins at 9pm and goes til after midnight. My tent howls and flaps and I haven't been able to learn to sleep through the noise yet. But, the mesh window at my bedside lets me look out at a blanket of stars in the blackest night you could imagine.

I'm rushing to vacate this space for an incoming class. I will try to write again soon.

Healthy, happy, getting adjusted, all's well.

Tanzanian re-entry

I had been anticipating the smells...the delicious ever-present wood smoke and florals, and wasn't at all disappointed from the moment I stepped out of the plane following an uneventful and mercifully short journey this time -- only 24 hours of travel time from door to door.

It all feels like 'home', so incredibly familiar. Last evening found me at my favorite Arusha eatery, sitting outdoors next to a busy street with my collegues Corey and Stephen, sharing platters of barbequed fish and chicken and roasted sweet plantain. A charcoal water heater nearby, with a spigot for hand washing pre and post the feast, consumed without cutlery (unless you place a special request for it, and really...who'd want to!?!) So much more enjoyable to have 30 friendly fingers tearing off chunks of delicious fish, and scrambling for the yummy bits of shredded cabbage and carrots in whatever that delightful sauce was. Cold African beer to wash it all down.

The jacarandas and bougainvilleas are in full, glorious bloom. The weather is perfect...cool enough for a duvet at night, deliciously warm in the daytime. Today was spent buying odds and ends for equipping our tent houses, and hopefully we'll be travelling to the village (how, has yet to be determined) on Saturday.

The internet seems to be slower than ever, so it remains to be seen if I'll be able to start publishing photos anytime soon.

Home...in so many ways this does feel like home, though here in the city I know that in reality I likely could never feel comfortable living behind a gated fence, separated from my neigbours this way.

Justin Hines - Wish You Well

From my new favorite Canadian singer/songwriter, a song that says "Goodbye 'til I'm back" better than I possibly can.