We left Arusha at 8am for our longest travel day. We piled into a coaster bus, a box on wheels unprepared or the 15-hour journey that lay ahead. 30 kilometers from our new residence, a large rock in the road put a hole in our radiator. We turned back to find the nearest mechanic, spending the next four hours waiting for our bus to be fixed. Students took advantage of the break to explore the local area. We finally arrived in Amani at 11:30pm to a long awaited dinner. Four lucky students had the chance to ride with both professors for the day stopping to birdwatch at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro and a few places along the Pangani River.
PS Ja-Z and KT apologize for the lack of photo today, but there were not really any photo opportunities while traveling but check back for another one soon!
Sorry to hear about the truck issues making your travels much longer than expected. But these are the events on trips like this that you get to laugh about later on. Caits, miss you lots but glad you're away so I can use your Jeep in all of the snow we are having! Grandpop went to the library to get a book on Tanzania cause he has been so excited for you. None there so he picked up a Kenya book. Same thing as far as he knows :) Working on getting you guys to 20k !! See you soon! YFD
ReplyDeleteMegs...Oooh, truck problems in Arusha. No AAA I'm thinking! The stuff we take for granted. But then the shopping must have been fun! I can just see you let loose with jewelry and handmade things. Dad would like a baby lion please. I'm more the jewelry type, as you well know! Have fun! Thinking of you as always. And by the way, there are gentle postcard-pretty snowflakes falling as I type this. Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie!
ReplyDeleteWere you on the bus or with the professors? Either way, I think both would have been an adventure. 2 day until 20!!!!!!! Are you ready for it?????
Hugs and Kisses,
Mom and Mocha
KT
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you had such a long journey today!! It must have been crazy trying to find a mechanic to help you guys out of the rut! Were you one of the few to vist Mt. Kiliminjaro!?! how cool is that! We were hit with yet ANOTHER snow storm last night 14 inches here in NJ! VAlva was stuck with Katie Hopkins at Newark aiport and was forced to sleep there last night! The weather was so bad so bad there was no way i was able to get out of my driveway let alone go get them from the airport. Needless to say soak up that sun and warm weather while you have it because it is chillay over here. But i gotta say...the snow is quite beautiful and you would surely enjoy it. Hope you enjoying your last week in Tanz and can't wait to have you back in the USA! miss you tons!!
xoxox
Diana
P.S. I am trying to refresh as much as possible to get those views up! Merdy put the link on her facebook so did Kath and I followed and did the same so hopefully that will help! Good luck!
Hi Elizabeth, We spent the day in a winter wonderland - 16". Chase was one big snowball. Absolutely beautiful - quite a difference to what you are surrounded by. It is just mind boggling, the diversity in this world -yet in some ways very much the same. Like SHOPPING!! Hope you picked up some mementos from your adventures for yourself. Can't wait to see you, enjoy every last bit of your trip. Love you
ReplyDeleteHi Sam, you poor guys. Fifteen plus hours on the road in a bus that brakes down. Oh My! Thank goodness for that mechanic. Where's Uncle Paul when you need him.You'll certainly have great stories to tell when you return home.Hope you all kept your sense of humor, that's all you can do. Sam i I hope your keen shopping skills went into high gear at those markets. Sounds like a good time.Well until next time,enjoy the rest of your time in Amani....Love You More.....MOM and DAD xoxo
ReplyDeleteDarn rocks! Glad to hear you all made it safely despite the holdup. One more week guys, can you believe it? Happy you got to shop some more before heading home. Love you Dana! Can't wait til you're home to hug :) Love Mom <3
ReplyDeleteSounds like, along with all the course work, you're getting additinal lessons in patience! Glad you finally made it your destination. Your meal must have felt like a feast by the time you had it! We so love the postings!!
ReplyDelete<3 from Errica's mom
Hi Marissa,
ReplyDeleteFirst thing we should let you know is that your chem book is ordered. We were able to find a good deal on a ‘Like new’ copy of the newer version of the book. We figured it was a good idea to get the latest version as it would have better resale value. Speaking of that, as we have a captive audience. If anybody is taking Chem 527 in fall and is interested in a “delicately used” copy of the textbook, 5th edition, please let Marissa know (Sorry, had to take a chance to get you some free advertising.).
We were sorry to hear about your “rocky” journey, but glad to hear you finally made it. Your mother asked us why you didn’t just call for help, but we explained that we didn’t think there was much of a ‘TAA’ (Tanzanian AAA) there. Since you seem to have such difficulties with the vehicles there, feel free to let any of the locals know we have your used but “lovingly cared for” 1999 Ford Taurus for sale.
Hope you enjoy your time in the mountains and no longer camping. Don’t worry, if you miss camping that much when you get home I am sure we can setup the tent in the living room. If you want I can even put some of those creepy beetle things in the tent and put Sammy’s litter box next to it. That way you can feel the bugs from the outdoors and have the smell of having not showered for days.
We hope you continue to have a great time exploring all of the different facets of Tanzania on your way to the coast.
Love,
Shmatt (you know who we are now)
P.S. Sorry, we couldn’t think of a witty PS this time… I guess this was kind of witty in it of itself.. .
P.S.2. Shana apologies for my poor grammar. I was an engineering major in college so I only had to take 1 English class.
Hi Alex!! More snow here...Got your email!!! Thanks!! read it over and over and smiled the whole time. U sound great. Can't wait to see u, hug u and hear all about it. Papi refers to Layla as cirque de soleh. She just flys out of nowhere. She crawls on my back, snuggles and purrrs too. She eats alot too. She may just out eat Max one day. The dogs seem to have accepted her as well. So all is peaceful here, accepts we had a pip burst and our heater stopped heating. We've been ruffing it toooo! Lov from us all! Mommy
ReplyDeleteHi Sam, well an adventure is not a TRUE adventure unless the rig breaks down....in the end you all arrived safe and sound and thats what really matters....perhaps you were one of the lucky ones to ride with the professors? The shopping experience im sure was a good time had by all and I hope you remembered to bring home what gabe asked for! Enjoy your last week in Tanzania...cant wait to see you...hoping you remember to wear some sort of bow when you arrive home as that will be the best birthday present ever for your mom!!! love ya loads...annmarie
ReplyDeleteHi Cait!
ReplyDeleteI miss you tons, and I hope you are having fun! Don't buy too much jewelry and clothes while you are there! School has been good. Crazy busy with me taking 24 credits, but pretty good. I can't wait for you to come home! I have been going home for church on Sundays, so I will see you on the 6th for the day of the big vote! It's also the Superbowl, so maybe I'll stay a little longer to hear your stories and see pictures! Love you tons!
Erin
Hey Teeten! I know I this is the first time that I have commented on here and I am really sorry for that.. I have been keeping up with your blogs though and am sooooo excited for you! I can't wait to hear more details and see pictures from everything that you did! I started classes for this semester and am liking pretty much all of them... oh and guess what I did last night, died the tips of my hair purple-ish blue.... yea, I'm serious! haha but anyway! I tell all of my friends about what you are doing and some of them even read your blogs when they are with me. We are all very proud of you and am so excited that you get to have this experience! I hope you enjoyed your shower last week, it may be awhile untill your next one! Anyway, sorry that I have not commented before this, I had a lot going on but I still should have. I will be commenting more from here on out, even though you are only there for a little while longer. And even though I have not commented before this, I'll still sign this comment......
ReplyDeleteY(real)FS,
Weezy! <3
Lizzie -
ReplyDeleteIf my timing is right (and I'm pretty sure it is), then it has just flipped to 1/29 in Tanzania. That means I get to be the first person to wish you a happy birthday!! The fact that you won't get this until some time later doesn't matter, I'm going to claim to be first. Enjoy the day, and the last few days in Africa. We'll save your cake until you come home.
Love you.
Dad
Joy I miss u.... I guess 15 hours on a bus in 90 degree weather isn't really Ur Idea of great road trip.... I know Ur gonna be exhausted when u get home I can't wait to see u tho... Everything is working out around here might be a few changes when u get home... Rob maybe moving...I want o say I love u with all my heart hurry home...
ReplyDelete