Windblown Scrabble Game: Mum Won!
Weather: Coastal breezes are picking up, torrential downpour causing a raging torrent in Stone Town, Zanzibar which cleared in 15 minutes to a perfect blue sky, dotted with African clouds. Stars at night were so crystal clear it was breathtaking. How I love African skies.
Swahili Word of the Week: Tutaonana- we will meet again. Very fitting in my life.
Special Shout Out: Save UCD Women’s Crew!!!!
Mum has been visiting for the past 2 weeks which has been lovely. We have been traveling around the east coast of Tanzania quite a bit with always lends itself to some adventures. Our first big outing was a lovely excursion North to a great birding area, Wami River. I chose this National Park because of its lack of focus on Game Drives, its boat trip up the Wami where it boasted excellent bird sitings including kingfishers (My FAVE) and it is located on the beach, a rarity for game reserves.
Our journey North was quite the adventure as I refused to pay for a private vehicle to come pick us up. Instead we headed to the pit of Dar, Ubongo Bus Terminal, I wouldn’t send my worst enemy there. At 530 in the morning while the rest of Dar sleeps the terminal is packed with more people, buses, minivans then I would care to imagine and many of them (if not all) are trying to make a buck or two. Needless to say the harassment is insane but we made it onto a bus, got dumped in the middle of nowhere (our plan) picked up a dala dala, waited by a chicken hut for a vehicle, jumped into a chicken truck, went bombing through the game park, got flagged down by a ranger with a gun, threatened, back in the truck and eventually made it to where we were supposed to be. With the adventure like that I was feeling a little worried that it was worth the effort. It was, we had amazing time, saw tons of birds, wildlife, had long walks on the beach, a scrabble game that we finished despite the winds flipping the board twice and loved every minute of it. We fell in love with the Saadani Safari Lodge crew and they with us and we had a full moon party on the beach under the full moon with too much wine, great fish surrounded by the most eclectic people I have met in a long time. A greek from Burundi running a eco conscious NGO (and lodge owner), his father and uncle (French speaking), a Dutch Olympic Dressage Breeder, an English Lodge Manager, a Yemeni, a tribal leader and a few others that had similarly amazing backgrounds.
At times I feel that at the age of 31 I have made it. Life is good I don’t need to rough it like I did in my 20s. Yet, my mother continually reminds me how to do things with style and grace. As I returned from Saadani to work with a backpack on my lap, crammed between coolers of smelly fish and feeling the spray of the rain coming through the floorboards of my dala dala and eventually soaking my feet. My mother charmed a pilot at Saadani and was flown free of charge on a private plane to Zanzibar to continue her holiday. I have much to learn.
Work is in funding mode, making exciting plans for the future of the project. May have to stay in Tanzania for a little bit longer…
Miss you all
xoxo
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