Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Tomorrow I will have been in Dar es Salaam (D'Slaam to those in the know, a name simplification like the way Philadelphia becomes Fluffya) for almost a week. The medical staff here suggested that I take some time just to chill a bit and decompress after the funeral, the struggle to change Myrna's tickets, and her last minute emergency with her Mother. Good advice.
I spent the weekend camping at beautiful Kipepeo Beach on the Indian Ocean a short ferry and daladala ride from Dar - noted for its thatch-roof bandas, broad sand beach, and warm turquoise water. There were almost no waves so it was fabulous for just swimming out and floating. I pitched my tent under a banda so it stayed cool even during the day. Take a look at their pictures, at www.kipepeocamp.com, and plan your next vacation trip. The south seas have nothing on this place. Even with the camel rides on the beach, beach volleyball, and an occasional horseback rider it felt like a good inexpensive getaway.
It was a great to be more-or-less alone, and after two days it was enough and I came back to Dar for more activity and to be with people. There are loads of PCVs trooping through right now because for most of us, our classes are not in session.
For the last two days I have been telephoning a lot and going to visit organizations that have an interest in teaching young people about small business. I've been to the U. of D'Slaam, to TechnoServe who are hooked up with NFTE (pronounced Nifty, for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship), will visit the Entreprenureal Development Center tomorrow, and also hope to get to Junior Achievement Tanzania and the American Embassy (USAID) before I leave for Mwanza.
The coordinator at TechnoServe is Atiba, who has a Tanzanian Mother, an Afro-American Father that was a Black Panther and who grew up living between California and Zambia. Made for some interesting conversation - here is this son of a Black Panther who is now teaching Tanzanian kids how to become capitalists.
After three weeks it will feel good to get back to my own place again. I'm eager to see whether I entirely missed my crop of peas and lima beans, and if the fence has kept the goats out of my new crop of sweet corn, and how my cherry tomatoes are doing.
I spent the weekend camping at beautiful Kipepeo Beach on the Indian Ocean a short ferry and daladala ride from Dar - noted for its thatch-roof bandas, broad sand beach, and warm turquoise water. There were almost no waves so it was fabulous for just swimming out and floating. I pitched my tent under a banda so it stayed cool even during the day. Take a look at their pictures, at www.kipepeocamp.com, and plan your next vacation trip. The south seas have nothing on this place. Even with the camel rides on the beach, beach volleyball, and an occasional horseback rider it felt like a good inexpensive getaway.
It was a great to be more-or-less alone, and after two days it was enough and I came back to Dar for more activity and to be with people. There are loads of PCVs trooping through right now because for most of us, our classes are not in session.
For the last two days I have been telephoning a lot and going to visit organizations that have an interest in teaching young people about small business. I've been to the U. of D'Slaam, to TechnoServe who are hooked up with NFTE (pronounced Nifty, for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship), will visit the Entreprenureal Development Center tomorrow, and also hope to get to Junior Achievement Tanzania and the American Embassy (USAID) before I leave for Mwanza.
The coordinator at TechnoServe is Atiba, who has a Tanzanian Mother, an Afro-American Father that was a Black Panther and who grew up living between California and Zambia. Made for some interesting conversation - here is this son of a Black Panther who is now teaching Tanzanian kids how to become capitalists.
After three weeks it will feel good to get back to my own place again. I'm eager to see whether I entirely missed my crop of peas and lima beans, and if the fence has kept the goats out of my new crop of sweet corn, and how my cherry tomatoes are doing.
