Wednesday, August 17, 2005
August 9, Tuesday
Good news – Maria says she was able to confirm our flights to Zanzibar on the 11th. So we will have two extra days on the Spice Island, at the expense of exploring Mwanza more fully. But since Nsumba is in such turmoil, this is no real loss.
As the day began, Diane and I went to Bugando Hospital to see if we could find Dr. Dass, to reschedule her pediatrics presentation there. We stumbled around in the warren of dingy hospital halls until we found a promising office and, after some confused misdirection, were asked to come inside and Just Wait. When that became old, we pressed a bit more, and learned that he would be there in the afternoon. That is a long time to wait, so we managed to get his phone number to set up her appointment. Yes, she can come tomorrow at 10, but probably not give a presentation because the interns are studying for a test. But maybe some will be there for a discussion, so...
Back to the hotel where the gang was finishing breakfast. We took taxis out to an orphanage, the Starehe Home for Children, near Nsumba. This is the place where I had thought Myrna might assist, if she had come to Africa as planned last December. We werre met there by Tini, a young energetic German-American blond, who has been volunteering there a few months every year and is now raising money to build a pre-school and primary school on the Starehe grounds. Starehe accepts abandoned children who are referred from social service NGOs, infants up to the time when they complete school and are on their own, providing scholorships for the most promising so they can obtain a good education. They run a superb, amazing program, and are building a spectacular dormatory-education building, thanks to European donations. It is almost world-class, complete with parquet floors and adequate electrical outlets (placed close to the floor where children can reach them, but that is nit-picking), far outclassing any government educational institution I have seen here.
Most students were in school, so the children we met were all quite young. As soon as we approached, they ran to us to hold on, to be picked up, to be recognized. Beautiful children, any one of which would be a heart-tugging poster child for aid appeals. As it turns out, $20 a month is enough to “sponsor” a child – provide food, clothing and shelter, medical care and school fees. I have been wondering how I could continue to be involved in helping Tanzania in some small way after I leave, but don’t trust my school to use any donation wisely. Starehe will be the way to do that, and I look forward to getting more information about this sponsorship program from Tini.
Then to Nsumba, where we got a complete tour of the school. We were greeted very warmly, and of course we had to shake hands and make greetings with every person in the room. Shari kept saying that she wished her students could see it, as we looked at the brutal classrooms with the blackboards painted on the wall, the dormatory space – eight students to a room in double bunks with no chairs or study desks, and only one small cabinet for storage of personal belongings. Diane found that the infirmary stocked about four medications for stomach pain another for malaria, nothing for pain, headache and the more common US student complaints. There was a large jar for aspirin, but it was empty.
No school was in session, thanks to the food riot, but the teachers were all required to stay in the staff room because the police or Ministry of Education investigators might want to talk with them at any time.
My friends on the staff completely took over our schedule after that, determined to be with us, help us, guide us. It was beautiful and very personal, in the Tanzanian way, but changed our schedule. We were hanging around my home there for the rest of the day, with a seemingly endless stream of people arriving, greeting and shaking hands, Hodie beside herself playing with everyone and licking Alice in the face, to the consternation of the Tanzanians. We ordered food, which our hosts insisted we buy from the Duka by the road. This was a good idea, but so overwhelmed the Duka that the food was hours late in arriving and the kids were getting hungry and complaining. But we still managed to take a walk up the steep hill to the Retreat lookout for a spectacular view of the Lake and to see the sunset.
Paola and I got into a spat at the end of the day as the taxi our friends called for us arrived at about the same time that Alice decided that yes, she was hungry after all and would like some food now. Matt and I had a “discussion” over this later that moved from accusations to consideration of deeper issues, and may have helped us both in our family relationships. ‘Nuff said about that.
Tomorrow may be difficult. Because of the scheduling changes, too many of us are going in separate directions, and I have to spend time with Maria to sort out finances and flight tickets. Don’t quite know how to handle this, and also take care of planning for the kids during the day. Well, we’ll see.
** *** **
About that food riot at Nsumba: I talked to a couple of day students on the road near Nsumba, who denied any idea of what or how anything happened since it occurred at night when they weren’t there. Good point, that. Still, a riot like this doesn’t suddenly happen out of nowhere, so I’ve tried to piece together what might have happened. I’ve already talked about the decreasing discipline I saw in my own classes in the preceding month or so. I’m hearing that the violence was most probably led by the Form V students – these are the students who were added by government fiat this year. They do not have teachers, and just sit in classrooms by themselves. They have no books or materials, and there is not even dormitory space for them. They sleep in a large room that used to be an agricultural laboratory before the government stopped the agricultural studies program. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that these students would be feeling pretty desperate.
Anyway, the school now intends to charge all the students for the damage before they return to school. There would work out to about $17 per student, and would be difficult for many students to come up with. Meanwhile, some of the Staff is objecting to charging ALL the students for the damage, because certainly the day students and the students who had been in the infirmary or were away from the school for some reason like family sickness certainly weren’t involved. But if they don’t spread the charges over all the students, the fee for the boarders will be even higher. No matter what, we will surely lose many students, and those who return will return slowly over a period of weeks. So I think the rest of the year is pretty much lost, so far as teaching and education goes.
Gotta think that if I were a Form V student getting shafted by the system and was now expected to pay additional money to return and still have no teachers, resources or boarding space, I would think it a real opportunity to sit out a year and hope for better next year.
Wednesday, Aug 10
Got a phone call from Myrna this morning, on her birthday, after she opened the birthday presents I sent her. She sounded excited to receive the carved wooden jewelry box, containing photos, a variety of African spices, and a brooch of my Mother’s. Glad the things I selected made a hit.
Today we went in different directions. Paola to VETA, Diane to Bugando Hospital for a presentation to the pediatrics ward that had her all excited afterwards. She is traveling light now, having donated a big bunch of medical books and supplies to the hospital. Shari and I, with Allegra and Alice, took a quick tour of Soko Mlango Mlango, the huge used clothing market, then toured the produce, fish, housewear, everything else market in town, and finally visited the Sikh Gurdwara where the guru showed us around and answered questions.
In the afternoon we went out to Nganza Secondary and presented our programs – Matt talked about the difference between feature and news stories and answered questions. Ellen did some drawing exercised designed to loosen up the group and then had them actually draw their own six-panel cartoon strip. Shari presented a portfolio of photos of our families through all seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter. The picture of a snowman especially surprised them. They did not think that you could actually touch snow to shape it like that without freezing your hands.
Thursday, August 11
Travel day. Anna Mtayangulwa, Erasto Joel and K came to the Aspen Hotel to see us off, and Anna gave Shari a kitange as thanks for the books that she had brought to donate to Nsumba. To come to town to wish us off is such a Tanzanian way to show friendship and gratitude – these are really wonderful people.
Otherwise the flight to Dar es Salaam and on to Zanzibar was mostly uneventful. However, our baggage was checked through, but while we were going through the airport in Dar, MJ noticed my bag on the carousel. I raised an alarm, and they then found two of our bags that had been offloaded and would have been marooned there. If it hadn’t been for MJ’s sharp eyes....
In Zanzibar we took a minivan to the Red Monkey Bungalows and B&B. A trip that ended with a long slow drive along a beach road through the most desperately poor villages that I have seen in Tanzania. These people have nothing except dilapidated houses and broken walls. The Red Monkey is at the end of one of these villages, picturesque but a bit seedy, along a moderately clean cove and beach, facing the fabulously beautiful green ocean. We debated quite a while whether we wanted to stay here or go back to the rather posh resort where we ate lunch-dinner on the drive in, but decided to give it a try for at least a night. We doubled up so that nobody would have to use the dark, dank and musty triple room they had prepared for us.
But that evening, there was a fabulous party on the beach that really won us over – for a while, at least. The owner of the Red Monkey built a small beach bonfire, and soon about two dozen little black kids showed up, with drums, and began dancing. We joined them in conga lines, set up a limbo pole, played and jumped with them. After while some older women joined in and watched the party, bringing their infants on their backs or laps and teaching them to jump to the drumming. What a unique and great experience.
Allegra and Alice made a sand birthday cake for me on the beach. I had no idea that was happening, until Alice began coming over to me every few minutes to say “Don’t peek at your birthday cake, OK?” I didn’t, until they were ready, and it was a great celebration of my birthday.
August 12
The water here is a shallow cover over a very wide sand bar. The surf breaks ‘way out there where you can hardly see it, and you wade out forever before you are in water past your knees. At low tide it is dry, at high tide you do get some wave action but not much.
Diane and I took the boys snorkeling today, in the dugout canoe with outriggers. It is a long time since I was snorkeling and that felt good, and it was fun to be with Roy and MJ, but the snorkeling wasn’t much. A few clumps of so-so coral, some zebra fish and only a few others. Kind of like the Red Money itself, which had great food, a staff that wanted to be helpful, but just couldn’t pull it off.
On the next day, the rest of the gang tried the fishing and snorkeling combination, while Ellen, Diane and I took a taxi to another resort for the day. Even trying to put a good face on it, the fishing-snorkeling was a disaster. They didn’t have snorkeling equipment for the number of people who wanted to go, the day was cold and windy, the fishing amounted to using a line attached to a piece of wood at one end with a hook at the other. Not even a fishing pole. Nobody got so much as a single bite. The snorkeling lasted five minutes before everyone was cold and shivering.
At that other resort, we talked it over, and decided to declare the Red Monkey a loss. With the help of a raft of helpful people, I located the number to call the Mahurubi Bungalows in Stonetown, our next destination, and they agreed to work with us so we could arrive a day early even though it is the peak season, now.
August 14
Travel day. Negotiated to get out of the Red Monkey with the least financial damage, cancelling the Day with the Dolphins that we had requested and made a deposit on. We arrived at our hotel in Stonetown, and sorted out our accomodations. They had to split us up for the first night with some of us to another lodge, but it was a VERY welcome change. Gilly, who manages the place, could not have been more helpful in arranging transportation, suggesting things to do, making life pleasant.
I called Charlie, the PCV serving in Stonetown, and he met us for the evening. He took us to a great restaurant he likes, and we had superb food, overlooking the ocean at dusk.
August 15
Recovery day. The Mahurubi was luxurious, beautiful, helpful in every way, and deliciously comfortable. Spent the morning just relaxing, the afternoon leisurely exploring the narrow winding streets of Stonetown. We went downtown by daladala. In Stonetown these are little trucks with a covered bed and seats running lengthwise along the sides. You have to crouch to get in and out, but it is cheap, effective, and it works.
In the evening we ate at the oceanfront fish stands where you choose your fish from a table loaded with everything imaginable. Then they grill it for you and bring it to you. Kingfish, lobster, barracuda, octopus, squid, salads, felafel, nan, chapati, whatever you could want. The kids loved it. So did the rest of us.
August 17, Wednesday
Now the safari is over. It feels kind-of empty. Last night I flew to Dar with Diane, Ellen, Shari, MJ and Allegra. They had a 5-6 hour layover before their KLM flight to Amsterdam, and the Dar airport is not a great place to kill time. I stayed with them until about 8:30, by which time I thought I should really go find a place to spend the night. We took some formal photographs to mark the occasion. There was a wall in the cafeteria covered with a wood filigree and near it a huge faux Grecian urn and a large display of dead flowers and lots of very plastic orange fall maple leaves. We moved all that stuff as backdrops for the photos. People were interested, somewhat perplexed. The Masai doorman stopped people from walking through while I set the camera remote and got into the picture. The first group portrait is straight up. The second one – they connived, and I am the only straight one in the group. The others: crossed eyes, tongues hanging out, all kinds of contortions. That is the one that is the keeper!
For the record, I took a taxi to the usual Peace Corps digs, the Safari Inn, only to find it full. Seems just about every place in Dar is full. But checking the register, Charlie (who had shared a great meal with us in Zanzibar, in a restaurant overlooking the ocean) was listed. I gave him a ring in his room, and we spent the night together. He had just taken his Graduate Record Exam that day and was feeling exhausted but happy. He figures he got into the 88th percentile in math and the 91st percentile in the verbal. Not bad! Good for him!
This trip has been wonderful. It is so rare to have a significant chunk of the family together for 16 days, and then on top of that, to spend it sharing an adventure. Having the kids along, with all their energy, enthusiasm and excitement, was a real plus – even if the continual noise and frenetic activity got a bit much for the old folks sometimes. But they were great, and wonderful companions for each other. I don’t think they had a single fight of significance through the whole trip. I feel closer to everybody after the trip, and think that all our family ties have been strengthened.
Africa itself was a bit weird. The weather was cool, sometimes cold, and except for a few days in Mwanza, almost always overcast. Even in Zanzibar we only had one day that approached my hot, steamy expectation, and that for only a few hours in the afternoon. This just isn’t Africa in the winter!
Now I guess we all have to begin the transition back to reality.
Good news – Maria says she was able to confirm our flights to Zanzibar on the 11th. So we will have two extra days on the Spice Island, at the expense of exploring Mwanza more fully. But since Nsumba is in such turmoil, this is no real loss.
As the day began, Diane and I went to Bugando Hospital to see if we could find Dr. Dass, to reschedule her pediatrics presentation there. We stumbled around in the warren of dingy hospital halls until we found a promising office and, after some confused misdirection, were asked to come inside and Just Wait. When that became old, we pressed a bit more, and learned that he would be there in the afternoon. That is a long time to wait, so we managed to get his phone number to set up her appointment. Yes, she can come tomorrow at 10, but probably not give a presentation because the interns are studying for a test. But maybe some will be there for a discussion, so...
Back to the hotel where the gang was finishing breakfast. We took taxis out to an orphanage, the Starehe Home for Children, near Nsumba. This is the place where I had thought Myrna might assist, if she had come to Africa as planned last December. We werre met there by Tini, a young energetic German-American blond, who has been volunteering there a few months every year and is now raising money to build a pre-school and primary school on the Starehe grounds. Starehe accepts abandoned children who are referred from social service NGOs, infants up to the time when they complete school and are on their own, providing scholorships for the most promising so they can obtain a good education. They run a superb, amazing program, and are building a spectacular dormatory-education building, thanks to European donations. It is almost world-class, complete with parquet floors and adequate electrical outlets (placed close to the floor where children can reach them, but that is nit-picking), far outclassing any government educational institution I have seen here.
Most students were in school, so the children we met were all quite young. As soon as we approached, they ran to us to hold on, to be picked up, to be recognized. Beautiful children, any one of which would be a heart-tugging poster child for aid appeals. As it turns out, $20 a month is enough to “sponsor” a child – provide food, clothing and shelter, medical care and school fees. I have been wondering how I could continue to be involved in helping Tanzania in some small way after I leave, but don’t trust my school to use any donation wisely. Starehe will be the way to do that, and I look forward to getting more information about this sponsorship program from Tini.
Then to Nsumba, where we got a complete tour of the school. We were greeted very warmly, and of course we had to shake hands and make greetings with every person in the room. Shari kept saying that she wished her students could see it, as we looked at the brutal classrooms with the blackboards painted on the wall, the dormatory space – eight students to a room in double bunks with no chairs or study desks, and only one small cabinet for storage of personal belongings. Diane found that the infirmary stocked about four medications for stomach pain another for malaria, nothing for pain, headache and the more common US student complaints. There was a large jar for aspirin, but it was empty.
No school was in session, thanks to the food riot, but the teachers were all required to stay in the staff room because the police or Ministry of Education investigators might want to talk with them at any time.
My friends on the staff completely took over our schedule after that, determined to be with us, help us, guide us. It was beautiful and very personal, in the Tanzanian way, but changed our schedule. We were hanging around my home there for the rest of the day, with a seemingly endless stream of people arriving, greeting and shaking hands, Hodie beside herself playing with everyone and licking Alice in the face, to the consternation of the Tanzanians. We ordered food, which our hosts insisted we buy from the Duka by the road. This was a good idea, but so overwhelmed the Duka that the food was hours late in arriving and the kids were getting hungry and complaining. But we still managed to take a walk up the steep hill to the Retreat lookout for a spectacular view of the Lake and to see the sunset.
Paola and I got into a spat at the end of the day as the taxi our friends called for us arrived at about the same time that Alice decided that yes, she was hungry after all and would like some food now. Matt and I had a “discussion” over this later that moved from accusations to consideration of deeper issues, and may have helped us both in our family relationships. ‘Nuff said about that.
Tomorrow may be difficult. Because of the scheduling changes, too many of us are going in separate directions, and I have to spend time with Maria to sort out finances and flight tickets. Don’t quite know how to handle this, and also take care of planning for the kids during the day. Well, we’ll see.
** *** **
About that food riot at Nsumba: I talked to a couple of day students on the road near Nsumba, who denied any idea of what or how anything happened since it occurred at night when they weren’t there. Good point, that. Still, a riot like this doesn’t suddenly happen out of nowhere, so I’ve tried to piece together what might have happened. I’ve already talked about the decreasing discipline I saw in my own classes in the preceding month or so. I’m hearing that the violence was most probably led by the Form V students – these are the students who were added by government fiat this year. They do not have teachers, and just sit in classrooms by themselves. They have no books or materials, and there is not even dormitory space for them. They sleep in a large room that used to be an agricultural laboratory before the government stopped the agricultural studies program. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that these students would be feeling pretty desperate.
Anyway, the school now intends to charge all the students for the damage before they return to school. There would work out to about $17 per student, and would be difficult for many students to come up with. Meanwhile, some of the Staff is objecting to charging ALL the students for the damage, because certainly the day students and the students who had been in the infirmary or were away from the school for some reason like family sickness certainly weren’t involved. But if they don’t spread the charges over all the students, the fee for the boarders will be even higher. No matter what, we will surely lose many students, and those who return will return slowly over a period of weeks. So I think the rest of the year is pretty much lost, so far as teaching and education goes.
Gotta think that if I were a Form V student getting shafted by the system and was now expected to pay additional money to return and still have no teachers, resources or boarding space, I would think it a real opportunity to sit out a year and hope for better next year.
Wednesday, Aug 10
Got a phone call from Myrna this morning, on her birthday, after she opened the birthday presents I sent her. She sounded excited to receive the carved wooden jewelry box, containing photos, a variety of African spices, and a brooch of my Mother’s. Glad the things I selected made a hit.
Today we went in different directions. Paola to VETA, Diane to Bugando Hospital for a presentation to the pediatrics ward that had her all excited afterwards. She is traveling light now, having donated a big bunch of medical books and supplies to the hospital. Shari and I, with Allegra and Alice, took a quick tour of Soko Mlango Mlango, the huge used clothing market, then toured the produce, fish, housewear, everything else market in town, and finally visited the Sikh Gurdwara where the guru showed us around and answered questions.
In the afternoon we went out to Nganza Secondary and presented our programs – Matt talked about the difference between feature and news stories and answered questions. Ellen did some drawing exercised designed to loosen up the group and then had them actually draw their own six-panel cartoon strip. Shari presented a portfolio of photos of our families through all seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter. The picture of a snowman especially surprised them. They did not think that you could actually touch snow to shape it like that without freezing your hands.
Thursday, August 11
Travel day. Anna Mtayangulwa, Erasto Joel and K came to the Aspen Hotel to see us off, and Anna gave Shari a kitange as thanks for the books that she had brought to donate to Nsumba. To come to town to wish us off is such a Tanzanian way to show friendship and gratitude – these are really wonderful people.
Otherwise the flight to Dar es Salaam and on to Zanzibar was mostly uneventful. However, our baggage was checked through, but while we were going through the airport in Dar, MJ noticed my bag on the carousel. I raised an alarm, and they then found two of our bags that had been offloaded and would have been marooned there. If it hadn’t been for MJ’s sharp eyes....
In Zanzibar we took a minivan to the Red Monkey Bungalows and B&B. A trip that ended with a long slow drive along a beach road through the most desperately poor villages that I have seen in Tanzania. These people have nothing except dilapidated houses and broken walls. The Red Monkey is at the end of one of these villages, picturesque but a bit seedy, along a moderately clean cove and beach, facing the fabulously beautiful green ocean. We debated quite a while whether we wanted to stay here or go back to the rather posh resort where we ate lunch-dinner on the drive in, but decided to give it a try for at least a night. We doubled up so that nobody would have to use the dark, dank and musty triple room they had prepared for us.
But that evening, there was a fabulous party on the beach that really won us over – for a while, at least. The owner of the Red Monkey built a small beach bonfire, and soon about two dozen little black kids showed up, with drums, and began dancing. We joined them in conga lines, set up a limbo pole, played and jumped with them. After while some older women joined in and watched the party, bringing their infants on their backs or laps and teaching them to jump to the drumming. What a unique and great experience.
Allegra and Alice made a sand birthday cake for me on the beach. I had no idea that was happening, until Alice began coming over to me every few minutes to say “Don’t peek at your birthday cake, OK?” I didn’t, until they were ready, and it was a great celebration of my birthday.
August 12
The water here is a shallow cover over a very wide sand bar. The surf breaks ‘way out there where you can hardly see it, and you wade out forever before you are in water past your knees. At low tide it is dry, at high tide you do get some wave action but not much.
Diane and I took the boys snorkeling today, in the dugout canoe with outriggers. It is a long time since I was snorkeling and that felt good, and it was fun to be with Roy and MJ, but the snorkeling wasn’t much. A few clumps of so-so coral, some zebra fish and only a few others. Kind of like the Red Money itself, which had great food, a staff that wanted to be helpful, but just couldn’t pull it off.
On the next day, the rest of the gang tried the fishing and snorkeling combination, while Ellen, Diane and I took a taxi to another resort for the day. Even trying to put a good face on it, the fishing-snorkeling was a disaster. They didn’t have snorkeling equipment for the number of people who wanted to go, the day was cold and windy, the fishing amounted to using a line attached to a piece of wood at one end with a hook at the other. Not even a fishing pole. Nobody got so much as a single bite. The snorkeling lasted five minutes before everyone was cold and shivering.
At that other resort, we talked it over, and decided to declare the Red Monkey a loss. With the help of a raft of helpful people, I located the number to call the Mahurubi Bungalows in Stonetown, our next destination, and they agreed to work with us so we could arrive a day early even though it is the peak season, now.
August 14
Travel day. Negotiated to get out of the Red Monkey with the least financial damage, cancelling the Day with the Dolphins that we had requested and made a deposit on. We arrived at our hotel in Stonetown, and sorted out our accomodations. They had to split us up for the first night with some of us to another lodge, but it was a VERY welcome change. Gilly, who manages the place, could not have been more helpful in arranging transportation, suggesting things to do, making life pleasant.
I called Charlie, the PCV serving in Stonetown, and he met us for the evening. He took us to a great restaurant he likes, and we had superb food, overlooking the ocean at dusk.
August 15
Recovery day. The Mahurubi was luxurious, beautiful, helpful in every way, and deliciously comfortable. Spent the morning just relaxing, the afternoon leisurely exploring the narrow winding streets of Stonetown. We went downtown by daladala. In Stonetown these are little trucks with a covered bed and seats running lengthwise along the sides. You have to crouch to get in and out, but it is cheap, effective, and it works.
In the evening we ate at the oceanfront fish stands where you choose your fish from a table loaded with everything imaginable. Then they grill it for you and bring it to you. Kingfish, lobster, barracuda, octopus, squid, salads, felafel, nan, chapati, whatever you could want. The kids loved it. So did the rest of us.
August 17, Wednesday
Now the safari is over. It feels kind-of empty. Last night I flew to Dar with Diane, Ellen, Shari, MJ and Allegra. They had a 5-6 hour layover before their KLM flight to Amsterdam, and the Dar airport is not a great place to kill time. I stayed with them until about 8:30, by which time I thought I should really go find a place to spend the night. We took some formal photographs to mark the occasion. There was a wall in the cafeteria covered with a wood filigree and near it a huge faux Grecian urn and a large display of dead flowers and lots of very plastic orange fall maple leaves. We moved all that stuff as backdrops for the photos. People were interested, somewhat perplexed. The Masai doorman stopped people from walking through while I set the camera remote and got into the picture. The first group portrait is straight up. The second one – they connived, and I am the only straight one in the group. The others: crossed eyes, tongues hanging out, all kinds of contortions. That is the one that is the keeper!
For the record, I took a taxi to the usual Peace Corps digs, the Safari Inn, only to find it full. Seems just about every place in Dar is full. But checking the register, Charlie (who had shared a great meal with us in Zanzibar, in a restaurant overlooking the ocean) was listed. I gave him a ring in his room, and we spent the night together. He had just taken his Graduate Record Exam that day and was feeling exhausted but happy. He figures he got into the 88th percentile in math and the 91st percentile in the verbal. Not bad! Good for him!
This trip has been wonderful. It is so rare to have a significant chunk of the family together for 16 days, and then on top of that, to spend it sharing an adventure. Having the kids along, with all their energy, enthusiasm and excitement, was a real plus – even if the continual noise and frenetic activity got a bit much for the old folks sometimes. But they were great, and wonderful companions for each other. I don’t think they had a single fight of significance through the whole trip. I feel closer to everybody after the trip, and think that all our family ties have been strengthened.
Africa itself was a bit weird. The weather was cool, sometimes cold, and except for a few days in Mwanza, almost always overcast. Even in Zanzibar we only had one day that approached my hot, steamy expectation, and that for only a few hours in the afternoon. This just isn’t Africa in the winter!
Now I guess we all have to begin the transition back to reality.
