So to make my last night in Africa more authentic the lights have gone off! Packing by candlelight? Hmmm…could be a challenge!
My last real day in Moshi. Class was short mainly because I only had three pupils – all the others were preparing for my party! So at one o’clock I went to my party and it was so lovely: really good food. I bought a cake and we did the whole cakey song and feeding it business which was fun if slightly…well just hysterical. I think I previously would have been mortified but I’ve discovered half the battle is just “going for it”. I got a lovely present of a top and a skirt in a material that I’ve been admiring for weeks and never said anything – they knew me better than I thought! I hope they liked the presents which were my things – a sort of mish mash but I hope they like them because I meant to give them with love but ranged from a pillowcase (random) to hand cream. I even gave away my sunglasses (which are the envy of most of the children in Njoro) to Junior. I also brought a present for Mama Mmassy’s eldest daughter who just had her baby and they asked if I would like to go and see her so I got to see a very tiny and cute baby.
All was well until they started singing for me. They had made up or adapted a couple of songs and it was just so lovely. I managed to video most of it except that I couldn’t video the song that ended up with most of us in tears. It was a wonderful time, it was all for me which was slightly strange and I still think about all the things I could have, should have done…but I realise what I’ve done is enough for these ladies and it was a wonderful end to a wonderful time.
So today I had to say my first “good bye” because I was leaving – no fun at all.
Back from paradise where it rained today – how dare it?! Actually wasn’t too bad in Paje but there were rather unpleasant floods in Stone Town.
Managed to get back with my rucksack as hand luggage but not without some irritating git making me open everything including my notebook – what was I smuggling – sand?!
Quite glad to be back in Moshi, feels a bit like home so I have no idea what proper home will feel like. On the down side some Germans have moved into the guest house and where are they currently drinking beer and talking loudly? At the bar? Oh no, at the table about 3 feet from my bed – hurrah! Forgot to mention that in Zanzibar where there’s about four sunbeds per person, what did the Germans do? Yes, put their towels out before they went to breakfast – is it a national psychosis? If only the Third Reich had known, they just could have put some beach towels out all over Europe and there would have been no need for any of that silly war business! Apart from the Americans and the English, they are my least favourite holidaying race.
Well I’ve just had one of life’s more energetic massages! No pleasantly drifting off to sleep – she was exceedingly firm! Plus the added sand means I am very well exfoliated. I am also a bit pink today – the breeze means you never quite realise how strong the sun is and my new itsy bitsy bikini has given me comedy tan lines – hmmm potentially not a good look.
Other things I mean to wrie about but keep forgetting: Tanzania has been a bit of a fruit adventure. I;ve tried mango (not as sweet as at home so therefore much nicer), papaya, passionfruit (too many pippy bits although the flavour is quite nice), even oranges (just to suck the juice out of) plus tons of pineapple and watermelon – mmm. Okay not an exciting adventure for most people but quite exciting for me. Oh I’ve also eaten avocado like a fruit here which was a bit odd although to my mind they don’t let them ripen enough.
The other thing I’ve noticed is the really good clouds you get here. Admittedly they don’t have many clouds but the ones they do have are almost perfect: all white a fluffy and like the clouds you draw when you’re little. I spent quite a long time watching clouds yesterday (trying not to read too fast) and it was really interesting how bits of clouds would break off and then dissolve – there’s probably a scientific term for it but I just know it was pretty to watch.
I have spied a new single person today so hopefully we can add her to our sad singles group or I can make a bid for freedom. I’ve ordered a seafood platter tonight which I’m very excited about but I don’t want it to be spoiled by strained conversation – truth is Mr Norway and I have kind of peaked on the chatting front.
Got paired off with the only other single person last night, a Norwegian guy in his 50s which was fine, all the couples were getting quite panicky though – lone female alert, I don’t know why people get so worried about it – may be it’s just too distracting from their coupledom.
Have had an exhausting day doing absolutely nothing – well I lay on a sun bed, went for a walk, had lunch, lay on a hammock, went for a swim – all the time trying not to read my book too fast!
I got bitten three times. Not impressed!
Also got woken up at 5 with a ridiculously loud call to prayer and then general chattering so ended up getting up ridiculously early. The hotel wasn’t serving breakfast (ramadan – grr!) so they sent me to another hotel which was actually a bonus because they had a roof top restaurant so got some nice photos. Then decided to walk in an anti-clockwise direction as ooposed to yesterday’s clockwise one and soon discovered I’d almost walked in a complete circle yesterday! Went to the Anglican cathedral which was built on the site of the old slave market. Luckily I got there early so missed the tourists who were just coming in as I was leaving. There’s not much evidence of its history apart from a couple of tiny cells which used to be packed with slaves, not only were they tiny but also really low – you just can’t imagine the horrow of being in them. And then you start thinking how slavery happened, not just the slave trade but the whole concept of believing you could own a human being, that people could be sold. It baffles me.
Anyway, left Stone Town about 11.30 so by lunchtime I was in paradise – no not another victim of Tanzanian driving – rather Paje which does a pretty good impression of paradise: white sand, turquoise sea, palm trees, sunshine, a cooling breeze…it is beautiful.
I’m staying at the Cristal resort which is French owned and there seems to be a good mix of ages and nationalities – hopefully I’ll get to meet some people this evening. There was a beach tennis tournament this afternoon which I could have used as a social introduction type of activity had I not been far too busy lying in a hammock, reading a book!
Oh I’ve been adopted by the hotel dog – five minutes after sitting down he’s sat beside me looking expectant.
Forgot to say I was glad to leave Stone Town, being a tourist was uncomfortable I don’t know why.
So off to Zanzibar. I’m spending today in Stone Town before heading off to the coast tomorrow. Top tip: avoid Stone Town during Ramadan. I’m hoping it is just Stone Town and that the resorts are a bit more relaxed but I struggled to find a place to get a drink of Sprite which was a bit exhausting and tiresome. Stone Town is much older than Moshi and some of the buildings are really beautiful. In the Fernandes’ style I just walked around and ended up a bit lost but unlike the more daring Fernandes, I knew how to get back. Ended up in the main market which was very noisy and hectic – obviously you can still buy food even if you can’t eat it.
It’s very weird being a tourist and there’s certainly more of them here than in Moshi. My shuttle bus and the plan were packed with Germans – I hae no idea where they came from, it’s strange how I get so protective of my town and object to it being invaded by mzungus! Luckily their towels were packed in their enormous suitcases so I managed to squeezed a seat otherwise I could have been on the roof with the luggage.
Of course more tourists means more shops and I went ever so slightly credit card crazy. I had really wanted to get another swimming costume because I am going to get so bored with just one. But there was only a very skimpy/expensive number or some which looked really grubby. However, I did find some nice and not too expensive presents.
So now I have a very nice full tummy – I’ve been waiting for fish for so long and so I had fishcakes for starter then melt-in-your-mouth octopus cooked in coconut milk and served with lots of yummy veggie bits (well if you ignored the okra which is just slimy nothingness as far as I’m concerned). It was all very delish apart from the rather icky smell of sewers which was either bad drains or a proximity to the sea.
There’s a lot to be said for waiting and things will come. My bikini problem has been solved because I walked past a pharmacy and thought “I wonder if they have tweezers” (don’t want to lose my favourites if I have an over-officious person at security). Not only did they have tweezers but also a bikini and hair remover so I will be beach ready tomorrow! The bikini’s a little skimpy but there’s noone here to take photos or who will know me in the future so who cares?!
Rather amusingly it would appear that black people can’t tell white people apart as I have been mistaken for so many people today – weird.
So there is no mosquito net in my room. Admittedly there is AC (yuk) and the room seems fairly sealed but I am still a bit nervous…
Okay at the risk of sounding like Ab Fab: who made 18 year olds so boring? While the rest of us are at the pub they’re…oh actually I don’t know what they’re doing but it’s bloody boring.
Found out today that my visa runs out on 6th – joy! I’ve actually doctored the official (but handwritten) document myself which is a bit dodgy but if I get stopped I shall call Heriel and scream! Ah the incompetence. i to i keep contacting me about the “problems” which they are sure can be sorted out “in country” today. I politely pointed out problems can be best avoided if I avoid the in country team – grrr!
A far more successful day’s sunbathing as:
a- I haven’t accumulated any new burns (or at least none that I’ve noticed)
b- the swimming pool was a child-free zone – hurrah!
Continued the painful task of setting up email accounts complete with functioning address books and then went to the pool. Went back to the volunteer house and had the best meal I’ve ever had there – unfortunately Emmy then disappeared so I couldn’t tell her . My last Sunday in Moshi which is hard to believe. Mind you I’m hugely excited about going to Zanzibar. Sue and Emma came back this evening and they’d only been for two nights and said it was just perfect.
Today I have confirmed that I am not grown up enough to sunbathe. I am not one of those people who can just put in their ipod and bake for several hours – partly because using ipod earphones makes me dizzy! I need books (but that means you get arm ache or neck ache) or many people watching opportunities. Anyway the other reason I am bad at sunbathing is because no matter how hard I try I always miss a bit of sunscreen. Today I didn’t really bother much with my arms because they’re out all day every day and are really quite brown already – I now have bright red arms. I also missed the bits right at the tops of my legs – classic area to cock up on. Additionally I managed to rub off the sunscreen on my knees so I have a bright red patch on each – plain ridiculous!
Did a lot of walkig today. Walked into town hoping to check my predictions – another power cut so the internet cafe was closed. So walked up to Soweto, as I got to the gate everyone was coming out so walked back to town! I walked for 1 3/4 hours without even a sit down.
We then went to the Impala for a sunbathe and a swim. Sunbathing was not hugely successful and swimming was impossible thanks to an infestation of rich bratty children (the first time I’ve seen a fat African child) and then a further infestation of American children.
Weekend of departures – Lucy, Tara and Mike – but no arrivals which is odd, apparently something to do with there being five weekends this month.
I had to be back in town for 3 to give Felster her internet lesson after yesterday’s futile attempts. She’s picked some things up but I’m not sure she’ll keep it up. Tried to ask her if there would be internet places in the town where she’s moving but an understanding breakdown occurred which was disappointing because it does make me wonder if I’ve achieved anythinng over the past six weeks.
After that fiddled around on the internet a bit – still doing battle over the safari debacle. Why is it everyone says they’re going to complain and then noone else does? Went to Indotaliano for late lunch/early dinner which is my favourite restaurant despite the unisex squat toiley. As the name suggests it does Indian and Italian food which is an odd combination but manages to do both really well. Actually most restaurants here do all sorts of food – there’s always pizza, Indian, Chinese and “continental” (ie chicken and steak) but noone does enough vegetables. I so want roast chicken with about four different veg when I get home.
Thought I would walk back given my tummy full of curry (and the fact I hardly walked anywhere yesterday) and then I turned my ankle. Given the precarious nature of my ankle and the appalling nature of Tanzanian roads, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened earlier but it’s looking a bit fat and feeling a bit sore now. Anyway, I was still determined to walk home but obviously my guardian angel was looking out for me because I popped into the supermarket to buy a bottle of water and bumped into the Norwegians who were getting a taxi back. I impressed them with my haggling, actually they probably thought I was really tight haggling over 500 TSh (a massive 20p) but it’s the principle! Plus I have to keep practising haggling as it’s a new found skill I have previously been crap at!
So came back for a nice chilled out evening – I’m having a lot of those recently (I miss my Moshi friends) and caught an African version of a cookery programme whilst waiting for my water to warm up. OMG, they have a lot to learn. The presenter was a young girl who chewed gum constantly until you visibly saw her swallow it before she tasted the food – yuk! The camera was at waist height virtually the entire time and couldn’t even manage to zoom in on the finished dish! Minor detail that the Indian chef hardly spoke a word of English which meant the recipe was a tad tricky to follow and whoever was working in the translation department did a cracking job of calling turmeric “yellow powder” – inspired! But perhaps the most amusing segment of “Nirvana” on East African TV (it must be available on satellite) was that the chicken had been marinating in “curry paste” for which no ingredients were given and the presenter said if you don’t know how to make curry paste then “pole sana” – basically tough shit – how very helpful!
