Chrissy Come and Gone!
Returning to Moshi is generally easier than returning to the United States, and this time was no exception. What was different however was that I returned with my daughter (who has lived here for a total of 7 months previously) and two MEPI instructors. Thus, every day became packed! Our first Sunday included St. Margaret’s and a hash in Machame. It was as usual beautiful and confusing but allowed Chrissy a chance to catch up with old friends as well as to run in that beautiful countryside.
Our guests for MEPI Jane and Ed
Machame HashWe did all “the needful” things like buying and registering sim cards, loading our voda sticks and making sure that the MEPI instructors got to the education building. We shopped for groceries and had the chance to have Chrissy see the good old reliable shop-keepers. We hauled clothes to KIWAKKUKI and the mamas and dadas danced and sang (thank you Sara) and we had the opportunity to walk around town to find needed things. We are now the proud owners of a fabulous ladder (ngazi) with which Pauli hung the new solar lights and cut down two trees that were hanging dangerously over the house and running their roots into the septic system.
Chrissy and Faradhja
The whole family
Nice Njuici in yard!We had another trip to Arusha National Park, my recommendation for when you need any therapy. Carol rented a fabulous vehicle and all of us, Jane, Ed, Chrissy and I had a terrific day.
Carol Trish Jane Chrissy Ed
Zebra at Arusha
Giraffe
colobus monkeysOne of the most fun things that I did last year was to hunt out summer placements for Duke undergraduates. That hunting and visiting has led to some wonderful relationships with organizations about which I previously knew nothing. The new Visa fee may put a damper on students’ ability to come to Tanzania, but hopefully some students will want to try such groups as SUF in Shimbwe, Pamoja Tunaweza in Rau, Rafiki near Machame, and Mildmay in Moshi.
We definitely have a group coming to Mwika Uuo and their acceptance into the Duke Global Health Summer Projects allowed me to travel with Vera and Carol to Mwika Uuo again to meet with the house “Mama” Nancy, the chair of the board of directors for the dispensary and the school, and the Assistant Medical Officer in charge of Mwika Uuo Dispensary, Dr. Lymo. I definitely want the students to know how excited everyone is about their arrival. I think that they were a bit disappointed that they won’t be coming until June, as the school, mentor clubs and the dispensary staff are all excited about “Duke” students returning. We have an excellent reputation in this part of the countryside, which is actually heartwarming to me.
Mwika Market Day
Loliondo Sarari signThere are many good stories that this two weeks has brought, but one of them definitely is the Loliondo story. I so wanted a picture of bus stand where cars or buses take people to Loliondo to get the magic cure (a cup of water boiled with the roots of the Maharagia Tree, given with a blessing by the “Baba” or Pastor Bob). Though this trek is less popular than it was before over 600 people had died there, a substantial number of people still make the long safari to Loliondo to be cured of whatever ails them. Carol stopped right in front of the sign and we asked 3 gentlemen to move so I could take the picture (piga picha). This request led to great excitement. One gentleman ran to the side of the car and began to talk very very fast. He explained that though this “Baba” did have a good potion for curing illnesses, that in fact, he also was a “Baba” doctor and he had an even better cure, especially for malaria and AIDS. In addition, he only lived around the corner so we could come right away to get the cure. Apparently he assumed that I (the “mzungu” -crazy white person) was in need of magic potion and planned to take the safari to Loliondo. In addition, we were in the project car, and he had been trying unsuccessfully to gain an audience at KCMC. Perhaps, if I just took his cure, that demonstration would put his potion on the books. I, of course, understood only a small amount of his eager discussion and actually thought that he was saying that either he had been cured of Malaria by the Baba, or that he currently had Malaria or TB and wanted a ride so that he wouldn’t have to wait. Carol, bless his heart, gave this gentleman his number in order that he could call to check on his appointment with the leadership of KCMC. As he walked away, both Carol and Vera burst into laughter and agreed that this was one of the funniest conversations they had ever heard or been a part of. I asked Carol what he intended to do when the new Baba called, and of course ever the gentleman himself, he answered that he would explain that KCMC was not yet involved in herbal medicine for cures and that perhaps he could find another hospital that would appreciate his cure (for everything). I felt quite enriched that just for a picture, we had this conversation.
Thanks to a wonderful member of our choir, I managed to find a carver in Marangu who does exquisite work with fallen wood that he finds in the National Forest. Our guests, Carol, Chrissy and I were completely entranced by Lawi, and spent one afternoon looking in his workshop, talking to his lovely family. We bought some very unique carvings, went to the Marangu Hotel for a snack, and had an amazing afternoon.
Lawi and his family with carvings
John returned to Moshi, and we prepared for Thanksgiving. The bittersweet time of a wonderful Thanksgiving was that our friend and colleague and his beautiful family, John, Jen and the boys, left for New Zealand after 9 years in Moshi and the project. They will be missed at the hospital and all over Moshi for nearly everyone in one way or another felt their presence.
JC walking home by way of the compoundThanksgiving was amazing with old-fashioned turkey and many side dishes. Rose and Pauli cooked right alongside Chrissy and I and helped with the dinner, serving and clean-up. It was a fabulous night, which was closely followed by the Shira Hash on Saturday.
Freezing cold and wet and we had just started!
(Entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park from West Kilimanjaro)
West KilimanjaroShira Plateau Hash for the Kilimanjaro “Hash House Harriers”, was a great hash, beautiful country side, and crowned with a freezing rain end. For veteran hashers, this is the best way to end a hash. For most of the rest of us, it was incredibly freezing and every 5 minutes the roads became worse and worse.
Greg pointing where we are going
(hashers) 
(Freezing & wet Chrissy and Jan, while freezing and wet Steven laughs)John drove Greg and Terrie’s truck as if he had just left Rochester NY. We literally slid all the way down the road to the gate after we were done. Our usual beer and snacks didn’t happen until we re-located to the “Simba Farm”. The day was surreal because of all of the above- mentioned things. Good friends together, beautiful terrain, hard to follow flour spots and lots and lots of checks.
(Chrissy and cows at Simba Farm for bites)
(Children watching the cow train go by)It also was Chrissy’s next to last day and tonight she leaves. This is hard for me because we have such a good time together, and I don’t see my girls as often as I would like. Africa does also seem to be in her blood; thus, I think it is a hard leaving for her. So, I hope that we will all have more opportunities to be together on this side of the world, but know that I will cherish these two weeks for a very long time to come.
(sad little African chickens all dolled up with no place to go!)
