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| Kilimanjaro (Kibo) from Machame |
Our ten days in Moshi have been eventful in large part
because it has been quite hot. The
drought has been fierce and every day we worry that water will just stop. The mountain has lost even more glacier; the
Short Rains never came so there was no harvest.
The people are worried.
They are worried also because the President has issued more
and more restrictions that just seem crazy.
His acts are homophobic and sometimes irrational. He loves western money, but does not seem to
like western people, and his “Acts” are decimating the ex-patriot population
who teach, farm, and are part of the health care community. On the other hand, he is quite adamant about
corruption and we have heard that his offices are busy where they once were
lax. He fires people, but of course
their salaries continue because there have been no official charges brought and
tried in a court of law. We can most
certainly identify with the anxiety of the Tanzanians who feel that they have
no opportunity for opposition, and the every day Tanzanian who cannot get work
as he pares down jobs in every sector.
We see and hear the same issues from the US, though even more draconian.
So, that is my sadness.
My joy is being back in this country that I love. I am still working through the health issue
that was my IT band, but it is nearly healed completely. I swim every morning between 7am and
8am. I love my instructor and friends
who swim at the same time. The only
problems I am now having are a. getting up at 5:30 am to drag myself to the
pool, and b. that I’m not showering off enough with soap and have a bad
chlorine rash. Have to be more careful.
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| Imagine all over my imperfect body |
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| The other leg...not showing arms-too horrible |
So I have focused just a few pictures on things that I
love. Birds, Flame trees and Kilimanjaro.
Most of these birds are fly catchers, warblers or sun birds. Would have to have Bob our Jackie Brice Bennett to tell me. The warbler (which I think is the brown one) has a song nearly the same as a cardinal.) Sun birds sound a bit like hummers. Not much. The fly catchers are very curious birds esp. where people are concerned.
Yesterday, John and I had quite an adventure. We were to go to the Kili View Lodge for our
biweekly hash, and all was well when we started (remember we have a Rav4, the
first model that had only front wheel drive) but the farther up the mountain
the more difficult the road became. Lots
of potholes and the road narrowed considerably.
It started raining just as the drive became steeper. As we started down a very steep section
pieces of the road had dropped over the precipice and we were close indeed to
that very same precipice. John at this
point could not control the car because there was so much mud on the
tires. We just swished this way and
that. It was terrifying. As we approached the next steep climb, there
were three trucks gathering water. All
the men were motioning us forward but John just said, I cannot control the car
now, and if we finally got to Kili View, we would never get home. No pictures.
I was sure we would not be able to even turn around. But, we did and slowly slowly drove back to
the tarmacked road. I have never been so
happy to see Rau before and then our house.
I put my feet up, read, and drank a Kilimanjaro beer at the same time
everyone else would have had they been at the hash. Home and here is this morning’s mountain.
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| Have a kili? |
