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So much more to tell! This may be my last entry til after summitting Mt Kili, so I figure I may as well update now.
How I could forget to mention yesterday's 5-star transport, I don't know. Seriously, this bus was more luxurious than what you'd usually take in NZ. By the time we arrived at the bus station, the only seats left were on what they call the "Super Deluxe" and super deluxe it was! It felt so ironic, to be in one of the least developed nations on the planet (150-something on the UN Development Index of 170-something countries) yet to be travelling in luxury, at about $25 for a 10-hour trip. Not only did it have air-con and videos (albeit videos of constant shooting or some trashy drama), but they had a second staff member who worked as some sort of steward; he'd come round from time to time with hot drinks, cool water, soft drinks and even a snack or two. Incredible! It somehow didn't feel right though, and I think next time I'll opt for something with a bit more of a local flavour.
A few months back I decided to give "The End of Poverty" (Jeffrey Sachs) a second attempt but had only got about half-way throughby the time I arrived. Yesterday though, what had seemed dry and tedious came to life - there's something different about reading a book about the developing world in a developing coutnry, where you can look out the window and see the effects of slash-and-burn agriculture, or entrepreneurs displaying their micro-enterprises, or the impact of implemented water systems where you can grow rice, or whatever.
Got to rush again - if you're a praying person, please pray for a safe trip up the mountain and back, and that we'd learn something (determination? ... or that we're crazy!) from it.
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