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Habari Gani. Jana Langu Phil.
Well, first thing to say is that I arrived safe and well in Dar Es Salaam last night.
I have just spent an hour trying to upload one single photo so don't expect to see one until i find a computer with a faster processor. So we will have to make do with good old-fashioned words.
It is difficult to encapsulate how i have felt over the past 36 hours or so. But I will try. We flew from Dubai to Dar Es Salaam. I nodded for about 10 minutes before take-off, but otherwise I haven't slept in those 36 hours. I believe my first actual glimpse of Africa was when we flew over the very barren landscape of Somalia. We hugged the East African coastline before landing at Dar at around 3pm local time on Sunday. After what seemed an eternity getting our visas, we collected our luggage, which thankfully had arrived with us, and i changed most of my sterling into tanzanian shillingi. The 5 of us finally met the 6th volunteer, 18-yr old Jacky, from Canada. She hadn't been so lucky. Having got a much earlier BA flight, she had spent most of the day by herself, wondering where her luggage had got to (she finally collected today after a 24 hr delay).
The ride from the airport was the first proper experience of culture shock. The chaotic streets where no rules seemed to apply to the motorists... the obvious poverty lined on both sides of the road. The heat. A number of guards with rifles. The newly built National Football Stadium... But more than anything else, the plethora of overpacked daladalas (Toyota Hi-Aces) ferrying people from one part of Dar to another.
We found our accommodation at Kilwa Road, Salvation Army Hostel, to be very basic. Now, i've done Glastonbury, but i found this even more basic. A bed with mosquito net, a wobbly fan, a very basic toilet and a shower which didn't really work. Not being able to drink or get the general water into our bodies, i was very cautious. We were given given bottled water at dinner, but then we a had a power cut and had to go back into town for a pizza, by teksi (taxi). The general tiredness showed on everyone's faces, which had taken over from the excitement, anticipation and general concentration needed to arrive in one piece.
Earlier, Tom and myself wandered around the SA compound and in the shadow of the football stadium, was the shocking sight of lots of several children hopping, limping and rolling around depending on whatever disability they had. We were later told that the compound held a school, church and mission for a considerable number of disabled kids, from all over Tanzania. Incredibly only 2 others exist. It gave us a real 'where are we' moment. I cannot find the words to describe both of our thoughts but we discussed it with each other after.
Today (Monday) we had out first Swahili lessons and went back into town during the day with our teachers. But i will save that for my next entry.
For now, kwa heri.
(note: the photos that have so far accompanied my words are site library pictures, not mine)
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