In My Second Home

It's been too long since my last post. So much to do before leaving Canada.

It certainly is good to be back in Tanzania after an absence of a whole year. I was warmly welcomed by everyone - familiar faces in Nairobi, where I landed - to the staff and villagers in Longido. The trip is a long one and my sleep pattern is still adjusting to the 7 hour time change. During the flight from Amsterdam, I sat next to a 2016 Olympic hopeful- a young Nairobi policeman who is a marathon runner. I will follow his progress with interest. One of the nicest things about travelling is the people you meet.

One of the colourful shuttle buses. I can't disagree. 

It's September and Longido is dry. Mt Longido does not have a lot of water to share since it has not rained in a while. The TGH - TEMBO Guesthouse -  is ordering a truck full of water this afternoon in preparation for the houseful of guests it will accommodate tomorrow. We're fortunate to be able to do this. Most people simply have to get by with less water when there is so little. Some turn to the open wells of unsafe water that is shared by the animals.

The internet connection at the TGH is intermittent right now so today I have come into Arusha for business. I was the last person on the shuttle so the driver brought me right to the Everest Chinese  Inn where I will spend the day working in my room. He made up for the not-so-nice shuttle driver that brought me to Longido from Nairobi and left me one the roadside rather than at the TGH door. This fellow was the exception in my experience.

On the way to Arusha we stopped at the bustling weekly Saturday Market that was just setting up in Odonyo Sambu. We dropped people off who added their hoping-to-be-sold goods to what will be hundreds of people selling anything and everything to thousands of people from miles around. The driver needed to do a quick tire exchange on the back right.

Market place setting up.

The staff in Longido were anxious to hear news about TEMBO co-founder, Marian Roks' year of cancer treatment. As I talked, I was only too well aware of how absolutely fortunate I am to live in a country like Canada. TEMBO staff, Mary Laiser, listened intently then told me about a woman from the village who had cancer. I looked at her and said, people here just die, don't they? Every single thing here related to health care and treatment costs out-of-pocket money. Most people do just die.

This week will be busy and I will be collecting stories everywhere I go. They are everywhere.