It's the end of the semester, but I'm still in Tanzania!
The coming week is my last week of working at Sikubora. I have a lot to wrap up there! After that, my mom and sister are traveling to Arusha to visit. We're going on a short safari to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, and then we're spending Christmas in Zanzibar. After that, I'll have to say goodbye to this wonderful experience.
It's hard to accept that these are my last few weeks here. This month so far has been spent trying to cross items of my Arusha bucket list. I checked out a few restaurants and shops, I brought kitenge fabric to fundis to make custom clothing, I went to Nairobi for another ultimate frisbee tournament, and I joined on another Sikubora installation out in a Maasai village.
With a few more items still on my to-do list, and a set of adventures planned with my family, I plan to continue blogging until I've returned to America. Stay tuned for pictures of wild animals and beaches!
10 December 2016
02 December 2016
Dar es Salaam
Last weekend I took the opportunity to go to Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam. It's about a 12-hour bus ride from Arusha, but I'm entirely glad I sat through it.
I had no reason to go to Dar and no business to do there, but my wanderer's heart propelled me to pick a weekend, buy bus tickets, and explore a new place. Many of my friends and coworkers asked why I wanted to go to Dar. They said it was hot, dirty, smelly, and crowded, and they thought I wouldn't like it at all. To some extent, they were right. I sweat through all my clothes, encountered a lot of trash, covered my nostrils on occasion, and weaved through many oncoming pedestrians. Even so, they were wrong in that I loved it.
Dar is pretty cool from my perspective. I like to say it's "shwari kama bahari," a cute rhyme that translates to the non-rhyme "cool like the ocean." Aside from the fact that Dar is really hot, this phrase is especially appropriate since Dar is on the Indian Ocean. The huge yet flat city is basically built on a beach. Instead of dirt on the side of the roads, there's sand. There's an occasional refreshing breeze from off the coast. If you can see the ocean, you'll see at least three giant shipping boats at once. The name is especially refreshing--Dar es Salaam, from Arabic, means "abode of peace."
So what did I do in the Abode of Peace?
I walked around a lot and saw different neighborhoods, shopping centers, and parts of the coast.
I saw the biggest avocados I've ever seen in my life.
I saw the Tanzanian equivalent of the White House.
I played ultimate, thanks to the invitation from a friend I hosted in Arusha earlier. (Note the sweat, a testament to the heat of Dar and also to my peculiar gene pool.)
I checked out some cliffs.
I went to my friend's fabric fundi and had kitenge clothes made. (Fundi is a word for machinist, expert, technician, repairman, creator... they're in every field.)
I rode a ferry-bridge!
I walked across a real bridge, Daraja la Nyerere.
I had a bunch of adventures I couldn't have anticipated. I'm thankful for the old friends I saw, the new friends I made, and all the experiences that surprised me. I'm also thankful that the people saying I'd hate it were a little off-target in their predictions--that I didn't hate Dar and instead, enjoyed it.
I had no reason to go to Dar and no business to do there, but my wanderer's heart propelled me to pick a weekend, buy bus tickets, and explore a new place. Many of my friends and coworkers asked why I wanted to go to Dar. They said it was hot, dirty, smelly, and crowded, and they thought I wouldn't like it at all. To some extent, they were right. I sweat through all my clothes, encountered a lot of trash, covered my nostrils on occasion, and weaved through many oncoming pedestrians. Even so, they were wrong in that I loved it.
Dar is pretty cool from my perspective. I like to say it's "shwari kama bahari," a cute rhyme that translates to the non-rhyme "cool like the ocean." Aside from the fact that Dar is really hot, this phrase is especially appropriate since Dar is on the Indian Ocean. The huge yet flat city is basically built on a beach. Instead of dirt on the side of the roads, there's sand. There's an occasional refreshing breeze from off the coast. If you can see the ocean, you'll see at least three giant shipping boats at once. The name is especially refreshing--Dar es Salaam, from Arabic, means "abode of peace."
So what did I do in the Abode of Peace?
I walked around a lot and saw different neighborhoods, shopping centers, and parts of the coast.
I saw the biggest avocados I've ever seen in my life.
I saw the Tanzanian equivalent of the White House.
(You can't take pictures there, else you wish to leave your phone behind.)
I played ultimate, thanks to the invitation from a friend I hosted in Arusha earlier. (Note the sweat, a testament to the heat of Dar and also to my peculiar gene pool.)
Photo courtesy of Mwinyi
Photo courtesy of Mwinyi
I walked across a real bridge, Daraja la Nyerere.
I had a bunch of adventures I couldn't have anticipated. I'm thankful for the old friends I saw, the new friends I made, and all the experiences that surprised me. I'm also thankful that the people saying I'd hate it were a little off-target in their predictions--that I didn't hate Dar and instead, enjoyed it.
26 November 2016
Swahili Update
I promised a while ago that I'd post a video speaking Swahili! Here it is, my Swahili update for better or for worse.
(Subtitles should be automatic, but if not, you can turn them on!)
Please note that I made many mistakes! Thanks Elly for humoring this silly request and asking me random questions.
19 November 2016
African Women in Technology
Sometimes I like to write post titles in Swahili, but that won't happen for this one. That's because in Kenya, where I went last weekend, Swahili is used less often than in Tanzania. It's still a national language of Kenya along with English, but Tanzanians often joke about the broken Swahili in Kenya, and (from my observations, though I don't think I'm alone) Kenyans speak much better English on average than Tanzanians.
Kenyan language is actually pretty entertaining. We were sitting in a fancy hotel ballroom in Nairobi chowing down delicious lunch, and I couldn't help but listen to a conversation occurring between Kenyans on the other side of the table (we being my roommate, our coworker, and I). One would tell a story in mostly Swahili, and then both parties would immediately switch to English to exchange comments and opinions.
One major difference between Kenyan Swahili and Tanzanian Swahili is the standard greeting. Below are examples of how this works in each country.
Diamond Platnumz : Mambo?
Freddie Mercury : Poa
(Diamond Platnumz is arguably the most popular musician in Tanzania right now, and Freddie Mercury, though not Tanzanian by blood, was born in Zanzibar.)
Lupita Nyong'o: Sasa?
Barack Obama : Poa
(Lupita Nyong'o and Barack Obama both have origins in the Kenyan Luo tribe.)
"Mambo" means "things," so I interpret this greeting as, "How are things?"
"Sasa" simply means "now," so I interpret this greeting to be a little like a slang "How are you doing right now?"
Why was I in Kenya saying "Sasa" instead of "Mambo" in the first place? I went to Nairobi with Sanae and Regina, the three of us a sampling of the female engineers at Sikubora, to Nairobi to attend the African Women in Tech Conference. We were incredibly thankful to Sikubora for substantially supporting us through our trip, and to Tanzania's Tech Chix for introducing the conference to us in the first place.
The conference, hosted by the Kenyan group Akira Chix, started with a keynote address, delivered by a 23-year-old Kenyan CEO. After we all became inspired and pumped to think about the conference theme, "Can technology serve?" for the rest of the day, the attendees split up to attend various "breakout sessions" occurring over four different time slots. I really appreciated this aspect of the conference because it allowed me to personalize my experience. Here's what my schedule looked like after the keynote address, showing the sessions I chose.
- 10:00am - 11:00am: The Un-Silicon Valley Way To Start Your Business
- 11:10am - 12:10pm: All Systems Go: What Next After Writing Code
- 12:15pm - 1:15pm: Cyber Security Awareness Training
- 1:15pm - 2:30pm: fancy ballroom lunch
- 2:40pm - 3:40pm: Social Entrepreneurship as a Way to Sustainable Future
All in all it was a busy and fun day, and Akira Chix surprised everyone by ending the conference with a live band. It was a nice way for everyone to mingle and enjoy time together before going back to their daily routines.
I'm happy I got to spend the weekend in a different city, and Nairobi is indeed quite different from Arusha. Beyond the language contrasts already noted, Nairobi is much much bigger and also more Western. In Arusha, if a woman shows more than her knees, it's not considered tasteful, and most Tanzanian women don't expose more than their ankles. This conservation of skin is not as much of a concern in Nairobi. I also saw more women with colorful hair and piercings than I would in Arusha. Finally, I didn't think the food in Nairobi, though tasty, was quite as good as that in Arusha. Traveling to Nairobi was exciting and refreshing, but I oddly found happy to return "home" to Arusha, even though I'm just as much a visitor there.
Kenyan language is actually pretty entertaining. We were sitting in a fancy hotel ballroom in Nairobi chowing down delicious lunch, and I couldn't help but listen to a conversation occurring between Kenyans on the other side of the table (we being my roommate, our coworker, and I). One would tell a story in mostly Swahili, and then both parties would immediately switch to English to exchange comments and opinions.
One major difference between Kenyan Swahili and Tanzanian Swahili is the standard greeting. Below are examples of how this works in each country.
Diamond Platnumz : Mambo?
Freddie Mercury : Poa
(Diamond Platnumz is arguably the most popular musician in Tanzania right now, and Freddie Mercury, though not Tanzanian by blood, was born in Zanzibar.)
Lupita Nyong'o: Sasa?
Barack Obama : Poa
(Lupita Nyong'o and Barack Obama both have origins in the Kenyan Luo tribe.)
"Mambo" means "things," so I interpret this greeting as, "How are things?"
"Sasa" simply means "now," so I interpret this greeting to be a little like a slang "How are you doing right now?"
Why was I in Kenya saying "Sasa" instead of "Mambo" in the first place? I went to Nairobi with Sanae and Regina, the three of us a sampling of the female engineers at Sikubora, to Nairobi to attend the African Women in Tech Conference. We were incredibly thankful to Sikubora for substantially supporting us through our trip, and to Tanzania's Tech Chix for introducing the conference to us in the first place.
The conference, hosted by the Kenyan group Akira Chix, started with a keynote address, delivered by a 23-year-old Kenyan CEO. After we all became inspired and pumped to think about the conference theme, "Can technology serve?" for the rest of the day, the attendees split up to attend various "breakout sessions" occurring over four different time slots. I really appreciated this aspect of the conference because it allowed me to personalize my experience. Here's what my schedule looked like after the keynote address, showing the sessions I chose.
- 10:00am - 11:00am: The Un-Silicon Valley Way To Start Your Business
- 11:10am - 12:10pm: All Systems Go: What Next After Writing Code
- 12:15pm - 1:15pm: Cyber Security Awareness Training
- 1:15pm - 2:30pm: fancy ballroom lunch
- 2:40pm - 3:40pm: Social Entrepreneurship as a Way to Sustainable Future
All in all it was a busy and fun day, and Akira Chix surprised everyone by ending the conference with a live band. It was a nice way for everyone to mingle and enjoy time together before going back to their daily routines.
I'm happy I got to spend the weekend in a different city, and Nairobi is indeed quite different from Arusha. Beyond the language contrasts already noted, Nairobi is much much bigger and also more Western. In Arusha, if a woman shows more than her knees, it's not considered tasteful, and most Tanzanian women don't expose more than their ankles. This conservation of skin is not as much of a concern in Nairobi. I also saw more women with colorful hair and piercings than I would in Arusha. Finally, I didn't think the food in Nairobi, though tasty, was quite as good as that in Arusha. Traveling to Nairobi was exciting and refreshing, but I oddly found happy to return "home" to Arusha, even though I'm just as much a visitor there.
11 November 2016
Hot Weather, Hot Springs
The weather's getting pretty hot in Arusha. So far, it's been surprisingly temperate for an African country on the equator, but this is due the city having an elevation of about 4,500 ft. Now, the afternoons are hotter and hotter, leaving me looking for places to cool down.
There are a collection of hotels and lodges in Arusha, which is a gateway for tourists to many national parks. These hotels have pools, and there's one near my apartment that I go to on occasion. However, a place affectionately called Maji Moto (hot water) definitely wins me over when I think about places to cool off. Maji Moto is a hot spring a little over an hour's drive from Arusha, though the water itself is actually not that hot. A more official name is Chemka Springs (chemka = boiling), though that's equally as misleading. The name Chemka, though, comes from the appearance of the spring, which bubbles a bit in some places. The water is not boiling, but rather a welcoming and refreshing temperature, inviting its guests to dive right in.
There's even a rope-swing hanging from a sturdy tree branch.
It's beautiful. The water reflects a pure, clear blue-green, and pockets of sunshine slip through the wide, shading tree leaves.
Another reason I love this place is its proximity to a collection of baobab trees. In Tanzania, baobab trees can be considered sacred, and prominent ones are used as tribal meeting places. People here eat a sugar- and spice-coated seed from the tree, and I've heard parts of the tree have medicinal properties as well. There's one baobab tree near Maji Moto that can be climbed.
All in all, Maji Moto is the perfect place to relax on a hot day. The water is rejuvenating, the spring and surrounding area are beautiful, and there are plenty of other activities to enjoy nearby. I plan to return during the nearest weekend with a staggering forecast.
If you look back at that graph of average monthly temperatures I included, you'll notice that November and December are some of the hottest months in Arusha. I return to Boston at the end of December, jumping back into campus life during some of the coldest months there. I can't say I'm looking forward to leaving the nice weather here behind.
04 November 2016
Moshi
"Wikiendi iliyopita nilienda Moshi." Technically, this translates literally to "Last weekend I went to Smoke," since the name of this town--Moshi--means "smoke" in Swahili. (That's right, "wikiendi" means "weekend.") So, though I don't smoke, I did go to Moshi to play ultimate frisbee.
Upon arrival at the central bus station, I immediately noticed a few differences between Moshi and Arusha. The bus station itself was quite spacious and sparsely populated, save for the swarm vendors that still held up baskets of snacks to the windows of big buses to attract customers. For a center of business in East Africa, it was relatively quaint, compared to Arusha's big yet crowded, hectic central bus station.
Moshi, which sits quite close to the base of Kilimanjaro, has an incredible view of this mountain when it's not concealed by a swarm of clouds. I got a quick glimpse of only the peak on the ride home, but beyond that, I might not have realized Africa's tallest point was anywhere near Moshi without prior knowledge. In Arusha, one might be able see Kilimanjaro on an unusually clear day from certain eastern parts of the city. I myself have never been able to see Kilimajaro from Arusha. Our more constant view in Arusha is Mt. Meru, not quite as tall as Kilimanjaro but still an impressive height and, as word on the street goes, a more difficult climb.
Daladala fare turned out to be equivalent to that of Arusha, and the small group of Arusha players hopped into one to get to Moshi's field. Though the driver and konda setup is the same, and the paint and sticker situation is the same, the daladalas themselves are a slightly different van make from those in Arusha. On the way to the field, I noticed more trees and flowers and general greenness than in Arusha, but not an overwhelming amount.
When we arrived at the field, I remarked that it was a lot more dusty and difficult to play on than that of Arusha. Despite this fact, Moshi's ultimate players are very talented. Though I had no clue what the score was for most of the game, they were surely beating us. I think Arusha's players had a great time, yet left motivated to improve and excited to host Moshi's team in Arusha in the future.
Upon arrival at the central bus station, I immediately noticed a few differences between Moshi and Arusha. The bus station itself was quite spacious and sparsely populated, save for the swarm vendors that still held up baskets of snacks to the windows of big buses to attract customers. For a center of business in East Africa, it was relatively quaint, compared to Arusha's big yet crowded, hectic central bus station.
Moshi, which sits quite close to the base of Kilimanjaro, has an incredible view of this mountain when it's not concealed by a swarm of clouds. I got a quick glimpse of only the peak on the ride home, but beyond that, I might not have realized Africa's tallest point was anywhere near Moshi without prior knowledge. In Arusha, one might be able see Kilimanjaro on an unusually clear day from certain eastern parts of the city. I myself have never been able to see Kilimajaro from Arusha. Our more constant view in Arusha is Mt. Meru, not quite as tall as Kilimanjaro but still an impressive height and, as word on the street goes, a more difficult climb.
Daladala fare turned out to be equivalent to that of Arusha, and the small group of Arusha players hopped into one to get to Moshi's field. Though the driver and konda setup is the same, and the paint and sticker situation is the same, the daladalas themselves are a slightly different van make from those in Arusha. On the way to the field, I noticed more trees and flowers and general greenness than in Arusha, but not an overwhelming amount.
When we arrived at the field, I remarked that it was a lot more dusty and difficult to play on than that of Arusha. Despite this fact, Moshi's ultimate players are very talented. Though I had no clue what the score was for most of the game, they were surely beating us. I think Arusha's players had a great time, yet left motivated to improve and excited to host Moshi's team in Arusha in the future.
28 October 2016
Sahani
While living abroad, I've missed a lot of pieces of home. Some of them, like friends and family, I simply won't be able to be around until I return; however, others, such as hobbies and passions, tend to follow their possessor. As a guitar player, for example, I was overjoyed to encounter a guitar whose owner has kindly lent it to me until I depart in December.
"Sahani" means "plate" in Swahili, like the kind you eat off of. This may seem like a rather abrupt transition, but the plate is relevant here because it's one of the better ways to translate disc, the gamepiece of ultimate frisbee. So, to "play frisbee" can become "kucheza sahani." Ultimate is another part of campus I miss, so I was sure to search for a group playing even before I arrived in Arusha. I wasn't sure what I'd find, but it turns out there's a group of people scattered around Arusha who love to play frisbee. It took some nudging to get everyone to meet again on a regular basis, mostly because there was an issue with field space. But not long after I arrived, I was playing my favorite sport with a group of new friends.
Every Saturday we meet to toss together, warm up, and scrimmage. I really look forward to this part of the week, because it's the only time I'll get to play ultimate with a bunch of other people. I can throw with a friend or two during the week, but full game play always awaits on the weekend.
This coming weekend is particularly exciting. On Sunday, Arusha Ultimate Frisbee is traveling about two hours to Moshi to have a friendly match with the players there. I'm excited about this event, because it's a big step for the development of my favorite sport in northern Tanzania. The Arusha players can learn a lot from Moshi, and this game can be the beginning of a series of town scrimmages to come. I'll be sure to post about this next week!
The last thing I'll say about sahani is that it's so cool to watch it grow in East Africa. When I traveled to Uganda, I met many members of this East African ultimate community who will continue to organize events and start new teams. On the bus to Uganda, I met a husband and wife who run a school in Morombo, an area in the south of Arusha. They asked why I was traveling, and my answer involved an explanation of this great sport called "sahani." The couple was captivated and asked me to come play with the children at their school on one of their sports days every weekend. My Tanzanian friend and I recently began going to the school on Saturdays and teaching the kids to play. This weekend will be just our second trip, but I'm excited that we can introduce a fun and spirited sport to Arusha youth.
Being abroad, I've been able to bring my favorite parts of Boston--especially ultimate--back into my life. Now I have a good amount on my sahani!
22 October 2016
These Are a Few of my Favorite Things
A while ago I wrote about visiting Uganda and eating a bunch of tasty vyakula (foods) there, and now I'm thinking it's odd that I haven't written much about vyakula vya Tanzania. In fact, there are a lot of "little things" about life here that never fail to bring a smile to my face, yet that I haven't shared. Sense by sense, here is list of my favorite things in Arusha.
SIGHT
- view of Mount Meru
- kanga, kitenge, and the other varieties of colorful fabric: I wore kanga to work today!
- chickens bobbing heads and digging in the dirt for their food
- the "lane of peace": The bus park in the morning can be hectic. Kondas (conductors) might shout destinations at you or grab your wrist to try to bring you to their bus. Finding what I call the "lane of peace," where one can walk in open space without konda bugging, is a morning highlight.
- jacaranda trees in bloom: Here some flowers from a huge jacaranda tree have fallen to the sidewalk. I love seeing the bright purple above my head, contrasting typical shades of green and brown.
- superb starling: I've probably mentioned this bird before. He's so beautiful and shiny.
HEARING
- African music: Tanzanian music is called "bongo flava" and it's really fun to dance to. In Tanzania, other African songs are popular, many of them coming from Nigeria. I mention this because I think most of my favorite songs here are Nigerian. To get an idea of the music I'm listening to, you can check out this playlist I'm making on Spotify
- birds chirping
- spoken Swahili: Soon I plan to post a video of myself speaking Swahili for anyone interested in my progress (i.e. my mom). Stay tuned! (Mom.)
TOUCH
- Maasai blanket: This article of fabric is a genuine phenomenon in Tanzania. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I truly believe my life has improved with the Maasai shuka in my life. It's a very portable, fairly thin, and surprisingly warm blanket coming in many patterns, almost all of them checkered. Maasai shuka have many applications, including a bedsheet, and shawl, a table cloth, a wall hanging, a skirt--the possibilities are endless and I can't rave enough. I currently own two shuka, but I'm sure that number will multiply before I leave Tanzania. Unfortunately, the best way I can describe my happiness in a shuka is with this silly selfie.
- front seat of the daladala: This feels amazing only relative to the crammed back seat. Without this comparison, the front seat feels like any reasonable car seating situation.
- cow's noses
- paka! They're so small and cute here. When people have them as pets, I tend to temporarily abduct them for snuggles.
SMELL
Hmmm...
It's possible that unpleasant smells greatly outnumber pleasant smells in Arusha--if you don't count anything that's edible. I haven't included anything edible here because stuff that you can eat that smells good also tastes good, which brings us to...
TASTE
As promised, vyakula vya Tanzania!
- sambusa: I don't eat a lot of meat, but this East African-style samosa (delightfully spiced meat stuffed inside a puffy yet crunchy wrapping) has me hooked. It's often served with a spicy sauce called pilipili, made from tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, hot peppers, and some other good stuff. On average I'd estimate I consume around 15 sambusa a week. Sanae and I learned how to make it from a wonderful woman at work. Here's the result of our lesson!
- chapati: This is like a tortilla, but thicker and much more oily. It has Indian origins but is now a staple of life in Arusha. I often eat chapati as breakfast or with lunch.
- chai ya maziwa: Translating directly to "tea of milk," chai ya maziwa is savory, gingery, cinnamonny and sweet all at once. I drink this with my chapati every morning in the restaurant next to work.
- kahawa: Coffee here is amazing. In fact, many plants in the area export to Starbucks and the like. There's also a pretty good instant coffee called Africafe. Below is coffee at Burka, a huge coffee plant near work. The raw beans might be exported or are there roasted to different degrees and sold.
- street corn + pili/lime powder: Many women grill and sell corn on the streets. Some of them, if requested, will rub the cob in a powdery/flakey pepper using a freshly cut lime half as a rubbing tool.
- fresh fruit juice: It's common to find juice from passion fruit, tamarind, mango, and even avocado.
- Stoney Tangawizi: This is a ginger soda ("tangawizi" means "ginger"), but it's much more flavorful and tangy than something like ginger ale. I've never seen this in the U.S., but if anyone knows where I can get it in Boston, please inform me immediately so I can avoid accidentally breaking any import laws by stuffing a bunch into my suitcase.
- nyama ya kusaga: Again, I don't like meat, but this spiced, minced beef is delicious.
With all these nice gems in Arusha, it will be hard coming back to Boston. So far, Tanzania is winning my heart.
SIGHT
- view of Mount Meru
- kanga, kitenge, and the other varieties of colorful fabric: I wore kanga to work today!
- chickens bobbing heads and digging in the dirt for their food
- the "lane of peace": The bus park in the morning can be hectic. Kondas (conductors) might shout destinations at you or grab your wrist to try to bring you to their bus. Finding what I call the "lane of peace," where one can walk in open space without konda bugging, is a morning highlight.
- jacaranda trees in bloom: Here some flowers from a huge jacaranda tree have fallen to the sidewalk. I love seeing the bright purple above my head, contrasting typical shades of green and brown.
- superb starling: I've probably mentioned this bird before. He's so beautiful and shiny.
HEARING
- African music: Tanzanian music is called "bongo flava" and it's really fun to dance to. In Tanzania, other African songs are popular, many of them coming from Nigeria. I mention this because I think most of my favorite songs here are Nigerian. To get an idea of the music I'm listening to, you can check out this playlist I'm making on Spotify
- birds chirping
- spoken Swahili: Soon I plan to post a video of myself speaking Swahili for anyone interested in my progress (i.e. my mom). Stay tuned! (Mom.)
TOUCH
- Maasai blanket: This article of fabric is a genuine phenomenon in Tanzania. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I truly believe my life has improved with the Maasai shuka in my life. It's a very portable, fairly thin, and surprisingly warm blanket coming in many patterns, almost all of them checkered. Maasai shuka have many applications, including a bedsheet, and shawl, a table cloth, a wall hanging, a skirt--the possibilities are endless and I can't rave enough. I currently own two shuka, but I'm sure that number will multiply before I leave Tanzania. Unfortunately, the best way I can describe my happiness in a shuka is with this silly selfie.
- front seat of the daladala: This feels amazing only relative to the crammed back seat. Without this comparison, the front seat feels like any reasonable car seating situation.
- cow's noses
- paka! They're so small and cute here. When people have them as pets, I tend to temporarily abduct them for snuggles.
SMELL
Hmmm...
It's possible that unpleasant smells greatly outnumber pleasant smells in Arusha--if you don't count anything that's edible. I haven't included anything edible here because stuff that you can eat that smells good also tastes good, which brings us to...
TASTE
As promised, vyakula vya Tanzania!
- sambusa: I don't eat a lot of meat, but this East African-style samosa (delightfully spiced meat stuffed inside a puffy yet crunchy wrapping) has me hooked. It's often served with a spicy sauce called pilipili, made from tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, hot peppers, and some other good stuff. On average I'd estimate I consume around 15 sambusa a week. Sanae and I learned how to make it from a wonderful woman at work. Here's the result of our lesson!
- chapati: This is like a tortilla, but thicker and much more oily. It has Indian origins but is now a staple of life in Arusha. I often eat chapati as breakfast or with lunch.
- chai ya maziwa: Translating directly to "tea of milk," chai ya maziwa is savory, gingery, cinnamonny and sweet all at once. I drink this with my chapati every morning in the restaurant next to work.
- kahawa: Coffee here is amazing. In fact, many plants in the area export to Starbucks and the like. There's also a pretty good instant coffee called Africafe. Below is coffee at Burka, a huge coffee plant near work. The raw beans might be exported or are there roasted to different degrees and sold.
- street corn + pili/lime powder: Many women grill and sell corn on the streets. Some of them, if requested, will rub the cob in a powdery/flakey pepper using a freshly cut lime half as a rubbing tool.
- fresh fruit juice: It's common to find juice from passion fruit, tamarind, mango, and even avocado.
- Stoney Tangawizi: This is a ginger soda ("tangawizi" means "ginger"), but it's much more flavorful and tangy than something like ginger ale. I've never seen this in the U.S., but if anyone knows where I can get it in Boston, please inform me immediately so I can avoid accidentally breaking any import laws by stuffing a bunch into my suitcase.
- nyama ya kusaga: Again, I don't like meat, but this spiced, minced beef is delicious.
With all these nice gems in Arusha, it will be hard coming back to Boston. So far, Tanzania is winning my heart.
13 October 2016
Kipepeo
Look at how big this butterfly is! It's the biggest one I've seen in my life. I don't have many words.
Today this guy was spotted at work. He was having trouble flying and attached himself to Sanae's pants for a little while.
A coworker educated me on the word "kipepeo," which is Swahili for "butterfly." I think it's cool that it literally translates to something like "that which flaps." ("Kupepea" is the verb meaning "to flap" or "to fan.")
This butterfly's visit illustrates one of my favorite things about Sikubora's location out of town near Kisongo--the fauna of the area. A few species of birds like to chirp around in the trees by the office. Even chickens poke their heads around looking for food. There are also multiple trains of livestock herded across the storefront daily, and these include mostly cows, goats, and sheep. It's fun to be able to look outside the office window every now and then to watch the animals going about their daily business as we go about our own.
07 October 2016
Mlima Kilimanjaro
Fewer than 80 kilometers from our home in Arusha resides the highest point in Africa, Kilimanjaro's Uhuru Peak. Before I tell you about climbing to it, here are some fast facts.
- Uhuru peak is 5,895 m (19,431 ft) tall.
- Uhuru is the Swahili word for "independence."
- Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest free-standing mountain, since it rises about 4,900 m from base to peak.
The Tanzanian government doesn't allow you to climb Kilimanjaro without a certified guide and crew, so you can't just walk up the mountain. It's actually quite an investment. Park fees are pretty high for foreigners, and some companies charge much more than necessary--tourism is quite the industry in Tanzania. Our group worked with a friend who organized our crew and took great care of us at a very fair price. We had three guides, a cook, and a set of eight porters. Our guides were Salim (our organizing friend), Rafa, and John. I referred to our cook as "mungu wa chakula" or "god of food" because he prepared scrumptious and nutritious meals over the week in order to keep us strong throughout our journey. The porters also did great work. I was so impressed by the ability to balance many kilograms of ungainly weight on one's head while jogging down a rocky, uneven trail.
There are a handful of routes to the summit, and we chose to trek the Lemosho route. The round trip was planned for six to eight days, depending on how we were doing with all the walking and the altitude. We ended up taking six days, five to hike to the summit and just one to get down. I liked the Lemosho route because it wasn't too crowded and we hiked through many different vegetation zones, getting a thorough sense of Kilimanjaro's landscapes. There was lush tropical forest, alpine desert, and moorland, among others. We stayed in tents each night at a series of camps along the route to the summit.
For many parts of this journey, I feel that pictures speak better than words.
There was a lot of cool wildlife even at higher altitudes of the mountain to my surprise. We saw many a small rodent that looked like a cross between a mouse and a chipmunk. We also saw doves, tiny cute brown birds, and spiders. This probably encompasses a lot of the wildlife at high altitudes. One I can't forget is the white-necked raven. They are giant (maybe rising to half my shin height) and somehow everywhere along the route (except near the summit). This bird was my favorite.
One major challenge in hiking to 5,895 meters is the sheer altitude of the feat. It's common for climbers to bring anti-altitude sickness medicine, since there's a big risk climbing Kilimanjaro. Without the medicine, I was fortunate to not have too many problems for most of the journey. I started having breathing difficulties on our day hiking to the summit, and I even passed out at one point. I was with my guide John at the time, and he was quite knowledgeable and knew what to do. He cracked my back, gave me tea, and continually checked in on me during the summit journey. I ended up taking the medicine around 5,000 m and once it set in, breathing was much easier and I was able to hike more comfortably.
On summit day, we woke up at 11pm and embarked at midnight. We hiked by headlamp light for seven hours, very slowly and up a seemingly endless series of steep switchbacks, on our final stretch to Uhuru. My friend commented that it "must be what purgatory is like." It's a pretty tough walk until you get to Stella Peak, but from there it's a relative breeze--a more steady and flatter journey to the summit. Upon finally arriving, we witnessed the congratulatory sign and stood among many other summitters. There was even one group paragliding off the mountain (and you can see one in a picture below). My favorite part of the top of Kilimanjaro is seeing Mt. Meru in the distance. Meru is important to me because I admire it every day rising above Arusha, and I appreciated this new perspective from Kilimanjaro above the clouds. Some summit views are below.
Due to the dangerously high altitude, you can't stay at the summit longer than around a half hour at most, which conveniently relieves the queue of many people looking to be photographed with the summit post. After taking pictures and spending our time on the "Roof of Africa," we began the journey back down to the base and eventually to our routine daily lives.
If you Google "Kilimanjaro name" and read the top few results, they'll tell you completely different theories of why the mountain is called Kilimanjaro. I was told by my friends and guides that "Kilimanjaro" is derived from the Chaga tribe language and means something along the lines of "a mountain difficult to climb." It's true that the journey can be difficult, but I'm so thankful to have had this rewarding experience.
- Uhuru peak is 5,895 m (19,431 ft) tall.
- Uhuru is the Swahili word for "independence."
- Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest free-standing mountain, since it rises about 4,900 m from base to peak.
The Tanzanian government doesn't allow you to climb Kilimanjaro without a certified guide and crew, so you can't just walk up the mountain. It's actually quite an investment. Park fees are pretty high for foreigners, and some companies charge much more than necessary--tourism is quite the industry in Tanzania. Our group worked with a friend who organized our crew and took great care of us at a very fair price. We had three guides, a cook, and a set of eight porters. Our guides were Salim (our organizing friend), Rafa, and John. I referred to our cook as "mungu wa chakula" or "god of food" because he prepared scrumptious and nutritious meals over the week in order to keep us strong throughout our journey. The porters also did great work. I was so impressed by the ability to balance many kilograms of ungainly weight on one's head while jogging down a rocky, uneven trail.
There are a handful of routes to the summit, and we chose to trek the Lemosho route. The round trip was planned for six to eight days, depending on how we were doing with all the walking and the altitude. We ended up taking six days, five to hike to the summit and just one to get down. I liked the Lemosho route because it wasn't too crowded and we hiked through many different vegetation zones, getting a thorough sense of Kilimanjaro's landscapes. There was lush tropical forest, alpine desert, and moorland, among others. We stayed in tents each night at a series of camps along the route to the summit.
For many parts of this journey, I feel that pictures speak better than words.
There was a lot of cool wildlife even at higher altitudes of the mountain to my surprise. We saw many a small rodent that looked like a cross between a mouse and a chipmunk. We also saw doves, tiny cute brown birds, and spiders. This probably encompasses a lot of the wildlife at high altitudes. One I can't forget is the white-necked raven. They are giant (maybe rising to half my shin height) and somehow everywhere along the route (except near the summit). This bird was my favorite.
One major challenge in hiking to 5,895 meters is the sheer altitude of the feat. It's common for climbers to bring anti-altitude sickness medicine, since there's a big risk climbing Kilimanjaro. Without the medicine, I was fortunate to not have too many problems for most of the journey. I started having breathing difficulties on our day hiking to the summit, and I even passed out at one point. I was with my guide John at the time, and he was quite knowledgeable and knew what to do. He cracked my back, gave me tea, and continually checked in on me during the summit journey. I ended up taking the medicine around 5,000 m and once it set in, breathing was much easier and I was able to hike more comfortably.
On summit day, we woke up at 11pm and embarked at midnight. We hiked by headlamp light for seven hours, very slowly and up a seemingly endless series of steep switchbacks, on our final stretch to Uhuru. My friend commented that it "must be what purgatory is like." It's a pretty tough walk until you get to Stella Peak, but from there it's a relative breeze--a more steady and flatter journey to the summit. Upon finally arriving, we witnessed the congratulatory sign and stood among many other summitters. There was even one group paragliding off the mountain (and you can see one in a picture below). My favorite part of the top of Kilimanjaro is seeing Mt. Meru in the distance. Meru is important to me because I admire it every day rising above Arusha, and I appreciated this new perspective from Kilimanjaro above the clouds. Some summit views are below.
Due to the dangerously high altitude, you can't stay at the summit longer than around a half hour at most, which conveniently relieves the queue of many people looking to be photographed with the summit post. After taking pictures and spending our time on the "Roof of Africa," we began the journey back down to the base and eventually to our routine daily lives.
If you Google "Kilimanjaro name" and read the top few results, they'll tell you completely different theories of why the mountain is called Kilimanjaro. I was told by my friends and guides that "Kilimanjaro" is derived from the Chaga tribe language and means something along the lines of "a mountain difficult to climb." It's true that the journey can be difficult, but I'm so thankful to have had this rewarding experience.
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