TIA - This Is Africa

TIA or “This Is Africa” is a term used endearingly when things don’t quite go as planned or something unexpected happens that one is not used to.

MAY 31, Saturday

On the way to Moshi this morning the daladala ran out of gas. One row of people was asked to step off so the conductor could lift the seat behind the driver in order to expose the gas tank. Nestled under the seat was a container of gas which was poured thru a small water bottle that substituted as a makeshift funnel fitting snuggly into the gas tank opening. In a short amount of time we were on our way. The plan was to meet Jen and Debra at 11am and proceed to the market to buy the ingredients for pizza.

As I was waiting at my appointed time and spot, Dennis came by - such a pleasant surprise. He called to make sure the women were on their way and was told Freddy would be bringing them. Dennis and Freddy are Debra’s brothers. We chatted for an hour before they finally showed up. At one point Dennis asked me if I knew what a tractor was. I assured him that I did and he said maybe that was what Freddy was driving! There is “Tanzania Time” and “Muzungu Time”. Muzungu have no choice but to learn patience, and adjust to the fact that it is a rare treat if someone shows up on time.

It was great to see Freddy and he confirmed that he and Grace (girlfriend) would come for pizza tonight. With both Rahim and Nasri in tow, Debra, Jen and I walked to the market. The consensus was a menu of veggie pizza and mixed fruit juice. A visit to any of the larger markets in Moshi is an event. People crowd thru narrow aisles, walking on dirt paths that are reminiscent of the roads – uneven and rutted. Fruits and vegetables are organized on the small wood platforms that serve as display tables for each vendor. Oranges are typically stacked in a well-balance pyramid. There are many varieties of vegetables, especially greens, not found in the US. The ripened fruits are mouth-watering delicious. It is not a place to visit if you are hungry. The first purchase of food items are placed in a black plastic bag. Subsequent purchases are added to the same bag until it is full and so heavy that the plastic handle practically cuts through your hand.

After shopping, we took the food to AfriShare where we will all gather for our meal. Jenn and I then walked to Abba’s bakery for dessert treats. This bakery is so good it is even mentioned in Trip Advisor as A Place to Go in Moshi! We bought a variety of goodies including chocolate cupcakes and cinnamon cookies. Jenn returned home and I wandered over to Sempai Fitness Center. Both John and Boniface were working, if you can call it that. Saturday is rarely busy so they play pool much of the day. They inquired about 3 former volunteers from AfriShare who had also joined the fitness center. I was impressed that John and Boniface remembered their first and last names. Both men are from Kenya. While chatting with Boniface I asked if he had been home and he shared that he returned to Kenya last year for his brother’s funeral. I told him I was sorry and asked what happened. He disclosed that his brother was shot and killed last year. In September of 2013, al-Shabaab militants stormed one of Nairobi's shopping malls, tossing grenades and shooting and firing at shoppers. The stand-off lasted 80 hours and resulted in over 60 deaths. Boniface's brothers was one of these victims. I followed this story on national news as i am still in contact with the Kenyans i befriended during my 2012 trip.

Boniface spoke briefly about his pain. Death can be so senseless.

I continued my visiting, dropping by Mussa’s shop. Our first visit had been rather short so we sat together today and he talked about his wedding, his wife and family. He beamed when he told me his wife is pregnant. I am so excited for him. He speaks so tenderly and lovingly about his wife. She is still with her ill mother in Dar Es Salaam and should return next week.

It was initially decided to cook the pizza at AfriShare because the kitchen has an oven which is not common. Mostly, cooking is done on a grill or a cookstove similar to those we use for camping. Our first sign that it might be a long night was the discovery that the oven did not work. Being resourceful folks, we developed plan B - cooking the dough like chapatti which could be accomplished on the stove top. Before we could implement Plan B a repairman showed up to look at the oven and proceeded to take things apart.

Jenn and I exchanged glances of panic as we were both thinking that “repairing” the oven might result in nothing working plus pieces and parts of the oven could be lying around for days until it was fixed. Fortunately we were able to effectively communicate our need for the stove top and the oven was returned to its previous state.

Using the stove top became a bit more of a challenge than we thought. Through several hours of trial and error we finally had pizza. People came in and out all evening so we never got around to playing spoons. The desserts were gobbled up while we enjoyed many laughs and shared stories.

JUNE 1, Sunday

I spent the night and had a great sleep with no roosters waking me up. Jenn and I met up with some volunteers she works with and we spent the day at Lake Chala about an hour and a half drive north near the Kenya border. Beautiful scenery as well as good conversation with volunteers from Australia, Canada and the US made the drive go by quickly. Stunningly beautiful, Lake Chala is a crater lake located on the eastern edge of Mt Kilimanjaro. It is surrounded by a 328 foot high crater rim of pristine forest. FYI - A British explorer introduced Crocodiles into the lake in the early 1900’s but they have since been eradicated by local fishermen who were tired of them destroying their nets.

We hiked to the swimming area. The trails were rugged but not too difficult. The panoramic view of the crater and lake were magnificent. The water was a clear blue-green and the perfect temperature for swimming. We had the place to ourselves and it was pure bliss. After lunch in the eating area, which afforded us magnificent views, we hiked along and in the river bed of volcanic rock. It was a wonderful day immersed in the beauty of nature.

As we were leaving we met up with 3 Americans from Hawaii. Their driver had to swerve off the narrow road because of a speeding oncoming car. The van was solidly stuck in the dirt. A survey of other drivers found that no one had ropes. Wedging logs under the tires and using a lot of muscle, the vehicle was repeatedly rocked, pushed and lifted. As the final push returned the van to the road there were cheers and high fives from everyone. Jenn and I shared another “This is Africa” moment.