Day 1

At 5 in the morning I woke to the sounds of prayer at a nearby mosque. Then again at 5:30

After that I was able to sleep in to about 8, but it is evident the day starts early here. Boiled eggs and fresh banana for breakfast, then orientation. After going over ground rules and other important information, I was given a tour of the city. I am in more of a rural area but a short walk away the transformation into a bustling city begins. There are people in vibrant clothing, women in burqas and balancing plates of fruit on their head. In the daylight the poverty is more apparent, but everyone here seems happy enough. Baobabs, various palms and jacaranda trees with purple flowers line the streets, as well as garbage. Fearless crossing of roads and fending off street vendors is nessecary to navigate the city. We first went to an ATM which did not work, but we soon found one that would. I ended up having to withdraw 600, 000 tsh, and their highest denomination of bill is 10 000. It barely fit in my wallet. The tour continued with attempting to get a sim card (which did not work) and showing me various stores restaurants and places to hang out. I then had lunch at fifis café, which is currently my only source of internet, and dessert at Afracafe, which had delicious cakes. As the election is still being counted (final results not due in till Wednesday evening, 3 days after election day) I wasn't able to go to the orphanage today, but it was nice to spend some time around the town with the other volunteers. When we got back to the house I had a second lunch of potatoes and fresh pineapples, which were delecious. After buying some nessecities from a vendor across the street who spoke very little English, I did not do much for the rest of the evening, as the combination of jet lag and heat was wearing me out. For dinner we had a stew of vegetables and a kind of sweet thin pancake, both local Tanzanian dishes. After that, we played a few games, involving the volunteer invented "kill-ball" (I don't even understand how it works so I won't try to explain it). As I went to bed, I realised I was starting to become more accustomed to the raucous noises of the streets outside.

Written on the 26-27
About the 26

The view from my apartment

My and Andreas' room

10000 Tanzanian shillings, about $6 Canadian