Arusha!!

Since I am on holiday from school, my Dad's visit was a great way for me to explore Tanzania as a tourist.  And I must say that luxurious tourist travel with your parents can be a nice change from what we have become accustomed to as broke Peace Corps volunteers.  Sometimes I think that the reverse culture shock we experience when returning to America is a myth.  Will I really struggle re-learning how to take hot showers and miss my bucket baths? Probably not.    But anyways I am getting off topic....

My Dad and I spent a majority of his trip travelling with Danielle and her sister who was visiting from America. Our first stop was Arusha (and yes we flew). Now PCVs are not supposed to go to Arusha because a lot of tourists go there and crime is a problem, so seeing the city was a nice treat.  And of course I got permission from our Safety and Security Coordinator (I am not stupid enough to blog about illegal travel).  We spent a day in Arusha before leaving for Ngorongoro Crater our safari through the Serengeti, and it was a lot of fun.  We stayed at the UAACC (United African Alliance Community Center) with a former Black Panther couple in exile.  Mzee Pete and Momma C are wonderful people and I enjoyed hearing their stories.  Plus my Dad was able to make a new friend! I think he enjoyed having a break from girls in their 20s...

An awesome flight from my site...

The day after Christmas my father and I flew from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam.  Normally I have to take a 13 hour bus ride to Dar so the 2 hour flight was a huge treat that I later regretted.  Sorry let me rephrase, its a 13 hour bus ride if absolutely nothing goes wrong.  The bus doesn't break down, and there is no accident stopping traffic on the 2 lane highway (one lane in each direction all the way from Dar).  Here is a warning for PCVs:  NEVER FLY FROM YOUR SITE!  If you are lucky enough to take a plane, you will quickly realize just how miserable the bus ride truly is.  We left at 11:30 am and were in Dar by 2 pm.  It was AMAZING!  You did not have to worry about dehydrating yourself to avoid those bathroom breaks on the side of the road or deal with screaming children.  But the best part of the flight was that I GOT TO BE THE CO-PILOT.  The pilot was South African and super nice.  As we flew from Mbeya he was explaining how the plane worked and explained that pilots were tuned into the same frequency so they could communicate their locations with each other.  Air traffic control is not one of the things that Tanzania has perfected yet.  Overall it was a really great experience.  I was happy that I had someone to show me how planes worked.  It's too bad I don't have a brother who is a pilot and can take me flying/ teach me the basics....oh wait, I do.

After we got to Dar, we checked into the hotel then met up with my friend Danielle for dinner.  Danielle and I went to high school together and have kept in touch ever since.  She has lived in Tanzania for the past 3 years and is completely fluent in the language.  She lives in Dar and I have a habit of staying with her when I visit (the Peace Corps office is in Dar).

The plane we took from Mbeya to Dar

The pilot who let me ride next to him

Me and my friend Danielle

Merry Christmas!!

    Christmas this year was definitely different from what I am used to.  It was my first Christmas away from my Mom and brother so that was sad, but I was happy that my Dad was here.  My Mom sent decorations for me to put in my house and I invested in a small Christmas tree to help me get in the holiday spirit.   Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays because it is a time to spend with family/ friends and eat delicious food. Unfortunately this year was missing snow and although we ate a good meal in town, it could not compare to my Aunt Joan's house and the AMAZING home-cooked food I over indulge in.  This year was also missing chocolate cake (for those of you who do not know I have an obsession with chocolate) from two of my favorite bakers.  But apart from missing food, family, and snow it was a great holiday.

This is the Catholic Church we went to in town

My Dad and Peter

My Dad and I spent Christmas in Mbeya.  We started off by going to church and having a late lunch with my Tanzanian friend Peter.  Then we came back to my village and relaxed.  We had a great conversation as Christmas music played in the background.

Enjoying oranges on the street before the service started

Dad visits my village!

I am a very lucky girl.  Both of my parents have come to visit me in Tanzania and I have only been gone for 8 months.  My Mom came in September and my father came to spend Christmas and New Years with me.  His trip began at my site in Mbeya.  He was able to see what life as a PCV in a rural village was like and I think 3 days was enough time for him.  To say that he did not like fetching water and taking bucket baths would be an understatement.  But he was a good sport about everything.  

 

  My Dad finished fetching water from a nearby stream

While we were in Mbeya it POURED.  The rain was non-stop and it felt like we were in a hurricane.  I was able to fill my buckets with fresh clean water but unfortunately the rain kept us indoors for most of his trip.  I am still trying to get used to the rainy season and walking through mud, but the beauty of nature after the storms have cleared makes it all worth it.  

This is the view from the back of my house