And I hate saying goodbye.
My time in Tanzania is coming to an end soon. Last week was officially my last week of training. It's amazing how quickly it's coming--I feel like I've only just started to know this place. Last weekend, Gabby and I discovered a truly beautiful lake, Lake Duluti. It's just outside Arusha, and would be a great place to escape to, if needed. There is so much more to explore, to discover.
At this point, I'm mostly just crossing things off my list of things to do whilst here, but it's not short enough of a list (which means, I will just have to come back). Today I went to the Craft Market and did some necessary gift/souvenir shopping, and it was actually a pleasant experience, considering how hassled I could have been. I'm sure I'll be back again before the end of my stay.
What else is left to do... We'll see about getting a tattoo, a labyrinth with a little African flair on my pec/front shoulder; the waterfalls in Merangu; eating at all the Mzungu places in Arusha; I'm actually not sure what else. But I have a list, somewhere.
The last three weeks have mostly just been "fun" weeks. First off, my family came! I'm sure you all know about that! They spoiled me at a lodge with, not only showers, but HOT showers. And a swimming pool. I took them to some of my favorite places to eat Mzungu food, and then we went on safari! We went to Ngorongoro, which is glorious, even having been twice, and to Lake Manyara, which is beautiful. It's forest, as opposed to most of the other places to safari which are more plains. I love the forest. Still, no leopard though... That's my last creature that I need to see.
But! I will hopefully see them next week! How, you may ask? Well, our friend Albert has offered to take us to the Serengeti! And, we're getting an amazing price! So, I'm really excited. Gabby is probably coming too, and she and I have the best adventures, so just having her along is going to be good luck, I'm sure!
Oh man, I don't even know what else to write. I've been not-so-good at blogging. You all know I'm a terrible story teller, and I apologize.
Here's my plan for when I get home: I will walk straight to the laundry room, put my clothes in the washing machine, start it, and stare. Then, I will move my clothes to the drier. Whilst waiting for my clothes to dry, I will take a shower. Perhaps two. After taking said shower(s), I will put on some clothes straight out of the drier.
Where will you find me after that? In front of the TV, watching whatever is on the DVR, fast-forwarding through commercials, of course. This will likely last until either: every show has been watched, or people drag me away from the television because it's Friday Night and everybody's been waiting for me in the backyard for hours.
See you in ten days,
-Brendan
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Little Time to Catch Up
Dudes. It's been quite some time.
So, the last few weeks. What kind of catching up is needed? Let's just start typing and see where it winds up.
Selela is a gloriously beautiful village. Its inhabitants are equally glorious. The campsite where we stayed is surrounded by wildlife (including toucans!), and we were fed truly wonderful food.
The first week we did chicken vaccinations, and then had a lot of down time in the afternoons. For a while we tried to make a hafir, but we hit a layer of bedrock, about a foot deep, that we just couldn't get through. As in, we broke four pickaxes. So, we decided not to do a hafir at that location, and start a new one the next week. Anyway, in the down time, we went on hikes in the mountains of Ngorongoro. We got amazingly close to the rim, and probably could have gotten in to the crater, but then we certainly wouldn't have been back by dark.
Anyway, the place was beautiful.
The other side of the camp, opposite the hills of Ngorongoro was jungle-ish. Adam and I had our Massai knives, and did some glorious bushwhacking. Few things in life are more satisfying than hacking your own trail through the reeds, vines and "bush."
Week two:
It's amazing what one can learn from a classroom full of primary school students! Like, did you know that white people don't breastfeed?
The second week, we had a community group class and then two classes at a primary school. I also spent some time working on the second hafir. So, I was pretty much at the community group every-other day, and hafir the rest. And then I was at the primary school every afternoon. This was probably one of the most gratifying weeks of teaching, because the classes were both so in to it and very appreciative.
There was some minor frustration the first day, but it happens at almost any group in a rural community. The thing is, that many organizations pay people to come to their classes. Their argument is that because people are not working while they are in class, they are losing money. But, the problem with that is people then just show up for money, and often don't even pay attention or learn anything. The organizations often give out way too much money (as in, in one day, more than the students would earn in a month). But, it makes the organizations look better, since more people come to trainings. So it's good for statistics, and to bring in more money, since they train more people. Anyway, the first day many people in the class came expecting to be paid. When we told them we weren't going to pay them, quite a few left. But, this weeded out the people that don't truly care, so we had a classroom full of people who were incredibly grateful for what we were doing.
The primary school had a few "trouble-makers," but not the bad kind. Just a few students who loved asking questions to throw us off or to provoke certain responses they thought would be funny to hear. Like, you know, "what do white people use to masturbate?" or, "why are white men so hairy?" (that one, I believe, was directed at me). "Do white people have wet dreams?" was another one. There were, too, some very good questions, which means they were paying attention and really did want to learn. And, we had a pretty long talk about female circumcision. That is a tough one to talk about, without getting your feelings involved, but they had many questions.
At the end of the week, after we finished teaching the community group, one of the members had written us a speech. It was in Swahili, but Dismass translated for us. Then, he gave me the speech written out, and now I carry it in my wallet. Also, he gave me a Maasai bracelet which is really cool. This was the most grateful a class has ever been, and the most grateful I have ever been for a class. They said they were sorry they didn't have better gifts for us, and I told them we didn't need any, that their gift to us would be for them to share the knowledge we gave them with the rest of their community. I loved that group. They were glorious.
P.s. Glorious is my new favorite word. I may use it inappropriately, but I just don't care.
So, the last few weeks. What kind of catching up is needed? Let's just start typing and see where it winds up.
Selela is a gloriously beautiful village. Its inhabitants are equally glorious. The campsite where we stayed is surrounded by wildlife (including toucans!), and we were fed truly wonderful food.
The first week we did chicken vaccinations, and then had a lot of down time in the afternoons. For a while we tried to make a hafir, but we hit a layer of bedrock, about a foot deep, that we just couldn't get through. As in, we broke four pickaxes. So, we decided not to do a hafir at that location, and start a new one the next week. Anyway, in the down time, we went on hikes in the mountains of Ngorongoro. We got amazingly close to the rim, and probably could have gotten in to the crater, but then we certainly wouldn't have been back by dark.
Anyway, the place was beautiful.
The other side of the camp, opposite the hills of Ngorongoro was jungle-ish. Adam and I had our Massai knives, and did some glorious bushwhacking. Few things in life are more satisfying than hacking your own trail through the reeds, vines and "bush."
Week two:
It's amazing what one can learn from a classroom full of primary school students! Like, did you know that white people don't breastfeed?
The second week, we had a community group class and then two classes at a primary school. I also spent some time working on the second hafir. So, I was pretty much at the community group every-other day, and hafir the rest. And then I was at the primary school every afternoon. This was probably one of the most gratifying weeks of teaching, because the classes were both so in to it and very appreciative.
There was some minor frustration the first day, but it happens at almost any group in a rural community. The thing is, that many organizations pay people to come to their classes. Their argument is that because people are not working while they are in class, they are losing money. But, the problem with that is people then just show up for money, and often don't even pay attention or learn anything. The organizations often give out way too much money (as in, in one day, more than the students would earn in a month). But, it makes the organizations look better, since more people come to trainings. So it's good for statistics, and to bring in more money, since they train more people. Anyway, the first day many people in the class came expecting to be paid. When we told them we weren't going to pay them, quite a few left. But, this weeded out the people that don't truly care, so we had a classroom full of people who were incredibly grateful for what we were doing.
The primary school had a few "trouble-makers," but not the bad kind. Just a few students who loved asking questions to throw us off or to provoke certain responses they thought would be funny to hear. Like, you know, "what do white people use to masturbate?" or, "why are white men so hairy?" (that one, I believe, was directed at me). "Do white people have wet dreams?" was another one. There were, too, some very good questions, which means they were paying attention and really did want to learn. And, we had a pretty long talk about female circumcision. That is a tough one to talk about, without getting your feelings involved, but they had many questions.
At the end of the week, after we finished teaching the community group, one of the members had written us a speech. It was in Swahili, but Dismass translated for us. Then, he gave me the speech written out, and now I carry it in my wallet. Also, he gave me a Maasai bracelet which is really cool. This was the most grateful a class has ever been, and the most grateful I have ever been for a class. They said they were sorry they didn't have better gifts for us, and I told them we didn't need any, that their gift to us would be for them to share the knowledge we gave them with the rest of their community. I loved that group. They were glorious.
P.s. Glorious is my new favorite word. I may use it inappropriately, but I just don't care.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I wanted to blog
But I didn't really have time. So I'm just going to give a quick little blurb.
I had a glorious weekend. Lots of beautiful walking, and hanging out with awesome people. And a whole lot of Skype on Sunday (six hours! That's definitely a record).
So, for the next two weeks: Selela! We'll be vaccinating chickens for the first week, and then week two, teaching classes. Tell you more about how it goes when I get back!
On the weekend, I'll be going on safari to Ngorongoro! Yes, that's what they based the area of Lion King off of. And yes, I will see lions. And zebras. And giraffes. And hippos. And cool birds. And a bunch of other animals!
So, that's all I've got time to say. Have a great two weeks!
Amani,
Brendan
I had a glorious weekend. Lots of beautiful walking, and hanging out with awesome people. And a whole lot of Skype on Sunday (six hours! That's definitely a record).
So, for the next two weeks: Selela! We'll be vaccinating chickens for the first week, and then week two, teaching classes. Tell you more about how it goes when I get back!
On the weekend, I'll be going on safari to Ngorongoro! Yes, that's what they based the area of Lion King off of. And yes, I will see lions. And zebras. And giraffes. And hippos. And cool birds. And a bunch of other animals!
So, that's all I've got time to say. Have a great two weeks!
Amani,
Brendan
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Engaruka is hot.
The last three weeks have been intense (not unlike camping. In fact, we were camping! [Okay, maybe the "intense" thing doesn't work in writing, but I just don't care]).
When we arrived, Kinsey, the Country Director (also the former Tanzania Director of Heifer International. Perhaps you've heard of it?) told us that Engaruka is the furthest out volunteers had ever been. And I believe it. There was no way I could have experienced a place like that if I hadn't been doing this. Sure, some tourists come through there, but they don't really experience the people and the way they live. Going from house-to-house, vaccinating chickens, you get to see how people in this seemingly inhospitable land live. It is amazing, just how durable the Massai are. Engaruka is desert, in the middle of the Great Rift Valley. You can see the mountains around Ngongoro crater, and there is a stream flowing into Engaruka that runs from somewhere up there; the people with land near the water have all the money, and all of the food. If you go maybe a mile away, it's just desert, where the Maasai have their bomas and their cattle graze on what vegetation they can find.
The first week was chicken vaccinations. Week two I did one HIV/AIDS training in the morning, and one class of primary school students in the afternoon. Week three I did a Sustainable Agriculture training in the morning and taught the same students in the afternoon. Teaching the children was definitely a lot of fun. We got to play a lot more games (including teaching them Matamoscas--anybody remember that from Granada Spanish classes!?), and it was two weeks of classes instead of the usual one. We added more puberty and anatomy to the classes, and just had a rockin' time!
We also dug a "halfyear" (sp?) which is essentially a giant hole in the ground that is lined with plastic and fills with rainwater for the further-from-water people. That was wonderful (though hot, dusty and tough). It rarely rains there, but, as they say, "when it rains it pours." A day or two of good rain can, apparently, last about three months.
The second weekend, we didn't make the four-hour trek back to Arusha; we went to lake Manyara and saw thousands upon thousands of flamingos! There were some... organizational issues, but it was okay. The first day there, we hiked up to a wonderful waterfall. And by wonderful, I mean it was well over 100 degrees outside and the water was cold. It was truly the most excited any of us had been to jump in water. Day two, I was sick from the heat and my body had sort of stopped digesting... so I threw up lunch from a few days prior. That wasn't all that fun. But as soon as I got it out of my system I felt much better. Everyone else went on a hike while I tried to nap in the shade, but it was just too hot so I ended up reading instead. Not all bad.
Let's see... what else have I been up to? I've pretty much lost track of time and days and dates here. I just realized, my family + Christine + Grace are coming in a month. Which is super exciting! Then, three weeks after that, I'm shipping home. It seems like it's coming way too fast, and I don't know how I feel about it. I want to stay here. I want to go home because I miss my friends. I need to finish my education. But I can study abroad here, right? I don't know. Maybe in Dar Es Salaam or Nairobi. I'm going to look into it when I get home. Then again, when I get home, maybe I'll want to stay. We shall see.
When we arrived, Kinsey, the Country Director (also the former Tanzania Director of Heifer International. Perhaps you've heard of it?) told us that Engaruka is the furthest out volunteers had ever been. And I believe it. There was no way I could have experienced a place like that if I hadn't been doing this. Sure, some tourists come through there, but they don't really experience the people and the way they live. Going from house-to-house, vaccinating chickens, you get to see how people in this seemingly inhospitable land live. It is amazing, just how durable the Massai are. Engaruka is desert, in the middle of the Great Rift Valley. You can see the mountains around Ngongoro crater, and there is a stream flowing into Engaruka that runs from somewhere up there; the people with land near the water have all the money, and all of the food. If you go maybe a mile away, it's just desert, where the Maasai have their bomas and their cattle graze on what vegetation they can find.
The first week was chicken vaccinations. Week two I did one HIV/AIDS training in the morning, and one class of primary school students in the afternoon. Week three I did a Sustainable Agriculture training in the morning and taught the same students in the afternoon. Teaching the children was definitely a lot of fun. We got to play a lot more games (including teaching them Matamoscas--anybody remember that from Granada Spanish classes!?), and it was two weeks of classes instead of the usual one. We added more puberty and anatomy to the classes, and just had a rockin' time!
We also dug a "halfyear" (sp?) which is essentially a giant hole in the ground that is lined with plastic and fills with rainwater for the further-from-water people. That was wonderful (though hot, dusty and tough). It rarely rains there, but, as they say, "when it rains it pours." A day or two of good rain can, apparently, last about three months.
The second weekend, we didn't make the four-hour trek back to Arusha; we went to lake Manyara and saw thousands upon thousands of flamingos! There were some... organizational issues, but it was okay. The first day there, we hiked up to a wonderful waterfall. And by wonderful, I mean it was well over 100 degrees outside and the water was cold. It was truly the most excited any of us had been to jump in water. Day two, I was sick from the heat and my body had sort of stopped digesting... so I threw up lunch from a few days prior. That wasn't all that fun. But as soon as I got it out of my system I felt much better. Everyone else went on a hike while I tried to nap in the shade, but it was just too hot so I ended up reading instead. Not all bad.
Let's see... what else have I been up to? I've pretty much lost track of time and days and dates here. I just realized, my family + Christine + Grace are coming in a month. Which is super exciting! Then, three weeks after that, I'm shipping home. It seems like it's coming way too fast, and I don't know how I feel about it. I want to stay here. I want to go home because I miss my friends. I need to finish my education. But I can study abroad here, right? I don't know. Maybe in Dar Es Salaam or Nairobi. I'm going to look into it when I get home. Then again, when I get home, maybe I'll want to stay. We shall see.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Last Few Weeks
I loved every one of the people that I met in Zanzibar, and every part of the experience. It actually was a lot of hard work, but in paradise with these wonderful people it really didn't feel like I was working much at all.
Kizimkazi Cultural Music Festival is an annual music festival meant to encourage protecting the environment. It has local, cultural artists, as well as, this year, international.
The people I've worked with before and after say I seem to love life more since Kizimkazi. I'm happy all the time and I almost never stop singing (which, they say they haven't gotten sick of [yet]). My friends say I should be a theater major (and I am considering a minor, actually). So much happened in Zanzibar, and I think I did change. I've been trying to write about Kizimkazi for weeks now, but I have no idea what to say. I think I will leave it out of the blogosphere for now--let us skip ahead.
After the New Year, a group of (mostly nursing) students came from Salisbury University. That was interesting. We were used to working with two or three other volunteers, and suddenly, there were fifteen! They were a lot of fun though; just bummed they were only here for two weeks.
We spent the last two weeks camping out in villages. The first week was in Mtu-WaMbu (Mosquito River in Kiswahili). It lived up to its name. There's a picture of my foot on my Picasa... 20-something bites--one ankle. This was my first time teaching the Sustainable Agriculture part of the program. My orientation was a little rushed, so the other people did most of the teaching and I studied a little. But I got to dig! Which is actually what I have been most excited for. It really does feel good to just get down and dig a 3-foot deep hole, 1.5x6 meters.
We met a kid named John who is 14; he makes bracelets and such to pay for school. He gave one of the girls some really nice gifts for her birthday, so we love him. They put together a package and are planning on sending him stuff, I think. And we bought a lot from him to help him out.
Last week, we were camping in Ngurdoto. No cell phone reception. Oh snap! We vaccinated chickens! It was actually a lot of fun, chasing them to put drops in their eyes. We started at 6:00 am, so the chickens wouldn't be far from the homes. Good times... So sleeping in this weekend is amazing.
Starting at 6 meant we finished early, and we didn't have much to do in the afternoons. So, we played with the children from the villages for hours. I learned that I'm not a very good soccer goalie, and we played a lot of frisbee with them too. It was great times. Now I'm back in Arusha for one week, and then back to camping (I think). I'll be camping without cell reception for about three weeks and I may or may not be back on weekends.
But I will keep in touch! Miss you all!
Kizimkazi Cultural Music Festival is an annual music festival meant to encourage protecting the environment. It has local, cultural artists, as well as, this year, international.
The people I've worked with before and after say I seem to love life more since Kizimkazi. I'm happy all the time and I almost never stop singing (which, they say they haven't gotten sick of [yet]). My friends say I should be a theater major (and I am considering a minor, actually). So much happened in Zanzibar, and I think I did change. I've been trying to write about Kizimkazi for weeks now, but I have no idea what to say. I think I will leave it out of the blogosphere for now--let us skip ahead.
After the New Year, a group of (mostly nursing) students came from Salisbury University. That was interesting. We were used to working with two or three other volunteers, and suddenly, there were fifteen! They were a lot of fun though; just bummed they were only here for two weeks.
We spent the last two weeks camping out in villages. The first week was in Mtu-WaMbu (Mosquito River in Kiswahili). It lived up to its name. There's a picture of my foot on my Picasa... 20-something bites--one ankle. This was my first time teaching the Sustainable Agriculture part of the program. My orientation was a little rushed, so the other people did most of the teaching and I studied a little. But I got to dig! Which is actually what I have been most excited for. It really does feel good to just get down and dig a 3-foot deep hole, 1.5x6 meters.
We met a kid named John who is 14; he makes bracelets and such to pay for school. He gave one of the girls some really nice gifts for her birthday, so we love him. They put together a package and are planning on sending him stuff, I think. And we bought a lot from him to help him out.
Last week, we were camping in Ngurdoto. No cell phone reception. Oh snap! We vaccinated chickens! It was actually a lot of fun, chasing them to put drops in their eyes. We started at 6:00 am, so the chickens wouldn't be far from the homes. Good times... So sleeping in this weekend is amazing.
Starting at 6 meant we finished early, and we didn't have much to do in the afternoons. So, we played with the children from the villages for hours. I learned that I'm not a very good soccer goalie, and we played a lot of frisbee with them too. It was great times. Now I'm back in Arusha for one week, and then back to camping (I think). I'll be camping without cell reception for about three weeks and I may or may not be back on weekends.
But I will keep in touch! Miss you all!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Goat.
I feel as though this part of the experience deserves a blog of its own.
Merry Christmas! In Sweeden and Germany, they celebrate Christmas on December 24th. So, we did the same, as Clockwise was from Sweeden, and Rico (another volunteer) and the owners of the property (our hosts) were from Germany.
Anyway, that's not the point of this story.
To celebrate Christmas, we decided to buy a goat. And, in doing so, I began my participation in a very... interesting cultural experience.
We named the goat Queen Victoria, took pictures with her, and, you know, got attached a little bit. But then came time for the Masai to.. prepare her.
Stop reading now if you are a vegetarian, are thinking of becoming a vegetarian, or love animals to an extreme. PETA members strictly prohibited. Also, don't read if you are faint of "heart"--If you know what I mean.
I know it was gross, and may sound disturbing, but you really had to be there. In the moment, it was completely different.
Erik (one of the members of Clockwise) and two of the Masai held down the goat, and Tom cut its throat. The Masai were holding a cup in front to catch the blood, and passed it around. Then, once it slowed down, they started drinking blood straight from the throat.
After watching this, I felt like giving it a try. So.. I nealt down and drank some. Possibly one of the most out-there things I have ever done, in retrospect. I knew before that I wanted to try the blood, but from the throat? Never crossed my mind (though I didn't even know they did it).
I am proud to say that I was the only Mzungu to drink the blood. Hah. I won't talk about the flavor right now, however.
I think someone got it on video... but you probably don't want to see it.
After they finished skinning Queen Victoria, the Masai handed Erik, Rico and I pieces of Kidney. We tried it; Erik and I managed to swallow it. It actually was much better than I had expected. The after-taste was pretty good, in fact. I have to say it didn't taste very dissimilar to the part of the meat the Masai cooked (they cooked half their way, and we cooked half our way). I was expecting it to be chewier, I think, but it really wasn't of an unpleasant consistancy.
It was very delicious cooked. Erik and Yolanda marinated it, and then Erik and I grilled it. It turned out amazing-ly.
The next day I was attacked by a goat. Oh goodness, crazy times. I messed with it like a Matador, and Yolanda just laughed and laughed.
Merry Christmas! In Sweeden and Germany, they celebrate Christmas on December 24th. So, we did the same, as Clockwise was from Sweeden, and Rico (another volunteer) and the owners of the property (our hosts) were from Germany.
Anyway, that's not the point of this story.
To celebrate Christmas, we decided to buy a goat. And, in doing so, I began my participation in a very... interesting cultural experience.
We named the goat Queen Victoria, took pictures with her, and, you know, got attached a little bit. But then came time for the Masai to.. prepare her.
Stop reading now if you are a vegetarian, are thinking of becoming a vegetarian, or love animals to an extreme. PETA members strictly prohibited. Also, don't read if you are faint of "heart"--If you know what I mean.
I know it was gross, and may sound disturbing, but you really had to be there. In the moment, it was completely different.
Erik (one of the members of Clockwise) and two of the Masai held down the goat, and Tom cut its throat. The Masai were holding a cup in front to catch the blood, and passed it around. Then, once it slowed down, they started drinking blood straight from the throat.
After watching this, I felt like giving it a try. So.. I nealt down and drank some. Possibly one of the most out-there things I have ever done, in retrospect. I knew before that I wanted to try the blood, but from the throat? Never crossed my mind (though I didn't even know they did it).
I am proud to say that I was the only Mzungu to drink the blood. Hah. I won't talk about the flavor right now, however.
I think someone got it on video... but you probably don't want to see it.
After they finished skinning Queen Victoria, the Masai handed Erik, Rico and I pieces of Kidney. We tried it; Erik and I managed to swallow it. It actually was much better than I had expected. The after-taste was pretty good, in fact. I have to say it didn't taste very dissimilar to the part of the meat the Masai cooked (they cooked half their way, and we cooked half our way). I was expecting it to be chewier, I think, but it really wasn't of an unpleasant consistancy.
It was very delicious cooked. Erik and Yolanda marinated it, and then Erik and I grilled it. It turned out amazing-ly.
The next day I was attacked by a goat. Oh goodness, crazy times. I messed with it like a Matador, and Yolanda just laughed and laughed.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Kilimanjaro+
Kilimanjaro! Intense. That's the only word I have to discribe it. The climbing itself wasn't that hardcore, but at altitude the whole no oxygen thing really drains you.
We spent four-and-a-half days going up, and then one-and-a-half down. The first couple of days, we kept telling ourselves "this is going to be easy!" It was pretty much just a few hours of hiking per day. Then, on day three, came the "Breakfast Wall". We got up at 6:30 in the morning, and Cheka and Wilson (our guides) pointed at this rock wall, and told us it was the first part of the climb for the day. Intimidating. So this is when it became less of a "walk in the park".
Every night we had views of beautiful sunsets, and every day we were so fully immersed in Life. It really gave a new appreciation for the beauty of nature. I loved every minute of the climb, even the difficult parts. I learned so much about my body, its limits, and what happens when I push beyond them.
The last part of the climb was the most difficult part of the climb. We started off at the Barafu camp at around 4600 meters (that's high). We left at 11:30 pm, after about two hours of sleep. Pitch black, with just our tiny headlamps, we made our way up to the peak. It's about a six or seven hour climb to Uhuru peak, and if you're quick you can watch the sunrise from the top. I wasn't so quick. They warned us that our water bottles would freeze around 2 am. They weren't lying. About two hours into the climb, I started to hallucinate. But it wasn't bad, and it added a little to the barren landscape, so I wasn't complaining. About an hour after that I started vomiting. While this does slow you down, I really didn't want to give up, so I kept pushing myself. After a little more of that my vision started to fade. So, that was annoying. Every couple of minutes I had to sit for a little and wait to be able to see again. I ended up eating some snow because I was ridiculously thirsty. Almost to the top, at a place called Stella Point (5745 meters), the sun started to rise, so I waited there for a little and let myself warm up. By then, my body was exhausted and I could barely see. But, I wanted to push a little more. So close to the top! But then the logic side of me kicked in. "If you push any more, you won't be able to get back down."
While collapsing at the top, and then having to be carried down would make an interesting story, my insurance doesn't cover "extreme sports," so I decided it really would be best to head down rather than push myself anymore. Too tired to be frustrated about not making it quite to the top, I started my way down. It was a slow process. By the time I got back to the Campsite, Jenna was already packing up her stuff, a bundle of energy (she's got a ridiculous amount). She was the first person to the summit of the day. I laid down in the sun and pretty much passed out.
So, that's what happens when I push my body beyond its limits. Good to know.
I have to say, I'm not upset that I didn't quite make it to the summit. While, yes, summiting would have been wonderful I don't think it really had a negative impact on the experience. I certainly don't think of it as a failure. It just means I'm going to have to try again (Hah, maybe not, since the first time blew out my bank account). But I would love to do some more mountain climbing when I get back Stateside.
Later this week, after a few days rest, we will be going to Zanzibar to work at the Kizimkazi Cultural Music Festival. The festival is to promote diversity, environmental awareness, and "Social Responsibility; Usafi Kama Kawa" (cleanliness as usual). We will be building a stage, and some little shops for refreshments and the like. This is through the Kizi-Noor Cultural Center, if you want to look it up (I haven't, so you'll know more about it than I). I think their website is www.kizinoor.org.
Then, I will be back in Arusha for a week of orientation for the Sustainable Agriculture part of the GSC program. After that week, we will be spending two-three weeks in the villages/"the Bush," and then a week back in town, on rotation. I most likely won't be online as much as I have for most of this experience. That's when I start the agriculture part of the program, so I'll basically be digging holes and gardening , and throwing in a couple HIV/AIDS (VVU/UKIMWI) lessons along the way.
I love you all, and I wish you all the best.
P.s. I'm a little frustrated with the Tanzania Postal Service (though not surprised). I've received two cards and one letter, from my parents and girlfriend, since arriving here, and I know more than that has been sent. None of the packages sent to me have arrived. Yup. And apparently post cards have a smaller chance of getting home to the States than letters/cards. So I'll send more cards and letters, I suppose. I've sent over thirty postcards/letters/cards, but only heard from three or four people that they've received anything.
We spent four-and-a-half days going up, and then one-and-a-half down. The first couple of days, we kept telling ourselves "this is going to be easy!" It was pretty much just a few hours of hiking per day. Then, on day three, came the "Breakfast Wall". We got up at 6:30 in the morning, and Cheka and Wilson (our guides) pointed at this rock wall, and told us it was the first part of the climb for the day. Intimidating. So this is when it became less of a "walk in the park".
Every night we had views of beautiful sunsets, and every day we were so fully immersed in Life. It really gave a new appreciation for the beauty of nature. I loved every minute of the climb, even the difficult parts. I learned so much about my body, its limits, and what happens when I push beyond them.
The last part of the climb was the most difficult part of the climb. We started off at the Barafu camp at around 4600 meters (that's high). We left at 11:30 pm, after about two hours of sleep. Pitch black, with just our tiny headlamps, we made our way up to the peak. It's about a six or seven hour climb to Uhuru peak, and if you're quick you can watch the sunrise from the top. I wasn't so quick. They warned us that our water bottles would freeze around 2 am. They weren't lying. About two hours into the climb, I started to hallucinate. But it wasn't bad, and it added a little to the barren landscape, so I wasn't complaining. About an hour after that I started vomiting. While this does slow you down, I really didn't want to give up, so I kept pushing myself. After a little more of that my vision started to fade. So, that was annoying. Every couple of minutes I had to sit for a little and wait to be able to see again. I ended up eating some snow because I was ridiculously thirsty. Almost to the top, at a place called Stella Point (5745 meters), the sun started to rise, so I waited there for a little and let myself warm up. By then, my body was exhausted and I could barely see. But, I wanted to push a little more. So close to the top! But then the logic side of me kicked in. "If you push any more, you won't be able to get back down."
While collapsing at the top, and then having to be carried down would make an interesting story, my insurance doesn't cover "extreme sports," so I decided it really would be best to head down rather than push myself anymore. Too tired to be frustrated about not making it quite to the top, I started my way down. It was a slow process. By the time I got back to the Campsite, Jenna was already packing up her stuff, a bundle of energy (she's got a ridiculous amount). She was the first person to the summit of the day. I laid down in the sun and pretty much passed out.
So, that's what happens when I push my body beyond its limits. Good to know.
I have to say, I'm not upset that I didn't quite make it to the summit. While, yes, summiting would have been wonderful I don't think it really had a negative impact on the experience. I certainly don't think of it as a failure. It just means I'm going to have to try again (Hah, maybe not, since the first time blew out my bank account). But I would love to do some more mountain climbing when I get back Stateside.
Later this week, after a few days rest, we will be going to Zanzibar to work at the Kizimkazi Cultural Music Festival. The festival is to promote diversity, environmental awareness, and "Social Responsibility; Usafi Kama Kawa" (cleanliness as usual). We will be building a stage, and some little shops for refreshments and the like. This is through the Kizi-Noor Cultural Center, if you want to look it up (I haven't, so you'll know more about it than I). I think their website is www.kizinoor.org.
Then, I will be back in Arusha for a week of orientation for the Sustainable Agriculture part of the GSC program. After that week, we will be spending two-three weeks in the villages/"the Bush," and then a week back in town, on rotation. I most likely won't be online as much as I have for most of this experience. That's when I start the agriculture part of the program, so I'll basically be digging holes and gardening , and throwing in a couple HIV/AIDS (VVU/UKIMWI) lessons along the way.
I love you all, and I wish you all the best.
P.s. I'm a little frustrated with the Tanzania Postal Service (though not surprised). I've received two cards and one letter, from my parents and girlfriend, since arriving here, and I know more than that has been sent. None of the packages sent to me have arrived. Yup. And apparently post cards have a smaller chance of getting home to the States than letters/cards. So I'll send more cards and letters, I suppose. I've sent over thirty postcards/letters/cards, but only heard from three or four people that they've received anything.
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