A visit to the Big Town

As much as I like our little Moshi Town (population 5,000), I am often frustrated by the limitations it has in terms of resources/goods. This weekend I went the Arusha which is an hours drive from here to solve my resource problems. Arusha is the third largest city in Tanzania (300,000 population) and it feels like a bustling metropolis. This town, in fact, features large in East African politics. It's the seat of the East African Community and the UN Rwandan Tribunal and the place the politicians in the region meet to discuss current events/policies/issues (things like refugee crises, what to do about Mungabe and Somalia, etc.)

My goal in going to Arusha this weekend was to shop. And I was quite successful. A friend contacted one of his homeboys in Arusha to assist me on my shopping spree and we got it all done in about three hours. Here's what I bought: a classroom pencil sharpener, a rain slicker and gaiters (things you put on your pants to protect your clothing from rain, mud and prickly things on a trek) music cds (and I got a Tanzanian movie too while I was there), reading glasses (I had left mine in Moshi) and the big score - a mini microphone for my video camera (This I found on my own after visiting 8 electronic shops in Arusha). None of the above items are available in Moshi so I was extrmeley pleased with myself all day today.

I also got more batiks from the street vendors who were so grateful for my purchases that a group of them (stationed outside of my hotel) accompanied me on all my excursions in the afternoon. My friend booked the hotel for me and I was slightly alarmed when he told me it was $20 a night, but he assured me that it was a good hotel and it was! The restaurant had good food and was a good hangout in the evenings, the rooms were basic but clean and there was a TV (I watched Nigerian soap operas at night) and a telephone from which you could not make outside calls (!).

Sunday morning I got up and took a daladala home - always an intriguing, somewhat alarming experience for $1.50. On Friday my friend John drove me to Arusha because he wanted to show me the orphanage he is building half way to Arusha. He is a small-time tour operator who sinks most of his profits into this orphanage. The orphanage is in his home village which is at the foot of Mt. Meru, the second largest mountain after Mt. Kili, so it's cool there but with tropical vegetation. After seeing the orphanage we spent some time with his family who live sort of next door. It was a great excursion. There was a tiny calf (two weeks old) at his father's farm who delighted everyone with her antics, the favorite of which was playing tag with the roosters. Who knew farm life would be so entertaining.

Now I am home in Moshi, getting ready for work tomorrow. I have only two weeks left in Tanzania and I am already starting to feel meloncholy about leaving.