I'm in Africa!

I have been here in Moshi for about two weeks now; and though I have spent some time in town and live among Africa plants, monkeys, and of course the great Mt. Kilimanjaro, it took me until Saturday to really feel like I was in Africa. We took a drive up this bumpy, dirt road towards the mountain to track her run from the morning. As we got onto the dirt road, we saw goats crossing, women balancing bananas on their heads while bringing them down from the mountain, children running in and out of the trees playing, and people among their homes and villages. I didn't want to be the typical tourist with my camera out as we were driving through, but the sites will always be a memory. It really wasn't anything special, but it was a glimpse at their every day lives, which is what I wanted to see when coming here. It is not the life that the majority of us would choose, but it is theirs, and one that I'm assuming they enjoy. I also saw more of that on Sunday when I went along and did "The Hash" which is an obstacle course/trail that has a different route each week. This one took us up in the hills in and around villages and farms. I walked right through tomatoes being grown next to goats who were tied up to trees among the roaming chickens, and I also walked around the back of homes where I saw how their septic system with the lack of electricity worked (if you catch my drift). Everyone was so helpful if we got a little lost on the trail, and the children were very eager to welcome us. It was a good weekend of exploration and a great insight of life for Moshi residents.

I also spent a great deal of my time on Sunday afternoon watching the monkeys in my front yard. They are so adorable, though they eat our mangoes. I named one of them Horatio. It just seemed fitting.