PICTURES!

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karibu kuangalia! (welcome to look) here are just a few (150) pics from my trip!

One more thing

I forgot to make the general annoucement that in the last week here I managed to get Malaria. Just my luck right? But no worries, its like getting the flu here. Was sick for a few days and now I'm doing much better- on good medicine and fast recovery track. I promise I'll be 100% upon departure :) :)

Departure Day

Today was our last day, the group just left to go to Nairobi to fly home. I am still here for another week with my family travelling to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Zanzibar. I can't wait for them to get here!
It was terribly painful to say goodbye to everyone. The past 3 and a half months have truely been some of the most amazing experiences of my life. Tanzania is full of beautiful places and such beautiful people, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to study here for the semester. It has definitely taught me so much and I can't imagine my life without this experience. I am looking forward to returning home and being able to share it with you all.
Best holiday wishes and safe travels
Meg

ISP & Closing Time

Hey everyone!
So I am back in Arusha following three of the most amazing weeks of the trip (yes I know I say that about EVERYTHING). Anyways, I was back on Chole with two other girls from the trip doing our Independent Studies. I was studying the freshwater use on the island (most of the wells are salty water and freshwater is scare) and evaluating a plan to contruct piping to pump water from a neighboring island.
We were living in the village in a house that someone rented out to us. It was beautiful, and right next to the water. We had a houseboy/housekeeper that came every day to wash dishes, clean the house, bring us water, and do laundry. yes, we were very spoiled. We did cook for ourselves though which was alot of fun. We had a charcoal fire outside to cook over, and ate lots of rice and fish.
I spend about 2 hours everyday going out into the village to do interviews. Everyone was incredibly friendly and it was a great experience. In the afternoons we would have alot of down time (it got reallly hot) so we read alot of books and went swimming. We made some great friends on the island who would come over every night to play cards and a local game called bao. There were also football matches every few days that we got to go watch as well. Then our second to last day one of our friends took us out on his boat to go snorkeling and play on the sandbank. It was beautiful and a great way to close up the trip.
Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things to do ever. The culture on the island is incredible- everyone is so friendly and always looking out for you. People want to help in whatever way they can and their hospitality is amazing. Lots of people tried to get us married off there so that we would stay on the island! Our last evening we had a party at the house, bought sodas and made lots of food. Some of our friends even gave us a musical performance which was great.
After lots of sad goodbyes we headed to Dar and began work. Now I am back in Arusha, working hard during the day and having fun at night. So hard to believe that there is only a week here left.
I hope everyone had wonderful Thanksgivings and I wish you all safe travel over the holidays!
Love,
Meg

Serengeti and Maasai

Hey everyone,
So I would have posted yesterday but computers were not being my friend. I'm gonna try again today...
We spent a week in Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. It was incredible! We saw so many animals and crazy things. Every morning we went out and did biological studies such as road counts, scans and focals, and animal behaviour. It was pretty awesome! Then in the afternoon we got to go on game drives. We saw 3 leopards, tons of lions, hippos, and all sorts of crazy stuff. One night we even had lions get so close to our campsite that the crew had to get in the cars to scare them off. (Dont worry, we're safe!)

Ok, I have alot more to say about the next week...it was one of the hardest most challenging weeks of my life! We left Serengeti for Lake Natron on Sunday. When we arrived that night we climbed Oldonyo Lengai "Mountain of God". It was quite a hike so to speak, especially for me who, lets face it, really doesnt hike. We started climbing at midnight, and it was almost 5 hours up and 4 hours back. By up, I mean straight up! Scree, rock faces, it was pretty intense. The view was amazing though so despite exhaustion I'm glad I did it. We slept that whole day when we got back to try to rest up for homestay.

The next morning we left to go join our Maasai homestay. It was an intense three days of experiencing an amazing culture. I lived in a cow manure hut with my mama and 2 sisters. Every day we would go collect water and wood, do some beading, and try to avoid the intense afternoon heat (usually unsuccessful). They were very friendly although it took awhile to get used to their constant touching and their favorite phrases being are you hungry, are you tired, and what are your parents names.

Anyways within the first two hours I had been dressed from head to toe in Maasai clothes and beads. It was pretty...ridiculous, and yes there will be pictures. During the evenings we got to participate in the tribal dances which were pretty intense. The singing, shaking, jumping and vibrating was just crazy. The first night was intense because earlier that day 5 lions had attacked one of the cow heards; 2 warriors stepped in and killed one of them but got pretty hurt. Day 2 the other warriors went into the bush and killed another one. Then that night the mountain we climbed erupted (yeah it was actually a volcano) so that was pretty intense too- it was far away but regardless. So thats really just a brief summary of the week but I'm sure you can imagine how crazy it was.

It ended with panel discussions with some of the Mamas and Babas which was really interesting, we really got to learn about their culture, religion, politics and customs. Then we had a goat roast (I ate some raw kidney and drank goats blood...yummm...). To end the week we took a beautiful 3 hour hike to some waterfalls and had lunch and went swimming, it was the perfect little oasis compared to the desert we had just lived in!

It was an emotionally exhausting week but such a great experience! I'm back in Arusha now until Thursday and then head back to Chole to do my ISP, so will be out of touch again until december! Until then~

Love Meg

Back to civilization

Let me start with saying the past two weeks were incredible. The island was beautiful, the food was great (fish every day! even squid and octopus) We were spoiled. Our first week we did a PRA course, doing interviews in the village every day. Some of them were really challenging, others were really fun. Then the second week we had our coastal ecology course, with class 3 times a day; 1 walking around, 1 lecture, and 1-3 hours of snorkeling. The coral reefs and all the fish were so beautiful. We had quite a bit of work while we were there but also lots of free time to play games like mafia and sardines, as well as lots of hanging out.
We had a one day homestay which was so much fun! I was put with this really nice old lady, she took me to her house (mud hut, thatched roof) where she taught (or tried) me to weave mats and make rope. It was pretty sweet. Ramadan was going on the whole time we were there so we fasted that day and then broke the fast with our homestay family...it was really awesome. All the women in my family sat together on a weaved mat outside the house, eating pasta, beans and fish with our hands, all off one big plate. It was quite an image to see (all this by the light of a single lantern of course)
So, since I had such a great time...I am going back! I will be doing my independent study there from the 14th of November until the 2nd of December, working with the water board there trying to help them with their plan to pipe fresh water over from another island. So I will be very disconnected again, but am sure it will be wonderful.
I am in Arusha until Sunday morning then head out for a tour of the Ngorogoro crater, sergengeti, and a 4 day Maasai homestay! I'll be back in 2 weeks, so look for an update then! I miss everyone very much, and a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister who turns 12 today! Love you Leigh, hope you have fun!
xoxo

First impressions of Dar

Just enough time for a quick update, arrived in Dar and leave Wednesday for the two weeks of isolation at the 'edge of the world' so says our AD.
We saw the ocean today, YAY! it was pretty cool. Dar itself is big, dirty, polluted and overwhelming, but kind of exciting and really interesting. I think I might do my ISP around here.
anyways, im here and safe after a crazy 10 hour bus ride- will write again in a few weeks!
Meg

Goodbye to the homestay family!

This morning we left Bangata after spending three weeks there. It was really sad to say goodbye to my family! Although there were definitely times during the three weeks that I thought I might not make it and was looking forward to leaving- in the end it all merges into one incredible experience. Last night I was holding my three year old brother as we stood out in the front yard watching bush babies playing in the banana trees in front of the house. I mean really, where else can you get an experience like that?! I am definitely going back up to visit the family before I leave Tanzania.
On a good note, we handed in our first mid-term assignment which was waay intense. 20 interviews of local villagers, 4 tables, 2 maps and 4 papers....way more work than I was expecting not to mention all hand written! Now we get a 2 day break before heading into our next classes...
Tonight is our last night as our big group of 31 before we split up tomorrow. I leave for Dar es Salaam in the morning with the zanzibar group, a ten hour bus ride. We are spending a few days at the university there and then flying to Chole Island.
So the thing with Chole is it is a small island of about 900 people. We are supposedly staying in a pretty sweet hotel minus a few catches: no electricity (anywhere on the island for that matter) no running water, and its gonna be super hot. But we will be having 2-4 hours of lectures every day followed by 2-4 hours of snorkling, who can complain. (And don't worry, i have SPF 60 so I will not get sunburned- I promise mom :) )
Anyways lots to get done today so have to get going, but I won't be updating again til I get back from Chole around the 20th of October. Much love!