Kipilefti

Annie has been on nine types of transportation in this country (plane, taxi, boat, Land Rover/Landcruiser, lumber lorry, pick-up, bus, coaster, dala-dala), the last six of them modes of transportation locals used. “You travel a lot,” she told me, clarifying that she meant that we travel for a long time rather than frequently.

And it’s true: to get to the 4th of July party we got on a coaster at 6 A.M., got off in Njombe around 1.30, got on another coaster to Mafinga, arrived there around 4.30, then waited for a lorry that never came and wound up in a cab instead, arriving at maybe 8.30 at night. We stayed for two nights, then spent two more leisurely days coming home again. Soon we’ll be on the road again, heading up to Iringa so she can get on her bus to Dar. Then I’ll get a flu shot in Njombe, and then be back at site for good, at least until September break. It’ll definitely be nice to be home at site for a while.

Not that the trip wasn’t nice: Zanzibar was beautiful (except for the obnoxious touts who hounded our every step) and I loved just walking around Stonetown; the animals in Ruaha were amazing; and it was good to have my family here, if for a short time. They stayed in Makete for a night and then we all went to Mama Jully’s village, where we were overwhelmed with Tanzanian kindness and hospitality.

Before the family trip I saw some Mbeya folks and went up to Lushoto, which is incredibly beautiful, then spent a few days with my host family in Morogoro. It’s been a very busy few weeks. Apologies to all of you who wrote me e-mails/letters/&c. and have not yet received a response. It’s been quite some time since I’ve had Internet access!