Journey to SEKOMU

Marilyn and I have arrived safely in Lushoto. The Usumbara Mountains are as beautiful as they've ever been. I have never been to the jungle type mountains during this time of year. After the long, wet season, the trees, flowers, and flora are lush!

Our drive was pretty uneventful. We had hoped most of it would be on highway, however, much like the states, there was road construction so we were directed to a "diversion" road that was much like the roads we have been traveling on for days now. We made the most of it, slept a bit, and stopped for some "chips" (french fries) and a cold soda before heading through the curvy mountain roads to Sebastian Kulowa Memorial University. The University has under gone significant renovations throughout the last 3-4 years we've been coming. It was wonderful to drive up and see the "finished product" this afternoon. They have a beautiful new lecture hall. Last year it was only sticks and cement that we toured. This year it is finished and is home to a giant lecture hall, smaller classrooms, and several computer labs. What a change! 

We are housed up in "staff house number 3". We were a little leery at first. We thought we didn't have electricity but had 5 lovely men show up at our door after calling. Turns out we just needed to flip a breaker switch :) We are in business now. I've gotten some laundry done and were picked up by the gentle man that went through our teaching "time table" with us this afternoon upon arrival. We ate amongst studying and chatting students. We truly felt like "one of the locals" eating in the university cafeteria with staff and students. We might have been the only white people around for miles, but we enjoyed our typically Tanzanian meal and are now settling in at home, getting materials ready for teaching tomorrow, showering, and watching some hilarious Tanzanian music videos on the only channel the TV gets :) Can't complain. The mountains are beautiful, the weather is great (60'), its quiet, and we've sprayed for mosquitos so we should sleep soundly.

Marilyn and I have arranged for a driver to take us in to town tomorrow so that we can pick up a few essentials before starting our first teaching session at 2:30. We are excited to see some of the students we've had in the past and are hopeful that what we have to teach in sufficient and informative to them. Marilyn has worked hours as we've traveled over the last week. The vacation is officially over for now :) On to the vocation part. We look forward to sharing our teaching experiences and hope you enjoy some of the pictures from our travel over the past few days....

 Our home away from home in Lushoto for the next few weeks. It's nice to finally have a place to call home for a bit!

 Sure enough! They have fields and fields of sunflower seeds along our drive from Arusha to Lushoto. How ironic. We don't call it KANZANIA for nothing :)

 Another shot of our abode in the Usumbara Mountains at SEKOMU

 One of the many dusty, bumpy, roads we have traveled on over the course of the last week. Notice the lovely RED soil that was caked in my hair and skin after driving with the car windows down.

 Laundry :) yah for clean clothes!

 Livingston Museum in Ujiji Town. Marilyn and Efraem reliving the famous lines "Dr. Livingston, I presume?"

Children in Tanzania make these awesome bicycles for entertainment out of wood. I found them fascinating, so wanted to stop to take a picture of them. I tried several times, and each time the kids dropped there bikes and ran because they were scared of what I was going to do or so. Efraem, Marilyn, and I had quite a laugh because of his terrified they were when I tried asking for a picture. Finally, this one little boy said okay, so when I held of the camera and it flashed he took off in terror, screaming into the corn field behind him. Efraem, then explained that some families in western Tanzania where we were traveling believed a lot in witch craft and so likely they thought the flash was some weird phenomenon that was going to hurt them or put a curse on them! Poor kid! I just wanted a good shot of his creative bike!