Meeting Our First Tanzanians & Practice, Practice, Practice

Most folks go to Africa for the first time for the animals, but it's the people who bring them back.

We went into DC for our visas this morning.  My first greeting at the Embassy was from the guard, who was genuinely interested in our trip.  He was from Kilimanjaro.

Next was the clerk.  I planned on having everything returned to us by mail.  She took a personal interest in this and said very protectively (and, frankly, with a maternal attitude, though I know she was younger than me), "no, you don't live that far.  You can come back next week."  And that was the end of the discussion.

Then there was the custodian.  "Do you need help?" "Where are you going?" "I hope I see you next week."

It would be nice to think this was all in response to my friendly face, but as I was leaving, I saw the guard show the same interest in a person just arriving.


Next we went to the zoo so we could practice with our cameras.  Here are some of the animals DC style.

Bao-Bao (DC's newest cub)

I wonder what he's thinking

Getting Ready for Arusha National Park

My Count Has Started!

Africa - Take One

What matters in life is not what happens to you -- but what you remember and how you remember it.   Gabriel Garcia Marquez

So I retired in August and the next chapter is beginning.  We spent January and February in Siesta Key, Florida, and I take off for Africa in April.  I'll be in Tanzania until July.

Over those two months, I'll be volunteering with two orphanages and Dick will come over for a 17 day safari.  This will be a journal of what I see and think as I'm going along.  It's as much for me as anyone.  I regret not keeping a consistent journal of our many trips.  I realized too late that my memories of those trips are fading and I've made up my mind that after dreaming about this one for so long, I'd like to recall what I did and felt years from now.

We'll see how it turns out.



Facts about Tanzania

• It's a little bigger than 2 times the size of California
• Over 120 languages spoken
• Life expectancy of 44 years
• Birth rate 5.15 per woman
• Approximately 67% unemployment
• 10% of population believed to have HIV/AIDS
• Nearly 60% of those infected are women
• 1.3 million children orphaned as a result of AIDS