It has been such a busy few weeks that it has been so nice to just relax and not really do much of anything while we are in Zurich.
We had a long plane ride from dar es salaam to Zurich but I slept most of the way. It was an over night flight so I was tired anyways but I never sleep well on planes. We arrived at about 6:30 am I think, said all of our goodbyes then ventured on way to find the hostel. We managed to get though customs, and went through the line that was for people who didn't have anything to declare. Luckly we were not picked for a random check. I'm not going to take my chances going into Canada doing that though! We got a train ticket for 6.20 franks and about 10 minutes later we were at getting off the train, not knowing where to to next. We ended up not being too far away but the small, windy cobble stone roads are tricky to navigate through when you don't know your way around. By the time we found the place it was about 8:30 and we couldn't check in till 3:00 so we just walked around and got some groceries and had a feast of familier food!
Before this trip I had never stayed in a hostel before but now I think I will only stay in them when I'm traveling. They are cheap, you have everything you need and you meet so many cool people. So far I've made some friends from British Columbia, Calgary, seattle, pensylvia, Ireland, a whole bunch from Germany and some random guys from here who were walking around yesterday with a sign that said free hugs.
Because yesterday was sunday and today is a holiday, almost everything has been closed. Good thing, just keeps me from spending money! We have just been relaxing and walking around. We hung out on the roof top of our padio which is pretty cool. From there you can see the largest clock face in all of Europe - which is across the river! Pretty cool. Lake Zurich looks sweet at night. Last night we hung out on a dock with some of our new friends, sharing traveling stories and giving advice. I cant wait till my next trip.
Well Lindsay and I are off to find a place that can serve us some food. Hopefully something is open!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Last day in Tanzania!
So this morning i got up and went to the fruit market before breakfast and got an avocado - hope its not rotten like my last one! Then i went and got a news paper because Greg, our videographer, and Harrison, our photographer, went to check out the news paper office yesterday and they wrote a story about them, and us being in tanzania! thats pretty cool (when i get home ill scan it for you all to read). we also had CBC call us last week when we were in Mikumi and did a interview with the staff who are here and one of the students, Kristen - if you listened to CBC radio monday morning you would have heard it! everyone wants to know about what we're doing here and the partnership we started. maybe more people will want to get involved and this could grow even bigger - and maybe i can come back here someday! we've done some amazing things while we're here. we went hiking upUdzungwa Mountain to see the 170m water fall and i swam at the bottom of it. i played with wild monkeys at the jozani forest in zanzibar (which was so cool by the way! we went hiking and came across some red colobus monkeys who were super friendly. they were climbing on us, and hanging off our cameras that were around our necks! i had one sitting on my knee and it went to climb up my face.. i think it was going for my nose ring, but it missed and stuck its hand right in my mouth!!). lets see what else - we got to see how the education system works here (we visited a NGO in Bagamoyo that runs a elementary school for 100 students, we had a quick tour of a secondary school in Mikumi, and then we spent a week at VETA, a college, where we had the oppotunity to sit in on classes to learn, as well as teach their students some of the stuff we have learned. it has been amazing! we went on a safari and saw more animals in one day than i've ever seen before - and not just any animals, but lions and giraffes and elephants etc. you know, the cool animals. we danced and sang with Masai on the beach all night in Zanzibar - and they tried to teach us how to through their knives! it was sweet! the culture here is so amazing, i think everyone should experience it! even though it feel so different than home, it is still like home. everyone i meet is beyond friendly, and will do anything for you. they laugh at us when we attempt to speak swahili, but instead of just laughing, they teach us how to properly say things. the resort hotel that we stayed at in zanzibar has to be the best kept secret in all of africa! it was on a public beach, but nobody else uses it, and was so beautiful. i wish i could have stayed there longer than just one night, but i'm glad we had that chance anyways! if you're lukcy, ill share the name of it with you so you can see for yourself! (that is, when i find out what it was called).
anyways, Ni siku nzuri sana (today is a beautiful day) and i should get back to the hotel for some breakfast before im too late!
i hate that im leaving here this afternoon, there is still so much more to explore and experience. I guess that is all the more reason to come back - i wish we could come back with the same people too. we have all gotten so close and are such good friends! we'll see, maybe it'll happen.
next adventure on my list is switzerland! we will arrive at 6:00am tomorrow morning, and will be home on tuesday night. it's going to be so much fun! we dont have much planned, but we have a place to stay, so don't worry! also not sure on the internet connection, but if i get a chance, ill be sure to let you know how its going.
Thanks everyone for keeping in touch, i'll be home soon :)
anyways, Ni siku nzuri sana (today is a beautiful day) and i should get back to the hotel for some breakfast before im too late!
i hate that im leaving here this afternoon, there is still so much more to explore and experience. I guess that is all the more reason to come back - i wish we could come back with the same people too. we have all gotten so close and are such good friends! we'll see, maybe it'll happen.
next adventure on my list is switzerland! we will arrive at 6:00am tomorrow morning, and will be home on tuesday night. it's going to be so much fun! we dont have much planned, but we have a place to stay, so don't worry! also not sure on the internet connection, but if i get a chance, ill be sure to let you know how its going.
Thanks everyone for keeping in touch, i'll be home soon :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Burnt to a crisp!
Well it is wednesday evening and we just got back to Dar es Salaam from Zanzibar. We had a great few days! We took the farry over at 7:00am on Monday and hung around in stone town. it was a pretty emotional day, as that is where the slave trade took place. It was a rough day because i was so tired - i feel like all of my emotions were to the extreme. oh well, im glad we had a chance to experience that!
the next day we did a spice tour and then tried a bunch of fresh fruit!! ahhhh it was soooo amazing! i will never try such fresh fruit again i dont think! we watched a guy climb a coconut tree, cut some down, and we drank the juice right from it! such a cool experience. and now my new favourite thing is fresh lemon grass tea, with a drop of pure vanilla. its so good!
after the tour we headed to our hotel for the night. it was beautiful! i think it was the most beautiful secret i've ever seen. there was nothing else around except this small resort and most of the people working there were massi people... dressed in traditional dress. very cool. last night we were dancing with them. they spoke about the same amount of english as we did swahili. it was fun though! this morning we got up and went right to the beautiful beach! i ended up getting SOO burnt! but it was totally worth it. i didnt have much color to me before today - this will turn to a tan soon i think... for now im just keeping the ibuprofin in me and aloe close by!
we came back to Dar es Salaam this afternoon via plane. what an experience! i've gotta run for dinner now - just have 30 second left of computer time!
we leave here on the 21st, and ill be home from switzerland on the 25th!
see you all soon :)
the next day we did a spice tour and then tried a bunch of fresh fruit!! ahhhh it was soooo amazing! i will never try such fresh fruit again i dont think! we watched a guy climb a coconut tree, cut some down, and we drank the juice right from it! such a cool experience. and now my new favourite thing is fresh lemon grass tea, with a drop of pure vanilla. its so good!
after the tour we headed to our hotel for the night. it was beautiful! i think it was the most beautiful secret i've ever seen. there was nothing else around except this small resort and most of the people working there were massi people... dressed in traditional dress. very cool. last night we were dancing with them. they spoke about the same amount of english as we did swahili. it was fun though! this morning we got up and went right to the beautiful beach! i ended up getting SOO burnt! but it was totally worth it. i didnt have much color to me before today - this will turn to a tan soon i think... for now im just keeping the ibuprofin in me and aloe close by!
we came back to Dar es Salaam this afternoon via plane. what an experience! i've gotta run for dinner now - just have 30 second left of computer time!
we leave here on the 21st, and ill be home from switzerland on the 25th!
see you all soon :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
took a picture of an elephant this morning... no big deal
Hey everyone!
it is sunday evening and i am currently sitting in a hot, stinky internet cafe in Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA! It is still hard to believe that i am in Africa. It is been 11 days since i left home i think, and we are just about half way done our trip! we have already done so many things, it's hard to remember when we did what. i have lost track of days and the date, and dont even know what the schedule is like - just go with the flow and do what people ask me to do.
I want to upload some pictures for you all to see, but i cant really do that from here - you'll have to wait until i get home! so far i have taken about 2000 photos. this place is increadle! we spent the last week in Mikumi, about 5 hours away from Dar, at VETA (the school we went to) VETA is a college we were working at. I had a chance to hang out with some of the guiding students one morning. I went to class with them and showed them how to set up a tent - it was weird to me that they had never done that before (they go camping, but without tents?) the school just got 10 of them so they can go on a trip next week. they are spending 5 days in a national park, climbing and hanging out. it would be so cool to do that with them! maybe next time i come...
we stayed right at the school in Mikumi. the students in the housekeeping program run a hotel, and the food and beverage students run a restaurant (just like we run a restaurant at school at home). it was so nice. we all had our own rooms, and they even did laundry for us (by hand of course). i have never seen my whites so white! i wish i got their secret!
last night we stayed at Genesis Snake park. its a hotel that has a snake room... but we were late getting back from the safari last night, and this morning, so we didnt have a chance to check it out. oh well... photographing lions, elephants, baboons, garaffes and zebras (among other animals) is better anyways.
it is really hard to pick a highlight of the trip so far - everything has been so amazing! the first day we arrived at VETA Mikumi, the tour guiding students took us on a walking tour of the village. it was great to connect with them, and have them show us what life is like outside of the campus (their homes). they all spoke pretty good english, as school is done in english every year. That was really neat to see them be so excited to meet us, and accept us into their communities. it was hard to say goodbye, as we had build relationships with many of them over the 5 days we were there. Mr. Saronga (the tour guiding teacher, who is coming to nova scotia in june) took us on a bike tour around another village and school. we watched the sun set behind the mountains as we came back onto the road (right before we stopped for a Serengeti Beer at the bar). on the last night at VETA we had a disco in one of the classrooms. there were about 300 people at the dance (and only 400 people go to the school). they were all staring and laughing at us "white girls" dance. it was so much fun. at the end of it the guding students presented us with gifts.. little wooden scluptures. it was really sweet! hanging out with students and getting a feel for their education system was cool... but what beats taking pictures of garaffes and lions and elephants.. who are just a few feet away!? just breathtaking.
tomorrow morning we are going to Zanzibar for a few days. we will be going to stone town, the old slave trade market, we are going on a spice tour, and spending 1 morning at the beach! i am so excited to relax for a little bit on the beautiful beach! we have been so busy every day i havent even had time to process what i am doing. good thing i am keeping up on my journal so i can look at it when i get home... im only 2 days behind on that right now.. ill catch up! hahah
anyways, i have to run for dinner. we are meeting at the hotel at 8, and i still need to get changed and go to the bank! I am doing well, and having fun. i've got a bunch of bug bites, am not burnt (hardly even tanned at all really - we spend a lot of time in the shade, its so hot!). I am sick of rice and have been craving a big plate of nachos, with extra cheese, peppers and black olives for about 4 days... **mom - make sure there is some cheddar cheese, nachos, peppers, and black olives in the fridge when i get home. thanks:) I don't have malaria yet, so that medication is working - but that nasty stuff i took for travelers diarreah, not so much.
Miss you all - i'll post again when we get back from Zanzibar before we leave for Switzerland.
it is sunday evening and i am currently sitting in a hot, stinky internet cafe in Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA! It is still hard to believe that i am in Africa. It is been 11 days since i left home i think, and we are just about half way done our trip! we have already done so many things, it's hard to remember when we did what. i have lost track of days and the date, and dont even know what the schedule is like - just go with the flow and do what people ask me to do.
I want to upload some pictures for you all to see, but i cant really do that from here - you'll have to wait until i get home! so far i have taken about 2000 photos. this place is increadle! we spent the last week in Mikumi, about 5 hours away from Dar, at VETA (the school we went to) VETA is a college we were working at. I had a chance to hang out with some of the guiding students one morning. I went to class with them and showed them how to set up a tent - it was weird to me that they had never done that before (they go camping, but without tents?) the school just got 10 of them so they can go on a trip next week. they are spending 5 days in a national park, climbing and hanging out. it would be so cool to do that with them! maybe next time i come...
we stayed right at the school in Mikumi. the students in the housekeeping program run a hotel, and the food and beverage students run a restaurant (just like we run a restaurant at school at home). it was so nice. we all had our own rooms, and they even did laundry for us (by hand of course). i have never seen my whites so white! i wish i got their secret!
last night we stayed at Genesis Snake park. its a hotel that has a snake room... but we were late getting back from the safari last night, and this morning, so we didnt have a chance to check it out. oh well... photographing lions, elephants, baboons, garaffes and zebras (among other animals) is better anyways.
it is really hard to pick a highlight of the trip so far - everything has been so amazing! the first day we arrived at VETA Mikumi, the tour guiding students took us on a walking tour of the village. it was great to connect with them, and have them show us what life is like outside of the campus (their homes). they all spoke pretty good english, as school is done in english every year. That was really neat to see them be so excited to meet us, and accept us into their communities. it was hard to say goodbye, as we had build relationships with many of them over the 5 days we were there. Mr. Saronga (the tour guiding teacher, who is coming to nova scotia in june) took us on a bike tour around another village and school. we watched the sun set behind the mountains as we came back onto the road (right before we stopped for a Serengeti Beer at the bar). on the last night at VETA we had a disco in one of the classrooms. there were about 300 people at the dance (and only 400 people go to the school). they were all staring and laughing at us "white girls" dance. it was so much fun. at the end of it the guding students presented us with gifts.. little wooden scluptures. it was really sweet! hanging out with students and getting a feel for their education system was cool... but what beats taking pictures of garaffes and lions and elephants.. who are just a few feet away!? just breathtaking.
tomorrow morning we are going to Zanzibar for a few days. we will be going to stone town, the old slave trade market, we are going on a spice tour, and spending 1 morning at the beach! i am so excited to relax for a little bit on the beautiful beach! we have been so busy every day i havent even had time to process what i am doing. good thing i am keeping up on my journal so i can look at it when i get home... im only 2 days behind on that right now.. ill catch up! hahah
anyways, i have to run for dinner. we are meeting at the hotel at 8, and i still need to get changed and go to the bank! I am doing well, and having fun. i've got a bunch of bug bites, am not burnt (hardly even tanned at all really - we spend a lot of time in the shade, its so hot!). I am sick of rice and have been craving a big plate of nachos, with extra cheese, peppers and black olives for about 4 days... **mom - make sure there is some cheddar cheese, nachos, peppers, and black olives in the fridge when i get home. thanks:) I don't have malaria yet, so that medication is working - but that nasty stuff i took for travelers diarreah, not so much.
Miss you all - i'll post again when we get back from Zanzibar before we leave for Switzerland.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Finally made it!
It only took like 27 hours, but we finally made it to Tanzania! we spend all day friday, and most of thursday (all of thursday with the time change) traveling. But it was totally worth it. Its hot here, and really humid.. loaded on the sun screen this morning so im not burnt yet (i'm sure i will be soon though).
I don't have much time to write, but i wanted to say i made it. It's weird being stared at in the streets. I want to take so many pictures but its hard.. you have to ask permission before taking any because of many different cultural traditions.
tomorrow we are going to bagamoyo to visit an elementary school, and then to see a museum of where salves we kept many years ago. Monday we are heading up to the college in Mikumi, which im super excited for! and then later next week we are heading over to Zanzabar, which is beautiful!
Anyways, thats all for now. I'll update again soon
I don't have much time to write, but i wanted to say i made it. It's weird being stared at in the streets. I want to take so many pictures but its hard.. you have to ask permission before taking any because of many different cultural traditions.
tomorrow we are going to bagamoyo to visit an elementary school, and then to see a museum of where salves we kept many years ago. Monday we are heading up to the college in Mikumi, which im super excited for! and then later next week we are heading over to Zanzabar, which is beautiful!
Anyways, thats all for now. I'll update again soon
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Good friends. Old traditions. New memories
I'm gonna miss you girlies! our "back to school ice cream date 2009" turned into "quick, lets make a date for coffee before Mirski leaves for AFRICA!" Thanks for finding time ladies, you're the greatest! {and Karibu [welcome home] Michelle)
Ill prepared
I am NOT ready to go! that list of things i had to do the other day - i have added to it, but not scratched anything off! This seems so strange to me, usually i am packed and ready to leave a week before i actually go! My room is a disaster, my laundry isnt done, and i am not capable of packing light. i know i dont need a million things to go to Africa, but i just cant manage to cut it down to half the size! i ALWAYS have this problem! I don't want to take a million things to camp either, which will be hard because im thinking about Kentucky summer camp weather, not Tatamagouche summer camp weather - and those are two very different climates!
Anyways, i have to go do a hundred things today - just thought i'd inform you all about how ill prepared i am for this; but i am so beyond excited its not even funny! JUST 2 MORE DAYS TILL TRAVEL DAY! YAY!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
So school is finally over, which means i now have time to get excited about everything else that is to come over the next few months! It hasn't really hit me yet that this time next week, i will be in a far far away land! ahhh! There is so much to do before I leave on Thursday, as when i get home from Tanzania, i'll pretty much be going right to camp! lets see, whats on my list so far...
1. Pack for Tanzania
2. Pack for camp
3. Learn Swahili
4. Learn French
5. Somehow come up with a bunch of money so I'll survive in Switzerland
6. Sort stuff out at the bank
thats all i can think of for now. im sure there are like 98632342638 little things i need to get done before i go too... but i can't think of them right now! ah! im getting excited thinking about it! The other day, one of the teachers from NSCC sent out an e-mail. he's already in Taznania, setting up our itinary and whatnot... anyways, he said that he saw baboons, zebras and garaffes on the way to the school one morning. they were just chillin on the side of the highway! how cool is that?! i can't wait to see all the wildlife there! i really want to see an elephant! we haven't received out itinary yet, so im not sure exactaly what we will be doing and when, but hopefully i'll have some internet access so i can update you all. I do know that, besides working with the students and faculity of VETA Mikumi, developing some tourism programming, we will be visiting an elementary school, going on a safari, and taking a high speed fairy over to Zanzibar for 3 days to check that area out too! I can't wait to experience all the new things! the culture, the language, the food, their customs. it will all be so fasinating. i'm happy to be part of this project, so that we can share with VETA some of Nova Scotia, so that they can learn from us as well!
Now i can't sit still, I'm going to go work on some more swahili! Kwaheri!
1. Pack for Tanzania
2. Pack for camp
3. Learn Swahili
4. Learn French
5. Somehow come up with a bunch of money so I'll survive in Switzerland
6. Sort stuff out at the bank
thats all i can think of for now. im sure there are like 98632342638 little things i need to get done before i go too... but i can't think of them right now! ah! im getting excited thinking about it! The other day, one of the teachers from NSCC sent out an e-mail. he's already in Taznania, setting up our itinary and whatnot... anyways, he said that he saw baboons, zebras and garaffes on the way to the school one morning. they were just chillin on the side of the highway! how cool is that?! i can't wait to see all the wildlife there! i really want to see an elephant! we haven't received out itinary yet, so im not sure exactaly what we will be doing and when, but hopefully i'll have some internet access so i can update you all. I do know that, besides working with the students and faculity of VETA Mikumi, developing some tourism programming, we will be visiting an elementary school, going on a safari, and taking a high speed fairy over to Zanzibar for 3 days to check that area out too! I can't wait to experience all the new things! the culture, the language, the food, their customs. it will all be so fasinating. i'm happy to be part of this project, so that we can share with VETA some of Nova Scotia, so that they can learn from us as well!
Now i can't sit still, I'm going to go work on some more swahili! Kwaheri!
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