Right now I�m in Tanzania. It�s good, definitely more like the �Africa� I expected, but we�re also in Dar es Salaam, which is a fairly big city. It�s REALLY humid here too, in addition to the heat, and since it�s a mostly muslim country we can�t wear shorts or tank tops, so we�re sweating a lot. Our directors are kind of worried about us being here, since there was a anti-war demonstration here 2 days before we arrived, but everyone so far has been really nice to us.
Some funny facts: one of our interport lecturers (from Tanzania) was saying �Hakuna Matata� to everyone. He interpreted it as �no problem�, but we all thought it was great. Also, the word Simba (these are all Swahili) means lion, and Rafiki means friend.
We�ve mostly gone to markets and wandered around the city (only during the day) while we�ve been here, but tomorrow I�m going on my 3-day Safari to Mikumbi, which is a Nature Reserve in the Serengeti. I�m really looking forward to it, and I�ll let all of you know how it is when I get back.
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Tanzania
I met Ryan last night (to his mom -- he said you told him to look for me too, he misses you too).
We were on the same safari, unfortunately it turned out to be NOT what we expected or paid for. I came home early with a bunch of very upset faculty members and students (I got sick). Ryan stayed there though. I'm sure you'll hear more about that, otherwise mom, you can post my e-mail about it when I send it.
I'm better now too, so no need to worry -- just a short reaction to the breakfast this morning. We did see some great animals though!
If I can I'll post more on here later. Good to know all of the parents are talking!
Karli
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Tanzania
Well, we all left with the impression that we were in for a 4 hour drive, then would be in some open -air jeeps spending a lot of time looking for animals, then back to a nice hotel (repeat for 2 days). Instead, we were in crappy vans, a REALLY crappy hotel, and had a 2.5 hour drive AFTER the hotel to the game park. Then, we almost got into a few accidents on the way back, didn't get dinner until 9:30, and the breakfast made me literally sick (only for about an hour this time). Oh yeah, for those of you who wanted to hear toilet stories -- they were holes in the ground... high class holes though - porcelain. Some even had toilet paper, others maybe flushed, and if we were REALLY lucky, there was running water -- if the Gods were smiling on us, there was soap too.
So, that's the short version, if I write any more I may get mad...
I came home early with some other VERY upset faculty and students (because I was sick and didn't know how long it would last, or if I'd be able to hold it in for the entire day of bumpy roads in a stuffy van). The up-side is that I did get to see a lot of animals (elephant, zebra, giraffe, wildabeest, wart hog, baboon, hippo, buffalo, lots of birds) yesterday
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India
Hi! I'm actually sending this message from my host family's house in Chennai - it's an absolutely gorgeous place! Marble floors, three stories and just as nice, if not nicer than most US homes.
So far I've seen the city and some surrounding areas with famous temples. Today we visited a college. We're here for the night, then tomorrow afternoon I'm doing an orphanage visit.
The city really isn't that bad, there is a lot of trash and tons of people (some sleeping/living on the streets) and there are cows everywhere!!!! Our rickshaw drivers have been fun so far, hard to get them to take you where you want to go, but it was fun. Well, I should go, because I don't want to use up too much of their internet time, but I hope you're doing well. I'll send pictures when I get to an internet cafe'.
Oh - we didn't hear about the virus at all -- well, a little from people hearing it from their parents, but that's it.
Let me know a little more about it please...also if we go to war (although I'm sure I'll hear about that).
Oh yeah - just so you know, I feel very safe here, just as safe as any other place we've been, and more safe than Brazil or Tanzania -- so I'm ok. I'll try to call sometime too, if I can find a phone card somewhere.
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Karli
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