Photos from Day One

Caribo - Welcome to Tanzania

Uneventful flight and landed in Dar Es Salaam early (yes BA can be reliable). The Dar airport consists of one terminal and the arrival and departing lounge a few benches located outside - yes outside, there is not internal terminal. Hilariously approached by one after the other safari and tour guides but luckily dip in to the internet cafe where I meet my new friend, Innocent. He is terrific. We sit and chat for an hour while I sort out emails and is quite excited to meet someone that has not been to Africa before. Hello Innocent - thank you for a good morning and enjoy the blog!

Flying to Arusha is quite impressive as we fly over Mt Kili, we all must think about coming back to that climb. Better yet when arriving in Arusha it is an airstrip and chartered flights where they wheel out your luggage. Tobias, pictured drove me to the hotel, he is very funny and keen on teaching me Swahilli, points out all the hotspots and where to shop. Arusha is clean, friendly and extremely welcoming.

The afternoon, gets really interesting where I ask the hotel where to go for a walk and I am accompanied by the concierge. He takes me to the local market where I meet all of his friends - "rafikis" encourage me to "take a look for free". We meet his very good friend Prosper, I love the names as they are translated from Swahilli as they are all inspiring. I share what I am doing and he gives me a hat - the hat in the photo for helping his people and to make sure my white skin does not get burned by the sun.

We walk back to the hotel and against Jerobe's recommendation, I venture out on my own. I meet Johnson and Tobias who are eager to give a tour of the city, including the back streets where gems are traded at the end of the day. We visit the local vegetable market/food market where it makes China look like whole foods - hundreds of people but stacks of fresh sugar can, avocado, white eggplants, tumeric and giner. The locals call you at you - "jambo mama" which I find very funny and I experience the sweetest sugar can I have ever had.

Following the market, I see several tribe members headed down a certain street. Intrigued, I ask Johnson, my new "rafiki" who they are and what they are doing. They are all miners coming back to trade precious gems. He asks if I would like to meet them - of course a girl can't turn down looking at gems. In a circle, feeling all a bit shady, the miners share their finds, rolling gems out of their pocket from thick rolls of toilet tissues - the the tanzanite is beyond your imagination brilliant and glorious. No business is done on Sunday so we exchange phone numbers to pick up tomorrow.

On the walk back, we happen (not planned but I was seeking) a pub playing the game, I just missed kick off but the pub is jammed with two different tribes. Funny enought there are 3 Irish men sitting in the back, as we all watch off a 22 inch screen - yes they still to exist - squinting from behind. The good news - we could not see the clock. The bad news all the Irish guys were routing for Germany in addition to the rest of the pub. As the only woman there (I hope I have not broken etiquette) They all enjoyed taking the mick out of me. Feeling depleted and rather sad headed back to the hotel after the game. Off to a very early bus to Babati tomorrow and looking forward to a good night rest this eveing.

And we are off

Sitting at Heathrow Terminal 5 enjoying Itsu Sushi and seeing Nadal finally putting it to end. A great match to say the least and despite too many tie-breakers he continues to show us how to be humble and a winner on the court. Leaving is a mixed bag of emotions, excitement, anxious and just plain terrified as to what I walked in to. However, looking at the fact that BA took an overweight bag - yes that would be the cooker and footballs for no charge - some one is looking after me! Additionally we are taking off on time and the flight is not oversold - all a winner.