Kilimanjaro International Airport check in

Were checked in at the KIA. Finally. First the car at the orphanage didnt start so the guys had to push it. Then we stopped at an ATM in Tengeru to get cash for our second night at Peace Matunda. 


Then the police stopped our driver for routine licence/insurance checks. 


We arrived early at the airport, but had a major scare as we saw people paying a new "departure tax" at the check in counter, 10USD for domestic flights and 40USD for international flights. Whaaat! We only had 60 each, reserved for our Ugandan visas! And although KIA has an exchange bureau, it doesnt have an ATM! The Barclays ATM that used to be here is just a hole in the wall. So wed have no way to get cash, USD or TSH. 


I was prepared to get into a taxi to go to an ATM. I thought I was gonna cry. 


However, we were relieved to be told by the check-in lady that we didnt have to pay the tax. Apparently, since we bought our ticket after July 1st the charge was included in the ticket price. Phew. Bloody arbitrary random taxes! Cash is king! Well, now were going through security.

Mountain biking in Tengeru with Peace Matunda

Today we went on a bike ride. The first stop on the ride was the local banana wine brewery. There were a bunch of old men sitting around drinking the wine and we tasted it and it was foul. 


Then we went on to the Nkoaranga orphanage, for young children. The children were very happy to see us. They ran up to us and wanted us to hold them, and we did, and when we did they didnt want us to put them down. They seemed to suffer a large affection deficit. Brother sang his favourite Syd
Barrett tune, and after the third time he was fed up with it and wouldnt do it again despite popular requests. 


Then we continued on our bike ride to a pottery making place. They made very nice pots but we were too hungry to appreciate the demonstrations and could only think
of lunch.

Next stop was the Tengeru market where we had chips, not the famous chips mayai (chips in an omelette), due to our veganism.

Then we went to see the market, there were lots of people selling fruit and we bought bananas. Then we headed back, the road back was probably the highlight of the day, leading through narrow shortcuts in the village. It was hot and quite a workout. 


We decided to spend the night at the Peace Matunda orphanage again, and have arranged for transport to the airport from here tomorrow morning at 7.30. Its not cheap but it saves us the hassle of going back to Arusha to spend the night and we can see that the money is doing good things here. Plus the atmosphere is nice with lots of kids and cool volunteers.

Getting to Tengeru in a dala dala

1. The first stage of coffee roasting

2. After the first stage.

3. After the second stage of roasting

4. After having ground the coffee beans to coffee powder in a mortar.

5. Coffees ready to drink.

Biking

A fork in the road.

Brother at Tengeru market

Our guide helping us pick out Ndizi and Chungwa without getting ripped off.

Woman selling stuff at Tengeru market.

A private math tuition hut 1.

A private math tuition hut 2.

A private math tuition hut 3.

Women selling stuff at Tengeru market.

Sister at Tengeru market.

Making pots.

Sister making ugali.

Tengeru market.

Brother and Loveness at Nkoarangoa orphanage.

Sister and Ester.

Peace Matunda orphanage and primary school in Tengeru

We checked out from the complacent and slow and expensive l'Oasis Lodge we were staying at this morning. What felt so peaceful and nice there when we arrived last week now just felt frustratingly slow. 


We walked with our bags to the main road, past Sanawari, the AICC and into the tourist board on Boma Road. There we booked another cultural tourism program, this time to the orphanage/school "Peace Matunda" near Tengeru. 


To get to the orphanage we walked to the local bus station in Arusha, squeezed into a local bus (dala dala) and got off at Tengeru (ok so we missed the stop the first time and had to get off and go back!). At Tengeru we got a taxi to the orphanage for 7000 shillings. We were well-recieved and shown around the grounds. It is lovely to see a project that seems to be properly functioning. The school has small classes with max 35 children in each, some only 14. All classes are taught in English. The classrooms are colourful, there are books for everyone and theres a library. The children get snack
and lunch (in government schools they go hungry!).

There are volunteers, between 10 and 14 of them, who stay on the grounds for 3-6 months. 


In the orphanage the children each have a bed and a cupboard for personal things. They have access to computers. Everything seems very well organised. Compared to our experience at Sekei, it seems as
if the volunteers here could actually make long-lasting contributions to the childrens opportunies and futures. 


After a lunch of mashed potatoes, we were given a demonstration of coffee-making from bush to cup by three very humble young men from the local village. We then embarked on yet another village walk with one of the young men, stopping to look at various plants and being introduced to various cultural customs. Already possesing most of this information, it was a little wearisome for us to not be able to go beyond the guide's basic protocol, this was due to the language barrier. However, it was a pleasant walk. 


Now were in the garden listening to the voluntees play with the children from the orphange, hoping to get some dinner, and looking forward to some cycling (!) tomorrow.

Mrs Mkala's place

We went to see Mrs Mkala. She fed us plenty of ugali, chapati, spinnach, cabbage and fruit, tea and soda. It was quite a feast.

She told us about some of the volunteers that have been coming to the primary school, and it seems many of them are doing more harm than good. They are smoking in front of the students and not bothering to plan or even show up to classes because they are hungover.

We also helped her mark some english grammar excercises.

In the late afternoon we greeted her old wrinkly mother in law who lived next door, and who seemed very pleased to meet us.

Mrs Mkala's home

Ugali and spinach

Sis looking very silly.

Mrs Mkala wanted a lot of photos

Brother with Mrs Mkala and her husband

Cheers - because we're having a feast.

More cheers.

Marking Standard VIIs exercise books

Marking

English in Sekei Primary School

Marking

The new chicken farm. The last ones all died because of a disease.

Looking at the chicken.

The new store - Mrs Mkala has built a whole new house, so they now have a new shop and a bedroom that they rent out.

Showing off the store.

Mrs Mkala walking us back to our hotel in Sekei after lunch.

The local strip club....

Club Santiago: strip club in Sekei, Arusha.

Impatience in Arusha

This morning we are feeling rather impatient. We feel we have done "Arusha and around" several times over! Weve seen our friends, eaten ugali and chapatis, climbed a mountain, stayed in a village, stayed in cheap and expensive places... time to move on! We considered going to Moshi, but are now instead leaning towards doing another cultural tourism programme over night. The day after tomorrow were flying to Kampala...we cant wait!

Some photos from just chilling in Arusha

Via Via in Arusha - not much happening when we went but nice fruit juices.

Sister is actually not being poked in the nose by straw. 

Via Via

Chillin!

Fanta Passion!

L'Oasis Lodge...

The last day at Ng'iresi

We are now back at L'Oasis Lodge, waiting to go for luch with Mama Mkala.

On Lazaro's advice, we have bought 2 kg of sugar and some tea as a gift. When we were at Gody's house for dinner, we brought a kanga as a gift for his wife Christina. It turned out that the swahili words written on it were some romantic message, and Christina started laughing and ran out of the hut when she read it.

Yesterday we saw the secondary school and talked to the history and geography teacher. Luckily, this time, they did not take us into a classroom and leave us to teach. I (brother) was invited to volunteer and teach physics there. Perhaps I will, someday. Badaaye.

We have walked through the dirt roads of Ng'irisi many times the past two days, and I think it has given us a good feel for what life is like there.

Lazaro told us, in the same matter-of-fact manner as he used to inform us of the banana varieties grown in the village, that some of the well-to-do villagers had acquired their wealh he wrong way. One family in particular had through a curse sacrificed their child to accumulate their wealth.

He also told us that he didn't like Obama, because Obama lied about having killed Bin Laden. If Bush hadnt been able to kill Bin Laden, how could Obama have done it?

Leaving Mt Loti's house at Ng'iresi to walk back to Sekei.

Cultural tourism photos from Ng'iresi village

Our guide Lazaro and Brother by some coffee plants.

Inside a "traditional hut".

Lazaro showing us banana trees.

Ng'iresi Primary School

Brother and Mr Loti outside Mr Loti's house

There were stars here.

Ng'iresi village

Students in Ng'iresi Primary School, Standard VII.

Holding a spontaneous (and not very successful) English lesson for Ng'iresi  Standard VII.

A chamealeon